Why you should feed your plants RO Water (Reverse Osmosis)

Today we are going to explain why you should be feeding your plants RO Water and all the benefits it brings to the grower using the popular water treatment process, which gives great results for hydroponic and organic growers. It's worth the investment as water is the foundation of good growth...

Not only a unit for measuring the fertiliser given to plants EC is also the climate control that relates to plant water absorption. If your tap water has an EC range of 0.2 and 0.8 or more then this indicates unknown and unwanted elements are in the water which hinders biological activity and causes unbalances in elements contained in your Nutrients which can cause nutrient lock outs and deficiencies.

Reverse Osmosis Water is a poor conductor of electricity as it's EC range 0 - like rain water it's pure - free from the cleaning agent chlorine – or combined with ammonia to form chloramines - standard in untreated tap water.

How Reverse Osmosis Units work

Reverse Osmosis is a water purification process which removes unknown and unwanted elements including: ions, molecules plus larger particles from tap water by forcing water through a very fine semi-peremable membrane.

The semi-peremable membrane only allows water through stopping larger molecules passing through - therefore purifying the the water from all dissolved minerals - sending RO waste to the drain - leaving you with the 'purest water'.

Most people know that leaving tap water for 24 hours will allow the chlorine to slowly evaporate (adding aeration to water can reduce this time to a hour) – but with chloramines this is not the case - in fact it they take several months to evaporate...with this in mind Reverse Water is the organic growers choice. This is because as they add beneficial bacteria and micro-organisms such as Mycorrhizae and Trichoderma – knowing they will not be neutralized by chloramines – found in tap water.

As you would imagine over time specific components will to need to be replaced inside Reverse Osmosis Units in order for the unit to continuously produce pure water, these are :

Carbon Filter - every 6 months

RO Membrane - every 6 months - 2 Years (dependent on usage and water EC)

Reverse Osmosis Water benefits

Grow equipment such as humidifiers, reflectors, bulbs etc will also benefit from using Reverse Osmosis water as their lifespan will be prolonged as you are no longing putting any dirt's and mineral deposits into the unit via tap water - which lead to corrosion.

Customers who use RO Unit's swear by them and feeding your plants the 'purest water' will bring the following benefits to your crops:

Improved taste, appearance and odour

Plants will have healthy root structures

Avoid nutrient lock outs - less plant problems

Hydroponic nutrient solutions can be easily controlled and calculated

100% effectiveness from Nutrients

No pH adjustment required for soil

RO Water makes an excellent foliage spray

Protection of beneficial bacteria and microorganisms present in the soil 

How much does a Reverse Osmosis Unit cost?

This is an interesting question...you need to ask your self how quickly do you need the RO Water - this will be dependent on your growing technique, system and amount of plants your feeding.

Our range starts as low as £199.95 for the V2 Pure 50 Reverse Osmosis Unit 8L/hr model which can produce up to 8 litres per hour of pure water. Or the larger GrowMax 3000 Reverse Osmosis Unit 125L/hr which can produce up to 125 litres per hour of pure water - which ever you choose plants love RO water!

Reverse Osmosis Units

Reverse Osmosis Water Tips

1. Always use Cal-mag supplement alongside your Nutrients to make up for some of the trace minerals natural found in tap water - aim to reach an EC 0.45.

2. Add around 10% tap water to ro water - this adds bicarbonates and carbonates that will aid pH stability.

3. When adjusting pH using Canna Cannazym will bring down the pH and Canna Rhizotonic will increase it. (Your pH control needs to be micro managed when using ro water - i.e the usual 5ml will be reduced to drops - due to RO water having a pH of approximately 6.5

4. To utilize your RO water to it's full potential you will need to purchase items from our Nutrient Control Range - EC Meter, pH Meter, pH up/down products.

5. Ensure your tap pressure is no more than 5.5 pressure - any more than this will put extra pressure on components. If your water pressure is low then you will need to purchase a Booster Pump which can increase your water pressure by 15 - 50 psi.

6. Make sure you never use hot water and protect your RO Unit from frost. Mount under a sink or attached to a wall.

7. Remember RO water is pure (chlorine/chloramines free) so can only be stores for a couple of days (depending on the amount of tap water mixed)

Conclusion

It's time to go RO - once you do you will notice rapid, green healthy growth, you will see less deficiencies, and you will be able to accurately fine tune your nutrient feeds - resulting in problem free growing - larger yields, more taste and flavour!

For more information on Reverse Osmosis Units - call, email or visit to our Coventry Shop open 7 days a week - where friendly staff are ready to assist.