Hydroponics Fertilizer
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Fertiliser
Fertiliser programmes
First of all: If you receive a fertiliser recommendation without having explained exactly which plants you are growing, you can safely ignore such recommendations. There are not hundreds of fertiliser types because there is one answer.Each plant species has individual nutrient requirements that also differ according to the growth phase it is in. Furthermore, indiscriminate fertilising, over-fertilising, under-fertilising, wrong composition etc. can have devastating consequences for many plants, ranging from undersupply to specific plant diseases. In order to achieve the best nutrient mixture for a specific plant, there is no getting around an analysis of the plant itself. For cost reasons alone, we recommend preparing the nutrient composition yourself.Mixing hydroponic fertiliser yourself ?
The commercially available fertilisers consist of a complete fertiliser supplemented with macronutrients. They are offered by some hydroponics and/or fertiliser companies and vary depending on the hydroponic plant. An example of a fertiliser programme is the hydroponic tomato programme offered by Hydro-Gardens.
In this programme, growers purchase Hydro-Gardens Chem-Gro tomato formula. It has a composition of 4-18-38 and also contains magnesium and micronutrients. To make a nutrient solution, it is supplemented with calcium nitrate and magnesium sulphate, depending on the variety and/or growth stage of the plant.
Advantages of fertiliser programmes
Programmes like these are easy to use. Minimal ordering of fertilisers is required (only 3 in the Hydro-Gardens example).
Very little or no mathematical calculations are required to prepare nutrient solutions.Disadvantages of fertiliser programmes
Fertiliser programmes do not allow for easy adjustments of individual nutrients. For example, if the leaf analysis shows that more phosphorus is needed. When using a fertiliser programme exclusively, it is not possible to simply add phosphorus.
Another disadvantage is that fertiliser programmes do not allow farmers to take into account the nutrients already present in the water source. For example, if a water source has a potassium content of 30 ppm, there is no way to adjust the amount of potassium added in the fertiliser programme. And too much potassium can in turn block the uptake of other nutrients.
Fertilizer programs can be more expensive than using
Recipes for the production of nutrient solutions.Mix recipes for nutrient solutions / hydroponics fertilizer yourself
There are also recipes for the production of nutrient solutions. The recipes contain a certain amount of each nutrient to be added to the nutrient solution. They are specifically available for a specific crop and in a variety of sources, e.g. B. at the university advice centers, on the Internet and in specialist journals. One example is the modified Sonovelds solution for herbs (Mattson and Peters, Insidegrower) shown below.Modified Sonneveld recipe / herbs
element concentration Nitrogen 150 ppm Phosphorus 31 ppm Potassium 210 ppm Calcium 90 ppm Magnesium 24 ppm Iron 1 ppm Manganese 0.25 ppm Zinc 0.13 ppm copper 0.023 ppm Molybdenum 0.024 ppm Boron 0.16 ppm It is at the discretion of the breeder which fertilizers he uses to produce a nutrient solution according to a recipe. The fertilizers commonly used include:
fertilizer Dosage, contained nutrients Calcium nitrate 15.5 – 0 – 0.19% calcium Ammonium nitrate 34 – 0 – 0 Potassium nitrate 13 – 0 – 44 Sequestrene 330TM 10% iron Potassium phosphate monobasic 0 – 52 – 34 Magnesium sulfate 9.1% magnesium Borax (laundry quality) 11% boron Sodium molybdate 39% molybdenum Zinc sulfate 35.5% zinc Copper sulfate 25% copper Magnesium sulfate 31% manganese Farmers calculate the amount of fertilizer in thenutrient solution based on the amount of a nutrientin the fertilizer and in amount specified in the recipe.Advantages of nutrient solution recipes
Nutritional solutions allow fertilizers to be adjusted based on the nutrients contained in water sources. An example: A gardener uses a water source with 30 ppm potassium and produces the modified Sonneveld solution for herbs that requires 210 ppm potassium. It would have to add 180 ppm potassium ( 210 ppm - 30 ppm = 180 ppm ) to the water in order to obtain the amount of potassium required in this recipe.
With recipes, nutrients can be easily adjusted. When a leaf analysis report indicates that a plant has iron deficiency. It is easy to add more iron to the nutrient solution.
Since recipes make it easy to adapt, fertilizers can be used more efficiently than in fertilizer programs. Using recipes can be less expensive than using fertilizer programs.
Disadvantages of nutrient solution recipesIt has to be calculated how much fertilizer has to be added to the nutrient solution. (Link to performing calculations). Some people may feel intimidated by the calculations involved. However, the calculations only require uncomplicated mathematical skills based on multiplication and division.
