These videos might be pretty old now, but I can't thank you enough for explaining how to do simple hydroponic gardening. As a guy just getting started your videos have helped me greatly.
Before the plants go in the buckets, they get a diluted nutrient mix. Once they are big enough for the buckets, they get full strength from that point on. If your plants are very small, it wouldn't hurt to dilute the mix a little bit. I think this formula would do ok in most hydro setups.
I agree - Why do schools have to make subjects so boring. It was only when I calculated how fast I would have to drive my motorbike to stick upside-down to a 10m inverted loop that I started to realize that maths and physics could be useful after all.
Anthony Perez Not quite. The chemistry you had in high school was just the veeery basics which is barely enough for this topic. Nutrients absorption and antagonism of various elements (e.g. K and Mg) during absorbtion (in plants) are a discipline on their own.
The reason for me using the tomato formula versus the lettuce formula was simple.... I started out growing tomatoes first. After I saw how well they did, I decided to try the same stuff on lettuce, just at a reduced rate. I felt like the nutrients levels would be close enough to get decent lettuce without having to buy the other blend. It worked out pretty well. Lettuce and leafy greens are much easier to grow, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding something that will work locally.
I DONT THINK I HAVE EVER. Seen anyone go into depth explaining their knowledge as well as you just explained this video . I took a photo because I can, keep it with me
I hope you can start making more videos, more often. You do a great job of explaining the complicated stuff in a simple way without sounding dumb. You seem to me to be more of an "everyman" hydro gardener than most of the other TH-camrs. Really like you stuff, thank you for all the education.
For people who want to grow indoors, or don't have a place to grow outside in the soil... hydroponics is a great alternative. I'm fortunate to be able to do both. :)
Hey Ed, I've only done peppers and cucumbers one time, and I used the same formula that I used for tomatoes. The plants did pretty good, with no problems at all. It might not be an ideal formulation for everything, but it's close enough to get decent production.
Stopped full-screen @ 1:12 :::crickets::: then proceeded to take pic of screen w/ camera phone. I'm not ashamed to admit that I will probably watch this a few more times...while I don't quite understand it fully this hydroponics thing absolutely fascinates me! Really was digging the pointer Bobby :)
This is one of the best thought out hydroponic presentation that I have found on TH-cam. Thank you sir for sharing your knowledge. Masterblend should make you a spokesperson.
but his calculations are wrong. he does not understand how to work out the final n,p,k ratios. you just cannot add the ratios to get the final result. you have to work it as a ratio of the overall weight of the added components.
@@whaszupp_01 lets say you have 15 5 35 , the percentage of nitrogen ids 15%. so if you have 100grams it will contain 15 grams nitrogen. if you have 12 12 17 the percentage nitrogen in 100 grams is 12% or 12 grams. adding equal amounts of each fertilizer together say 100 Grams of each will result in 27 grams nitrogen in 200 grams of fertilizer. this will actually be 13.5 grams or 13.5% nitrogen in 100 grams of fertilizer. by his working he is saying you get 27% nitrogen. he is saying you just have to add the N P and K values to get the resulting strength of the fertilizer. this is wrong. it is worked out on a percentage basis to get the correct result. with unequal amounts of different fertilizers, the working is done similarly but you have to take into consideration the original amounts and calculate to 100% to get the correct answer.
Good question Jon. By adding Calcium Nitrate separately, the grower has the option to adjust the N without changing the P-K. Their mix instructions call for a lesser amount of CalNitrate for seedlings, and then more as the plant progresses. In this manner, the same fertilizer can be used at all stages of growth. What I do is just water down the mix a bit early on. I'm not very scientific about it..obviously. ;)
Hey Mary, unlike some of the typical hydro fertilizer applications, I don't change anything once the plants get going. I give them the same thing the whole time. It's a lot simpler, and works very well for me. Thank you mam.
Don't feel bad. It took me a long time to understand how the roots could be in water all the time and not drown. It just didn't makes sense. Then one day it clicked. Ah ha ! I think I was fortunate to select a good fertilizer the first time, so I didn't have to do a lot of searching. ... I looked all over the place for a pointer, finally settled on a stick, LOL ;)
Thank you so much for this informative video. I just wanted to point out one thing. When adding two fertilizers together in equal parts you add the two then take the mean of the npk. For example: 4-18-38 mixed with 15.5-0-0 would make a 9.75-9-19. just wanted to point that out.
I know this is old, but that was the first thing I thought when I looked at the board. I can’t believe that this isn’t pointed out more. It’s a very important distinction.
Thank you for this. I'm not new to this channel but went elsewhere to try to get ratios for lettuce...the researchers drove me batty. Your explanation is direct, simple and quick. I'll leave the researchers to their universities...thanks again!
mhp THAT WAS the most Inteligent, and well presented TH-cam video ever for me... I have learned a great deal & I feel EVERYONE can learn the BEST of the basics from this video CLASS on Fertilizers PERIOD!!!! Will be seeing lots more from your channel. Thank You very much for taking the time & as a fully disabled Vet I do not have the words Brother.... God Bless.....
I purchased the Master blend from Amazon and already see the positive difference! I like many has been asking what would be the concentration per gallon. I just checked. At 2.4 grams of Master Blend 4-18-38 + 2.4 grams of Calcium Nitrate + 1 gram of Epson Salts the ppm is approximately 555 I subtracted this from 720 ppm because the water here is 165 ppm. I used a scale but a gram of the ingredients comes very close to a 1/4 teaspoon. I hope this helps!
I enjoy watching your videos and I come back to them often. I am very interested in hydroponic and have been for a long time. I have a small patio garden at the moment. I utilize a small portion. I brought a 4 tier stack able plastic stand from homedepot. I successfully collected a large variety of plants consisting of Pearl onions (grow bags) Green onions (grow bags) 4 tomatoes plants (grow bags) 14 Aloe vera plants 1 Rosemary plants 2 Basil Mother Plants 1 Oregano Plant 1 German Thyme
mhpgardener Im trying squash and i thought the formula for tomatoes would be a good start. im in Florida and on my third try for lettuce. its just so hot. I'll get there. Thank you for all your help. i show off my plants like my grandchildren. lol.
This is what I do. I ALWAYS mix it up in a 5 gal bucket using the specified ratios. Make sure all of the fertilizer is completely dissolved and mixed thoroughly, then use whatever amount you need to fill smaller containers. The margin for error is much smaller when you try to mix it by the gallon.
Yes, you can use it for container feeding. But take into consideration any other nutrients you may have in the soil mix. It might be best to use this about half strength once a week, and let the plants tell you if they need more.
I taught fertilizer materials calculation at a State College. Corey P reply is correct in the fact The combined Master Blend and Calcium Nitrate is actually 9.75 - 9 - 19. See his post below for a explanation. You forgot to divide by 2 since you had twice as much weight. By using a EC meter to measure Part Per Million you can better adjust your Fertilizer to the Variety of plant you are growing. Tomatoes are heavy feeders and 1200 PPM of fertilizer is a about right for growing Tomatoes. Lettuce grows nice in 400 to 500 PPM. Too much or too little fertilizer will stunt growth. Remember to start with a Base line of PPM before adding the need PPM of Fertilizer. The way I deal with the objection below about Magnesium (Episom Salts) not mixing in, to use Chelated Magnesium Nitrate 7 - 0 - 0 which is a Liquid. I also use a small submersible fountain pump to keep the fertilizer agitated.
i have watched this video several times --- it never gets old --- so clear and concise --- if there are any updates to your formula or new formulas, i hope to see you share them --- thank you
I love your videos. Tons of info in an easy to understand video. I just have a small correction to your math... You can't simply add the numbers of two types of fertilizer when you blend them. Assuming you are adding equal amounts of each type of fertilizer, you need to divide your totals by the number of blends. If you could just add the numbers, it would mean that if you added 17-17-17 to some more 17-17-17, using your math, you would end up with 34-34-34. -- a chemically impossible blend since it represents more than 100 percent. The numbers on the bag are percentages of the NPK in the bag. What that means is that in 100lbs of 4-18-38, there are four pounds of nitrogen, 18 pounds of phosphorus, and 38 pounds of potassium. If you add two bags together you would get 4 - 18 - 38 +4 - 18 - 38 _____________ 8 - 38 - 76 The math is correct, but it represents the number of pounds of each chemical in 200lbs of product, not 100lbs. Obviously, the fertilizer hasn't gotten stronger.... you simply have more of the same. To correctly represent the ratio, you must divide your answer by 2. In your example, if your are adding equal amounts of 4-18-38 and 15.5 - 0 - 0, the result would be 4 - 18 - 38 +15.5 - 0 - 0 _______________ (19.5 - 18 - 38 ) / 2 = 9.75 - 9 - 19. That is a very long winded explanation of something that is effectively pretty trivial. Your ratios were exactly correct, but the result is half as 'strong' as you think --- not really a big deal once you figure out how much you need. You're doing some pretty cool stuff. Thanks for sharing.
