Useful tips on nutrient requirements of hydroponic gardens

In hydroponic gardens the entire nourishment for plant growth is derived from nutrient feed. As these gardens are grown over water in the absence of soil, the entire success depends on the choice and supply of nutrients. In this method you need to add all different types of nutrients to water in order to support healthy growth of the plant. There are different plants that could be grown hydroponically such as exotic fruit plants, vegetables, flowering plants and so on. If you search the hydroponic stores you will find great variety of nutrient mixes available that are suitable for different plants and different growth stages. These mixes vary in the amount and quantity of different vital nutrients that support various life stages. In general every plant requires 16 different types of nutrients to bring optimum growth.

The three major minerals that contribute for overall plant growth and supplied in large amounts are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These generally come under the group of macronutrients that are present in large quantities to aid the growth. Apart from these three main nutrients the other components of macronutrient category are sulfur, calcium and magnesium. Each of these 6 primary nutrients play different role in the entire growth procedure. Nitrogen generally helps in development of new leaves over the plant whereas phosphorous aids in root growth. Potassium is majorly used for its disease resistant capacity that wards harmful soil diseases. This nutrient is also important because it promotes plant growth at extreme temperatures. Sulfur is used to bring dark green color of leaves and calcium to bring new growth of roots as well as shoot. Magnesium performs the most important function that is generation of chlorophyll pigment by absorbing light.

If you check the hydroponic stores for nutrient mixes you will find there are certain products that contain some micronutrients along with the above 6 major ones. These secondary nutrients include boron, copper, cobalt, iron, zinc, manganese and molybdenum. These are present in small quantities as compared to the macro category but need to be supplied in hydroponic gardens to bring vegetative growth. These nutrients and mixes come in variety of compositions that are suitable for different life stages of the plant. It is important to know the right kind of mixture required by the plant at varying stages of growth. The plant grows in different stages such as first life stage, vegetative growth and flowering stage. These nutrients need to be mixed in different percentages and if you see the packages for example canna booster or others these are present in somewhat 10-15-15 numbers that corresponds to the percentage by weight of three primary macronutrients.

You can also find booster solutions like canna booster to aid into the growth of plants in hydroponic garden.