A high-precision scale is also required for the measurement of micronutrients, since the required quantities are very small. Such a scale can be found on Amazon from 30.- €: e.g .: KUBEI 100g / 0.001g.This is about the calculation of nutrient solutions for your own needs
Picture: Boston Public Library is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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pH and Ec Finder
Here you can view the plants that have similar pH and Ec values and can therefore, at least in this respect, be planted together in an aqua or hydroponic system. Also pay attention to the temperature.
What are the nutrient requirements for certain plants? This list shows the nutrient concentration preferred by each plant. Note the differences within the subspecies/breeding . Please remember: there are 23,000 varieties of tomatoes - of course these vary in terms of preferred temperatures as well as Ec and pH values! The fine-tuning of the nutrient composition is not even mentioned here. More details about the list at the end of the same.
You can also download the list of pH and Ec values here. This list should only serve as an orientation and does not save you from a detailed check of your cultivation. Don't forget that even within the same subspecies the differences can be very big. And of course we do not take any responsibility for the information given. We also offer a precise determination of the nutrient requirements for your plants and can thus provide you with a nutrient roadmap.
Download as:
CSV, XLSX, ODS, Text, PDF The Ec value
We measure the salt concentration with an Ec, TDS or PPM measuring device. The nutrients dissolve in the water and provide a value measured by the EC or PPM measuring device that shows you how much fertilizer is contained in the nutrient liquid and therefore how much fertilizer needs to be added if necessary.As soon as the Ec value drops, you need to fertilize accordingly. You can measure, check and control this every minute with one of our systems or by hand with an Ec pH measuring device . The advantage of the control system is obvious: with minimal steps in the supply of the nutrient solution through a micropump, you can always maintain the exact range that is optimal for the plant.If the Ec value increases, you simply need to add more water to the nutrient solution. A rising Ec value can have many reasons: contamination from the plants themselves, water that is too rich in minerals, accidental overdose, etc.The pH value
If the pH value falls below the recommended value (towards acidic / pH 1), you can use a basic solution to correct the pH value back towards basic (pH 14).If the pH value rises above the recommended value (towards basic / pH 14), you can correct the pH value back towards acidic (pH 1) with an acidic solution. You can measure, check and control this every minute with one of our systems - but we have already mentioned that.According to the old school wisdom: Acid + alkali equals salt + water, you can use anything from household vinegar (acid) to baking soda/soda (base) to correct the pH in one direction or the other. But: as mentioned, salts are formed. These of course change the Ec value. At this point in the process you have to observe the plants closely in order to detect any deficiency symptoms in good time.If you only have 50 or 100 plants, a complete replacement of the nutrient solution is always the safe way. As a guide: 100 tomato plants consume around 5 liters of fertilizer concentrate in three months in an outdoor area with around 150 liters of water/nutrient solution (central Portugal, mid-summer). In large systems, it is preferred to analyze the current nutrient solution in order to simply supplement the missing components in a targeted manner.The pH and electrical conductivity values ( Ec, TDM, PPM values) given here are guidelines only. Your specific requirements for plant cultivation vary depending on the subspecies of the plant, growth phase and many other factors (UV value, brightness, lighting duration, genus/breeding/subspecies, temperature, etc.). For hydroponics use inorganic fertilizer, for soil use organic. The organic fertilizer requires microorganisms to break down the nutrients. These microorganisms are missing in hydroponics.The values mentioned here are only for hydroponic plants (ground plants sometimes differ greatly). Almost all plants tolerate slight over or under concentrations in soil. The plant “consumes” different amounts of the individual substances (nutrients). If the nutrient solution is not optimally composed, deficiency symptoms can quickly occur. With general nutrient solutions or fertilizer mixtures, the entire nutrient solution usually needs to be replaced every three to four weeks. An analysis of these small quantities is in any case more expensive than the amount of fertilizer you pay instead.The temperature
Temperature greatly influences the Ec and pH of the nutrient solution. Most pH meters therefore have automatic temperature compensation. Some EC and pH meters come with a bag containing a calibration liquid that can be used to calibrate the meter. Depending on the quality of the sensors used, this should be done every few weeks. We strongly recommend that hobbyists join one or more hydroponic community forums.Below are some articles to further delve into the subject...
- Creating fertiliser or nutrient solutions yourself
- Fertilizer: Essential Nutrients, Function, Deficiency and Exces
- Advice on a nutrient driving plan
- Offers for analysis for an adapted nutrient plan
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What is Aquaponics / Aquaculture ?
Aquaponics and the necessary hydroponics are generic terms for the rearing of fish and plants outside the natural environment, i.e. without soil. In hydroponics, the plants are fertilized using parallel fish farming. The difference between aquaponics and aquaculture is more of an environmental technical.
