Hydroponics Nutrients Essentials
Growing plants hydroponically is sometimes considered to be a difficult task, but really, it is no different than traditional plant growth. You see, plants form sugars from the process of photosynthesis which requires sunlight. Nothing here about where the roots are right?
Yes, the root system supports the process of photosynthesis, but weather hydroponically grown in water or in rich soil, the process is still the same. This is where hydroponics nutrients come into play. The nutrients contained in the hydroponically supported root system are imperative. Remember that the nutrients only support photosynthesis! Nutrients are not truly plant food, even though we may use that term often.
Here are some basic tips for hydroponics nutrients:
Plants need around 16 mineral nutrients for optimal growth. However, not all these nutrients are equally important for the plant. Three major minerals–nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K)–are used by plants in large amounts. These three minerals are usually displayed as hyphenated numbers, like “15-30-15,” on commercial fertilizers. These numbers correspond to the relative percentage by weight of each of the major nutrients–known as macronutrients–N, P, and K. Macronutrients are present in large concentrations in plants. All nutrients combine in numerous ways to help produce healthy plants. Usually, sulfur (S), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) are also considered macronutrients.
These nutrients play many different roles in plants. Here are some of their dominant functions:
o Nitrogen (N)–promotes development of new leaves
o Phosphorus (P)–aids in root growth and blooming
o Potassium (K)–important for disease resistance and aids growth in extreme temperatures
o Sulfur (S)–contributes to healthy, dark green color in leaves
o Calcium (Ca)–promotes new root and shoot growth
o Magnesium (Mg)–chlorophyll, the pigment that gives plants their green color and absorbs sunlight to make food, contains a Mg ion
Micronutrients Hydroponics Nutrient
Remember that Micronutrients are very important as well, but are needed in much smaller quantities. Boron (B), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), iron (Fe) manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), and zinc (Zn) are only present in minute quantities in plants and are known as micronutrients. Plants can usually acquire adequate amounts of these elements from the soil, so most commercial fertilizers don’t contain all of the micronutrients. Hydroponic growers, however, don’t have any soil to provide nutrients for their plants. Therefore, nutrient solution that is marketed for hydroponic gardening contain all the micronutrients. Remember that when you are purchasing hydroponics nutrients to be sure what you buy includes micronutrients as well.
Nutrient Solution Hydroponics Nutrient
In hydroponics, nutrient solution–sometimes just referred to as “nutrient”–is used to feed plants instead of plain water. This is due to the fact that the plants aren’t grown in soil. Traditionally, plants acquire most of their nutrition from the soil. When growing hydroponically, you need to add all of the nutrients a plant needs to water. Distilled water works best for making nutrient. Hydroponic supply stores have a variety of nutrient mixes for specific crops and growth cycles. Always store solutions out of direct sunlight to prevent any algae growth. See also conductivity, macronutrients, and micronutrients.
Disposal Unlike regular water, you need to be careful where you dispose of nutrient. Even organic nutrients and fertilizers can cause serious imbalances in aquatic ecosystems. If you do not live near a stream, river, lake or other water source, it is fine to use old nutrient on outdoor plants and lawn. Another possibility is to use it on houseplants. However, if you live within 1,000 feet of a viable water source, do not use your spent nutrient in the ground.
As you can clearly see, hydroponics nutrients are very important to the stability of your hydro project. Just keep these basics in mind when looking to purchase your nutrients for your hydroponics growth.
