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Hydroponic Nutrients
While not all plants require the exact same
growing conditions (as evidenced by different plant yields in
different parts of the country and the world), all plants do
require a fairly similar and uniform combination of nutrients.
Most of the time, plants will find this combination of nutrients
in the soil; however, in the case of hydroponics, the grower
must add the hydroponic nutrients into the solution or into a
feeder system.
So what type of hydroponic nutrients should you add to your
solution? While there a number of different mixtures on the
market, each nutrient solution, without exception, should
contain the following: calcium, magnesium, potassium, sulfate,
phosphate, and nitrate. If your solution does not contain a
robust amount of each of the aforementioned nutrients, your
plants may stuffer stunted growth, as each is a crucial
ingredient.
Each of the nutrients will come in ionic form¡Xin either the form
of cations or anions. Rather than extracting these nutrients
from the soil, as a plant normally would, your plant will
extract these hydroponic nutrients directly from the solution in
the form of ions.
In addition to the big six nutrients, most solution recipes will
come with other important nutrients, which may be
plant-specific. Some essential micronutrients, such as copper,
zinc, boron, and manganese are also added into many solutions;
and will often yield healthier, plants that are more nutrient
rich at harvest.
One thing you will want to consider when you purchase hydroponic
nutrients is whether or not your plant will consume an
inordinate amount of one specific nutrient. Is actually is the
case with most plants, which means you may want to find
plant-specific hydroponic nutrients¡Xor at least a solution that
provides the best nutrient mix for your plant, whether they are
tomatoes or tulips. Again, there is a lot of testing involved as
to the best nutrients for your plants. The actual cost involved
would be a major consideration.
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