eDude
Well-Known Member
We all look at them and post about them. 20-20-20 N-P-K and most of us know that the first number is Nitrogen (N), the second is Phosphorus (P) and the last is Potassium (K). When I was a kid I learned as UP-DOWN-ALL AROUND in that the first number was for vegetative growth, the second was for flowers and the last was for all around good health of the plant. In general that is still correct. But , what do the numbers mean? What is 20 in 20-20-20 stand for?
In the United States, generally, those number stand for the percentage by weight that is that element or the oxides of that element. So 20% of that is nitrogen and so on. It only adds up to 60% but the rest is made up of dyes, fillers, micros, and shit .
If you’ll notice, most dry foods are very high in their numbers.. because there isn’t any water so their percentage by weight shoots up. So, don’t get too caught up on the numbers when comparing a liquid to a dry formula.
In a few threads here I’ve noticed certain members get way too caught up in the numbers on products before they’ve bothered to look at how it’s mixed. Take something like Blood Blood from Advanced nutrients. I understand how it can be confusing but before spending hours, days, or weeks talking about how the N-P-K is all wrong just take a deep breath, step back a pace or two and see the forest, not the trees. My point being that you can’t always judge the product by the N-P-K. Let’s do the math and look at this.
Bud Blood is 0-39-25 and that has caused certain members to flip their wigs but they never bother to learn about how it’s used. Most foods are set up to be used at 1 tsp (5 ml) per gallon. If you used Bud Blood like that then yes, you’d be screwed. But, you should read the directions and notice the mixing rate.. The mix rate for this product is 4/10ths of tsp per gallon. So, if this product was diluted to a 1 tsp per gallon mix it would be only a 0-15-10.. Not so scary now huh?
I highly doubt anyone would be freaking out about 0-15-10 bloom additive.. 0-10-10’s have been around for ages.
My point being we should all take a moment to slow down and look at the bigger picture and not be so quick to bark out replies without knowing the product or how it’s used. Also, to keep this in mind whenever looking at nutrients. A bottle of nutes that is half as strong and half the price might need 2x the application rate negating any savings you might think you’re getting.
Ran into that issue with Fox Farm Grow and Earth Juice Grow. By the gallon it looked like EJ was way cheaper only when you looked at it closely it made less mixed nutrients because you had to use three times as much per gallon.. That's not a fair comparson and I'm not putting down either of them. One is organic and one isn't.
Hope that helps someone.. lol
In the United States, generally, those number stand for the percentage by weight that is that element or the oxides of that element. So 20% of that is nitrogen and so on. It only adds up to 60% but the rest is made up of dyes, fillers, micros, and shit .
If you’ll notice, most dry foods are very high in their numbers.. because there isn’t any water so their percentage by weight shoots up. So, don’t get too caught up on the numbers when comparing a liquid to a dry formula.
In a few threads here I’ve noticed certain members get way too caught up in the numbers on products before they’ve bothered to look at how it’s mixed. Take something like Blood Blood from Advanced nutrients. I understand how it can be confusing but before spending hours, days, or weeks talking about how the N-P-K is all wrong just take a deep breath, step back a pace or two and see the forest, not the trees. My point being that you can’t always judge the product by the N-P-K. Let’s do the math and look at this.
Bud Blood is 0-39-25 and that has caused certain members to flip their wigs but they never bother to learn about how it’s used. Most foods are set up to be used at 1 tsp (5 ml) per gallon. If you used Bud Blood like that then yes, you’d be screwed. But, you should read the directions and notice the mixing rate.. The mix rate for this product is 4/10ths of tsp per gallon. So, if this product was diluted to a 1 tsp per gallon mix it would be only a 0-15-10.. Not so scary now huh?
I highly doubt anyone would be freaking out about 0-15-10 bloom additive.. 0-10-10’s have been around for ages.
My point being we should all take a moment to slow down and look at the bigger picture and not be so quick to bark out replies without knowing the product or how it’s used. Also, to keep this in mind whenever looking at nutrients. A bottle of nutes that is half as strong and half the price might need 2x the application rate negating any savings you might think you’re getting.
Ran into that issue with Fox Farm Grow and Earth Juice Grow. By the gallon it looked like EJ was way cheaper only when you looked at it closely it made less mixed nutrients because you had to use three times as much per gallon.. That's not a fair comparson and I'm not putting down either of them. One is organic and one isn't.
Hope that helps someone.. lol
