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Old 05-19-2010, 02:41 AM
GpsFrontier GpsFrontier is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Lake Havasu AZ.
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I've learned through trial and error, research, and a friend that worked with Purdue University in Ag that calcium is rarely lacking so much as the plants ability to use it is. The most common causes are supposedly hot reservoir temperatures which affects the water's ability to hold oxygen and too high of EC which inhibits hydration. Calcium doesn't move without the water and it has to be constant since calcium is not mobile. Once it's in place the plant can't recruit it in reserve. Low oxygen also means low uptake. Can't recall the technical explanation, so if someone knows then please jump in.
Do you recall the optimum temperatures for calcium uptake? I try to keep my reservoir temperatures between 68-72 degrees, that doesn't mean they are all the time but that's what I aim for. That's what I understand to be optimum temperature for the root systems of the plants, and constancy is important. I am not sure how the uptake is affected by oxygenation (I am no expert), but that makes scene. I've learned about the importance of the right nutrient temperature myself last summer, specifically because of my strawberry, and pepper plants.

P.S. Do I understand correctly that too high of a concentration of nutrients in the nutrient solution also inhibit hydration? I know that in warm weather they don't need as strong of a nutrient solution because they transpire (evaporate) much more water. I was thinking that this is because the nutrients become much more concentrated as the water is used up faster.
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