So many nutes to use! I need Guidence.

I juss started my hydro system and i got everything down to a science except my nutrient solution in my res. I dont really want to make my own from scratch cuzz im no scientest.... i hated that shit in school. i was wondering if there was some normal fertilizer i can use like the regular miracle grow and miracle grow bloom? i looked at the npk numbers and they both seemed fine. if it is better to mix my own solution someone please tell me where to start.
my babies will appreciate all the help!!

or you can just buy 1 part nutrients like fox farm grow big. Just pour it in until you get to the ec lvl you want =). Goodluck on your quest!

Yes u can also buy advanced nutrients form what i've read is the best there is arround, they are speaclly design for our plants

There are many people here that can tell you many different names but there seems to be a buzz going on with this advanced nutrients. I've never tried it. I don't grow hydro but I use DNF (dutch nutrient formula). Its a organic blend that has all that yucky stuff added like bat poop and it also works for soil. I got great results with my last harvest.
Just my 2 cents

Good luck!

majim420 said:

Yes u can also buy advanced nutrients form what i've read is the best there is arround, they are speaclly design for our plants

Click to expand...

For a hydro grow, you want to use a hydro nutrient. Other soil fertilizers don't have all of the trace elements required in a hydro system. There are 1-part grow and bloom, 2-parts, and 3-part. If you want to keep it simple, stick with the 1-part type.

General Hydroponics' Flora Nova is a good one, or Botanicare Pure Blend Pro, or FoxFarm.

HTH

potroast said:

For a hydro grow, you want to use a hydro nutrient. Other soil fertilizers don't have all of the trace elements required in a hydro system. There are 1-part grow and bloom, 2-parts, and 3-part. If you want to keep it simple, stick with the 1-part type.

General Hydroponics' Flora Nova is a good one, or Botanicare Pure Blend Pro, or FoxFarm.

HTH

Click to expand...

or you can use advance nutrients which is like 20parts =)

Nutes can be expensive and/or cheap

I spend a lot on electricity, RO water, replacing worn out bulbs, calibrating meters,
expensive seeds, and it takes a lot of MY time.

Why would I want to use cheap nutes?

I want to get the most out of my plants
from all the efforts that are put into growing them.

AN nutes are just as simple to use as any other mfg
I'm not saying AN is better than any other nute.

AN does make a lot of additives that can benefit the DWC grower.

If you want to grow "Organic Hydro" then AN makes a lot of nutes for this.

Not all the AN additives should be used
if you are growing in Aero, or NFT.

AN makes a ONE part nute
if that is what you want to use.

I don't know how much price difference there is between AN ONE and Lucas,
but I bet they are very closely priced.

AN makes a two part nute system also
All the additives are optional

You can use AN additives to improve other nute mfg products.

I have grown with AN nutes in DWC
and I had very satifactory results.

I have used AN nutes in AERO
and I had fantastic results.

I'm not defending AN nutes.

I am still using some in DWC,
but I have switched to Dutch Master
for my Aero system.

It is a good idea to use "Hydro Nutes"
because they do have micronutrients in them
that are not necessary in "Dirt Nutes".

My biggest expense is not for nutes,
it is for electricity.

Even expensive nutes are cheap
if you learn how to use them
without changing the rez every week.

I can't see spending $600 on electricity,
and only $4 for miracle grow.

If I get an extra 1/2 oz/plant
then the nutes more than doubled their value to me.

If I don't get root rot,
because I used AN Piranha,&Tarantula,
then these additives are priceless.
($160, enough for 5 grows)

It's a weed, and you can just throw seeds in the ground
and they will grow with no nutes at all.
But they won't produce conniseour budz like a well tended hydro grow.

Like everything in life,
you get out what you put in.

G.I.G.O.

As i said AN are speciallly design for Dichtomous Short Day resin producing plant, aka weed plant, i've never used them but they seem to work lovely, i've used before general hydroponics flora nova series, with subculture, liquid kool bloom and floraliius plus, they workjed great

rule of thumb for just starting....keep it simple....I have found that Fox Farms OR GH 3 part work just fine...I add nothing else. i started out on GH 3 part and am now using Fox Farms for the second time...and it seems to work well.

yep - i'll agree with the keep it simple 2-part or 3-part formulas.

here are some sample feeding schedules from G.H. (I'm not advocating them - just using them as example since this is the only one i'm familiar with) - take a look at the "Drain to Waste Keep it Simple Program"....
GENERAL HYDROPONICS

is a tds tester the only way i can now when to add more nutes to my res? or do u always add so much every day?

a meter that measures EC (electrical conductivity) or PPM (parts per million) is the only way that i know of to know TDS (total dissolved solids).

