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Confused about nutrient formulations? |
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| No matter how you’re growing, one thing’s for certain – you’re going to need to buy nutrients at some point. But which ones? There’s so much choice and so many different formulations that it can be a very confusing purchase. Get the knowledge here... |
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1Part? 2-Part? 3-Part?
If you’re going to grow indoors then there is one thing that no matter how you grow you are going to have to buy – nutrients. What growing media you are going to use largely determines your choice and many people like to stick with a certain brand for both media and nutrients (i.e. Canna or Bio-Bizz). This is especially common in soil and coco growing where feeds and media have been developed alongside each other.
It’s when you’re growing in a hydroponic system that the choices start becoming more complicated and you really need to pay attention if you are going to get the best nutrient for you.
How many parts?
There are a variety of different nutrient solutions around and there are a number of ways in which they can be formulated. Many growers make the mistake of thinking that “more parts = more yield” whereas this is often not the case. In reality, “more parts=more control” and many expert growers like to use the more complex nutrient solutions due to the added control over their plants that it gives them.
So what’s the difference?
On the whole, there is not a huge difference between most of the major nutrient solutions. Largely it is down to personal preference and finding out which brand best suits your specific growing conditions.
1-Part Nutrients
Single part nutrients have the advantage that they are very easy to use. This makes them perfect for novice growers who don’t want lots of mixing to worry about or growers in a hurry who don’t have the time to spend on mixing up. Because of this simplicity of use, they are often perceived as being “for beginners only” but this is definitely not the case as many commercial growers prefer the simplicity of one part formulations when mixing in large quantities. What is restricted by the formulation of a 1-part nutrient is some of the ingredients. Because everything is contained within one bottle, there are certain nutrient salts that will react with each other if stored together and make the nutrient unusable. For this reason, some ingredients that are known to be effective have to be left out or replaced in single part solutions. This is where two part nutrients come in…
2-Part Nutrients
By far the most popular type of nutrient is a 2-part formulation. 2-part nutrients consist of an A and B component for both the grow and the bloom formulations. Because each formulation is split into two parts, it is now possible to incorporate extra ingredients that would otherwise be unstable in a 1-part solution. This means that generally, 2-part nutrients will always outperform 1-part nutrients if used correctly. “If used correctly” is the key phrase there though – 1 part nutrients are a lot easier to use and there is less likelihood of making a mistake. The only downfall of a 2-part nutrient is that you are reliant on the manufacturers formulation for success. You can add more or less of the same mixture of nutrients, but you cannot control the individual strength of each major element within the solution to suit your plants. If that’s what you’re after, then a 3-part nutrient is what you’re looking for…
3-Part Nutrients
Without doubt, 3-part nutrients offer the grower the most control over exactly what they are feeding their plants. Typically consisting of three separate Grow, Bloom and Micro formulations, it is up to the individual grower how much of each they use to create their final nutrient solution at any given stage of growth. What this effectively allows you to do is tweak the overall NPK ratios of your nutrient as you grow and respond to the signals that your plant is giving you. Obviously there are recommended formulas for mixing these three parts but for an expert grower, this flexibility can allow superior overall performance. The disadvantage of a three part nutrient is that it is very easy to make mistakes if you do not know what you are doing or misread the signals that your plants are giving you. Generally, we would not recommend a 3-part nutrient to a novice grower but for those willing to experiment, there is no better way to gain control of your feeding schedule.
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GroWell Hydroponics Ltd, Solihull, Birmingham, UK
Blooms Garden Centre, Kenilworth Road
Hampton-In-Arden, Solihull, B92 0LW
GroWell Hydroponics Ltd, Fulham, London, UK
1 Royal Parade, 247 Dawes Road
Fulham, London, SW6 7RE
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Unit 52 Enterprise Trading Estate,
Off Pedmore Road
Brierley Hill,
Dudley,
DY5 1TX |
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