As of March 16th, we have started offering Smart Care in our Rise Gardens app for free. This is a sensor-less way of adding nutrients to your Garden and is standard for all new Garden purchases. We have stopped supporting EC/pH sensors (and their calibration kits) as of May 15th. For more questions about Smart Care, check out our FAQ article.

If you still have one of our EC/pH sensors (or you’ve purchased your own), this guide will explain how to use the sensor to operate your Garden.

What is EC?

EC stands for Electrical Conductivity. It measures the concentration (or the percentage) of the nutrients in the water in your Garden. 

When you add Nutrients to your Garden, they dissolve into the water. Then, the sensor measures how easy it is to “pass a charge” through the water. The more nutrients are in your water, the easier it is to pass a charge, and the higher the EC level will be.

Why does EC matter?

Plants need different levels of EC at each stage of growth. When plants are just sprouting (germinating), they only need water and light to grow. This is why you should start new sprouts in your Nursery!

As plants grow older, they need different amounts of micronutrients and macronutrients. This is why we use Sprout and Blossom nutrients along with Thrive Nutrients. For more information about our Nutrients, check out our Guide on Nutrients. 

What is pH?

pH is a measurement of how “acidic” or “basic” a substance is. If a substance is very acidic, it will have a very low pH level. If it is basic, the pH level will be very high. 

RF, G. (2019, February 20). Download the science ph scale for free. Vecteezy. https://www.vecteezy.com/vector-art/293102-the-science-ph-scale.

Why does pH matter?

Plants can only absorb nutrients when the pH of the water is at a certain level. For hydroponics systems, the ideal pH level is 5.8.

We’ve created a pH Balance solution, which is very acidic (has a low pH). Tap water tends to be basic (has a high pH), so you should use the pH Balance to lower the pH of the water in your Garden for your plants.

How do I know how to add Nutrients to my Garden?

Follow our guide on Adding Nutrients to your Garden using your App.