+bobfre1 Maybe I'm being stupid here, but if you add the NPKs, but keep the water amount the same, aren't you are effectively doing the divide by 2 operation your math is showing?
+Andrew Yalowitz Actually, by keeping the water the same and adding fertilizer you are doubling the concentration, not dividing by two, but I see what you mean. You are absolutely correct in thinking that as long as you keep the volume of water the same, you can increase the concentration in the solution by adding more fertilizer. Effectively, that is what he has done. My only point was that the numbers don't accurately represent the true volume or percentages of each chemical in the final fertilizer blend -- that could be a problem down the road... What we know from this video is what he has successfully used and therefore must be a pretty good ratio AND concentration for this application. Like I said, assuming he adds equal amount of the fertilizer and the Calcium Nitrate, the ratios are correct, but the concentrations are represented as double their real values. If you only followed this set of instructions, I'm sure you could be very successful. Let me give you a different example. Where I live, a pretty common lawn fertilizer for mid summer is 16-20-0. But suppose I could only find bags of 4-5-0. Let's assume that I have a big lawn and need one regular 100lb bag of 16-20-0 for one feed. What that means is that over the entire area, I need 16 lbs of Nitrogen, 20 lbs of Phosphorus, and no Potassium. To get 16 lbs of Nitrogen and 20 lbs of Phosphorus from the 4-5-0, I would need to apply 4 - 100lb bags. And like you suggested, I would use the same amount of water. Quadrupling the amount of fertilizer In his case, he has figured out the right mix and concentration, but his real mix is 9.75-9-19. Now for the potential future problem....If you WERE able to buy 20-18-38, could be just as successful, but you would need to use it at half strength to avoid burning the plants. Regardless of how you measure it --- lbs per acre --- grams per litre, you ultimately must know the true mass of each chemical and not just the ratios. At the end of the day, once you've figured out the concentration needed, the size of the numbers don't really matter.
MasterBlend also has a lettuce formula, with the following mixing instructions per 100 gallons of water. 8oz (.5lb) MB 8-15-36 6oz (.375lb) Calcium Nitrate 15.5-0-0 4oz (.25lb) Epsom Salt 0-0-0 When combined at these fractional parts, what would the end NPK ratios be per pound of fertilizer?
I know this is old but... First off, where is he telling anyone to add 4 - 18 - 38 + 4 - 18 - 38? He is stating to use 12 gr. of 4-18-38 + 12 gr. 15.5-0-0 which comes out as stated, 19.5-18-38. NPK is calculated by the percentage of NPK required to cover **** sq. feet. not the weight of the bag. If that were the case 4+18+38= 60% 10-10-10= 30%, 40%-70% filler? So by your calculations I should buy the bag with the highest amount that the numbers add up to so I get the best bang for my buck. His math is correct. (Look at the results.) By the way listen to the people that tell you to desolve the individual products seperately and then combine. I keep them seperate until I am going to add them to the Reservoir, a Tbls, Cup, or whatever at a time. JMHO! You do what you want.
I maintain the same formulation for the life of the plants... about 30-45 days for lettuce, and 100+ days for tomatoes. I change out the reservoir for tomatoes at least every 30 days, if not sooner. During the summer when the plants consume so much water, it wouldn't hurt to top off occassionally with plain water. By changing out the reservoir, I think it cuts down on potential salt buildup.
I just did a bit of an experiment using the teaspoon ratio that Doug Parsons spelled out below. 2 teaspoons Masterblend Tomato, 1.5 teaspoons CaCO3, and 1 teaspoon Epsom Salt. These were level teaspoons and the water temperature was 77F with 5 gallons of tap water measured in a graduated bucket. I measured electrical conductivity (EC) of the solution using a Blue Labs Truncheon that is properly calibrated. After introducing the fertilizer, I got a reading of 0.8. Adding the Epsoms bumped the solution to 1.0, and the calcium addition finalized the solution's EC at 1.4. After I introduced each solute, I stirred the solution for 4-5 minutes for complete dissolution of the chemical into the water. 1.4 EC is very low for tomatoes, and slightly low for lettuces. I'm referencing Dr. Howard Resh's "Hydroponics Food Production" and Professor Venter's "Successful Hydroponics." They recommend an EC of 1.5 for any lettuce outside of the seedling stage. I keep mine about 1.6 and have great success with them, albeit not in a greenhouse. Its worth noting that by adding another teaspoon of fertilizer for total of 3 tsp fertilizer, 1.5 teaspoons calcium solute, and 1 teaspoon epsom salts, I got a final EC of 1.6. That's right on the money where I want to be for lettuces. However, it should be noted that now the chemical ratios are getting out of whack. For cucumbers, both publications recommend 2-2.5 EC for a plant older than 7 days post germination. Tomatoes, peppers, corn, etc should be in the 2.5-3.0 EC range. I plan to purchase a digital scale in the next few days and again test the 12 grams, 12 grams, 6 grams to 5 gallons of water. FWIW, I've been using Verti-Gro's F-Combo solute mixes until now. For that nutrient solution, you add 2 pounds of fertilizer to 1 gallon of water and then take measures out of that concentrated solution to add to your nutrient tanks. Approximately 1/2 liquid ounce of each liquid concentrate per gallon of water in my irrigation tanks gave me a reading of approx. 1.6-1.8 EC. Taking it to 3/4 of a liquid ounce of concentrated nutrient solution to every gallon of irrigation tank water got me to approx 2.4-2.6 EC. I'll update this page with my digital scale measurements, but right now 12/12/6 looks very low for tomato growth. Doesn't count for much, but my degree is in biology with an organic chemistry minor.
Do you use the same ratio of nutrients for peppers and cucumbers that you use for the tomatoes? And do you use the 20-18-38 for the entire growing period?
8 years later i just happen to come across your video. This year is my 2nd attempt at hydroponics in my apartment. Up until now i've been using a liquid nutrient solution with absolutely no idea what i was doing... just following the instructions on the bottle. Now i see it only has an NPK of 6-4.5-5. This explains why i've been able to grow some leafy vegetables ok-ish, but broccoli and pepper is struggling. Ordered the Masterblend, should be here next week.
It looks like Master Blend has started selling a 20-18-38 product since you made this video. So adding the calcium nitrate would be unnecessary just as a means to raise the nitrogen content. However tomatoes need the calcium to prevent blossom end rot. Would you still suggest using the 4-18-38/calcium nitrate mix to provide that calcium or would you use the newer formula with supplementary calcium? It would be awesome to see you do a test for this. Also, in your experience what is the difference in calcium requirements between tomatoes and the greens that you grow? Love your videos. Thanks in advance. ####UPDATE#### Scratch that. Turns out that you and your videos have made an impression there at Master Blend. The new formula is exactly as you recommend in this video. The Calcium and Epsom salt is already mixed in.
FYI - I called Masterblend to order 20-18-38 and Masterblend does NOT make this formula. If you buy this "online" (Ebay, Amazon, etc...) it's been opened, repackaged, and marked up. Be careful what you buy.
Yeah I've since learned that. On top of that, that Masterblend repackage you get from Amazon just won't dissolve completely. The darker brown component is insoluble. I tried boiling water, letting it soak for hours and days, and mixing it in a shaker bottle. Just wont dissolve. Perhaps if you ground it up with a pestle and mortar.
Hey David, thanks for the info! I live in Caribbean Panama and it's hard enough as it is without adding more problems...Plus, I'm just getting started (newbie) here on a HOT Tropical island!
Well I can make a recommendation in that case. Ive switched to General Hydroponics Maxigrow. Its a single parts nutrient and it dissolves completely. Its good for greens and such. There is a sister product called Maxibloom that you can switch to on your flowering plants once they start to bloom. Or some people just use the Maxibloom for everything. Its about 15 USD for a 2.2 pound bag from Amazon.
Your mix comes out to actually be N 7.6, P 9.2 and K 15.2 it's a math thing you are mixing FIVE parts total and must divide the concentrations to get the finished solution. Remember mixing red with white gets you pink and mixing red with red does not give you dark red. When mixing by weight you divide by the portion of each product in the mix.
I'm pretty sure I'd vote for you for president if I could. Excellent. Awesome. Fantastic. I'm working on my tubs this weekend so this is truly perfect timing sir. You made my weekend. Have a fruitful new year.
