Hydroponics Gardening - An Introduction To Hydroponics Gardening For Beginners (Part 11) What Is pH?

Article by: John R. Haughton

pH Is The Most Important Factor In Aquaculture.

What Is pH?

pH is the term used to assess the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. This acidity or alkalinity is determined by measuring the concentration of Hydrogen ions in the solution. This normally falls , Find Peace And Happiness Through Gardening between 10 0 and 10-14 gram-equivalents per litre. In order to simplify this, a scale of values between 0 and 14 has been adopted.

This pH scale is a measurement of how strongly the electrical charges hold the atoms and molecules of substances within the solution together. The higher the concentration of positively charged ions, the lower the value is on the scale and the higher the concentration of negatively charged ions the greater the pH value.

Hydrogen (H+) has a positive charge while the hydroxides (OH-) have a negative charge. Pure water , A Beautiful Garden of Flowers has a value of 7.0 so it is easy to see that water , A Beautiful Garden of Flowers must be H-OH or more commonly H2O.

The decimal points on the scale are very important because each whole number is approximately 10 times greater (or less) than the next whole number. So pH 2.0 is 1000 times stronger than pH5. The greater the concentration of Hydrogen ions in the solution the more acidic it is said to be and the lower its pH on the scale. The greater the number of hydroxide ions the greater the alkalinity (or basicity) it is said to have and the higher its pH.

If we look at the structure of the pH scale, we can see that it goes from 0 (very strong acid) to 7 (neutral) and then to 14.0(very strong Base or Alkali). If we mix an acidic solution with an alkaline one, providing that the positions on the scale are equidistant from the neutral value of 7.0, we will end up with a neutral solution. This is because the positive charges will be cancelled out by the negative ones. If however we use differing positions on the scale, then the resulting imbalance will give us a solution with either acidic or basic properties , The Garden Gazebo depending on which side had the greater distance from the neutral value.

But Why Is This So Important?

All of the chemicals in the solution have differing electrical charges because each of them is made up of different combinations of elements and ionic values. As they are all competing for the exchange of charged particles, a huge electrical battle is constantly raging within the solution. This constant exchange of positive and negative charges surrounds the plant's root , Landscape Lighting With Solar Outdoor Lighting Fixtures is a Great Way to Save Money on Decorating system and it is this that allows it to absorb the vital nutrients needed for its growth.

You can think about the chemical battle being a bit like a moving 3D jigsaw puzzle, with the positive and negative charges all having to combine in the correct shape and order. The plant , How to Grow Hydrangeas can only absorb those bits that fit into its own bits, like a lock , Landscape Gardening and key. As the levels of pH change, , A Beautiful Garden of Flowers so the jigsaw bits alter and no longer open the lock. , Adirondack Chairs - How to Choose One In fact the plant , Find Peace And Happiness Through Gardening itself will, at times, alter its own internal cellular pH in order to either slow down or speed up certain enzyme reactions.

It is vitally important that the pH of the nutrient used in the hydroponic , Have Year Round Color by Planting for Birds system matches the plant's own internal pH as closely as possible, otherwise this chemical exchange cannot take place. , Some Favorite Garden Bulbs The main chemicals within the solution, Sodium (Na+), Phosphorous (P+), Calcium (Ca+) and Potassium (K+), together with all the other elements will affect the efficiency of each nutrient's absorption through the root , Greenhouse Gardening as a Hobby walls.

Different species of plant , Re-Potting Your Orchids prefer different pH values. The three main things that affect the pH that a plant , Tips for Preparing a ing Bed prefers are:

1 The pH of the water , Have Year Round Color by Planting for Birds used.
Your water , Adirondack Chairs - How to Choose One will not be pure and so will contain charged ions either from deliberately introduced contaminants or from environmentally , How to Clone with Success absorbed ones like Calcium Carbonate from passing through limestone and Sulphurs from acid rain.

2 The growing , Re-Potting Your Orchids medium that you are using.
Rockwool is over pH 7.0, Peat Moss below 6.0 and hardened expanded clay is 7.59.

3 The nutrient you are using.
Nutrients can be mixed in lots of different ways, forming various combinations of elements and so giving a wide variation in pH. Because these chemical combinations behave in different ways they give up their elements to the plant , Adirondack Chairs - How to Choose One at differing pH values. Therefore the nutrient preferred by the plant , 7 Natural Stone Pebble Projects For Every Home determines which the best pH value for that species is.