I'm not sure what others do, but i have to change my reservoir at least once a week. I base this on uptake of more than 2 gallons per day. When I change my reservoir, I try to get the PPM and pH right were i want it (following the directions and experience will help with this). But with 2 gallons of water disappearing everyday (or thereabouts) i have to add some water every day. I usually only add nutes every other time i "top off" the reservoir. The rest of the time i just add plain water.

I'm no expert and this might be a dumb thing to do but it seems to work OK for me.

dang... my plants are still ittty bitty babies. i didnt know they would drink that much. i never really got technical with it but when my plants were seedlings and i was juss using miracle grow with soil i would start them out when they were old enough with half strength nut solution and juss slowly worked my way up week by week until i reached fool strenght. i know nutes affect hydro grown plants alot more so would this be a good idea say i introduce my plants with the fox farm 3 part solution?

If you decide to grow without a meter
then you should very carefully follow the nute mfg directions
and measure in millimeters.

AN has an online nute calculator,
that if you follow it precisely,
you will do OK.

I reccomend deviding whatever numbers you find on the calculator, by 2.

A 50% nute load will save money
and prevent you from burning your plants.

The nute calculator is based upon using
000ppm RO water
in a temperature controlled environment
with 1000w hps lights.

If you are not using these same grow tools,
then you need to reduce the nute load.

I would suggest starting with the AN three part system of
Micro Grow & Bloom

Or, if you are going to use tap water,
then you could use the
General Hydroponics three part
with the "Hard Water" micro.

GH is a 3:2:1 formula

For veg you use
3 parts micro
2 parts grow
1 part bloom

For flower you use
1 part micro
2 parts grow
3 parts bloom

Use the GH at 50% nute load.

The AN three part can be used this way also,
but the online calc uses slightly less grow

Very simple.

Use the online calculator at 50% nute load.

Then, as you gain experience
you may decide to add other nute enhancers
to improve the yields
Like fulvic acid and sensizym

Keep lots of air bubbling in the rez to prevent disease.

If you do not have a TDS meter then you should only add pure water to your rez to maintain the level it was when you put the nutes in.

If you let the plants drink too much water between fill up,
the nutes will become more concentrated and can cause burn.

After you have added water to the same full mark,
then you should measure the pH and adjust it to 5.6

If you use tap water
you will need some pH Down
to make adjustment to the solution
after you have added the three part nutes.

If you use RO water,
then you will need some potassium silicate
to buffer the solution and stabilize the pH.

AN makes Barricade,
which works pretty well for this purpose.

great post Earl!

thanks for exlaining that to me in a understandable way earl... thats gonna help me alot. now once i get my digital camera for christmas ill be able to post a grow journal and then u guys ill be able to see all the magic.....

Great!

Show your grow.

A very simple nutrient recipe that will work through all stages o plant growth (not cloning or germination) is GH flora micro 8 ml and GH flora bloom 16 ml per gallon. this is simple, inexpensive and will produce excellent results with a good growing climate. This is known as the lucas formula specifically designed for our kind of plants. spend your energy and money working on climate controls (air movement, temperature and hu,midity) and when you can keep these at the right levels at all times then you will have the experience and a grow that is ready to start experimenting with the thousands of possible additives available. every company makes good products that you will find at any good hydro store. This strategy will actually increase your yield and quality since most people who are learning mess up nutrient soups and burn or create dificiencies by using lots of products that souns really cool. Learn from my mistakes over the past 15 years. I know its super hard to not use all the additives available and that is due to excellent marketing by the nutrient companies. LOL. remember the things you usually read are written by the companies selling them or the hydro store guy who sells it to you. LOL. all this can be found on a thread called the lucas formula in cannabis world but it is like 35 internet pages so good luck reading it all. LOL . I have. LOL

email468 said:

yep - i'll agree with the keep it simple 2-part or 3-part formulas.

here are some sample feeding schedules from G.H. (I'm not advocating them - just using them as example since this is the only one i'm familiar with) - take a look at the "Drain to Waste Keep it Simple Program"....
GENERAL HYDROPONICS

Click to expand...

ever since i switched to general hydroponics 3 kit (micro,veg and bloom) things have been easy and great.not too cheap not too pricy

The best prices I found were for the dry General Hydroponics:

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