Getting the hydroponic nutrient formula right can be a tricky business. Just as using the right amount of fertilizer for ordinary gardening can be difficult to gauge. You risk having weak, anemic looking plants with too little fertilizer; on the other hand you kill off your budding plants with too much fertilizer.

When you are working out the right hydroponic nutrient formula you need to add the fertilizers in the right ratio. Another confusing aspect of the whole thing is how to mix in the fertilizers that come with your hydroponics kit.

The Right Concentration

Mixing the fertilizers that you have in the right concentration is an important step to making sure that you have healthy plants. Because fertilizers sold for use in hydroponic systems are concentrated it is important to get the hydroponic nutrient formula right.

You can start with a concentration of 150-600 parts per million. Usually though this concentration can be made even more specific, for most plants you can use a hydroponic nutrient formula of about 300 to 400 parts per million.

Growth Stages

Plants go through different stages of growth and development, so it makes sense that plants need different nutrients during these different stages. When you are deciding what hydroponic nutrient formula to use you should be aware that there are now different nutrients that are available to suit the different stages of a plant’s life cycle.

During the vegetative growth phase of a plant’s life there are many formulas out there that are typically called ‘grow’ formula. Another popular name for this type of formula is ‘growth’ formula. However once the plants you are growing start to flower you need to switch the type of hydroponic nutrient formula that you use. Look for hydroponic nutrient formulas called ‘bloom’ or ‘flower’.

The strength of the hydroponic nutrient formula must be tailored to the growth stage and health of the plant. If you have a weak plant that is being grown in low level lighting then you should use a weak hydroponic nutrient formula, not a strong one. A strong formula should be used for healthy thriving plants, even if common sense would tell you to do the opposite.

If your plants are thriving and you would like to increase the strength of the formula, you should do this very gradually. Too fast and you risk killing off your plants. You should also make sure the plants are in a well ventilated area with lots of light for good growth.