Making Hydro Nutes

[YouGrowBoy]

I have talked with several different hydro store workers and they mostly say "it doesn't matter which nutes you use, they are mostly the same" This is not an argument I want to get into here as there are numerous forums for discussing/arguing who's best.

I'm starting this thread because if they are mostly the same, why can we not learn to make our own nutes?

Professional hydro farmers that grow food and flowers for retail in stores and restaurants mostly use home made mixtures or buy it in sacks from professional green house and farm suppliers.

Honestly what makes our little plant different from professional orchid, rose or broccoli farmers? They have the same goal, grow big fragrant (or tasty) flowers they can sell at market.

None of these professional farmers that grow in hydro are using the expensive stuff we use. Could you see a tomato farmer with acres of greenhouse space buying 55 gallon drums of AN nutes? No way! It would kill thier profit margin.

Like I said, professional hydro farmers use powdered chemical nutes they buy in bulk (25lb bags) either premixed or they mix themselves at a fraction of the cost we pay for AN, Canna and the rest and I'm sure their flowers/fruits/veggies are not deficient in anything. Professional hydro farmers are growing great stuff we eat, smell or look at everyday with nutes for much less then we pay.

For instance, HydroGardens (and others like it) make various different nute blends for professional hydro farmers that grow tomatoes, cucumbers and other "for market" veggies. Do you think these farmers are buying substandard nutes when they have to sell their product to grocery stores and restaurants? I think not. They want to grow the the biggest, tastiest product they can, just like us.

They must know something we don't and how can we learn what is a good mixture of nutes we can make ourselves for hydro.

Thanks for reading.

YGB

 

[FryingPanFlyer]

Hey, this is one point I've been trying to make here and elsewhere. I feel the nutes guys like AN have spent at least as much on advertising as they do on research. I really don't see why we can't use standard nutes. I know soil growers do it, at least I used to when I grew in soil. There may be a certain few specific additives that may be beneficial, but there again, it's probably already on the market being used by some commercial tomato grower say and we need to find out what that is!

 

[420hydro]

I Agree !!!

Hydro-Gardens has a lettuce formula that looks promising:

8-15-36

8% N — nitrogen
15% P — Phosphoric Acid (P2O5)
36% K — Soluble Potash (K2O)

.20% B — Boron
.02% Cu — Copper
.40% Fe — Chelated Iron
.20% Mn — Soluble Manganese
.01% Mo — Molybdenum
.05% Zn — Zinc

100 gallons of Water
8 ounces Chem-Gro
8 ounces Calcium Nitrate
5 ounces Magnesium Sulfate
adjust pH
Approx 1500 PPM

$129.80 50# Chem-Gro
$33.95 50# Calcium Nitrate
$35.95 50# Magnesium Sulfate

$199.70 plus shipping makes 1000 gal.

They have a dozen formulas for different plants and vegetables. Don't like any of the formulas, they have all the chemicals for trace elements, so develop your own.

OverGrow

 

[HizzyB]

I'd love to see this thread come alive and see some bulk powder mixes with recipes

I'm going to spend some time researching and order some generic type "brown bag" powders

Grew up near a hydro shop that had been in business since the 70s and the original owner/scientist
Wrote books and taught classes
Going to try and find his writings

 

[LEDBud]

Sometime I want to run a comparison grow using a top brand nutrient against a common garden powered fertilizer.

Its funny but I used to grow fine weed using just dry chemical fertilizers back in the day.
I would stop feeding a month before harvest which made for some really dank weed I kid you not.

Although the plants were only 3 to 4 oz each not like my 1/2 lb and lb plants of today there may be other factors at play

I would grow top shelf using a 20/20/20 and 10/52/10 fertilizer combination , I know it sounds funny , lol.