Same here. The prospect of having the fish provide the fertilizer for the plants is something worth looking into. Fresh catfish and vegetables sounds like a winner to me. :)
Technically your white board is wrong when you are combining your fertilizers, it's not really 19.5-18-38. When calculating the percentages you need to take a weighted average of each fertilizer into account. A formula for this is(W1N1+w2N2)/W1+W2... W1 being weight of fertilizer 1, N1 being % Nitrogen in fertilizer 1, W2 is weight of fertilizer 2, N2 is % Nitrogen in fertilizer 2. This formula works for all nutrients just make N into what ever nutrient in question. Also you should use all the fertilizers mixed (ie 3 different fertilizers would be (w1N1+W2N2+W3N3)/W1+W2+W3) regardless if it has the nutrient in question or not. So yours (tomato and lettuce) is actually 7.8-7.2-15.2, that happens to be the same ratio as your 19.5-18-38 but it's in actual terms (as if you were to mix the dry ingredients together in your 12g 12g 6g or 10g 10g 5g). God forbid anyone from doing that, it's not a good choice, they should be mixed in water. Note if you used a different weight ratio of your three fertilizers (2g:2g:1g) it would result in a N-P-K that would never be in a 19.5-18-38 ratio like the 7.8-7.2-15.2 was. Sorry for the long reply on a fairly minor thing
This video inspired me to make an excel sheet to decide the exact amounts of each fertilizer to get a specific ppm of each nutrient. A middle step is calculating this "complete" fertilizer mix nutrient %. For a good reason research writes amounts of nutrients in ppm. This accounts for any fertilizers used since there is a lot of variations in nutrient content. So mixing and matching your fertilizers is easy if you know the math. My excel sheet also estimates the EC level added with the fertilizers, but no idea if it's accurate since I don't have a hydroponic system currently. If someone wants to run there befor/after EC of adding the fertilizer to the water, fertilizers nutrient %s, weights (oz, g, lb....) you use of each fertilizer and amount of water they mixed everything in (gal, liter...). Let me know.
Two questions: why should't I pre mix my 12 12 6 in a baggie? Is it the precursor to fertilizer bombs? Secondly can I ignore your math and just use his 12 -12 -6 not worrying about what is in there or do I need to adjust the 12 - 12 -6 based on your weighted averages? Thanks!
No it's not because it makes fertilizer bombs. Ammonium nitrate fertilizer and other chemicals make those. It's because you can have chemical reactions between fertilizers which causes nutrients to precipitate out in water and become permanently unusable by the plant. If you are using the same fertilizers as him and same quantities then you don't need math, he's done it for you. But if you are using different fertilizers and or want a specific/different amounts of nutrients then yes my math will get you there accurately. I have an excel sheet that does the math for you if you want it.
Within the next week, most likely this weekend, I am building a 10 bucket system with the specifications of your vid from Oct. 8, 2012. I have watched this video a few times and am not sure on one issue. If I want to plant 5 buckets tomatoes, 3 buckets peppers and 2 buckets cucumbers will I be able to use the 19.5/18/38 solution mixture in the reservoir for all plants? I don't want to grow only tomatoes, but I can't set up 3 different complete systems. Thanks for all the great videos! K.H.
Hey Mhpgardener, the math on this isn't quite right, my friend. You're adding ratios, not actual whole numbers. So, when mixing a fertilizer with 4% Nitrogen, and a fertilizer with 15.5% Nitrogen, you don't get 19.5%. You actually get 9.75% (assuming you have the same size bags of both parts). You get all the denominators to match then you add the parts and divide by the number of parts. So, 4+15.5=19.5 and 19.5/2= 9.75%. Same goes with the other two parts. If the Masterblend and the Calcium Nitrate are both the same sized bags before you mix them, the actual N-P-K is 9.75-9-19. I'm surprised no one else has said anything on this yet. Love your videos though.
Corey P Hi Corey, that is a good understanding of NPK ratios there, i'm a novice but i agree with you. What is hard is to determine the size of the bags and the concentration ratio exactly. If indeed parts is being used the ultimate calc needs this concentration ratio example: 2:1:2 (43) which gives NPK 17%-9%-17% and it is better to work out percentages. I wonder what is the parts ratio for the Masterblend Tomato 4.18.38. It can also be derived from g/kg or oz/lbs but i cant find any information about it anywhere.Something to think about: Masterblend website uses percentages and uses words like garuantee analysis. I wonder what the concentration levels is cause its hard to belive it can be a 4:18:36 (100) concentration.
The numbers on the NPK are NOT RATIOS they are percentages.I've been a farmer over 30 years and if you cared to look on ANY container of fertilizer you would see the % symbol by the NPK numbers.I hope you haven't ruined any ones plants with your misinformation.
59acres Well, actually, you're wrong. A percentage is a RATIO with a denominator of 100. And the formula I mentioned remains correct. Sounds like you need to stick to farming and leave the math to others.
Corey P Agreed but not many people understand that fertilizer is not 100% fertilizer and saying it is ratio will be confusing for them.Maybe better to explain that a 10kg bag of fertilizer would only contain 1.95 kilos of N and go from there.My apologies for my former snarky reply. MHP is doing some great work.
Fabulous explanation...I followed you right through the entire video. Those Chemistry courses I took way back when, came in handy to understand your presentation. I'm attempting spinach and Tom Thumb lettuce in a 4.5 gallon food grade bucket with 4 net pots in the lid. Indoors since it is still winter here in upstate NY. I selected one of each type of plant : 1 brand new spinach seedling ready to grow its true leaves, and a 2 week old lettuce plant in Jiffy peat plugs. The plugs are supported by a 3 inch net pot with expanded clay pellets above and below the Jiffy peat plug. They are just barely touching the nutrient solution to prevent shock. They are the 'guinea pigs' for my mixing attempt. When I went to get the nutrient ingredients, I chuckled because there was the exact formula printed on the tomato food 4-18-38 component. Your video took all the guesswork out of figuring out the right amounts for my water volume and type of plants, confirmed on the package. THANK YOU !!!!
OK, So, are you using the tomato formula 20-18-38 for everything you grow hydroponically, just at different concentrations depending on what you are trying to grow? Like you said, you take the 20/18/38 for the tomatoes and per 5 gallons, you use 12g of the MB, 12G of the Calcium Nitrate, and 6g of the Mag Sulf, then for the lettuce you use the same 20/18/38 but at 10g MB, 10G CN, 5g Mag Sulf, per 5gal of water, but then what do you do about peppers, herbs, cucumbers, etc? How do you know how much of the 20/18/38 to use for those, as well as how much of the Calcium Nitrate and the Mag Sulf?
+Kapok6 For instance, you recommend 11-11-40 for peppers, but here is a 27-11-40 for herbs and peppers. So would the 27-11-40 be better, or would using the 20-18-38 at a modified concentration be better? Sorry for all the stupid questions. I am new to this and am really trying to not screw things up as I start growing for the first time.
There is a simple explanation for the 4% nitrogen. This formula is adaptable to both seedlings and mature plants. Having the option to add Calcium Nitrate at varying levels allows you to adjust the amount of Nitrogen in the overall mix. This would also allow you to adjust the Nitrogen levels for growing other types of vegetables based on specific needs.
Hey everyone, the greatest success that i've had was by following the Keiths Ponics Site (i found it on google) without a doubt the best info that I have ever tried.
In a recent video, I did a test to see how well the MG products would work for lettuce. I didn't add Epsom to the MG. I used it straight out of the box. MG didn't do so well. What I found out was it has a different type of nitrogen, not very suited for hydroponcs. For the best results, a true hydroponic fertilizer like Masterblend or something similar is highly recommended.
For a true NPK analysis, you're correct. In this case, since we're using both portions, it's creating the "equivalent" of the higher ratios. By varying the amount of CaNO3, the grower is able to adjust the N levels while keeping the P and K consistent.
You call it "crappy water" when something has a higher Ph than 7, but everything above 7 is preferable for human consumption, that guy should be happy getting 8.0 out of his tap, but lettuce likes slightly acidic water, humans do not.
Alex Brynhildarson "everything above 7 is preferable for human consumption" - Do you have any source/evidence for this? Because that statement pretty much makes you sound like you have no idea what you're talking about....
Thank you for sharing information about the fertilizer you use. The way it is presented is easy to follow and I enjoy all the honest, no fluff videos on this channel.
The best information in detail so far I have come across about the proper fertilizer for hydroponics systems. Along with the comments below it gives you all you need to start.
I ordered Master Blend from Morgan County Seeds, and the mixing ratio they recommend is 1 ounce (29 grams) of the Master blend formula and 1 ounce of Calcium Nitrate to 3 gallons of water.
