Hydroponic Nutrients

Perhaps, the most important element for a successful growing adventure is the use of hydroponic nutrients.

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants with the use of mineral nutrient solutions in exchange for soil; it comes from two Greek words: hydros meaning water and ponos meaning labor. Terrestrial plants may be grown with their roots in the mineral nutrient solution only or in an inert medium, like perlite, gravel, or mineral wool.

It is therefore essential to have quality hydroponic nutrients so you will be successful in growing plants without soil. Commercial garden fertilizers are not recommended because, in most cases, they do not contain all of the 13 elements necessary for healthy plant growth. This can be explained by the fact that fertilizers assume that it'll be the soil that will provide a large portion of those nutrients.

Plants depend on nutrients (or fertilizer) for food. Plants need a certain amount of food in order to grow properly. Among the primary nutrients for plants are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. In addition to nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium, plants require a lesser amount of secondary nutrients and trace quantities of other elements. Secondary nutrients are calcium, sulfur, as well as magnesium. Trace elements are boron, molybdenum, iron, manganese, copper and zinc. All purpose hydroponic nutrients with secondary elements such as calcium, sulfur and magnesium and trace elements boron, copper, molybdenum, zinc, iron, and manganese will get you through all stages of growth.

Hydroponic nutrients are carefully calibrated to insure maximum growing throughout the vegetation and flowering stages.To optimize growth, you can vary the different nutrient levels at different times, in different stages of growth. For instance, nitrogen is very much needed in the vegetative phase. They also need a fair amount of P (phosphorus) and K (potassium), 20-10-10, or 30-15-15, or something similar, with trace elements should do it. More amounts of phosphorus and potassium are needed come flowering stage. Nitrogen is still needed - but not as much as during the vegetative phase. They also need calcium.

Thinking that plants will grow faster by giving them extra nutrients is a bad move. In fact, over-nutrient-feeding can kill your plants. Giving them less the amount of nutrients, however, will only slow their growth, but it won't kill them. Therefore, follow the instructions provided in your hydroponic nutrient package; when uncertain, use less.

There should only be a couple of things that you must remember when using hydroponic nutrients: first, that you have fun while doing it and second, that you have sought professional assistance. Happy growing!