Maintaining the right pH is critical for nutrient absorption and plant health, especially in hydroponics where “medical grade” cannabis is the goal. In RDWC (Recirculating Deep-Water Culture), cannabis generally prefers:
- Vegetative Stage: Just under 6.0 pH
- Flowering Stage: Slightly over 6.0 pH
However, pH can remain steady one day and swing wildly the next, sometimes in just a few hours. If you check the pH level manually, you should check it at least once a day—ideally twice—to avoid nutrient lockout or plant stress.
The Growee: A Game-Changer for Hydroponic Growers
Among the options for automating a grow, Growee Automated PH Management System – $685 handling both pH up and pH down offers an affordable, reliable way to regulate pH in RDWC systems. It also includes an EC (Electrical Conductivity) probe to monitor nutrient strength, eliminating the need to check TDS/EC with a separate device and proving you with the ability to add automated nutrient dosing to your system when you are ready, two dosing pumps at a time. When using Growee alongside an auto–top-off setup, you might go days before having to physically interact with your reservoir—other than to admire plant growth.
With the Growee app:
- You can track real-time pH, EC, and temperature on your phone.
- Adjust your desired pH level to be maintained.
- Historical data shows pH and nutrient trends over time.
- You have the option to add nutrient dosing modules, each handling two nutrients, and can connect multiple modules for more complex feeding programs.
How It Works
- pH Up or Down Delivery: Dosing pumps add small amounts of pH Up or pH Down solution to your reservoir as needed.
- Live Monitoring: Real-time and historical pH and EC readings are available on your smartphone.
Verifying Accuracy, Flushing, and Calibration
Over time, lines can become clogged, or probes can drift out of calibration. The Growee app allows you to:
- Flush Lines: Clear out any clogs in the pH Up/Down tubes by running them into an empty bucket.
- Calibrate Probes: Follow Growee’s step-by-step instructions using standard calibration solutions.
- Cross-Check Readings: Compare Growee’s pH and EC values with a manual “dipstick” style probe once or twice per grow cycle.
If the probes stay wet and properly maintained, calibration typically remains stable for years.
Benefits of Automating pH Adjustment
- Time Savings: Fewer manual checks and adjustments.
- Consistency: Stable pH is vital for nutrient uptake.
- Reduced Errors: Automated corrections minimize human mistakes.
- Improved Plant Health: Healthier, higher-yielding plants thanks to optimal pH.
Setting Up Growee for pH Monitoring and Management
Installation is straightforward. The mobile app walks you through each step, and once configured, you can monitor and adjust your system from anywhere.
The Growee Automated PH Management System – $685 (shown above) includes:
- pH Probe for continuous pH monitoring
- EC Probe to measure nutrient concentration
- Dosing Pumps for pH Up and Down solutions
- Mobile App for configuration, real-time data, and alerts
Add Nutrient Dosing Later
Once you have purchased and installed the Growee Automated pH Management System, you can add nutrient delivery once you are ready, in groups of “2”, by adding as many “Growee Smart Nutrient Doser’s – $335” (Four Growee Smart Nutrient Doser’s shown below) as required once you are ready.
Add Nutrient Dosing Now with a “Combo” Unit
If you want to automate nutrient delivery and pH management now rather than staging the implementation you can save money by purchasing a “combo” unit. There are two “combo” units available from Growee, the Growee Starter Combo – $950 which can deliver 2 different nutrients at a time or the Growee Expert Combo – $1,450 capable of delivering up to 6 nutrients at a time.
You can continue to add additional “Growee Smart Nutrient Doser’s – $335” to your system with each Smart Nutrient Doser containing 2 dosing pumps to deliver up to 2 different nutrients or supplements at a time.
By automating your pH management with Growee, you maintain a consistent environment for your plants—leading to higher-quality buds and bigger yields without the daily hassle of manual testing.