Copyright (C) 2004, 2005, 2006.
J R Haughton.
--- All Rights Reserved ---

A partner in a thriving retail hydroponics , Leaf Blowers supply business, Rickie Haughton is the owner of hydroponics-gardening-information.com which aims to cater for all levels of expertise in the field of hydroponics gardening. , Do Garden Statues Have a Place in a Modern Garden? The website is packed with good content about all aspects off hydroponics gardening , Garden Pond Construction and offers a free hydroponics , Find Peace And Happiness Through Gardening Club membership to all subscribers.

What's Inside
Redwood Outdoor Decor: Relax This Season With Furniture You Can Trust - You want an outdoor , Weathervanes - Monitor your Wind Direction with Beauty! bench and furniture , Orchid Care - What The Leaves Tell Us that can assure you relaxation is at hand when you sit out on your patio , Teak Outdoor Furniture - Where Function Meets Beauty or in your garden , Orchid Care What The Flower Tells to enjoy the outdoors. , Getting Up to Speed with Landscape Lighting! You want a bench , Roses and Juniper Rock Gardens that invites you to put your feet up and let your troubles drift away with...
Discount Patio Furniture - Several innovative techniques and practices are now adopted for the sale of patio , How To Brighten Up Your Home With These Flower Arrangement Ideas furniture, of which the most prominent is the discounting system. Discount patio , The Uses of Compost! furniture allows customers to possess top quality patio , Perfume Your Garden and Home with Gardenias furniture and accessories , Hedge Trimmers Are Tools Not Toys at...
Your Step By Step Guide To Planting The Perfect Lawn - Starting a lawn , Recipes for Concrete and Hypertufa from scratch can be an intimidating prospect for the average homeowner. But if you take the time to do it right, it will pay you back many times over with a lawn , Parsley: A Cook's Best Friend that is much easier to care for then it would be if you cut corners a...
The Perfect Fern for Shady Gardens - The 2004 Perennial Plant , Hydroponics in Your Garden of the Year was Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’ or Japanese Painted Fern and this plant , Landscaping Lighting Techniques deserves to be in all shade gardens. , Choosing A Landscape Contractor This hardy fern grows , Build A Simple Planter Box twelve to eighteen inches tall and slowly multiplies to form a large clum...
A Few Simple Facts About Purple Martins - Purple Martins are the largest member of the swallow family. However, in flight their wings are more triangular than other swallows.Males are a handsome lot having a violet head and body with black on wing and tail. Females, youngsters, and...
Solar Outdoor Lighting - The Old WayOnce upon a time if you wanted outdoor lights, , February Plants are Going to Pot you had to assemble the lights, , Outdoor Furniture: Exploring the Benefits of Teak dig ditches, run wires, find and outlet for the transformer(these were low voltage systems using 12 volts), connect the light , Skip The Pesticide And Use Natural Alternatives connections to the main...
Ladybugs, Ladybugs, Come to My Garden - Ladybugs, also called lady beetles or ladybirds, can be a gardener’s best friend. The ladybug’s bright coloring brings welcomed cheer to the garden, , Beware of Toxic Mulch as well as helping with pest , 5 Pieces of Equipment Gardeners Can't Live Without control. Since medieval times, ladybugs have been valued by farmers...
Things You Should Consider When Buying Your First Garden Leaf Blower - Want to save yourself , Basil - the Queen of Herbs some time?Collecting leaves with the aid of a garden , Hydroponics ing - An Introduction To Hydroponics Gardening For Beginners (Part 10) Nutrients leaf blower is considerably less time-consuming and less back breaking work when compared to using a garden , Outdoor Kitchens: Attention All Cooks - You've Never Had It This Good! rake or other such tools. , Garden Ponds The general idea of a le...
Thyme: The Herb of Courage - Garden thyme, fresh or dried, alone or combined with parsley and bay leaves to make a bouquet garni, adds a distinctive aromatic flavouring to meats, poultry, stews, sauces, and stuffing. Thymus vulgaris, commonly known as cooking thyme, English...

Hydroponics Gardening - An Introduction To Hydroponics Gardening For Beginners (Part 11) What Is pH?

Landscape Gardening

Seasonal Gardening