The Important Role of Nutrients in Hydroponic Gardening

Hydroponics literally means the process of growing plants in water using no soil. The principle behind it is that different media bearing all the nutrients of natural soil will support the growth of plants. Therefore, it's these nutrients which are the most vital component in the hydroponics process. When growing plants in soil, the soil contains a whole lot of essential nutrients, which is the reason why fertilizers usually do not contain all the thirteen nutrients. But still, in the case of hydroponic plants, these fertilizers are not adequate and therefore fertilizer formulated specifically for hydropolic systems are the ones that you have to use.

The amounts and proportions of nutrients a plant needs varies. Your better hydroponic nutrients are packaged in solutions labeled as ‘grow’ or ‘bloom’, that way even a novice grower can find these solutions without too much of a problem. As the growing cycle of your plants evolves make sure the nutrients evolve along with it. The elements become depleted as the plant grows, so the solution needs to be changed. At certain times, important components can run out more quickly. In an ideal word, the solution should be changed every two weeks. Bear in mind that the proportion of the nutrient solution and the water stays consistent. If a loss of water occurs due to evaporation, the fertilizer levels will increase potentially causing serious damage to root systems.

The hydroponic nutrient solutions available are typically sold in a concentrated form. The grower must follow instructions and consider the plant's unique needs when he or she mixes it. For instance a weaker solution should be put for plants in poor growing conditions like overheated gardens, low lighting or just crowded plants. Even newly planted cuttings will benefit from a weaker solution. You will want to use a normal (regular) solution for any plant which is normal and healthy. You are ripe for a stronger solution if your garden can handle high growth with enough carbon dioxide distribution and lighting. Natural sunlight or good grow lighting like LED grow lights are key. When using fertilizer on your plants you must increase the amount slowly over time so that you to keep the plant from burning up.

Even with a concentrate to water ratio range of 150-600 ppm, the level for many plants is 300-400 parts per million. Keep in mind that these must be mixed with water and not with another part of nutrient solution.

Right now, we know we need something more than just soil-based fertilizer, but what do we use?  The essential thing is to know which nutrient to look for. You have to first and foremost decide on the growing medium such as stone wool, coco etc. For instance, if coco is the medium you are using, go in for specific nutrients like canna coco nutrients. Super Veg A or Super Veg B would be ideal, and is a great formula for a vegitable in the crop stage.

The nutrient required will depend upon the medium that is to be used. Basically the organic or best hydroponic nutrients are made up of different combinations of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Nitrogen is essential for leaf growth and development. Potassium will aid in the processing of cell production and phosphorus is the agent responsible for developing roots and flowering.