Nutrients & Additives*
Hydroponic Nutrients vs. Additives: Navigating Your Plant's Nutrition
Whether you're setting up a new hydroponic garden or tuning your current system, understanding the difference between hydroponic nutrients and additives is crucial for ensuring your plants thrive. Each type of "food" or supplement you provide can significantly impact your plants' health, growth rate, and yield. Here’s a straightforward guide to help you make informed decisions about which products will best meet your garden's needs.
Understanding Base Nutrients and Additives
1. Base Nutrients: The Foundation of Plant Nutrition
Base nutrients are the core of your plant's diet. They provide essential minerals and vitamins that are crucial throughout the life of your plants. Typically, these nutrients are divided into two main categories:
- Vegetative Formulas: These nutrients promote leaf and stem growth during the vegetative stage.
- Bloom Formulas: Used during the flowering stage, they support the development and maturation of fruits and flowers.
Base nutrients are vital whether you’re growing in soil, coco coir, or using hydroponic methods. They are specially formulated to support your plants from seedling to harvest, adapting to each phase of growth.
2. Additives: Enhancing Growth and Quality
Additives or supplements are used in conjunction with base nutrients to target specific growth factors or correct deficiencies. These can include:
- Flower Boosters: Enhance bloom size and quality.
- Mycorrhizae and Beneficial Bacteria: Improve root health and nutrient uptake.
- Enzymes and Vitamins: Aid in plant metabolism and stress reduction.
- Root Stimulants: Encourage robust root growth.
- Sweeteners and Sugars: Improve taste and aroma of the final product.
- Flushes and Leaches: Remove excess salts and chemicals before harvest.
Additives are not typically essential for basic plant survival but are used to maximize the health and output of your garden.
Matching Nutrients with Growing Media
The effectiveness of nutrients can depend greatly on the growing medium you use. Nutrients formulated for hydroponics are designed to be completely soluble, providing immediate nutrition to plants in water-based systems. In contrast, nutrients for soil-based media often release more slowly and may be part of a more complex soil ecosystem.
Organic vs. Synthetic Nutrients
- Organic Nutrients: Best suited for soil and coco-based media, organic nutrients are often more complex and can provide a slower, more natural nutrient release. However, they may clog systems if used in hydroponics due to larger particulate sizes.
- Synthetic Nutrients: Common in hydroponic systems, synthetic nutrients provide quick, controlled nutrient release and are clean enough not to disrupt water systems.
The Importance of pH Levels
Regardless of the nutrients or additives you choose, maintaining the correct pH level in your growing medium is crucial. Nutrient availability is heavily dependent on pH, which should ideally range from 5.5 to 6.5 in hydroponic systems and 6.2 to 7.2 in soil. Adjusting pH with solutions like pH Up and pH Down can help optimize nutrient uptake.
Balancing Your Plant's Diet
Choosing the right combination of hydroponic nutrients and additives can feel like fine-tuning a complex recipe. By understanding the roles and appropriate uses of base nutrients and additives, you can create a balanced diet that promotes vigorous growth and bountiful yields. Remember, the key to successful cultivation is not just feeding your plants but feeding them well.
For any grower looking to optimize their plant's health and productivity, a well-informed approach to nutrition can make all the difference. As you gain experience, you'll find that mastering the balance of nutrients and additives will become an invaluable skill in your gardening repertoire.
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Vendor:All U Need Garden Supply
NUTES MICROBOOSTER 2.5 Gallon
Microbooster contains 6 essential micronutrients and 2 secondary nutrients plus nitrate and magnesium nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Microbooster is the foundation for the Nutes formula it is specially formulated for use during each stage of plant development.Use in conjunction with other Nutes products to...- $68.00
- $68.00
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Vendor:All U Need Garden Supply
NUTES MICROBOOSTER 1 Gallon
Microbooster contains 6 essential micronutrients and 2 secondary nutrients plus nitrate and magnesium nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Microbooster is the foundation for the Nutes formula it is specially formulated for use during each stage of plant development.Use in conjunction with other Nutes products to...- $34.00
- $34.00
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Vendor:All U Need Garden Supply
NUTES FLOWER 55 Gallon
Flower is specially formulated for bud development during flower production from essential nutrients. Flower provides soluble potash for vigorous trichome production and is designed with high phosphorus, potassium, and calcium to encourage bud formation and root growth.Use in conjunction with Microbooster and other Nutes...- $1,080.00
- $1,080.00
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Vendor:All U Need Garden Supply
NUTES FLOWER 2.5 Gallon
Flower is specially formulated for bud development during flower production from essential nutrients. Flower provides soluble potash for vigorous trichome production and is designed with high phosphorus, potassium, and calcium to encourage bud formation and root growth.Use in conjunction with Microbooster and other Nutes...- $68.00
- $68.00
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Vendor:All U Need Garden Supply
NUTES FLOWER 15 Gallon
Flower is specially formulated for bud development during flower production from essential nutrients. Flower provides soluble potash for vigorous trichome production and is designed with high phosphorus, potassium, and calcium to encourage bud formation and root growth.Use in conjunction with Microbooster and other Nutes...- $296.00
- $296.00
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Vendor:All U Need Garden Supply
NUTES FLOWER 5 Gallon
