Healthy Roots and the right way to water your plants

Responsible for taking up water, nutrients, and oxygen, healthy roots are vital to your crop’s overall well-being.

As plants mature and develop, roots branch out and expand to form a root system, some reaching as deep as six feet into the ground. Roots are growing in constant search of water and nutrients but as the season progresses and the roots grow denser, it can become more difficult for roots to do their job. 

For healthy roots, happy plants and a quality harvest, keep your soil light, fluffy, warm and well-fed. Read on to better understand your plant’s root system and how to help it grow more efficiently. 

Give your roots room to breath

Root cells absorb oxygen into their cells from the air in the soil around them so keep soil light and fluffy. When oxygen is scarce, plants won’t get enough energy and will essentially starve.

Keep your roots cozy

Maintaining a root zone temperature of about 24°C allows your plant to deal with all kinds of extreme environmental conditions. At -14°C and below, your plant will be too cold to take up nutrients and eventually die. 

A few words on watering

Proper watering plays a major role in your plant’s health. As plants grow stronger roots and get bigger, you’ll want to ensure you water them correctly. Here are three watering rules every grower should follow. 

• Prevention is the root of abundance 

Supplying a plant with too much water can cause the plant to develop root rot. To avoid over-watering, make sure to give your soil some time to dry between watering. In addition to over-watering, there are other factors that make plants more susceptible to root rot such as lack of dissolved oxygen in the root zone, high humidity, constant warm temperatures, and lack of light in the growing environment.

If root rot is left untreated, it could ultimately kill your plants or, at a minimum, could severely hinder the plant’s ability to absorb water and nutrients – resulting in poor growth and low yields.

• Give your soil a breath of fresh air 

High Enzymatic activity improves aeration within the root zone. By creating an environment that allows for the decomposition of dead root matter, that space once taken by slimy brown roots is now an empty void filled with oxygen.  

This breakdown transforms the organic matter into simple sugars which in turn feed beneficia microbes. Using an enzyme formula has proven to be one of the most effective ways to boost beneficial microbe activities. 

• Stick to a watering schedule

If you are looking to grow stronger, healthier plants, it’s important to give your plants the same amount of water at the same time every day. In order to figure out when’s the best time to water again, get to know your plant’s preferences and check your soil moisture often.

When it comes to soil moisture, most plants thrive when lower area of the root ball does not ever dry out, while the upper area remains well-aerated and only slightly moist. Since most people apply water from the top, the top section of the roots will remain the wettest for a while and if that happens too often, it creates an issue in your root zone. For most growing mediums, the right time to water again is when approximately half of your water volume is gone.

Get hardy roots with Hygrozyme

To help your plants develop strong roots and reach their full genetic potential, reach for Hygrozyme . With an industry-leading concentration of four core enzymes, our unique formula is designed to have a precise combination and activity level which work synergistically to be the most beneficial formula for your roots throughout your grow. Hygrozyme accelerates the breakdown of dead root matter as it boosts the uptake of essential nutrients.

Hygrozyme is effective in all growing media and compatible with all nutrient and supplement programs. Our enzymes are specifically created to work at their maximum potential in the hydroponic pH and temperature range. For more information on Hygrozyme and how to improve your yield, contact us today.