How does coltiva work?
Coltiva is designed to monitor up to six sensor values, providing a complete overview of your plants' health: pH, EC, water temperature, water level, air temperature, and humidity. The pH, EC, and water temperature sensors are placed inside the hydroponic tank, while the water level sensor is positioned beneath it. The air temperature and humidity sensor are built into the device itself.
The pH sensor
Having the right value of the pH in your water tank is fundamental for the well being of your plants.
Too acidic or basic environments can lead to a fast deterioration of the health of the plants. When the plants absorb the nutrients dissolved in the water, the pH value of the water changes, making it difficult to keep it in the right range without appropriate monitoring.
A pH sensor is an easy and effective way to keep track of this changes, allowing you to quickly add acidic or basic solutions (as pH + or pH -, tap water or nutrients) when the pH values of the water goes out of range.
EC sensor
The EC sensor measures electrical conductivity. The electrical conductivty of the water increases with the amount of nutrients dissolved in the water: by measuring electrical conductivity we are able to tell the rate at which the plants are drinking the nutrients. This allows us to refill the tank with nutrients when the EC drops under a certain threshold. Based on the rate the nutrients are absorbed by the plants it is possible to estimate if a larger or smaller concentration of nutrients would be preferable. If the electrical conductivity gets to high, it signals that the plants are drinking more fresh water than nutrients: in that case it would be advisable to add fresh water to decrease the nutrients concentration.
Water level sensor
With the water level sensor you´ll be able to monitor the water level through the Coltiva app. When the volume gets too low, you´ll receive a notification. You´ll be able to set at which height to receive the notification on the app itself. If you have installed our pump system, you´ll be able to refill the reservoir remotely, thus not letting your plants get thirsty.
The water level sensor is to be positioned at the bottom of the reservoir (external). The volume immediately above the sensor should be free of obstacle (a part from the tank itself) for optimal functioning of the sensor. The sensor has a minimum threshold of 30 mm.
Water temperature
Through the water temperature sensor you´ll be able to see if the water in your reservoir gets too hot or too cold during the day. Collecting data on your water temperature will help you with optimizing the environments your plants are living in: different waters like different water temperatures, and adjusting to the right level is fundamental to keep plants healthy and happy.
Air temperature and humidity
Coltiva comes with air temperature and humidity sensors built in. This sensors will help you in controlling the environment your plants are positioned in, ensuring your plants are thriving.
Both the humidity and air temperature are important parameters for the health of the plants, these sensors are there to help you adapting your indoor climate to the plants need, if your growing inside, or to signal you that it is time to move the plants inside after the summer/give some extra shade to your plants in the hot summer days, if you´re growing outside.