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Buying Property: Working with Tradesmen and Agents

Welcome to my blog. My name is Darren. I own several rental properties in Western Australia. Once I had made the purchases, I discovered that several of the properties needed extensive work before I could rent them to tenants, so I had to hire construction contractors, plumbers, electricians, waste disposal experts and roofing experts to make sure the homes were in top condition. Once I had repaired the buildings, I contacted a letting agent who put them on the market for me. I learnt a lot from working with some many different businesses so I decided to start this blog to share everything I know.

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Buying Property: Working with Tradesmen and Agents

How To Banish Algae From Your Hydroponics System

by Louella Brewer

A common but thankfully not too serious problem that often blights hydroponics systems is algae. So what are algae and could it ruin your hydroponics system? Here's some helpful advice on how to get rid of algae and prevent it returning.

What are algae?

Algae are tiny, greenish plants that form a blanket over your plant media and can also cover your nutrient vat in a slimy coating. Although algae itself won't kill your plants or damage your system, it is indicative that conditions are not perfect in your hydroponics room. Algae thrive in a humid, warm environment. Unfortunately, so do moulds and fungi and these will cause catastrophic damage to your plants and to your system if not eradicated.

How to get rid of algae

To remove algae and prevent it from growing again, you will need to get rid of excessive moisture and light.

  1. The first thing you'll need to do is scrape away the algae plants and destroy them.  
  2. Now replace all the clear tubing in your system with opaque pipes.  
  3. Top the porous media in each of your pots with stones or gravel to block out the light and create a dry barrier. This will also keep invasive fungal spores away from your plants.  
  4. Finally, sterilise your whole system with a 10 per cent bleach solution and remember to repeat this between plantings. This will prevent any regrowth of algae and will also kill off any fungal spores that might be lurking in the system waiting to germinate.

How to prevent algae from returning

In order to keep conditions right in your hydroponics room and to discourage the regrowth of algae, you'll need to reduce and manage the humidity. Invest in a hygrometer and check the relative humidity (RH) on a regular basis. Hydroponic crops do best at at a RH level of 50 to 60 per cent as a maximum. If the environment becomes too hot and humid, your veggies won't grow as well.

To reduce the humidity in the grow room, use a fan to ensure that the air is continually circulating and use an air conditioning unit. By keeping the leaves of the plants in your grow room continually moving 24/7, you ensure that stale air is flushed out, preventing the formation of mildew, mould and algae.  

It's also very important that you don't over-water your plants; soggy media will encourage the growth of algae. Check the media between feedings to make sure that it is draining properly.

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