In the comparison video, I showed the label from Hydro Gardens Hobby Formula, since it already has Cal Nitrate. Neither of the 4-18-38 products, from HG or Morgan, show sulfur.
your videos have saved me a fortune! thank you so much for the ordinary gardener's Research & Development! I will be growing my own food this year as an Rx for my family's health.
You are awesome, I never got anything to grow but your video got me ordering: 50lb tomato Fertilizer 50lb Calcium Nitrate 5 bag of Magnesium Sulphate Digital scale 5 gallon bucket
Peppers do have a little bit different nutrient needs, but I think they'd do ok. If you're growing commercially, it makes sense to try and be very precise. But for a home gardener, getting something fairly close should work just fine.
I have to admit, since decided to make my own based on the information above, plants seem OK. I just need to figure out how much Epsom, and how much calcium nitrate to make the 20-18-38. I am pleased that later today I should be able to plug in my Dutch Bucket and rails. Thanks again for all the help and inspiration Bobby. When I am unsure, I come HERE!
Thanks Bobby, Ready to start, I am using Botanicare CNS17 Hydroponics Grow Formula 3-2-4. It's supposed to have everything in it. My first attempt will be lettuce by DWC using totes, net cups, aeration and a 6500K florescent lamps. I will send a video once I get it set up. Thanks for the info. I have the Morgan County and Johnny Seeds catalog. I ordered the seeds from Johnny's. They were great!
Black buckets in full sun would seem to be pretty warm. You can give tomatoes sun all day long. But if it's really hot, they'll benefit from a few hours of shade during mid day for sure. Aside from burying the reservoir deep in the ground, you could add bottles of frozen water to knock the temps down a little bit. They make chillers for this too, but they don't come cheap.
I primarily grow a butterhead called Adrianna. Sounds like you might have fungus gnats. I'm not sure how to get them out of the tubes, but you can use yellow sticky cards to catch the ones on the outside.
Thanks. Once you understand the basics, hydro is not difficult. And with so many different setups available, there's bound to be something that would suit most any need.
I'm doing my first ever hydroponic grow and this is the most informative video I've seen so far!thank you!! I have a good veg liquid nutrient but I was trying to figure out how to use miracle grow bloom in a hydro set up...yes sir you explained that well.
I continue to watch your videos over and over and over. You are a true teacher and you are a kind fellow. May God bless you and your every endeavor. You are helping to feed His flock sir!
Bobby!!! Where did you get your degree and if you don't have a degree, where did you learn all this stuff? You are INCREDIBLE!!! You are so, so smart!!! Man, you need to major in Chemistry, dude!!! You just fool us with that good ole country boy persona. You are too smart. Thank you for all this. Putting it in my Gardening Favorites Playlist. -Lisa
Would you please do a short video (similar to this) that shows us the ratios (12:12:6 or 10:10:6) for each of the vegetables you grow (tomato, peppers, cucumbers...) and the method you're using (Dutch Bucket, kratky, NFT...)?
Yes, it looks like he was using an 8-6-30 fertilizer in that particular tank. He also mentioned the use of a 10-8-22 in a 4 liter bottle. Lots of different combinations for growing lettuce.
I've heard good things about Peters products, also called Jack's. The 20-20-20 would be great for lettuce. The only place I can get it is online, since none of the big stores in my area have it. No matter what I do, I always get killed on shipping costs. That's why I recommend people check around, see what's available. Cuz when it comes to fertilizer, there are a lot of options.
If you have an area that gets good sunlight several hours a day, you could get by without a light. If not, yes, supplemental lighting would really help.
I just finished a side by side test using Miracle Grow and Masterblend. After seeing the results, I would not recommend using any of the MG products in a hydro setup. I'd stick with a true hydro fertilizer.
Rick, when I mix my nutrients, I end up with a ppm around 1000. That's what the tomatoes get once the go into the buckets. I think the plants could handle a higher ppm, but this has worked well for me.
Yea, there is a difference in the nitrate levels as labeled. I guess it depends on the feeding schedule for the liquids. It varies quite a bit. For growing lettuce, I wait until the growth cycle is complete, then I top off or empty and refill. For the dutch buckets, I try to change out at least once a month.
Thanks for your advice on nurturing vegetables, herbs and trees. I divide the plants in such grouping and study what best according to the formula you use.
Hi Bobby, thanks for this great video you made, I had to come back and reference it a few times. Hope you and your are well and hope you will be sharing new videos of you growing again soon.
There is organic miracle grow now too ! Don't know why people hate on miracle grow. what excites me about miracle grow is its available ate every grocery store in my area..all year long.
When you fully mix the 4-18-38, you end up with an NPK of approx 20-18-38. Those numbers are percentages....meaning the mix would be 20% nitrogen, etc. The 10-10-5 is the actually weight of the 3 components in grams. I phrase it as 10-10-5 to make it easy to remember when weighing. When you begin to make adjustments, then the NPK will change. But if you go too high or too low with something, then things don't go so well.
Hello Sir, Good Evening from the Philippines! I have been watching your yt channel and I must say that GOD has been blessing you with His wisdom. Secondly, I want to thank you for sharing your knowledge. I have a question( I am a newbie in this at 64): I start off with an NPK of 4-18-38. How did you make it to an NPK 20-18-38? Is this correct? To prepare a 5 gallon liquid fertilizer, do I prepare 10 grams of Masterblend; 10 grams of Calcium Nitrate; 5 grams of Magnesium sulfate and I would get a new NPK of 20-18-38? How? My apology if my question seems foolish. Thank you, Sir. - Alvin
I did some measuring today. 1.5 tbsp. of the fertilizer was ~18 grams. 1.5 tbsp. of the CaNO3 was ~ 24 grams. I forgot to check the Epsom salt. I think these numbers are close. I'll double check tomorrow just to be sure.
Thanks. For simplicity and ease of growing, the Kratky method is hard to beat. As long as you get the fertilizer levels correct, it's pretty much automatic from then on.
When I mix the 4-18-38, CalNitrate and Epsom... I go 12-12-6 in grams. Lettuce is not a heavy feeder like tomatoes, so I just cut it all back a bit to 10-10-5... in grams of each.
Hey Lavern, that is quite a selection of plants and trees. Finding a "typical" fertilizer is difficult since they have such diverse nutrient needs. I would approach it from the angle of what is best for each group... trees, herbs, and vegetables. And since they are self watering, it might be best to go with a slow release granular fertilizer. It really comes down to personal preference and how much time you want to spend on them.
Thank you for taking the time to post the formula and explain the details of it. Much appreciated! When the snow melts in five months, I hope to give this method a try. :)
Thank you sir. Mr Kratky's writings explained the grow process quite well. The primary variable is the fertilizer. I use a commercial type, but there are plenty of options available.
One of the best videos on hydroponic mixing I have seen so far.
After following the instructions on this video I was able to grow lots of beautiful tomatoes for the first time in my life! Thank you!
These videos might be pretty old now, but I can't thank you enough for explaining how to do simple hydroponic gardening. As a guy just getting started your videos have helped me greatly.
Only hydropoinc gardener I have seen that actually takes the time to explain his experiences... very well done mhpgardener... keep up the good work
Before the plants go in the buckets, they get a diluted nutrient mix. Once they are big enough for the buckets, they get full strength from that point on. If your plants are very small, it wouldn't hurt to dilute the mix a little bit. I think this formula would do ok in most hydro setups.
If they would've told me this is what chemistry was used for in high school, i would have tried a little harder
Me too |
I agree - Why do schools have to make subjects so boring.
It was only when I calculated how fast I would have to drive my motorbike to stick upside-down to a 10m inverted loop that I started to realize that maths and physics could be useful after all.
Anthony Perez Not quite. The chemistry you had in high school was just the veeery basics which is barely enough for this topic. Nutrients absorption and antagonism of various elements (e.g. K and Mg) during absorbtion (in plants) are a discipline on their own.
I discovered a good collection of videos that may help on Fast track grower
Worcester Exchange That is truly outstanding sarcasm.
The reason for me using the tomato formula versus the lettuce formula was simple.... I started out growing tomatoes first. After I saw how well they did, I decided to try the same stuff on lettuce, just at a reduced rate. I felt like the nutrients levels would be close enough to get decent lettuce without having to buy the other blend. It worked out pretty well. Lettuce and leafy greens are much easier to grow, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding something that will work locally.
I DONT THINK I HAVE EVER. Seen anyone go into depth explaining their knowledge as well as you just explained this video . I took a photo because I can, keep it with me
I hope you can start making more videos, more often. You do a great job of explaining the complicated stuff in a simple way without sounding dumb. You seem to me to be more of an "everyman" hydro gardener than most of the other TH-camrs. Really like you stuff, thank you for all the education.
