I just received my hydroponic fertilizer in the mail. I plan to do the MHPGardener mix of Masterblend 4-18-38, plus calcium nitrate and magnesium sulfate. I don't have a way to measure pH yet. I plan to buy a pH testing meter and testing strips.
I was wondering how critical pH is for hydroponic gardening. If I just took tap water, let it sit overnight or a couple days, then attempted to use the water without testing the pH, would the results be significantly worse than if I waited until I purchase a method to test the pH.
How much of a difference does adjusting pH make? Is it a huge difference? Or a minor difference? I'm guessing it depends on how far off the pH to the ideal range. I understand the recommended range for tomatoes and peppers is 6.4 to 6.7.
Another question. Is there a difference between the taste of hydroponically grown produce verses soil grown produce? I've experienced a huge improvement in taste from my soil grown tomatoes and peppers, compared to the grocery store tomatoes and peppers.
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