What is the Brix value?
The Brix value tells you how much dissolved sugar is in a liquid solution. This value is indicated in degrees Brix. One degree of Brix means that a hundred grams of liquid solution contains one gram of sugar. So: the higher the Brix value, the sweeter the liquid solution. This means that the Brix value is important for the taste and quality of your end product. But how do you measure the Brix value? And what does it mean for your crop?
Why would you want to know the Brix value?
A high Brix value indicates a good taste and quality of your crop. The taste of your end products will be sweeter when the Brix value is high. A crop with a high Brix value can also be preserved longer. Additionally, plants with a high Brix value are more resistant to insect attacks. On the opposite end, a low Brix value might indicate a nutrient deficiency in your plant.
Another advantage of regularly measuring the Brix value is that it helps you analyze growth trends. This helps you see how the quality of your crop develops over time. Such information can help you find the best time to harvest.
Determine Brix value with plant's juice and a refractometer
There are two things you need to determine the Brix value. First of all, you need a few drops of fruit juice. Does your plant not bear fruits? You can also roll up a leaf and then squeeze it with pliers to get juice.
You can then measure the Brix value in this juice with a refractometer. A refractometer measures the angle light makes as it bends at the edge of a liquid. The amount of sugar dissolved in a fluid influences this angle. We recommend using a digital refractometer, since this gives you the Brix value straight away.
Analog refractometer and Brix table
With an analog refractometer, you have to look up the angle in a Brix table to get the corresponding value.
You might be wondering which Brix value is right for your plant. For most plants, the rule of thumb is that a value of 10 or lower may point to a nutrient deficiency. A Brix value of 12 or higher indicates a healthy plant. For some fruits the optimal value may be much higher.
Tips for a better taste
Plants produce measurably sweeter fruits when they have been planted in acidic soil with a high potassium level. To increase the sweetness of your end products, you can use our Sugar Royal. This helps your plants create more chlorophyll and resin. As a result, the plant will start creating seeds and fruits quicker. It also causes more photosynthesis to take place. Since a plant uses photosynthesis to create sugars (and oxygen), it means the Brix value will rise.
Do you need help during your grow? Contact our Grow Expert via Servicedesk.