In addition to the environmentally friendly use of water resources, the purpose of these concepts is also to avoid pesticides, herbicides and medicines (according to previous regulations / 2021 in Germany) with optimal use of fertilizers or. Feed. The systems are separated from nature and in a closed cycle. Contamination of the groundwater and the use of machines, as is customary in previous agriculture and fish farming, is circumvented here due to principles. The rearing of the plants (hydroponics) in combination with a fish farm (aquaponics) is carried out in a closed system. The excretions of the fish are used as fertilizer.The difference to hydroponics here lies in the additional fish farming. The fish waste consists of a large number of organic substances, most of which are not available for plants. Here, the waste is converted into nutrients using worms and bacteria (destruents). Without this procedure, the plants will not receive enough nutrients and the fish will be poisoned. Holds, at the best of living conditions, they create a nutrient-rich bed. This natural fertilization is more productive than the addition of artificial fertilizer, since the worms release growth-promoting substances for plants. So no more hydroponic fertilizers have to be brought into the system. Since hydroponic fertilizer is expensive and has to be added in a controlled (precise dose), this is the main factor why aquaponics are preferred to hydroponics.It saves time and money.Aquaponics consists of complex biological systems. These biological systems need know-how because they represent complex units. Aquaponics is process-technically and scientifically more complex than hydroponics. They are highly dynamic systems that can change without external influences. But since it is „ Organsimen “ ( Fish, worms, bacteria, plants ) „ organize “ themselves within a certain framework. If the substance balance between fish, worms, bacteria and plants matches, the system hardly needs to be readjusted. This fine adjustment can take one or even up to two years. You have to feed the fish, remove dead parts of plants and check for pest infestation.Here is a schematic representation of an aquaponics system. This consists of a fish farm that is connected to a hydroponic plant that uses the residues of fish farming for the nutritional needs.
Historical background:
Aquaponics has ancient roots, although its first appearance is disputed:
The Aztecs cultivated agricultural islands known as chinampas in a system considered by some to be an early form of aquaponics for agricultural purposes,[4][5] in which plants were grown on stationary (or sometimes movable) islands in the shallows of lakes and waste materials dredged from the chinampa canals and surrounding cities were used to manually irrigate the plants.[4][6]
Southern China and all of Southeast Asia, where rice was grown and cultivated in rice paddies in combination with fish, are cited as examples of early aquaponics systems, although the technology was brought by Chinese settlers who had migrated from Yunnan around 5 AD. [7] These polycultural farming systems existed in many Far Eastern countries and raised fish such as the Oriental loach (泥鳅, ドジョウ), [8] swamp eel (黄鳝, 田鰻), carp (鯉魚, コイ) and crucian carp (鯽魚)[9] as well as pond snails (田螺) in the rice fields. [10][11]
The 13th century Chinese agricultural manual Wang Zhen's Book on Farming (王禎農書) describes floating wooden rafts heaped with mud and soil and used for growing rice, wild rice and fodder. Such floating planters were used in regions that form today's Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian provinces. These floating planters are known as either jiatian (架田) or fengtian (葑田), meaning "framed rice" or "rice field" respectively. The agricultural work also refers to earlier Chinese texts, which indicate that rice cultivation on floating rafts was practised as early as the Tang Dynasty (6th century) and the Northern Song Dynasty (8th century) of Chinese history.[12]4) Boutwelluc, Juanita (December 15, 2007). "Aztecs' aquaponics revamped". Napa Valley Register. Archived from the original on December 20, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
5) Rogosa, Eli. "How does aquaponics work?". Archived from the original on May 25, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
6) Crossley, Phil L. (2004). "Sub-irrigation in wetland agriculture" (PDF). Agriculture and Human Values. 21 (2/3): 191–205. doi:10.1023/B:AHUM.0000029395.84972.5e. S2CID 29150729. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 6, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
7) Integrated Agriculture-aquaculture: A Primer, Issue 407. FAO. 2001. ISBN 9251045992. Archived from the original on 2018-05-09.
8) Tomita-Yokotani, K.; Anilir, S.; Katayama, N.; Hashimoto, H.; Yamashita, M. (2009). "Space agriculture for habitation on mars and sustainable civilization on earth". Recent Advances in Space Technologies: 68–69.
9) "Carassius carassius". Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Fisheries and Aquaculture Department. Archived from the original on January 1, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
10) McMurtry, M. R.; Nelson, P. V.; Sanders, D. C. (1988). "Aqua-Vegeculture Systems". International Ag-Sieve. 1 (3). Archived from the original on June 19, 2012. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
11) Bocek, Alex. "Introduction to Fish Culture in Rice Paddies". Water Harvesting and Aquaculture for Rural Development. International Center for Aquaculture and Aquatic Environments. Archived from the original on March 17, 2010. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
12) "王禎農書::卷十一::架田 - 维基文库，自由的图书馆" (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2018-05-09. Retrieved 2017-11-30 – via Wikisource.Related article: Types of planting
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