Enzymes, Microbes & Sanitized Hydroponics: Finding the Balance
A common question that comes up in hydroponic gardening is: "Can I use enzyme products or beneficial microbes when running a sanitized environment, such as one using UC Roots?"
The short answer, is to contact the company of the product you are considering to use and ask if it can be added to a sterile environment.
The Sanitized Solution Sweet Spot
Enzymes, like those found in products from Hydrozyme, and microbes can still function in a moderately sanitized environment. This is key: you want to find that balance.
Hygrozyme suggests that as long as the millivolt range is somewhere between 400 and 600 in a sanitized system, it should not interfere with the enzyme. Sanitize strength is important to be clear about. Microbe Mass have also released similar information that a low millivolt (mV) environment of 400 to 600 mV is fine to use with their microbes.
The potential negative is that once the mV gets above a certain strength, the system will sanitize everything and make the enzyme or microbe product ineffective. Once that happens it will be too stressful for the plant to thrive.
Tools for Success: The ORP Meter
If you're planning to run this balancing act, I highly recommend getting an ORP (Oxidation-Reduction Potential) meter. This will allow you to see what's happening in real-time rather than simply guessing.
Factors like the presence of issues in your nutrient solution can accelerate the dissipation of sanitizing agents, like UC Roots or H2O2. A sanitized system without issues will probably take 3 days to drop from the 500 mV range down to 300 mV. Problems in your system may dissipate the mVs in a day.
Deep water culture in particular, but growing as a whole, can be boiled down to managing the growth environment components. Particularly the nutrient solution. By managing the components and knowing how to dial it in, you give your plants the opportunity to thrive.
If you have any question, please reach out through our social media or the website.
Happy Growing!
You can watch the video and many more on our YouTube page.
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