You need to learn how to clean a carbon water filter if you want your plants to produce beautiful blooms and lots of fruits. As a gardener, you want nothing but the best for your beloved plants. That means no matter what it takes, you have to make sure that it receives the right amount of nutrients from the soil, fertilizers, compost, and other sources.
In case you’re not aware, the water that you use for drinking may not be the best water for your plants. To make the water in your city potable, the municipal reservoirs are treated with chemicals like chlorine and others. The purpose of this is to kill the bacteria and viruses thriving in it and make sure that the people don’t get sick when drinking the water.
Other than that, water from the same source is full of calcium, iron, and sulfur that change the soil’s alkalinity impairing the plant’s ability to take up nutrients from the soil. While you may choose to buy distilled water to remedy this, there’s a much cheaper alternative: a carbon water filter.
Carbon is known to be a good material that is efficient in filtering out harmful chemicals, like chlorine and sulfur, from your tap water. But just like how a normal filter accumulates dirt, bacteria, and other particles and needs cleaning every now and then, carbon filters also require the same type of care.
How to Clean Carbon Filters
Aside from dirt and microbe accumulation, not cleaning your carbon filter will result in unpleasant odor around your indoor garden or greenhouse. To avoid that from happening, you have to clean your carbon filters and make sure that the air inside smells fresh all the time. Here’s how you can clean your indoor garden or greenhouse carbon filters:
Step 1. Take the carbon filter out
The first step in cleaning your carbon filter is taking it out of the water pipes, and out of your grow room into an open space. This is important especially if your indoor garden is starting to smell bad. Tap the carbon initially to remove bags of dust and debris that has been trapped within the filter.
Step 2. Vacuum your filter
This step is optional, but advisable if you have a vacuum cleaner that you can use for your carbon filter. Cleaning your filters by vacuuming will ensure that no debris will remain stuck on your filter. It’s best to do the vacuuming every other week to avoid the mess of an extremely dirty and smelly filter.
If you’re consistent with your vacuuming, there’s a big chance that you’ll be able to avoid having to deal with a bad smell in your indoor garden. However, if you start noticing a strange smell, you may have to wash your filters (step 3).
Step 3. Soak carbon filter on water and soap mixture
Next, create a mixture of water and mild soap to soak your filter in. Before putting the carbon filters in the water mixture, spray the beds with water first. Leave the filters in the water for at least 15 minutes before taking it out.
Step 4. Dry the filters
Finally, take out your carbon filters and let the water drip from the carbon beds. Dry your carbon filters under the sun or other sources of heat.
Growing Plants Inside a Hobby Greenhouse: What are the Benefits?
If you’re a big fan of gardening, one of the most important things that you should consider investing in is a hobby greenhouse. Not only will it give your plants an optimal environment, but it will also give them ample protection from environmental factors (heat, cold). Here are the advantages of using a hobby greenhouse when growing plants:
You can enjoy a longer growing period for specific plants
One of the biggest benefits of having a hobby greenhouse is that you can extend the growing season of your plants. With an enclosed space, you won’t have to depend on the season to grow whatever plant you like. You’ll be able to cultivate just about any plant that otherwise won’t be able to survive the normal conditions when planted directly in the garden.
Grow plants that don’t typically grow in your location
If you live in an area where a specific plant of your liking doesn’t normally thrive, you can use a hobby greenhouse to grow that plant. Using fans and other materials, you can provide your crops with just about any type of environmental conditions that they need. With optimal growth conditions, your plants would also have improved chances of survival.
Prevent any threat to plants
Many types of plants are susceptible to predators and pest infestations. With a greenhouse, however, you’ll be assured that your plants will have enough protection from these attacks. With the help of the plastic films or coverings in your hobby greenhouse, you can control what comes in and out and make sure that your plants will stay safe from diseases and rodents that might try to eat it off.
How to Clean a Carbon Water Filter: Final Words
Carbon filters are a great way to reduce the chemicals from the water that might hinder the growth of your plants. As a dedicated grower, you must learn how to clean a carbon water filter properly to guarantee that it will stay efficient in filtering out any impurities. With the steps outlined above, you can start cleaning out your filter and make sure that your plants get the clean water that they need.