nutrient / watering question

I'm completely new to the growing...actually I haven't even begun it yet, but I've gotten a solid understanding of much of the basics, and now just have some more specific questions. So I know that you don't really need nutrients until it starts the vegetative state [20-10-10, 20-5-5 ; btw, will I be able to find this type of nutrient at lowe's or home depot? ] My question more relates to how the nutrients are dispersed to the plant? Do you just mix the plant food with the water that you feed it? If so, do you mix it every time you water it, or do you sometimes water with just h20? Is it advised to just keep a water mix that already has the specified ratio of nutrients/water? Thanks for the help...

some people do water water feed and some do water feeed water amd some feed every cycle. it depends on how vigorously your plants are growing.
as for the actual feeding. yes you mix the nutrients into the water before you feed.
as for getting the nutrients at lowes or HD yes you can find some nutrients there but you are better off at your local hydro shop. buying nutrients designed for the plants we grow. something like advanced nutrients or canna flore / vege or foxfarm grow big / big bloom / tiger bloom.

Do you plan on growing in soil or soiless medium?

I'm planning on growing in soil

I have a few plants in 5 gallon pots filled with happyfrog organic soil, i mixed in two cups of hydrotron(growing medium) per gallon of soil to aerate the soil. I filled the pots with stable clones I gave them a single dose of holland nutes soil a an soil b, they look beautiful, retain good Ph. I water them like house plants, well water when the soils dry, very low matnience I now use those for my mother plants. Although I recommend Advanced Nutrients for all mediums, although expensive very affective!