For people who want to grow indoors, or don't have a place to grow outside in the soil... hydroponics is a great alternative. I'm fortunate to be able to do both. :)
Hey Ed, I've only done peppers and cucumbers one time, and I used the same formula that I used for tomatoes. The plants did pretty good, with no problems at all. It might not be an ideal formulation for everything, but it's close enough to get decent production.
Stopped full-screen @ 1:12 :::crickets::: then proceeded to take pic of screen w/ camera phone. I'm not ashamed to admit that I will probably watch this a few more times...while I don't quite understand it fully this hydroponics thing absolutely fascinates me! Really was digging the pointer Bobby :)
This is one of the best thought out hydroponic presentation that I have found on TH-cam. Thank you sir for sharing your knowledge. Masterblend should make you a spokesperson.
but his calculations are wrong. he does not understand how to work out the final n,p,k ratios. you just cannot add the ratios to get the final result. you have to work it as a ratio of the overall weight of the added components.
@@ahuramazda323 could you explain?
@@whaszupp_01 lets say you have 15 5 35 , the percentage of nitrogen ids 15%. so if you have 100grams it will contain 15 grams nitrogen. if you have 12 12 17 the percentage nitrogen in 100 grams is 12% or 12 grams. adding equal amounts of each fertilizer together say 100 Grams of each will result in 27 grams nitrogen in 200 grams of fertilizer. this will actually be 13.5 grams or 13.5% nitrogen in 100 grams of fertilizer. by his working he is saying you get 27% nitrogen. he is saying you just have to add the N P and K values to get the resulting strength of the fertilizer. this is wrong. it is worked out on a percentage basis to get the correct result. with unequal amounts of different fertilizers, the working is done similarly but you have to take into consideration the original amounts and calculate to 100% to get the correct answer.
Miss your videos my friend. You are the one that inspired me to start growing many years ago. I often to refer back to your videos to help me.
Good question Jon. By adding Calcium Nitrate separately, the grower has the option to adjust the N without changing the P-K. Their mix instructions call for a lesser amount of CalNitrate for seedlings, and then more as the plant progresses. In this manner, the same fertilizer can be used at all stages of growth. What I do is just water down the mix a bit early on. I'm not very scientific about it..obviously. ;)
Hey Mary, unlike some of the typical hydro fertilizer applications, I don't change anything once the plants get going. I give them the same thing the whole time. It's a lot simpler, and works very well for me. Thank you mam.
Don't feel bad. It took me a long time to understand how the roots could be in water all the time and not drown. It just didn't makes sense. Then one day it clicked. Ah ha ! I think I was fortunate to select a good fertilizer the first time, so I didn't have to do a lot of searching. ... I looked all over the place for a pointer, finally settled on a stick, LOL ;)
Haven't figured that out yet. I hope it clicks. Waiting. :)
I LOVED that a gardener would use a stick for a pointer. 😂
Thank you so much for this informative video. I just wanted to point out one thing. When adding two fertilizers together in equal parts you add the two then take the mean of the npk. For example: 4-18-38 mixed with 15.5-0-0 would make a 9.75-9-19. just wanted to point that out.
I know this is old, but that was the first thing I thought when I looked at the board. I can’t believe that this isn’t pointed out more. It’s a very important distinction.
"y'all hold on I got sum splainin to do" thats how all videos should start
Thank you for this. I'm not new to this channel but went elsewhere to try to get ratios for lettuce...the researchers drove me batty. Your explanation is direct, simple and quick. I'll leave the researchers to their universities...thanks again!
When I tried peppers, it was in the same setup as the tomatoes. Same formula for both.
mhp THAT WAS the most Inteligent, and well presented TH-cam video ever for me... I have learned a great deal & I feel EVERYONE can learn the BEST of the basics from this video CLASS on Fertilizers PERIOD!!!! Will be seeing lots more from your channel. Thank You very much for taking the time & as a fully disabled Vet I do not have the words Brother.... God Bless.....
I purchased the Master blend from Amazon and already see the positive difference! I like many has been asking what would be the concentration per gallon. I just checked. At 2.4 grams of Master Blend 4-18-38 + 2.4 grams of Calcium Nitrate + 1 gram of Epson Salts the ppm is approximately 555 I subtracted this from 720 ppm because the water here is 165 ppm. I used a scale but a gram of the ingredients comes very close to a 1/4 teaspoon. I hope this helps!
I enjoy watching your videos and I come back to them often. I am very interested in hydroponic and have been for a long time. I have a small patio garden at the moment. I utilize a small portion. I brought a 4 tier stack able plastic stand from homedepot. I successfully collected a large variety of plants consisting of
Pearl onions (grow bags)
Green onions (grow bags)
4 tomatoes plants (grow bags)
14 Aloe vera plants
1 Rosemary plants
2 Basil Mother Plants
1 Oregano Plant
1 German Thyme
When I tried peppers last year, I used the same thing I used for the tomatoes and they did fine.
mhpgardener Im trying squash and i thought the formula for tomatoes would be a good start. im in Florida and on my third try for lettuce. its just so hot. I'll get there. Thank you for all your help. i show off my plants like my grandchildren. lol.
This is what I do. I ALWAYS mix it up in a 5 gal bucket using the specified ratios. Make sure all of the fertilizer is completely dissolved and mixed thoroughly, then use whatever amount you need to fill smaller containers. The margin for error is much smaller when you try to mix it by the gallon.
I love your channel Bobby you do a fantastic job and try everything that is what is so great and you are a total joy to watch!
Excellent. I'm hearing from a lot of people that are new to hydroponics and things are going very well.
No sir, I buy the CalNitrate at the local feed store in 20# bags. It's much cheaper that way.
Yes, you can use it for container feeding. But take into consideration any other nutrients you may have in the soil mix. It might be best to use this about half strength once a week, and let the plants tell you if they need more.
I taught fertilizer materials calculation at a State College. Corey P reply is correct in the fact The combined Master Blend and Calcium Nitrate is actually 9.75 - 9 - 19. See his post below for a explanation. You forgot to divide by 2 since you had twice as much weight.
By using a EC meter to measure Part Per Million you can better adjust your Fertilizer to the Variety of plant you are growing. Tomatoes are heavy feeders and 1200 PPM of fertilizer is a about right for growing Tomatoes. Lettuce grows nice in 400 to 500 PPM. Too much or too little fertilizer will stunt growth. Remember to start with a Base line of PPM before adding the need PPM of Fertilizer.
The way I deal with the objection below about Magnesium (Episom Salts) not mixing in, to use Chelated Magnesium Nitrate 7 - 0 - 0 which is a Liquid. I also use a small submersible fountain pump to keep the fertilizer agitated.
What if you don't use a pump?
Yep he suppose to divide by 2 that is correct
i have watched this video several times --- it never gets old --- so clear and concise --- if there are any updates to your formula or new formulas, i hope to see you share them --- thank you
I love your videos. Tons of info in an easy to understand video. I just have a small correction to your math...
You can't simply add the numbers of two types of fertilizer when you blend them. Assuming you are adding equal amounts of each type of fertilizer, you need to divide your totals by the number of blends. If you could just add the numbers, it would mean that if you added 17-17-17 to some more 17-17-17, using your math, you would end up with 34-34-34. -- a chemically impossible blend since it represents more than 100 percent.
The numbers on the bag are percentages of the NPK in the bag. What that means is that in 100lbs of 4-18-38, there are four pounds of nitrogen, 18 pounds of phosphorus, and 38 pounds of potassium. If you add two bags together you would get
4 - 18 - 38
+4 - 18 - 38
_____________
8 - 38 - 76
The math is correct, but it represents the number of pounds of each chemical in 200lbs of product, not 100lbs. Obviously, the fertilizer hasn't gotten stronger.... you simply have more of the same. To correctly represent the ratio, you must divide your answer by 2.
In your example, if your are adding equal amounts of 4-18-38 and 15.5 - 0 - 0, the result would be
4 - 18 - 38
+15.5 - 0 - 0
_______________
(19.5 - 18 - 38 ) / 2 = 9.75 - 9 - 19.
That is a very long winded explanation of something that is effectively pretty trivial. Your ratios were exactly correct, but the result is half as 'strong' as you think --- not really a big deal once you figure out how much you need.
You're doing some pretty cool stuff. Thanks for sharing.
+bobfre1 Maybe I'm being stupid here, but if you add the NPKs, but keep the water amount the same, aren't you are effectively doing the divide by 2 operation your math is showing?
+Andrew Yalowitz
Actually, by keeping the water the same and adding fertilizer you are doubling the concentration, not dividing by two, but I see what you mean.
