Nutes can be expensive and/or cheap
I spend a lot on electricity, RO water, replacing worn out bulbs, calibrating meters,
expensive seeds, and it takes a lot of MY time.
Why would I want to use cheap nutes?
I want to get the most out of my plants
from all the efforts that are put into growing them.
AN nutes are just as simple to use as any other mfg
I'm not saying AN is better than any other nute.
AN does make a lot of additives that can benefit the DWC grower.
If you want to grow "Organic Hydro" then AN makes a lot of nutes for this.
Not all the AN additives should be used
if you are growing in Aero, or NFT.
AN makes a ONE part nute
if that is what you want to use.
I don't know how much price difference there is between AN ONE and Lucas,
but I bet they are very closely priced.
AN makes a two part nute system also
All the additives are optional
You can use AN additives to improve other nute mfg products.
I have grown with AN nutes in DWC
and I had very satifactory results.
I have used AN nutes in AERO
and I had fantastic results.
I'm not defending AN nutes.
I am still using some in DWC,
but I have switched to Dutch Master
for my Aero system.
It is a good idea to use "Hydro Nutes"
because they do have micronutrients in them
that are not necessary in "Dirt Nutes".
My biggest expense is not for nutes,
it is for electricity.
Even expensive nutes are cheap
if you learn how to use them
without changing the rez every week.
I can't see spending $600 on electricity,
and only $4 for miracle grow.
If I get an extra 1/2 oz/plant
then the nutes more than doubled their value to me.
If I don't get root rot,
because I used AN Piranha,&Tarantula,
then these additives are priceless.
($160, enough for 5 grows)
It's a weed, and you can just throw seeds in the ground
and they will grow with no nutes at all.
But they won't produce conniseour budz like a well tended hydro grow.
Like everything in life,
you get out what you put in.
G.I.G.O.