Wet and Wild

Hydroponic gardeners do not use soil and rely on water soluble chemicals to feed their plants. For effective hydroponic gardens, an in-depth understanding of your crops nutrient requirements is key, as each crop is different.

Most of the hydroponic brands on the market are not organic. Hydroponic nutrients are refined pure versions of unrefined organic nutrients. Organic nutrients, such as the BioBizz nutrient range, must be converted from unrefined forms into usable forms. The refining process is done by soil microbes, like those found in the myco-plantmatter mychorrizhal fungi, not present in hydroponic setups.

Hydroponic nutrients come in many forms, the most common being liquid based, broad spectrum, 3-stage nutrients like the General Hydroponics or Easy Grow Hydro brands. Another popular option is mixing different granular chemicals like calcium magnesium nitrate and monopotassium phosphate to form DIY hydro-nutrients. When looking into hydroponic nutrients, be sure to look for ones that will provide all the essential minerals.

Damage caused by overfeeding is common, due to the high availability of the rapidly absorbed nutrients. Being part of the chemical class of fertilizers means that prolonged feeding can result in toxic salt build-ups and soil acidification.

The Ability to create accurate, highly concentrated and crop specific fertilizers makes hydroponic nutrient systems a popular option. Hydroponic nutrients are specifically formulated for hydroponic systems and organic nutrients will not work in these systems.

Examples of Chemical Nutrients:

• Monopotassium phosphate
• Calcium Magnesium Nitrate 

Hydroponic Nutrient Brands Available:

• General Hydroponics (GHE) 3-stage Grow, Bloom and Micro
• Easy Hydro Grow (EHG) Liquid (Grow, Bloom, Micro, Coco-micro and Ripener)
• Granular or powder mixes (Hortimix)