The Essence of Advanced Nutrients
Hydroponics is the growing of plants without soil-meaning, the nutrients that are normally supplied through the soil to the plants should come from an alternative source, usually through the water solution. Obviously, the advanced nutrients solution given to hydroponic plants has a direct effect on their growth, health, and their yield.
There are around 17 different elements found naturally in soil that plants need for healthy growth, and most basic solutions made for hydroponics will provide these elements (you can also mix your own, if you know what you’re doing). The need to use formula made specifically for hydroponics should not be underestimated as regular fertilizers typically lack some of the elements needed by the plants.
Also, special formulations and/or additives made to specifically cause certain growth patterns in plants are available. Understandably, making the best nutrient mixture is not a very easy business, because there are so many factors involved: the kind of plant, the nutrient blend on which the plant thrives, the desired result, etc. The mixtures of elements and quantities are endless. In all essence, everything about nutrient solutions has to do with chemistry – and if you’ve listened to your Chemistry teacher back in high school, you’d know the significance of getting the correct mix. Thank goodness for ready-made mixtures, the nitty-gritty of chemistry is lifted off of your shoulders; still, you need to learn about your plants and read the product labels to ascertain that you are doing the right thing.
It is safe to conclude then that while basic nutrient solutions promote the needed health of plants, it is the advanced nutrients that give the extra push on particular areas. Some blends deal with keeping the right pH balance in the water, which is essential in hydroponics. Some elements promote accelerated growth; some affect the blooming stage; some encourage thicker foliage; some increase the yield of harvest. Remember, however, that while looking at them makes this idea so simple, it’s not – it is certaintly not like putting an additive in your gas tank.
Everytime you put something in the water, you are feeding the plant something that’ll ultimately affect it for good or ill-just as “we are what we eat.” When a doctor prescribes medicine for us, it may treat a symptom or disease, but there may also be side effects. It is the same for plants; simply adding a booster to the water may have a positive effect in one way, but have negative effects in other areas. Therefore, it’s truly important for you to know about the different nutrients that affect plant growth, this way, you have a better idea of their results.
Thankfully, many hydroponic developers want you to have the “correct” result from their advanced nutrients, so they will put essential information on the label. It is therefore very important to read the label before buying a particular product. The label will usually tell you what the formulation is for, and what plants it benefits. If the product does not have enough information on the label, don’t trust it.
