Fertilizer For Hydroponic System

Fertilizer for hydroponics

Special fertilizers are required for hydroponics

In hydroponics - opposite to soil cultivation - the plant gets everything it needs for growing on to the roots by the nutrients dissolved within the water. Unlike conventional methods, nutrients don't need to be faraway from the soil by watering. This also saves the plant tons of energy, because it has easier access to the nutrients.

To ensure that the nutrients in soil-free cultivation are often absorbed by the plants directly from the water, special hydroponic fertilizers are available for hydroponic cultivation.

What does a plant need?

Plants require additional nutrients for growth, like dissolved minerals and trace elements. Plants absorb the nutrients through their roots once they are dissolved within the water as ions. In hydroponic fertilizers, all essential ingredients must be contained within the fertilizer, since nothing are often additionally extracted from soil.

Macro elements - are needed in larger quantities

Nitrogen N, potassium K and phosphorus P

Secondary nutrients - important but needed in smaller quantities

Calcium Ca, Magnesium Mg and Sulfur S

Micro-nutrients - Traces, important for enzyme reactions

Iron Fe, copper Cu, zinc Zn, manganese Mn, boron B, molybdenum Mo, chlorine Cl, silicon Si - to call the foremost important

Why a hydroponics fertilizer?

Hydroponics fertilizer is ...

...A fertilizer specially developed for the cultivation of plants in water, which only enables effective cultivation without soil. An honest hydroponic fertilizer is characterized by the very fact that it contains all nutrients and trace elements necessary for healthy growth during a directly usable form.

What hydroponic fertilizers are available?

There are mineral fertilizers and organic fertilizers

Which are available in solid or liquid form, as single-component fertilizers or multi-component fertilizers.

What is a hydroponic mineral fertilizer?

With mineral fertilizers, or inorganic fertilizers, the nutrients contains mineral salts. they're obtained from natural raw materials through processing and therefore the composition is precisely adjusted.

Mineral fertilizers for hydroponic applications contain everything that plants need. The nutrients are available during a way that they will be absorbed and processed directly by the plants.

A relatively great deal of energy and resources are consumed within the production of mineral fertilizers. so as to supply sustainable fertilizers, many fertilizer manufacturers now believe the utilization of renewable energies and simply recyclable packaging materials.

Properties of hydroponics mineral fertilizer:

• synthetic production
• easy to handle
• saves water, since the nutrient solution only rarely must be changed
• accurately dosable
• the fertilizer content are often easily measured via the conductivity measurement (EC value)
• fast and effective supply of the plants
• suitable for all hydroponic systems

What is an organic hydroponics fertilizer?

The nutrients in organic fertilizers originate from plants or animals and are called natural fertilizers. Meanwhile there also are organic bio fertilizers or vegan fertilizers for hydroponics.

The nutrients in organic fertilizers aren't all directly available for the plants to soak up , but must first be partially converted by microorganisms like EM (Effective Microorganisms) in order that they will be processed by the plants.

If low expenditure and high yields are desired, organic fertilizers aren't so optimally suitable.

Properties of organic hydroponics fertilizer:

• obtained from natural resources
• more complex in application, since the nutrients still need to be partially decomposed (microorganisms)
• higher water consumption, because the nutrient solution has got to be changed frequently thanks to deposits and odour formation
• control of the quantity of nutrients by conductivity measurement (EC value) not meaningful
• slower plant growth
• not optimal, only suitable for a couple of hydroponic systems

Single or multi-component fertilizers are available

Hydroponics single component fertilizer

Hydroponics single component fertilizers contain everything a plant needs for growth and are generally compatible for green plants, like salads and herbs.

Hydroponics multi-component fertilizer

With hydroponic multi-component fertilizers, it's possible to reply more specifically to the varied growth cycles of the plant and to supply the plant with an optimum supply, especially within the flowering and fruiting phase. Here you'll find the terms "Grow" or "Vega" for the vegetative phase and "Bloom" or "Flores" for the flowering and fruit phase. So-called additives "Boost" or PK 13-14 (phosphorus and potassium components) also can be added, e.g. so as to further improve the flowering and fruit formation.

For example:

Bionova Aero Supermix

= Single component complete fertilizer. It are often supplemented with PK 13-14 during the flowering phase.

Canna Aqua – Vega + Flores

= Two-component fertilizer. Vega (A+B) is employed within the growth phase, Flora (A+B) within the flowering phase.

T.A. TriPart (GHE FloraSeries)

= Three component fertilizer. All 3 components are always added, in several doses counting on the expansion phase.

How do I implement a hydroponic fertilizer?

Our recommendations are addressed to urban hydroponics hobby gardeners who want to realize good yields with little effort.Together with water, the hydroponic fertilizer forms the nutrient solution that supplies the plants. Therefore the water quality also plays a crucial role. within the professional sector, water is specially treated so as to possess complete control during cultivation. In our opinion it's sufficient to use water for hydroponic urban gardening.

• Select mineral hydroponic fertilizer (follow instructions to be used and safety measures)
• Shake bottle well before each use
• Fill nutrient solution container with water
• Add hydroponic fertilizer consistent with the manufacturer's dosage instructions. Stir well
• In case of multi-component fertilizers, add subsequent component and stir
• Important: NEVER mix the various components together beforehand!
• Check the EC value (fertilizer content, electrical conductivity).
• Add fertilizer until the specified EC value is reached - guide value EC 1000 - 2000 µs/cm.
• Caution: an excessive amount of fertilizer can stress the plant!
• If necessary, adjust the pH value using pH- or pH+ liquid
• Some fertilizers are pH-stable, in order that the pH value doesn't got to be readjusted frequently.
• A pH adjustment is vital if the pH drops below 5.2 or rises above 6.5.
• Since the composition of the nutrient solution is shifted by plant growth or different nutrient uptake, it's going to be necessary to exchange the nutrient solution from time to time.

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