budman111
Well-Known Member
I started with NFT hydro years back and is an easy and very effective form of hydro.
What are the best nutrients to buy?
- Thread starter Nightrocker
- Start date
NewHeights
Active Member
Any 2 part nutrient system would be a great start...keep it simple...I'm using a new 2-part bottle nutes from Earth Juice (Grow A & Bloom B) and it has an easy ass feed schedule, I do add small doses of Advanced Nutrients Big Bud and Bud Candy during flower, and tiny amounts of some age old kelp liquid as well here and there so i feed everything at less strength than what their schedule says and my ladies are doing great and ALL have some TERPY ass resin already... There's still over a month to go on them and they're all different strains including even some bag seeds...Point is keep it simple, less bottles and less strength is always the best start, then kick it up from there.
(I grow in soil but all the nutes I mentioned are for hydro as well)
(I grow in soil but all the nutes I mentioned are for hydro as well)
Flowki
Well-Known Member
If you are already knee deep with no experience or knowledge then go with AN ph perfect or similar for a crop or two. In the mean time learn more, you could read a book like Dr.who suggests or read forums here and then make a more educated choice yourself, do both if you like. AN and so are designed for very lazy/new people who have not or can't be bothered to learn themselves (or cba even if they have). If that's you and you are ok with that then keep using it or similar by all means. If it's for personal use the very first thing you need to do is add up setup, electric and nute bill and then figure out if it's even worth growing over just buying it. You may only be able to decide that after a few crops and final weights.
A very rough heads up is that if you are only doing 1 plant and continue to use expensive nutes you need to be getting at-least 60gram to justify the time and money/investment. In the first couple grows you may get less due to inexperience, but as you get better 3+oz for 1 plant should be your absolute minimum.
Look into a 315 ceramic metal halide. For one plant this would be amazing and worth every single penny. It's the best option out there imo, don't go down the diy path as it's not set yet or newb friendly. Also stay away from cfl flowering, it is not cheap and other reasons, just don't do it ^^. A simple 400w multi spec hps will be a good second choice for both veg and flower. It will run a bit hotter than the 315 though, and has a less optimal spectrum for bud quality. But more than good enough..
A very rough heads up is that if you are only doing 1 plant and continue to use expensive nutes you need to be getting at-least 60gram to justify the time and money/investment. In the first couple grows you may get less due to inexperience, but as you get better 3+oz for 1 plant should be your absolute minimum.
Look into a 315 ceramic metal halide. For one plant this would be amazing and worth every single penny. It's the best option out there imo, don't go down the diy path as it's not set yet or newb friendly. Also stay away from cfl flowering, it is not cheap and other reasons, just don't do it ^^. A simple 400w multi spec hps will be a good second choice for both veg and flower. It will run a bit hotter than the 315 though, and has a less optimal spectrum for bud quality. But more than good enough..
Dr. Who
Well-Known Member
If you put the buckets on at least an inch of foam insulation, and can keep the them below 70 deg. F.....I always found DWC to be my fav. Easy-peasy clean up/sanitizing. Same rules of pH control.....paying attention to how and when you dump,and refill is important, but easy and less wasteful - then having to dump barrels of nutrient.
Take your used nutrient and spread it on your lawn or gardens! Don't just dump it down a drain.
My opinion.
GrnMonStr
Well-Known Member
Yeah DWC does seem like a good way to go. Is the foam for a thermal barrier if on concrete?
Dr. Who
Well-Known Member
Yes sir!
My running bloom room has a "progressive temperature layering". High temps up and they fall as you get closer to the floor.
Every one has that, they just don't use it or understand it well.
canopy = about 90
1/3rd down = about 78
2/3 = 70
Root ball in soil = 67
Room ambient setting - 72
The total ambient swing by override on my good thermostat and AC? 4 deg F = 70 to 74 and that's all...
Thai_Lights
Well-Known Member
The thing about nutrients is that it's basically all the same shit... honestly.
xtsho
Well-Known Member
Don't waste your money on all those expensive bottles with fancy graphics. You're paying for cheap chemicals that have been watered down. I use a three part dry nutrient where you use part A and B for grow and add part C for flower. Part A is just calcium nitrate and part B is all the trace minerals and some potassium and phosphorus. Part C is just straight monopotassium phosphate. It's dirt cheap and I can make hundreds of gallons for under thirty bucks. I run it at half of what the label says and I have no nute burn or deficiencies. Very healthy looking plants without curled leaves and nice green color not those super dark over nuted leaves that look like crows feet.