You are absolutely correct in thinking that as long as you keep the volume of water the same, you can increase the concentration in the solution by adding more fertilizer. Effectively, that is what he has done. My only point was that the numbers don't accurately represent the true volume or percentages of each chemical in the final fertilizer blend -- that could be a problem down the road...
What we know from this video is what he has successfully used and therefore must be a pretty good ratio AND concentration for this application. Like I said, assuming he adds equal amount of the fertilizer and the Calcium Nitrate, the ratios are correct, but the concentrations are represented as double their real values. If you only followed this set of instructions, I'm sure you could be very successful.
Let me give you a different example. Where I live, a pretty common lawn fertilizer for mid summer is 16-20-0. But suppose I could only find bags of 4-5-0.
Let's assume that I have a big lawn and need one regular 100lb bag of 16-20-0 for one feed. What that means is that over the entire area, I need 16 lbs of Nitrogen, 20 lbs of Phosphorus, and no Potassium. To get 16 lbs of Nitrogen and 20 lbs of Phosphorus from the 4-5-0, I would need to apply 4 - 100lb bags. And like you suggested, I would use the same amount of water. Quadrupling the amount of fertilizer
In his case, he has figured out the right mix and concentration, but his real mix is 9.75-9-19. Now for the potential future problem....If you WERE able to buy 20-18-38, could be just as successful, but you would need to use it at half strength to avoid burning the plants.
Regardless of how you measure it --- lbs per acre --- grams per litre, you ultimately must know the true mass of each chemical and not just the ratios.
At the end of the day, once you've figured out the concentration needed, the size of the numbers don't really matter.
to dilute the ratio just add proportionate amount of water.
MasterBlend also has a lettuce formula, with the following mixing instructions per 100 gallons of water.
8oz (.5lb) MB 8-15-36
6oz (.375lb) Calcium Nitrate 15.5-0-0
4oz (.25lb) Epsom Salt 0-0-0
When combined at these fractional parts, what would the end NPK ratios be per pound of fertilizer?
I know this is old but... First off, where is he telling anyone to add 4 - 18 - 38 + 4 - 18 - 38?
He is stating to use 12 gr. of 4-18-38 + 12 gr. 15.5-0-0 which comes out as stated, 19.5-18-38. NPK is calculated by the percentage of NPK required to cover **** sq. feet. not the weight of the bag. If that were the case 4+18+38= 60% 10-10-10= 30%, 40%-70% filler? So by your calculations I should buy the bag with the highest amount that the numbers add up to so I get the best bang for my buck. His math is correct. (Look at the results.) By the way listen to the people that tell you to desolve the individual products seperately and then combine. I keep them seperate until I am going to add them to the Reservoir, a Tbls, Cup, or whatever at a time. JMHO! You do what you want.
I maintain the same formulation for the life of the plants... about 30-45 days for lettuce, and 100+ days for tomatoes. I change out the reservoir for tomatoes at least every 30 days, if not sooner. During the summer when the plants consume so much water, it wouldn't hurt to top off occassionally with plain water. By changing out the reservoir, I think it cuts down on potential salt buildup.
Thank you for getting me interested in gardening you are the man god bless and till next time see ya again
I just did a bit of an experiment using the teaspoon ratio that Doug Parsons spelled out below. 2 teaspoons Masterblend Tomato, 1.5 teaspoons CaCO3, and 1 teaspoon Epsom Salt. These were level teaspoons and the water temperature was 77F with 5 gallons of tap water measured in a graduated bucket. I measured electrical conductivity (EC) of the solution using a Blue Labs Truncheon that is properly calibrated.
After introducing the fertilizer, I got a reading of 0.8. Adding the Epsoms bumped the solution to 1.0, and the calcium addition finalized the solution's EC at 1.4. After I introduced each solute, I stirred the solution for 4-5 minutes for complete dissolution of the chemical into the water.
1.4 EC is very low for tomatoes, and slightly low for lettuces. I'm referencing Dr. Howard Resh's "Hydroponics Food Production" and Professor Venter's "Successful Hydroponics." They recommend an EC of 1.5 for any lettuce outside of the seedling stage. I keep mine about 1.6 and have great success with them, albeit not in a greenhouse. Its worth noting that by adding another teaspoon of fertilizer for total of 3 tsp fertilizer, 1.5 teaspoons calcium solute, and 1 teaspoon epsom salts, I got a final EC of 1.6. That's right on the money where I want to be for lettuces. However, it should be noted that now the chemical ratios are getting out of whack.
For cucumbers, both publications recommend 2-2.5 EC for a plant older than 7 days post germination. Tomatoes, peppers, corn, etc should be in the 2.5-3.0 EC range.
I plan to purchase a digital scale in the next few days and again test the 12 grams, 12 grams, 6 grams to 5 gallons of water.
FWIW, I've been using Verti-Gro's F-Combo solute mixes until now. For that nutrient solution, you add 2 pounds of fertilizer to 1 gallon of water and then take measures out of that concentrated solution to add to your nutrient tanks. Approximately 1/2 liquid ounce of each liquid concentrate per gallon of water in my irrigation tanks gave me a reading of approx. 1.6-1.8 EC. Taking it to 3/4 of a liquid ounce of concentrated nutrient solution to every gallon of irrigation tank water got me to approx 2.4-2.6 EC.
I'll update this page with my digital scale measurements, but right now 12/12/6 looks very low for tomato growth. Doesn't count for much, but my degree is in biology with an organic chemistry minor.
Hey can you help me, you seem to be an advanced hydroponic grower
Do you use the same ratio of nutrients for peppers and cucumbers that you use for the tomatoes? And do you use the 20-18-38 for the entire growing period?
8 years later i just happen to come across your video.
This year is my 2nd attempt at hydroponics in my apartment. Up until now i've been using a liquid nutrient solution with absolutely no idea what i was doing... just following the instructions on the bottle.
Now i see it only has an NPK of 6-4.5-5. This explains why i've been able to grow some leafy vegetables ok-ish, but broccoli and pepper is struggling.
Ordered the Masterblend, should be here next week.
It looks like Master Blend has started selling a 20-18-38 product since you made this video. So adding the calcium nitrate would be unnecessary just as a means to raise the nitrogen content.
However tomatoes need the calcium to prevent blossom end rot. Would you still suggest using the 4-18-38/calcium nitrate mix to provide that calcium or would you use the newer formula with supplementary calcium? It would be awesome to see you do a test for this.
Also, in your experience what is the difference in calcium requirements between tomatoes and the greens that you grow?
Love your videos. Thanks in advance.
####UPDATE####
Scratch that. Turns out that you and your videos have made an impression there at Master Blend. The new formula is exactly as you recommend in this video. The Calcium and Epsom salt is already mixed in.
+David Newton I need to see how I can order that blend. Shipping for 50# of each to my area is nuts!
FYI - I called Masterblend to order 20-18-38 and Masterblend does NOT make this formula. If you buy this "online" (Ebay, Amazon, etc...) it's been opened, repackaged, and marked up. Be careful what you buy.
Yeah I've since learned that. On top of that, that Masterblend repackage you get from Amazon just won't dissolve completely. The darker brown component is insoluble. I tried boiling water, letting it soak for hours and days, and mixing it in a shaker bottle. Just wont dissolve. Perhaps if you ground it up with a pestle and mortar.
Hey David, thanks for the info! I live in Caribbean Panama and it's hard enough as it is without adding more problems...Plus, I'm just getting started (newbie) here on a HOT Tropical island!
Well I can make a recommendation in that case. Ive switched to General Hydroponics Maxigrow. Its a single parts nutrient and it dissolves completely. Its good for greens and such. There is a sister product called Maxibloom that you can switch to on your flowering plants once they start to bloom. Or some people just use the Maxibloom for everything. Its about 15 USD for a 2.2 pound bag from Amazon.
Best video ever on mixing nutrient for hydroponic gardening. Love the easy to follow explanation and precise measurements provided for a mixture.
Your mix comes out to actually be N 7.6, P 9.2 and K 15.2 it's a math thing
you are mixing FIVE parts total and must divide the concentrations to get the finished solution.
Remember mixing red with white gets you pink and mixing red with red does not give you dark red.
When mixing by weight you divide by the portion of each product in the mix.
His numbers are correct, b/c he never claimed solution level.
I'm pretty sure I'd vote for you for president if I could. Excellent. Awesome. Fantastic. I'm working on my tubs this weekend so this is truly perfect timing sir. You made my weekend. Have a fruitful new year.
how often do you add the fertilizer? is that once per crop for the tomatoes?
As often as the EC meter that you surely have indicates you to do so....
What is a ec meter?
