Mike Straumietis, Founder and CEO of Advanced Nutrients, notes that even if you currently have an excellent hydroponic fertilizer line, your work is far from complete as it is necessary to create a suitable plan for plant feedings. This is where the nutrient calculator can help.
Most nutrient calculators might appear the same, points out Mike Straumietis. It’s crucial to modify the advice according to your farm’s circumstances. After completing this step, the nutritional calculator can assist in doing the work so you can feed the plants the proper amount of nutrients they need.
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Basic Parts of a Hydroponic Nutrient Calculator
Mike Straumietis explains the basic features and details of a nutrition calculator.
The initial component is the Base PPM (parts per million) or EC (electronic conductivity). This also determines and measures if the water already contains minerals. Next, the PPM and EC of the solution are also measured, and the EC shows the salt content in the solution.
If the PPM or EC begins with a value greater than 0, Mike Straumietis notes that the water contains minerals, most likely calcium. This is called hard water and wouldn’t require much calcium.
The second detail to watch out for is the reaction of various media to nutrients, as these could vary significantly. For instance, residual nutrients are commonly still present in the soil. On the other hand, Rockwool, coco, and other inert media might not contain any nutrients.
Here’s a reminder: Pay attention to the variations in each material’s cation exchange capacity (CEC). These variations show you how some substances retain nutrients more or less than others, which impacts the number of nutrients you should provide to your plants over time.
Third, keep track of the nutrient products since the nutrients in various hydroponic fertilizer products vary in quantity and ratio. It makes sense that the application suggestions will differ based on the product. Consequently, you can integrate many of these products simultaneously. According to Mike Straumietis, a reliable nutrient calculator will indicate how much of each product you should provide during each week of a plant’s growth.
Feed Charts: Why They Are Crucial
When choosing a nutrition line, Mike Straumietis advises that you must ensure that nutrients flow to your plants is adequate. For instance, putting a specific amount of fertilizer each week does not guarantee that your plants will grow. Various plants require different nutrients for optimum growth. According to Mike Straumietis, their development will be influenced by an excess or a shortage of nutrients. More so than their smaller counterparts, larger plants also need more nutrients.
Feed charts show how much more to provide for vegetative growth. You can use these charts to help you allocate nutrients for the various vegetative and blooming stages. This knowledge is crucial since plants’ nutritional requirements alter as they progress from vegetative to blooming states.
Plants require additional potash, calcium, and phosphorus as flowering takes place. As Mike Straumietis explains, feed charts let you know when to phase out and add specific products that will satisfy your plant’s nutrient requirements.
When plants are given the same amount of nutrients throughout their growth, the risk of nutrient toxicities or deficiencies increases, additionally, it will make some nutrients unusable, costing you money.
Growers need to know specifics about the hydroponic system, like the size of your stock tank, the kind of nutrients you’ll be utilizing, and the base PPM or EC of your solution. Hit enter after entering these details, and the calculator will handle the rest. You will likely be given a feeding schedule that details how much of each nutrient product to provide each week.
Maximizing Every Stage of Growth
Under the leadership of Founder and CEO Mike Straumietis, the Advanced Nutrients team of leading scientists and researchers introduced the first and only comprehensive growing system to maximize every stage of the vegetative and bloom cycles while nourishing crops to reach their full genetic potential. Because of their work, producers in 110 different nations now rely on Advanced Nutrients to unleash the genetic potential of their plants.
