Purified Water and the Cannabis Industry
Everyone knows you need water to grow plants, and cannabis is no exception. But what often pervades common knowledge is the specificity of the water required for optimal growth. Like anything in the cannabis world, there are countless theories about what type of water is best for growing: Should I use distilled or tap? Do I need to install a reverse osmosis, hydroponic water filtration system? Or maybe good old rainwater is the ideal water. What is the right water for my plants?
The answer can be found by considering a few key elements necessary for cannabis growth: pH, EC, and controllability. Cannabis, unlike many other plants, requires a large deal of variation throughout the growing process to get both the highest quality of flower and the highest yield. An example of this is the different levels of light required in the growing stage compared to the flowering stage. How cannabis reacts to water is no different. When in the younger stages of growth, the water used on the plant should have EC levels of around 0.5-0.8 until 15 days after germination. As the plant reaches the end of its growth period, this amount should be increased to 1.1.
Alternatively, when it comes to pH levels, consistency is the name of the game. To avoid symptoms such as bronzing or interveinal chlorosis and to reach ideal growth and yield, the pH should be kept in the range of 5.0 and 7.0 throughout. Any changes in this can have disastrous consequences for your plants.
With this in mind, the question remains: what is the best water for growing cannabis? Well, unfortunately, there is no magic water you can pour on your plants to make them through the roof. Still, some types of water provide a more highly controllable environment than others and thus should be your first choice when determining which water to use. Filtered water for cannabis, such as distilled water, contains no minerals or any other type of microorganism are thus ideal as there is no question about what will be going into your plants. Typically, though, the pH level is on the higher side at 7.0, and the EC will be 0.0, so you’ll have to make some adjustments to reach the ideal conditions mentioned above.
Another route you could take to save money and prevent all the waste that will come with constantly buying distilled water is a reverse osmosis, hydroponic filtration system. Much like distilled water, reverse osmosis water gets rid of most impurities in your water and gives you a consistent, controlled rate to make adjustments.
Unlike distilled water, reverse osmosis water doesn’t get rid of all minerals in the water (chlorine and lime will likely remain), but the pH and EC levels are typically ideal, being 7.0 and 4.0, respectively. Much like distilled water, reverse osmosis water will be consistent and contain no surprises, thus, you will be able to adjust with confidence as your plant grows, as well as not have to fear for some malignant impurity to wreak havoc on your precious plants.
When choosing water for your plants, maybe there is no best choice, but the best conditions and types of water facilitate those conditions. As long as you keep in mind controllability and consistency when making your decision, you will be on your way to creating healthy and quality plants.
Categorised in: Water Purification
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