The basic nutrients needed in any hydroponic solution are potassium phosphate, potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate and magnesium sulfate. All of these salts must be thoroughly dissolved before being allowed to circulate around your root systems. Micronutrients are also needed for proper growth of your plants. Most growers used pesticides on their hydroponic crops. Though the pesticides used in hydroponics do not run-off and pollute the surrounding environment like the pesticides used on traditional fields, they are still on the plants themselves. The field of hydroponics is filled with promise, and much research is being devoted to solving the concerns that currently stop more farmers from going hydroponic. How to Use more CO2 to Boost Hydroponic Plant Growth Carbon dioxide is needed in a hydroponic garden to guarantee continued plant growth because it is required for photosynthesis. Many gardeners do not realize that the larger their hydroponic garden is, the more their plants need carbon dioxide for respiration. The natural preventive measures against spider mites are used in most hydroponics systems. Many hydroponic gardeners use a method of natural prevention called “companion planting.” In companion planting crops are intermixed with plants that act as spider mite deterrents for the primary crop. This concept has been around for thousands of years and many countries, including China, Holland, Germany, and Australia have used hydroponics for crop production with results that are quite amazing. Hydroponics is proven to have several advantages over regular soil gardening. The growth rate on a hydroponic plant is 30 to 50% faster than a soil plant that was grown under the same conditions. Many formulas also contain buffers to help prevent extreme swings in the pH level. PH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline the nutrient solution or water is. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, 7.0 neutral, and 7 to 14 alkaline. General plants prefer the pH to stay in the 5.5 to 7.5 ranges as going beyond this range inhibits certain nutrients to become less available for the plant to absorb.