3R Lighting/tutorial: Plant Nutrients

3R Lighting: Tutorial--Plant Nutrients

Nutrients

Q: How do you mix up a hydroponic nutrient solution?
A: Buy the bottle and follow the directions.

Q: You know, you are not a gushing fountain of knowledge, here.
A: The General Hydroponics Nutrient mixes have been used for many years and work pretty well. But, I'll tell you something: Everyone mixes his or her nutrient solution just like people make chilie--No two people ever make it up the same. The Earth Juice Solutions are Organic and work pretty well, too.

Q: What is the real difference between the liquid solutions and the powders?
A: The liquids are easier to work with because there is a lot more room to play with. The measurements do not have to be quite so exact. Some people just splash it in.

Q: The "just splash in method"? Does that work?
Sometimes. People can do what they want, and if you've done the same thing for a long time it can work. I don't recommend it--measuring is a real good idea. It is not just that each nutrient has to be available for the plant, it is also a good idea to keep the ratios between the nutrients in the right ranges.

The powders are much more economical. The same amount of money makes more nutrient solution. Shipping costs are much lower as well.

Q: Can you mix the liquids and the powder together?
A: OK, first thing to understand is that you only mix the nutrients into water. Never mix the full strength solutions into each other--even if the bottles are almost empty. Never pour a liquid solution straight onto the dry powder. Only add the powder to water. So, it is just fine to add liquids and powders into the same water to make up your solution the way you want. Just make sure that you add the nutrients to the water and not to each other.

Most people change out the nutrient solution from a hydroponic reservoir every ten days or two weeks or so. This keeps the nutrient ratios from getting too far out of whack.

Q: What does the plant use the nutrients for?
A: The plant uses the nutrients to grow. There are a number of different processes that are going on inside the plant at any one time. The two processes that use the most of the plants attention are growth and photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is a Greek root word that comes from the Greek word for light or photo and the Greek words for put together. In other words, the plant uses light to put stuff together.

Q: What does the plant put together?
A: The plant puts together sugar.

Q: What does the plant use to put together sugars?
A: The plant takes in Carbon Dioxide through the stomate holes. Carbon Dioxide is a gas that is part of the air; it is made from one Carbon and two Oxygens. Di is a Greek root word that means "two". So, Carbon Dioxide is one Carbon and two Oxygens.

Now, to this, the plant adds water, or H2 O, for two Hydrogens and one Oxygen.

The plant uses the energy from the light and makes what is now called a Carbo Hydrate. This means that there are Carbon rings chemically bonded to water, or Hydro. This is sugar.

More specifically, the plant takes six CO 2 and twelve H2 O, and spits out six H2 O, six O 2 (Oxygen in stable form), and sugar or C6 H12 O6--set up in Carbon rings. The energy from the sun is used to create the chemical bonds.

So, during the light cycle, the plant takes in Carbon Dioxide and releases out Oxygen. The sugars are often moved from the leaves where they are made to the fruit where they are stored during the night cycle.

Q: Water and Carbon Dioxide aren't Fertilizers or nutrients. The Carbon Dioxide comes out of the air. What are the nutrients for?
A: The nutrients are used to build the parts of the plant. For example, Nitrogen is used to build each chloroplast. Chloroplast comes from two Greek root words; chloro means "green" and plast means "change form". Chloroplasts are where the photosynthesis process takes place and are what cause the leaves to be green. The Nitrogen is also used to build Amino Acids which can combine to make Proteins. Nitrogen is also used to build coenzymes and nucleic acids.

Phosphorus is part of ATP which is used to transport energy. This is why Phosphorus is often at the scene of the action like growing tips or just where there is growth in general.

The ratios of the Nutients are important as well as simply having the nutrients present.

Click Next to see a Nutrient Trouble Chart