What are the "problem" nutrients in hydroponic mixes?

OGHomeslice

Active Member
Been looking at buying all of the stand-alone nutrients for grows in bulk. But I'm curious - I know you can't just mix them all together at once, at least in concentrated form, because some will coalesce (if that is the right word) with others in the water and fall of solution or morph into something else that does not work for the plants. What are the problems nutrient or nutrients that you have to worry about this? What stops you from being able to just mix them all together in dry or liquid concentrate form and mixing when needed?

Thanks for any help!!!
 

GBAUTO

Well-Known Member
I run a simple 3 part dry mix.
The base mix has all of the micros with P & K.
Calcium nitrate for Ca & N.
Epsom salt(mag sulfate) for Mg & S.
Improper mixing can cause a reaction that forms calcium sulfate(gypsum) and precipitates out of soultion.
Making sure each of the parts is completely dissolved before adding the next prevents this.
 

Renfro

Well-Known Member
Calcium Nitrate is the one most commonly causing issues. Mix it with H2O separately and then add to the mix.

Silicate products also cause precipitation. Acids and bases doing what they do.
 
Silica in liquid form (Potassium Silicate) is so alkaline I use it as a pH up once the base solution is set. Add first and pH down to around 6.5 (at least under 7 in the acidic range), the micro will drop it a bit and if you're using humics/fulvics they will drop it a fraction more. Going raw nutes is good but I don't see a better alternative to making your own micro. Micros have ALL the nutes apart from the PK (uhh except Nickel which still isn't being used in nutes). That is why it is crucial it gets added before the PK and at correct pH. There's no way of locking out nutes except if your pH isn't right to begin with. The easiest way to know is through sight. If you see ANY kind of cloud when you add whatever nute then shit is falling out of solution.

Any Micro with do, the tried and true is the the 5 - 0 - 1 formulation, these vary from brand to brand by the concentrations of macro nutrients. For raw ingredients I would recommend mono-ammonium phosphate for veg and early flower. In late veg to early flower I'd switch to mono-potassium phosphate which has around half the amount of P to K but you get both with no nitrate. In late flower I'd start adding potassium sulphate for quality. Calcium nitrate and epsom salts for cal/mag and humic powder + amino acids for chelation. Don't forget the kelp additives, raw kelp is cheap and easy to process but I'd buy an off the shelf kelp additive. If you want to dabble in more experimental fields I highly recommend chitosan and Triacontanol. Right now I'm experimenting with adding my own Co2 in the form of oyster mushrooms grown for personal consumption/fun.

Technically all bloom boosters are just concentrated forms of PK with Mg and trace amounts of chelators. Liquid Kool Bloom by GHE is just Magnesium phosphate, mono-potassium phosphate and Potassium sulphate.
 
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