Nutrient Solutions

Traditionally, plants, vegetables and fruits were grown or farmed in the soil and it was from this soil that they took their nutrition. However, hydroponics is gardening in the absence of soil and thus nutrients have to be provided in the form of a nutrient solution pumped from a reservoir to the roots of the plants. This solution must contain all the elements vital to the plants' growth and must be correctly pH'd in order that all essential nutrients are available to the plant in optimal amounts.

A complete and balanced formula is needed to obtain the best results from your system. Some nutrients are also supplied in Hard water and Soft water formulation. In the UK most water is termed as being 'hard' and as such contains high levels of bicarbonates. In these circumstances it is better to use a hard water mix which has less of the minerals that are already found in the 'hard' water.

In soil based gardening it is impossible to know how little or how much of a particular mineral is available to the plants. In hydroponics we must provide all the minerals necessary for successful plant growth. We therefore use feeds that contain all of the 14 essential minerals required. For these reasons ordinary soil based plant foods are not suitable for use in hydroponic systems. However, hydroponic nutrients are especially good for use on soil based plants due to the complete feed they represent.