El drenaje (o drain-to-waste) se refiere a la solución nutritiva que sale del sustrato tras cada ciclo de riego y no se recircula. Monitorear el pH y EC del drenaje revela las condiciones reales en la zona radicular, que pueden diferir significativamente de la solución de entrada.
Datos clave
- Drain-to-waste systems use runoff to flush salt build-up — typically 10–20% runoff per irrigation
- Runoff EC higher than input EC indicates salt accumulation in the medium
- Runoff EC lower than input EC indicates the plant is consuming more nutrients than it receives
- Runoff pH outside 5.5–6.5 signals a root zone chemistry problem requiring correction
- Recirculating systems capture and reuse runoff — less waste but requires regular solution changes
- Coco coir growers typically target 20–30% runoff per feeding to maintain a clean root zone