Same here. The prospect of having the fish provide the fertilizer for the plants is something worth looking into. Fresh catfish and vegetables sounds like a winner to me. :)
Technically your white board is wrong when you are combining your fertilizers, it's not really 19.5-18-38. When calculating the percentages you need to take a weighted average of each fertilizer into account. A formula for this is(W1N1+w2N2)/W1+W2... W1 being weight of fertilizer 1, N1 being % Nitrogen in fertilizer 1, W2 is weight of fertilizer 2, N2 is % Nitrogen in fertilizer 2. This formula works for all nutrients just make N into what ever nutrient in question. Also you should use all the fertilizers mixed (ie 3 different fertilizers would be (w1N1+W2N2+W3N3)/W1+W2+W3) regardless if it has the nutrient in question or not. So yours (tomato and lettuce) is actually 7.8-7.2-15.2, that happens to be the same ratio as your 19.5-18-38 but it's in actual terms (as if you were to mix the dry ingredients together in your 12g 12g 6g or 10g 10g 5g). God forbid anyone from doing that, it's not a good choice, they should be mixed in water. Note if you used a different weight ratio of your three fertilizers (2g:2g:1g) it would result in a N-P-K that would never be in a 19.5-18-38 ratio like the 7.8-7.2-15.2 was. Sorry for the long reply on a fairly minor thing
My head just exploded!!!!
This video inspired me to make an excel sheet to decide the exact amounts of each fertilizer to get a specific ppm of each nutrient. A middle step is calculating this "complete" fertilizer mix nutrient %. For a good reason research writes amounts of nutrients in ppm. This accounts for any fertilizers used since there is a lot of variations in nutrient content. So mixing and matching your fertilizers is easy if you know the math. My excel sheet also estimates the EC level added with the fertilizers, but no idea if it's accurate since I don't have a hydroponic system currently. If someone wants to run there befor/after EC of adding the fertilizer to the water, fertilizers nutrient %s, weights (oz, g, lb....) you use of each fertilizer and amount of water they mixed everything in (gal, liter...). Let me know.
Two questions: why should't I pre mix my 12 12 6 in a baggie? Is it the precursor to fertilizer bombs? Secondly can I ignore your math and just use his 12 -12 -6 not worrying about what is in there or do I need to adjust the 12 - 12 -6 based on your weighted averages? Thanks!
No it's not because it makes fertilizer bombs. Ammonium nitrate fertilizer and other chemicals make those. It's because you can have chemical reactions between fertilizers which causes nutrients to precipitate out in water and become permanently unusable by the plant. If you are using the same fertilizers as him and same quantities then you don't need math, he's done it for you. But if you are using different fertilizers and or want a specific/different amounts of nutrients then yes my math will get you there accurately. I have an excel sheet that does the math for you if you want it.
Robert Duggan I would be interested in that spread sheet if you dont mind.
While it's so cold outside, hydroponics is a neat way to still keep some vegetables going. Happy New Year !
Within the next week, most likely this weekend, I am building a 10 bucket system with the specifications of your vid from Oct. 8, 2012. I have watched this video a few times and am not sure on one issue. If I want to plant 5 buckets tomatoes, 3 buckets peppers and 2 buckets cucumbers will I be able to use the 19.5/18/38 solution mixture in the reservoir for all plants? I don't want to grow only tomatoes, but I can't set up 3 different complete systems.
Thanks for all the great videos!
K.H.
I potted up a bunch of tomatoes today for the early indoor crop. Always something to do in a greenhouse. Thanks, and Happy New Year to you too !
Hey Mhpgardener, the math on this isn't quite right, my friend. You're adding ratios, not actual whole numbers. So, when mixing a fertilizer with 4% Nitrogen, and a fertilizer with 15.5% Nitrogen, you don't get 19.5%. You actually get 9.75% (assuming you have the same size bags of both parts). You get all the denominators to match then you add the parts and divide by the number of parts. So, 4+15.5=19.5 and 19.5/2= 9.75%. Same goes with the other two parts.
If the Masterblend and the Calcium Nitrate are both the same sized bags before you mix them, the actual N-P-K is 9.75-9-19. I'm surprised no one else has said anything on this yet. Love your videos though.
Corey P Hi Corey, that is a good understanding of NPK ratios there, i'm a novice but i agree with you. What is hard is to determine the size of the bags and the concentration ratio exactly. If indeed parts is being used the ultimate calc needs this concentration ratio example: 2:1:2 (43) which gives NPK 17%-9%-17% and it is better to work out percentages. I wonder what is the parts ratio for the Masterblend Tomato 4.18.38. It can also be derived from g/kg or oz/lbs but i cant find any information about it anywhere.Something to think about: Masterblend website uses percentages and uses words like garuantee analysis. I wonder what the concentration levels is cause its hard to belive it can be a 4:18:36 (100) concentration.
The numbers on the NPK are NOT RATIOS they are percentages.I've been a farmer over 30 years and if you cared to look on ANY container of fertilizer you would see the % symbol by the NPK numbers.I hope you haven't ruined any ones plants with your misinformation.
59acres www.greenviewfertilizer.com/articles/reaguaranteed-analysis-label/
59acres
Well, actually, you're wrong. A percentage is a RATIO with a denominator of 100. And the formula I mentioned remains correct. Sounds like you need to stick to farming and leave the math to others.
Corey P Agreed but not many people understand that fertilizer is not 100% fertilizer and saying it is ratio will be confusing for them.Maybe better to explain that a 10kg bag of fertilizer would only contain 1.95 kilos of N and go from there.My apologies for my former snarky reply. MHP is doing some great work.
Fabulous explanation...I followed you right through the entire video. Those Chemistry courses I took way back when, came in handy to understand your presentation. I'm attempting spinach and Tom Thumb lettuce in a 4.5 gallon food grade bucket with 4 net pots in the lid. Indoors since it is still winter here in upstate NY. I selected one of each type of plant : 1 brand new spinach seedling ready to grow its true leaves, and a 2 week old lettuce plant in Jiffy peat plugs. The plugs are supported by a 3 inch net pot with expanded clay pellets above and below the Jiffy peat plug. They are just barely touching the nutrient solution to prevent shock. They are the 'guinea pigs' for my mixing attempt. When I went to get the nutrient ingredients, I chuckled because there was the exact formula printed on the tomato food 4-18-38 component. Your video took all the guesswork out of figuring out the right amounts for my water volume and type of plants, confirmed on the package. THANK YOU !!!!
OK, So, are you using the tomato formula 20-18-38 for everything you grow hydroponically, just at different concentrations depending on what you are trying to grow? Like you said, you take the 20/18/38 for the tomatoes and per 5 gallons, you use 12g of the MB, 12G of the Calcium Nitrate, and 6g of the Mag Sulf, then for the lettuce you use the same 20/18/38 but at 10g MB, 10G CN, 5g Mag Sulf, per 5gal of water, but then what do you do about peppers, herbs, cucumbers, etc? How do you know how much of the 20/18/38 to use for those, as well as how much of the Calcium Nitrate and the Mag Sulf?
+Kapok6 For instance, you recommend 11-11-40 for peppers, but here is a 27-11-40 for herbs and peppers. So would the 27-11-40 be better, or would using the 20-18-38 at a modified concentration be better? Sorry for all the stupid questions. I am new to this and am really trying to not screw things up as I start growing for the first time.
+Kapok6 www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CLSI07O?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00 this is what I was talking about.
please remember one thing 4-18-38 consists of micro nutrients also.If you use 227-11-40 you need to add micro nutrients separately.
There is a simple explanation for the 4% nitrogen. This formula is adaptable to both seedlings and mature plants. Having the option to add Calcium Nitrate at varying levels allows you to adjust the amount of Nitrogen in the overall mix. This would also allow you to adjust the Nitrogen levels for growing other types of vegetables based on specific needs.
Totally great video! I have got to try this I love the idea that you like to try all methods of growing!
Hey everyone, the greatest success that i've had was by following the Keiths Ponics Site (i found it on google) without a doubt the best info that I have ever tried.
In a recent video, I did a test to see how well the MG products would work for lettuce. I didn't add Epsom to the MG. I used it straight out of the box. MG didn't do so well. What I found out was it has a different type of nitrogen, not very suited for hydroponcs. For the best results, a true hydroponic fertilizer like Masterblend or something similar is highly recommended.
you are the Walter White if Hydro my man
For a true NPK analysis, you're correct. In this case, since we're using both portions, it's creating the "equivalent" of the higher ratios. By varying the amount of CaNO3, the grower is able to adjust the N levels while keeping the P and K consistent.
You call it "crappy water" when something has a higher Ph than 7, but everything above 7 is preferable for human consumption, that guy should be happy getting 8.0 out of his tap, but lettuce likes slightly acidic water, humans do not.
Alex Brynhildarson dumbest comment ever
Enlighten me.
