Nutrients Needed for Hydroponic Plants

Hydroponics literally means the process of growing plants in water i.e. without soil. The principle behind it is that different media bearing all the nutrients of natural soil will support the growth of plants. Thus it is these nutrients that are the most important factor in the process of hydroponics. Soil contains a whole lot of essential nutrients, which is the reason why fertilizers usually do not contain all the thirteen nutrients. However, in the case of hydroponic plants, these fertilizers prove inadequate and so fertilizer formulated specifically for hydroponic systems have to be used.

Different plants need different proportions of nutrients for different times. Best hydroponic nutrients are sold in solutions with simple labels such as ‘grow’ or ‘bloom’ so that even a novice grower can pick up these solutions easily. Change the nutrients along with the growing cycle of your plants. Another reason to change the solution is that the depletion of the elements is subject to the growth stage of the plant. At certain times, certain important elements get depleted faster. Ideally you can change the solution every two weeks. Keep in mind that the proportion of nutrient solution and water remains consistent. If the fertilizer level increases due to evaporation of water, it could cause extensive root damage.

The hydroponic nutrient solutions available are typically sold in a concentrated form. The grower has to mix it according to the instructions and as per the requirement of the plant. For instance a weaker solution should be put for plants in poor growing conditions like overheated gardens, low lighting or just crowded plants. Even newly planted cuttings will benefit from a weaker solution.  For normally growing healthy plants, a normal or regular solution is correct. If your garden has the capability of handling high growth – such as good lighting and ventilation and carbon dioxide production & circulation, you could probably go in for a stronger solution. However, it is advisable to increase the concentration of the fertilizer gradually to save the plant from burning up.

Though the concentrate to water ratio is in the range of 150 – 600 parts per million, the level for most of the plants is 300 – 400 ppm. Keep in mind that these must be mixed with water and not with another part of nutrient solution.

Now that you are aware of the need for different nutrients, you need to know which ones to use. You can find out the various brands from the market. The essential thing is to know which nutrient to look for. You have to first and foremost decide on the growing medium such as stone wool, coco etc. for instance, if coco is the medium you are using, go in for specific nutrients like canna coco nutrients. In the crop stage, a vegetative nutrient formula is better suited for vegetative stage of the plant such as Super Veg A or Super Veg B.

The medium will determine the type of nutrient requirement. Basically the organic or best hydroponic nutrients are made up of different combinations of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Nitrogen is important for leaf vegetative growth. Potassium helps in the process of cell production and phosphorus is responsible for root development and flowering.

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