The Hydroponic Water Advantage by Jeff M. Brewer shows how analytical water testing can take the guesswork out of hydroponic growing.
What happens when analytical chemistry meets hydroponics? In his new book, The Hydroponic Water Advantage: A Practical Guide to Source Water, Water Testing, and Better Plant Performance, analytical chemist and membraPure consultant Jeff M. Brewer takes a closer look at one of the most important – and often underestimated – factors in successful hydroponic growing: water chemistry.
Drawing on his extensive experience in analytical chemistry and water analysis, Jeff translates laboratory expertise into an accessible guide for hydroponic growers who want to understand what is actually happening inside their systems – rather than relying solely on visual symptoms, standard nutrient recipes or trial and error.
Read the Chemistry, Not Just the Plants
At the heart of The Hydroponic Water Advantage is a simple idea: the reservoir contains information.
Plant health and nutrient uptake are influenced not only by the nutrients added to a hydroponic system, but also by the composition of the source water, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), the growing substrate and – importantly – the concentrations and ratios of individual ions.
The book introduces a three-step approach:
- Understand the hydroponic system and its capabilities – from Deep Water Culture (DWC) and Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) to aeroponics and vertical growing systems.
- Perform targeted analytical testing according to the plant’s development stage and the demands placed on the system.
- Interpret the chemistry to control nutrient conditions, combining pH and EC measurements with detailed information about individual ion concentrations.
Rather than waiting until deficiencies become visible, this approach allows growers to identify trends and potential imbalances earlier and make informed adjustments.
Going Beyond pH and EC with Ion Chromatography
pH and EC provide valuable information, but they cannot tell growers which individual ions are present – or at what concentration. This is where ion chromatography becomes particularly valuable.
In the book, Jeff introduces the membraPure IONUS Ion Chromatograph as a tool for detailed ion analysis. IONUS is designed for the analysis of anions and cations and can provide the individual concentration data needed for a much more detailed picture of water and nutrient composition.
For hydroponic applications, this information can answer questions that pH or EC values alone cannot resolve: Is a particular nutrient actually deficient – or is an ionic imbalance interfering with its uptake? Is the source water already contributing significant concentrations that need to be considered?
In other words: instead of treating the symptom, analyse the system.
From Source Water to System Stability
Beyond ion chromatography, The Hydroponic Water Advantage covers the entire water environment of a hydroponic system. Topics include:
- differences between reverse osmosis (RO), tap and well water,
- interactions between pH, EC and individual ion ratios,
- identification of nutrient deficiencies based on analytical data,
- the influence of substrates such as coco coir, rockwool, perlite and clay pebbles,
- the use of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and Oxidation-Reduction Potential (ORP) as additional indicators of system health,
- and specific considerations for vertical growing systems and compact crops.
Together, these topics connect laboratory analysis with everyday growing challenges and demonstrate how a better understanding of water chemistry can contribute to more stable and predictable hydroponic systems.
A Collaboration Built on Practical Ion Analysis
We are particularly pleased to see the IONUS featured in Jeff’s book because it reflects the philosophy behind our cooperation: making analytical chemistry useful and understandable in real-world applications.
Jeff has worked together with membraPure on ion chromatography applications, including the analysis of anions and cations in drinking and surface waters with IONUS. His new book takes this expertise into a very different application area and demonstrates just how relevant detailed water analysis can be beyond the traditional laboratory environment.
We congratulate Jeff on the publication of The Hydroponic Water Advantage and are delighted to see membraPure technology contributing to a guide that encourages growers to stop guessing and start reading the chemistry.
The Hydroponic Water Advantage: A Practical Guide to Source Water, Water Testing, and Better Plant Performance by Jeff M. Brewer is now available on Amazon.