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What Is The Most Suitable Water Temperature For Growing Plants With Hydroponics?
There is no particular water temperature that is ideal for hydroponic plant growth. Because different types of plants prefer different temperatures for their root zones, with warm-weather and tropical plants preferring higher temperatures than cool-season and temperate zone crops, you should try to keep your nutrient solution within a temperature range that promotes optimal plant health, depending on the plants you’re growing.
For hydroponics newbies, a temperature range of 68-72 °F (20-22 °C) is an excellent starting point because it’s ideal for easy-to-grow plants like lettuce and other leafy greens. However, hydroponics specialists recommend temperature ranges up to 75 °F (24 °C) and even a little higher to allow a wider variety of plants.
Although straying a few degrees outside of the ideal parameters for different types of plants would not kill them, it may induce stress in some of them. That’s why many hydroponics gardeners set up many systems, each with crops of the same variety. Allowing your water temperature to drop below 60 °F (16 °C) or rise above 80 °F (27 °C) might cause serious harm to your plants.
The only real hazard of allowing your nutrient solution to drop too low is that it will slow down plant metabolism and hinder your plants’ growth unless you’re growing outside in a cold region or anywhere else where temps dip below freezing. However, if you do need to adjust the temperature of your hydroponic system’s water, a basic aquarium heater should suffice.
In hydroponics, however, high water temperatures are significantly more hazardous. Heat stress, an increase in the rate of root tissue respiration, and the multiplication of dangerous bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens are only a few of the consequences of high water temperatures.Furthermore, when the temperature of the solution rises, it loses its ability to contain dissolved oxygen, which plant roots require for cell respiration – the process by which they obtain the energy necessary to pull in water and nutrients for the entire plant – resulting in plant stress.
The real issue with excessive heat in hydroponics is that it can quickly snowball due to a series of negative feedback loops in which higher heat causes root tissue to respire at a faster rate, causing roots to use up more of the dissolved oxygen in the solution, which is already depleted of oxygen due to the heat, thus causing stress to the plants, weakening them and making them more vulnerable to pathogens that have been introduced.
Why I Need a Water Chiller System for Hydroponics?
Hydroponics is a sort of hydroculture in which plants are grown in nutrient-rich, water-based solutions instead of soil. Hydroponic systems, like traditional nurseries, require sunlight or grow lights for proper crop development.
Temperature control is particularly important when growing plants hydroponically because different plants grow best at different temperatures. Cucumbers, for example, flourish in hotter temps.
Using water-cooled systems, reflecting metal to protect the reservoir from ambient heat, or investing in a hydroponic water chiller are all options for controlling the ambient temperature of hydroponic reservoirs. Industrial chillers have the highest cooling effectiveness of any temperature control technology.
What Is a Hydroponic Chiller?
A hydroponic chiller is a system that cools hydroponic reservoirs during the process. The growth of your plants might be severely hampered by high water temperatures. The appropriate water temperature for hydroponics promotes a healthy balance between oxygen consumption and plant metabolism. This might range from 59 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit for professionally grown plants.
Pros and Cons of Using a Water Chiller In Hydroponics
Pros
To facilitate optimal plant growth, industrial chillers can be used to achieve temperature control within hydroponic cultures. In comparison to alternative process cooling technologies, a water chiller system for hydroponics has the following advantages:
- High-efficiency cooling with reliable operation
- Suitable for large-scale hydroponic systems
- Some manufacturers offer custom chiller sizes
- Remote operation via PLCs to monitor and regulate process temperatures
Cons
Heat. The water chiller serves as a mini-fridge. It generates wast heat. That’s why, in order to save energy, you shouldn’t put it near the growing region.
Expense. In fact, the most compelling argument against a water chiller is that it is a significant investment, even if it has grown considerably more affordable over time. Other inexpensive chilling methods can be utilized instead unless you are a professional grower, a hobbyist, or someone who knows exactly how a water chiller can offer a high ROI (return on investment) to your system.
What’s The Best Chiller Tonnage Size For Hydroponics?
You can use the steps below to discover the best size of water chiller for hydroponics:
- To begin, calculate the approximate volume of water in your hydroponic system(in gallons).
- Next, try to determine your process’s maximum temperature. This can be accomplished by turning on all heat-generating appliances or by measuring the temperature of the system during the hottest part of the day.
- To avoid increasing the volume of water in the system, cool it down to the required temperature with ice packs.
- Remove the ice from the system and circulate the process water after the temperature has been reached.
- Take note of the temperature of the system once you’ve removed the ice packs.
- After an hour, record the system’s current temperature.
- Subtract your starting temperature from your current temperature and record the result, which is known as the temperature differential.
Alternatively, you can use our chiller size calculator by providing your incoming water temperature, ideal chill water temperature, and flow rate.
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Bonjour,
Je vous remercie pour votre blog. Nous faisons de la culture hydroponie depuis 2 ans à l’ile de la Réunion, le soucis est bien de garder une eau entre 22 et 25° ce qui est quasiment impossible. alors nous recherchons des solutions peu coûteuses.
Hello,
Thank you for your positive feedback about our blog. Keeping water at an ideal temperature for hydroponics is essential for optimal plant growth. In Reunion Island, with its tropical climate, this can be a challenge.
Here are some low-cost solutions you might consider:
Using an insulated storage tank: Storing your water in an insulated tank and keeping it in the shade can help maintain its temperature.
Change the water regularly: Replacing some of the warmer water with cooler water can help regulate the temperature.
Use fans: Position a fan to blow on the water surface. Evaporation will help cool the water.
Shade cloths: Set up shade cloths over your hydroponic systems to reduce direct sunlight heat.
Bury the tank: If possible, consider burying your water tank. The ground offers natural insulation which can help regulate the water temperature.
Water chiller: Though a bit pricier upfront, there are specific water chillers for hydroponics. If your operation expands, this might be a wise long-term investment. You can contact with our sales for more info: [email protected]
I hope these solutions help you regulate the temperature of your hydroponic system. Best of luck with your farming on Reunion Island!