Flower is specially formulated for bud development during flower production from essential nutrients. Flower provides soluble potash for vigorous trichome production and is designed with high phosphorus, potassium, and calcium to encourage bud formation and root growth.Use in conjunction with Microbooster and other Nutes...- $118.00
- $118.00
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- per
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Vendor:All U Need Garden Supply
NUTES FLOWER 1 Gallon
Flower is specially formulated for bud development during flower production from essential nutrients. Flower provides soluble potash for vigorous trichome production and is designed with high phosphorus, potassium, and calcium to encourage bud formation and root growth.Use in conjunction with Microbooster and other Nutes...- $34.00
- $34.00
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- per
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Vendor:All U Need Garden Supply
NUTES FLOWER 1 Quart
Flower is specially formulated for bud development during flower production from essential nutrients. Flower provides soluble potash for vigorous trichome production and is designed with high phosphorus, potassium, and calcium to encourage bud formation and root growth.Use in conjunction with Microbooster and other Nutes...- $17.00
- $17.00
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Vendor:All U Need Garden Supply
NUTES CAL-MAG 55 Gallon
Cal - Magnum is a calcium and magnesium blend with iron to promote chlorophyll production. Cal - Magnum helps with cell formation and essential leaf growth. Use as often as necessary along with your nutrient regimen to revive vigor in your plants.- $1,080.00
- $1,080.00
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Vendor:All U Need Garden Supply
NUTES CAL-MAG 15 Gallon
Cal - Magnum is a calcium and magnesium blend with iron to promote chlorophyll production. Cal - Magnum helps with cell formation and essential leaf growth. Use as often as necessary along with your nutrient regimen to revive vigor in your plants.- $296.00
- $296.00
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Vendor:All U Need Garden Supply
NUTES CAL-MAG 5 Gallon
Cal - Magnum is a calcium and magnesium blend with iron to promote chlorophyll production. Cal - Magnum helps with cell formation and essential leaf growth. Use as often as necessary along with your nutrient regimen to revive vigor in your plants.- $118.00
- $118.00
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Vendor:All U Need Garden Supply
NUTES CAL-MAG 2.5 Gallon
Cal - Magnum is a calcium and magnesium blend with iron to promote chlorophyll production. Cal - Magnum helps with cell formation and essential leaf growth. Use as often as necessary along with your nutrient regimen to revive vigor in your plants.- $68.00
- $68.00
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Vendor:All U Need Garden Supply
Technaflora B.C. Grow, 1 L
Product Details B.C. HYDROPONIC NUTRIENTS™The easy way to grow plants as lush, fruitful, and fragrant as the famous plants that have been coming out of BC for generationsBest used for: High yield productionB.C. Hydroponic Nutrients is a power-packed trio that will give you extraordinary floral...- $22.00
$24.00- $22.00
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Vendor:Dynomyco
Dynomyco Mycorrhizae Granules
Mycorrhizal Inoculants Increases Yields and Improves Root & Plant Nutrient Uptake DYNOMYCO effectively inoculates plants with vigorous endomycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhizae improve plant nutrient uptake, which translates to healthier, more resilient plants, higher quality, and higher yields! Six Sizes Available DYNOMYCO is available in six...- From $21.00
- From $21.00
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Vendor:Plant Success / Great White
Great White Granular 1 2.2lbs
Great White Granular 1 is the most affordable organic, mycorrhizal product in the marketplace. It is well-suited for use in vegetable, fruit and flower gardens. Great White Granular 1 adds beneficial microorganisms to the root zone to enhance plant vigor and is OMRI AND...- $30.00
- $30.00
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Vendor:Plant Success / Great White
Great White 5 lb
Great White is a premier mycorrhizal product. It contains carefully selected mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria well-suited to a variety of soils, climates and plants. The microbes in Great White enhance the availability or uptake of plant nutrients and water through the root system. In...- $495.95
- $495.95
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Vendor:Plant Success / Great White
Great White 8 oz.
Great White is a premier mycorrhizal product. It contains carefully selected mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria well-suited to a variety of soils, climates and plants. The microbes in Great White enhance the availability or uptake of plant nutrients and water through the root system. In...- $71.95
- $71.95
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Vendor:Plant Success / Great White
Great White 1oz
Great White is a premier mycorrhizal product. It contains carefully selected mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria well-suited to a variety of soils, climates and plants. The microbes in Great White enhance the availability or uptake of plant nutrients and water through the root system. In...- $13.95
- $13.95
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Vendor:Plant Success / Great White
Great White 4 oz.
Great White is a premier mycorrhizal product. It contains carefully selected mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria well-suited to a variety of soils, climates and plants. The microbes in Great White enhance the availability or uptake of plant nutrients and water through the root system. In...- $39.95
- $39.95
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Vendor:Plant Success / Great White
Great White 32 oz.
Great White is a premier mycorrhizal product. It contains carefully selected mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria well-suited to a variety of soils, climates and plants. The microbes in Great White enhance the availability or uptake of plant nutrients and water through the root system. In...- $244.95
- $244.95
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