What is nutrient conditioning?
Nutrient conditioning is the process of managing the nutrient content of seedlings in the nursery for optimal growth when they are transplanted. This sounds easy,...
Category Archives: Fertilizers
Tomato fertigation in hydroponic greenhouses
Tomato fertigation is a complex subject in hydroponics. It is climate sensitive and everybody has an opinion of what works. The point is, tomatoes are...
Fertigation of hydroponic peppers
Fertigation of peppers is sometimes more of an art than science since plant requirements change as the weather/climate change. Learn how to read your plants...
What is a chelate
The word ‘chelate’ is derived from the Greek word meaning ‘claw’. Many of the micro elements such as Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn are difficult...
11 Tips on how to work safely with chemicals
Great care should be taken when working with chemicals. It is important to adhere to the following guidelines, which can be applied to all types...
Is your closed hydroponic farm correctly designed for stock solutions
Most automated systems installed in closed hydroponic systems use injectors rather than proportioners. A simplified diagram of where to install such a system is provided...
Here is a quick way to make nutrient stock solutions for hydroponic systems
To make a nutrient stock solution, you need a minimum of two tanks. Nutrient Stock solutions cannot be made in one tank. The reason is that...
Fertilizer solubility is the key to the best nutrient stock solutions
Fertilizer solubility is one of the key elements in making hydroponic nutrient stock solutions. If you know the fertilizer solubility, you can make optimum stock...
Formulating a hydroponic nutrient solution – Part II: Micro nutrients
Micro nutrients are just as important as macro nutrients. Many growers fail to have their water analysed for all elements, and in some area one...
How to adjust for fertilizer impurities in hydroponic nutrient formulations
Not all fertilizers are pure. Some have impurities, such as clay, silt and sand particles, also called “carriers”, that do not provide any nutrients to...
How to adjust for specific gravity of liquid fertilizer
Liquid fertilizers are treated slightly different than granular fertilizers. They do not have impurities, but their density or specific gravity need to be taken into...
Formulating a hydroponic nutrient solution – Part I: Macro Nutrients
The first question would be where to start and with what element. The following procedure should be followed. Always start with the element phosphorus and...
Why is stock solutions such a popular method in open hydroponic systems
Stock solutions are essential component of any hydroponic farm. Imagine a system, 5,000 m² in size growing tomatoes. The estimated number of plants would be...
How to formulate a nutrient solution with complex fertilizers
The grower has the option to obtain pre-mixed fertilizers that are already mixed in the right ratio for a specific crop or to use basic...
What everybody ought to know about milli equivalent (me) and parts per million (ppm)
The amount of nutrients in a solution is expressed as a concentration. For instance; if 1 g of potassium sulphate is added to 1,000 L...