New Technology Makes Getting Nutrients “Just Right” Easier

by Vicki Parsons

Hydroponically grown plants are like Goldilocks and the three bears’ porridge. Too much fertilizer and the porridge is so hot it will burn plants – but without enough nutrients, it’s too cold and plants won’t reach their full potential. New products created specifically for hydroponic growers make it easier than ever to serve Baby Bear’s “just right” blend to your plants.

Getting fertilizer “just right” is critically important to hydroponically grown plants because they’re totally dependent upon the grower for supplying the correct amount of nutrients. And while this column focuses on hydroponics, the same principles apply to field or container grown plants and the same fertilizers can be used in soil.

By law, all fertilizers must list their ingredients, including the major elements of nitrogen, phosphate, potash – or NPK – most often seen as large numbers on the front of the label. Like protein or minerals in a human diet, each of those elements support a specific function in plants: nitrogen for lush green growth, phosphate for roots and flowers and potash for strong stems and overall health.

“Just Right” Changes During Life Cycle
Getting a fertilizer regime “just right” depends upon many factors so the new hydroponic fertilizers typically are produced as a series of products with different attributes. Two- and three-part formulas allow a grower to select products that are most appropriate for a specific plant at a specific stage in its life.

“Three parts allow for more flexibility,” notes Doug Millar, director of sales and marketing for General Hydroponics. “You can tailor the fertilizer to the plant.”

The multiple-part formulations also allow increased minerals, specifically calcium and iron, that would be likely to precipitate – or turn into sediment — if they were produced in a single formulation, adds Andrew King, operations manager for Technaflora.

One of the most important trends in hydroponics is a move toward organic or all-natural formulations, but King stresses that growers should read labels carefully if organic is important. “If you really want organic, you need to look for the OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) logo. If the label says ‘organic-based,’ it’s not really organic.”

Even so, most hydroponic fertilizers are made from natural ingredients, like phosphate rock mined in central Florida or nitrates found as a naturally occurring salt in Chile.

More is Definitely Not Better
While most growers worry that they may not provide enough nutrients for their plants to thrive, experts say visible nutrient deficiencies are actually very rare. “If someone sees a yellow leaf in their grow room, they immediately think it’s a nitrogen deficiency,” Millar said. “But when we talk about other things that could cause yellowing leaves – like too much water – that’s where the problem is usually found. People want to do something, not just watch their plants grow, so they overwater or overfertilize.”

And more is definitely not better. Too much fertilizer literally burns the plant because high levels of salt in the growing medium pull water out of the plant to achieve equilibrium, he said. “It’s like pouring table salt on a slug, it just sucks the water out of the insect to gain equilibrium.” GG

Coming Next: Beyond NPK – Additives that make a visible difference

Testing 1,2,3 – New tools make it easy to check nutrient levels

An award-winning journalist with more than 20 years experience as a business, environmental and garden writer, Vicki Parsons is also a fifth-generation farmer who owns Neem Tree Farms in Brandon, Fla. You can visit her website at www.neemtreefarms.com .