Alex Brynhildarson "everything above 7 is preferable for human consumption" - Do you have any source/evidence for this? Because that statement pretty much makes you sound like you have no idea what you're talking about....
Thank you for sharing information about the fertilizer you use. The way it is presented is easy to follow and I enjoy all the honest, no fluff videos on this channel.
The best information in detail so far I have come across about the proper fertilizer for hydroponics systems. Along with the comments below it gives you all you need to start.
I ordered Master Blend from Morgan County Seeds, and the mixing ratio they recommend is 1 ounce (29 grams) of the Master blend formula and 1 ounce of Calcium Nitrate to 3 gallons of water.
In the comparison video, I showed the label from Hydro Gardens Hobby Formula, since it already has Cal Nitrate. Neither of the 4-18-38 products, from HG or Morgan, show sulfur.
your videos have saved me a fortune! thank you so much for the ordinary gardener's Research & Development! I will be growing my own food this year as an Rx for my family's health.
You are awesome, I never got anything to grow but your video got me ordering:
50lb tomato Fertilizer
50lb Calcium Nitrate
5 bag of Magnesium Sulphate
Digital scale
5 gallon bucket
Peppers do have a little bit different nutrient needs, but I think they'd do ok. If you're growing commercially, it makes sense to try and be very precise. But for a home gardener, getting something fairly close should work just fine.
I have watched your video more than 5 times till now
I have to admit, since decided to make my own based on the information above, plants seem OK. I just need to figure out how much Epsom, and how much calcium nitrate to make the 20-18-38. I am pleased that later today I should be able to plug in my Dutch Bucket and rails. Thanks again for all the help and inspiration Bobby. When I am unsure, I come HERE!
No problem at all with salts... as far as I know. The plants have done fine at these levels. Lots of options, so give it a go. I think you'll do well.
Thanks Bobby, Ready to start, I am using Botanicare CNS17 Hydroponics Grow Formula 3-2-4. It's supposed to have everything in it. My first attempt will be lettuce by DWC using totes, net cups, aeration and a 6500K florescent lamps. I will send a video once I get it set up.
Thanks for the info. I have the Morgan County and Johnny Seeds catalog. I ordered the seeds from Johnny's. They were great!
Black buckets in full sun would seem to be pretty warm. You can give tomatoes sun all day long. But if it's really hot, they'll benefit from a few hours of shade during mid day for sure. Aside from burying the reservoir deep in the ground, you could add bottles of frozen water to knock the temps down a little bit. They make chillers for this too, but they don't come cheap.
I primarily grow a butterhead called Adrianna. Sounds like you might have fungus gnats. I'm not sure how to get them out of the tubes, but you can use yellow sticky cards to catch the ones on the outside.
Thanks. Once you understand the basics, hydro is not difficult. And with so many different setups available, there's bound to be something that would suit most any need.
The only thing I see dissolving slow sometimes is the CaNO3. If you're having trouble, dissolve it by itself, then pour it into the reservoir.
I was thinking of smashing into a finer powder. But your idea makes sense. Aloha Bobby
So the hard white bits that are hard to dissolve is calcium?
My PPM starts out around 1000. During the summer, with the plants using so much water, it will rise into the 1500 range in between reservoir changes.
I'm doing my first ever hydroponic grow and this is the most informative video I've seen so far!thank you!! I have a good veg liquid nutrient but I was trying to figure out how to use miracle grow bloom in a hydro set up...yes sir you explained that well.
I watched this when the video was new and I will come here when I want to try my hands at it. Well explained thanks.
I have been using this formula for years with great success.❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I continue to watch your videos over and over and over. You are a true teacher and you are a kind fellow. May God bless you and your every endeavor. You are helping to feed His flock sir!
Bobby!!! Where did you get your degree and if you don't have a degree, where did you learn all this stuff? You are INCREDIBLE!!! You are so, so smart!!! Man, you need to major in Chemistry, dude!!! You just fool us with that good ole country boy persona. You are too smart. Thank you for all this. Putting it in my Gardening Favorites Playlist.
-Lisa
Would you please do a short video (similar to this) that shows us the ratios (12:12:6 or 10:10:6) for each of the vegetables you grow (tomato, peppers, cucumbers...) and the method you're using (Dutch Bucket, kratky, NFT...)?
Yes, it looks like he was using an 8-6-30 fertilizer in that particular tank. He also mentioned the use of a 10-8-22 in a 4 liter bottle. Lots of different combinations for growing lettuce.
I've heard good things about Peters products, also called Jack's. The 20-20-20 would be great for lettuce. The only place I can get it is online, since none of the big stores in my area have it. No matter what I do, I always get killed on shipping costs. That's why I recommend people check around, see what's available. Cuz when it comes to fertilizer, there are a lot of options.
mhpgardener I have 20 20 20 but I noticed it lacks magnesium calcium and sulfur
If you have an area that gets good sunlight several hours a day, you could get by without a light. If not, yes, supplemental lighting would really help.
I just finished a side by side test using Miracle Grow and Masterblend. After seeing the results, I would not recommend using any of the MG products in a hydro setup. I'd stick with a true hydro fertilizer.
How to make falertalizer
Rick, when I mix my nutrients, I end up with a ppm around 1000. That's what the tomatoes get once the go into the buckets. I think the plants could handle a higher ppm, but this has worked well for me.
You are the best teacher i have ever seen . Thanks for your amazing detailed video and information.
Yea, there is a difference in the nitrate levels as labeled. I guess it depends on the feeding schedule for the liquids. It varies quite a bit. For growing lettuce, I wait until the growth cycle is complete, then I top off or empty and refill. For the dutch buckets, I try to change out at least once a month.
Thanks for your advice on nurturing vegetables, herbs and trees. I divide the plants in such grouping and study what best according to the formula you use.
Hi Bobby, thanks for this great video you made, I had to come back and reference it a few times. Hope you and your are well and hope you will be sharing new videos of you growing again soon.
There is organic miracle grow now too ! Don't know why people hate on miracle grow. what excites me about miracle grow is its available ate every grocery store in my area..all year long.
When you fully mix the 4-18-38, you end up with an NPK of approx 20-18-38. Those numbers are percentages....meaning the mix would be 20% nitrogen, etc. The 10-10-5 is the actually weight of the 3 components in grams. I phrase it as 10-10-5 to make it easy to remember when weighing.
When you begin to make adjustments, then the NPK will change. But if you go too high or too low with something, then things don't go so well.
Bobby, are you still around here? Allotta folks sure miss you and your vids. Pls come back now and then.? Thanks and take care.
Hello Sir,
Good Evening from the Philippines!
I have been watching your yt channel and I must say that GOD has been blessing you with His wisdom. Secondly, I want to thank you for sharing your knowledge.
I have a question( I am a newbie in this at 64):
I start off with an NPK of 4-18-38. How did you make it to an
NPK 20-18-38?
Is this correct?
To prepare a 5 gallon liquid fertilizer, do I prepare 10 grams of Masterblend; 10 grams of Calcium Nitrate; 5 grams of Magnesium sulfate and I would get a new NPK of 20-18-38? How?
My apology if my question seems foolish.
Thank you, Sir.
- Alvin
For the 2 inch net cups, I don't use anything except the 1.5 inch rockwool cube.
I did some measuring today. 1.5 tbsp. of the fertilizer was ~18 grams. 1.5 tbsp. of the CaNO3 was ~ 24 grams. I forgot to check the Epsom salt. I think these numbers are close. I'll double check tomorrow just to be sure.
It really depends on what fertilizer you start with. This is just what I use and how I get it to the manufacturers suggested ratios.
Thanks. For simplicity and ease of growing, the Kratky method is hard to beat. As long as you get the fertilizer levels correct, it's pretty much automatic from then on.
When I mix the 4-18-38, CalNitrate and Epsom... I go 12-12-6 in grams. Lettuce is not a heavy feeder like tomatoes, so I just cut it all back a bit to 10-10-5... in grams of each.
Hey Lavern, that is quite a selection of plants and trees. Finding a "typical" fertilizer is difficult since they have such diverse nutrient needs. I would approach it from the angle of what is best for each group... trees, herbs, and vegetables. And since they are self watering, it might be best to go with a slow release granular fertilizer. It really comes down to personal preference and how much time you want to spend on them.
Thank you for taking the time to post the formula and explain the details of it. Much appreciated! When the snow melts in five months, I hope to give this method a try. :)
Thank you sir. Mr Kratky's writings explained the grow process quite well. The primary variable is the fertilizer. I use a commercial type, but there are plenty of options available.
This is by far some of the best info I've ever seen, you did a marvelous job Thanks you very much my friend.
From what I've read, yes. It seems to work well in drip irrigation.