How Can Beneficial Bacteria Help Your Hydroponics System?
If you are truly interested in enjoying all of the speedy plant development that your hydroponics system can deliver, you have to think beyond simply setting up a good lighting system and making sure that your nutrient solution is well balanced. You also need to explore ways to increase nutrient uptake enough to increase your plants’ yield. One of the best ways to do this is through beneficial bacteria. These are certain strains of bacteria that are designed to work symbiotically with your plant to increase the nutrient uptake and health of your plants. Here are just a few of the things that these kinds of bacteria can do for you.
Fix Nitrogen – One of the most crucial elements to plant growth is nitrogen, and there is never any lack of nitrogen in the atmosphere. No matter where you live in the world, the large majority of the air you breathe is made up of Nitrogen. But for your plants, this abundant element isn’t really usable as a nutrient. It must be converted somehow into certain kinds of ions. For plants who don’t have the ability to do this on their own, the best way to make this happen is through nitrogen fixing bacteria such as Paenibacillus. These bacteria, when introduced to your nutrient solution can turn that useless N2 into much more useful NH3 or NH4.
Strengthen and Increase Root Size – One of the biggest areas that these beneficial bacteria affect is the roots. As a direct result of the increased nutrient uptake, the roots can become thicker and fuller. This can lead to even more nutrient uptake and a healthier plant overall.
Germinate Beneficial Fungi – Certain beneficial bacteria can even help create other kinds of beneficial organic material in you r root zone and reservoir. Certain kind of fungi have the ability to make your nutrient solution more usable for your plant and can fight off unwanted biological elements in your nutrient solution. Many strains of bacteria can actually help speed the germination and development of these kinds of fungi, allowing them to bring the most development to your reservoir. If you use a product that has these fungi with another hydroponic product that has the bacteria, you can be assured that these biological agents will be working to their full potential to protect and enhance your plants.
Increase Cloning Success Rate – There is nothing more frustrating than to enter your grow room and discover that the majority of the cuttings in your cloning tray have died. Many people use products that contain beneficial bacteria to create a more favorable environment for those young, vulnerable, early forming roots. Increasing the nutrient uptake during these early stages is crucial for success.
Make Foliar Sprays More Effective – Foliar sprays are a fantastic way to increase the amount of nutrients that your plants are receiving, but introducing that much moisture to your leaves can encourage the formation of mold and mildew. Certain bacterial strains, when added to foliar spray, can fight this off by giving mold and mildew less of a chance to form and harm your leaves.