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Part B. The nutrient solution

1. 8Water quality: what is in your water and why it matters Level 1 Read a water report; judge Na, Cl, HCO₃⁻, hardness, EC; choose tap, rain or RO
2. 9pH: what it is and why 5.5–6.5 Level 1 Explain pH as a log scale, the availability window, measure and adjust pH
3. 10Alkalinity and buffering: the hidden control of pH drift Level 2 Distinguish alkalinity from pH, neutralise bicarbonate with acid (worked calc)
4. 11EC and concentration: what the meter measures Level 1 Convert EC↔ppm scales, know what EC cannot tell you, set crop EC targets
5. 12Fertiliser salts: purity, solubility, compatibility Level 2 Choose salts, split A/B tanks, avoid Ca–SO₄/PO₄ precipitation
6. 13Reading a formulation: Hoagland, Steiner and modern recipes Level 2 Read a recipe in mg/L and mmol/L, compare classic solutions, understand ratios
7. 14Mixing your own solution: a worked calculation and SOP Level 2 Go from target mg/L to grams per tank, with safety steps and a checklist
8. 15Micronutrients and chelates (coming) Level 2 Choose Fe chelate by pH; know Mn/Zn/Cu/B/Mo ranges and toxicities
9. 16Nitrogen form: nitrate, ammonium and pH control (coming) Level 2 Use the NH₄⁺ share to steer pH; know its risks
10. 17Managing a recirculating solution over time Level 3 Track drift, top-up vs replace, Na accumulation; do a simple mass balance
11. 18Dissolved oxygen in the root zone Level 2 Use solubility vs temperature, root demand, aeration physics; set realistic targets
12. 19Root-zone temperature (coming) Level 2 Explain why solution temperature matters; targets; cooling and heating options