What set of nutrients and additives do you think are worth using?

I'm normally a cheapskate when it comes to growing. I buy the cheapest compost the garden centre has and use standard tomato plant feed. I normally grow autoflowering strains so this isn't much of a problem as they aren't alive for all that long. Since I got a HPS setup rather than a CFL one I want to start growing regular strains again, I'm thinking about Barney's LSD at the moment with a SCROG setup.

I want to do this next grow properly to see how good of a plant I can get. The main problem for me is that there are so many different nutrients and additives out there that I don't know what too choose. And being a biochemist I have a good understanding of minerals and their involvement in humans and plants but when I look at some of the products out there I just think why would people buy that stuff. It reminds me a lot about all the bodybuilding and weight loss products that are around, most of them either do nothing, dig a hole in your wallet or poison you.

So, what nutrients and additives do you think are essential to get the most from a plant? If you could name brands and actual product names that would be great, and also a bit about the science of it as well.



I did a quick search around the forums and on google but nothing detailed really came up.

I had great grows with Earth Juice Line (Grow, Bloom, Catalyst, Meta-K, Microblast) and its still fairly cheap, and goes a long way(1/4 to 1/2 strength feedings are all i ever needed)
Superthrive for watering when you transplant, or to help a plant recover from any stress.
Hygrozyme is amazing. It breaks down dead roots, or other organic matter in the soil, and makes it available as nutrients.
Azomite more trace elements than you can remember.

But I have switched to good ole supersoil. Bat shit, bone meal, blood meal, etc.
You can find super soil directions for sure with a search.

earth juice is some good shit and for the price you can get a gallon of there shit compared to a quart of other stuff, superthrive is expensive and not needed, hygrozyme also, but that doesnt mean they dont work just aint worth the price if your cheap, you can go with the lucas formula as its more of the cheaper side and works well.

lucasformula.com

Use Dutch made nutrients.

I am using Bontanicare Pro Grow and Pro Bloom Soil and GH Nectar, so far so good.

i use botanicare pure blend pro and all additives in their line. great product and all of my strains are able to really show their different aromas. it cost me less than $1 in nutes per ounce of dried buds and i use 50gal res's. so, not a bad cost for the return.

You could go with Biobizz Grow and Biobizz Bloom. Has worked great for me and they're organic