Hydroponic systems allow plant roots to grow entirely in water. For this reason, it’s very important that the water in a hydroponic garden is clean and has been treated correctly. 

Factors that impact water quality

Ions

Ions are atoms or molecules that give off a positive or negative charge. Ions are important in hydroponics because they help us to determine how many plant nutrients to add. Our plant nutrients have an abundance of ions in them. If you’re using an EC sensor with your Garden, then you might notice that a higher EC level correlates to having more ions in your Garden’s water.

Hardness level

The hardness level of your home's tap water refers to the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in the water. This information is important for hydroponics, because these minerals impact the ability for the pH level to be controlled. A controlled, low pH level is very important for hydroponics and for happy plants. 

Water softeners work to replace these minerals with a salt ion to decrease the mineral content in the water. While this can be beneficial, it can also counteract the plant nutrients that you add into your Rise Garden. 

Note: If you choose to use water that has been filtered through a water softening system, you may see growing issues with your plants and may need to consider using another water source if your plants start to fail.

Best water for hydroponics:

Reverse Osmosis (RO) water, or distilled water! 

Reverse osmosis water uses a membrane to filter out unwanted ions. Distilled water uses evaporation to filter out unwanted ions. 

Hydroponic Water Filter Chart