You can look at the labels on any nutrient line and you'll see that they don't contain anything that I haven't already mentioned. They just mix it with water and and charge you 1000 times or more what it cost to make. Some might add other things like fulvic acid or other additives like silicon. But you can buy all that stufff online for a fraction of the cost. These companies don't have any special ingredients that you can't get yourself. They just take what available to anyone, put it in a fancy bottle with a fancy label and then market the crap out of it. None of that stuff is going to make your buds any better than if you had just used a decent inexpensive product that has all of the basic nutrients from the beginning. I'm not going to mention any company specifically but most of them spend more money on marketing than actual plant science.
You can look at the labels on any nutrient line and you'll see that they don't contain anything that I haven't already mentioned. They just mix it with water and and charge you 1000 times or more what it cost to make. Some might add other things like fulvic acid or other additives like silicon. But you can buy all that stufff online for a fraction of the cost. These companies don't have any special ingredients that you can't get yourself. They just take what available to anyone, put it in a fancy bottle with a fancy label and then market the crap out of it. None of that stuff is going to make your buds any better than if you had just used a decent inexpensive product that has all of the basic nutrients from the beginning. I'm not going to mention any company specifically but most of them spend more money on marketing than actual plant science.
im4satori
Well-Known Member
if your looking for a liquid fertilizer from the hydro store that has descent directions well balanced ratios and relatively easy mixing not requiring ten bottles $$
anything general hydropincs
the easiest
flora grow + flora nova
calmag and Epsom salt
most versatile
the 3 part grow,
grow+micro+bloom
calmag and Epsom salt
dry powder
maxi grow +maxi bloom
calmag and Epsom salt
I also believe the dou is also good
dirtWeevil
Well-Known Member
keep in mind foam will hold heat in as well if your air pump is hot, i learned that first hand lol
Stealthstyle
Well-Known Member
I like just hand watered to be honest. Handwatered in coco. I feed once every two days, 3 and a half cups full of halfstrength to 3/4 strength nutes.
Easy peazy.
I tried DWC but after a while kept getting infections especially with clones in my home made aero cloner.
I went back to coco for that too.
DWC might be qicker than coco hand watered but its not as easy as it sounds, especially if you're getting into screen of greens where its hard to access the
bubbler etc. DWC with those ducting trays might be sweet and easier but not in bubblers.(bubblers make things difficlut for scrog imo.) some might find it easy but i dont.
Easy peazy.
I tried DWC but after a while kept getting infections especially with clones in my home made aero cloner.
I went back to coco for that too.
DWC might be qicker than coco hand watered but its not as easy as it sounds, especially if you're getting into screen of greens where its hard to access the
bubbler etc. DWC with those ducting trays might be sweet and easier but not in bubblers.(bubblers make things difficlut for scrog imo.) some might find it easy but i dont.
budman111
Well-Known Member
This is it. 16 nutrient elements, although things like Miracle Grow has these they also have heavy metals and that should be taken into consideration.
im4satori
Well-Known Member
if your interest is keeping your nutes cheap then you best option is learning to mix dry salts..sure
but if your growing a couple plants its not worth the trouble in most cases
you can make your own using the
5-11-26 hydro special powder (has all the micros and p/k)
calcium nitrate
Epsom slat
or you can go even further and use
mono potassium phosphate
calcium nitrate
magnesium nitrate
potassium nitrate
potassium sulfate
magnesium sulfate
peters S.T.E.M. (micro mix) at 0.08 grams per gallon
or you can go even further again and make your own micro mix
copper sulphate or edta
zinc sulphate or edta
iron dtpa
manganese sulphate ot edta
Mo
Boron
if your goal is to make it as cheap as possible but its a lot more work and knowledge involved and its better to be mixed in large amounts
but if your growing a couple plants its not worth the trouble in most cases
you can make your own using the
5-11-26 hydro special powder (has all the micros and p/k)
calcium nitrate
Epsom slat
or you can go even further and use
mono potassium phosphate
calcium nitrate
magnesium nitrate
potassium nitrate
potassium sulfate
magnesium sulfate
peters S.T.E.M. (micro mix) at 0.08 grams per gallon
or you can go even further again and make your own micro mix
copper sulphate or edta
zinc sulphate or edta
iron dtpa
manganese sulphate ot edta
Mo
Boron
if your goal is to make it as cheap as possible but its a lot more work and knowledge involved and its better to be mixed in large amounts