One cannot emphasize enough the importance of a good nutrient feeding schedule to your plants. If your nutrient feeding schedule is sloppy, or otherwise not done well at all, you will only enjoy a small fraction of the yields, aroma, and flavor that you can get with hydroponics.
The exact, precise nature of your hydroponics nutrient feeding schedule will actually depend upon a variety of factors, including what you are growing. However, there are some basic guidelines that every hydroponic gardener should adhere to in order to ensure the best development of plants.
High Nitrogen Content for Growth – During the vegetative stage of growth, all of your energy should go into making sure that your plants grow as quickly and rapidly as possible. And the best way to do this is by ensuring that large amounts of nitrogen are in your nutrient solutions.
During the vegetative stage, you should also consider ways that you can make the nitrogen more available to your roots. One of the most popular ways is to use humates, which help break down the nutrients. Another popular way is to use hydroponics products that contain beneficial bacteria. These bacteria can fix nitrogen in a way so that they are more useful to your plant.
Phosphorus and Potassium for Flowing – As you transition into the fruiting or flowing stage, you need to change your nutrient solution so that there are higher concentrations of phosphorus and potassium. These nutrients help influence not just the size of your fruits and vegetables, but also the odor. During this time, you may also consider using some hydroponic products that contain carbohydrates to further improve the taste of your produce and the aroma of your flowers.
Change the Lights – As you change from a feeding schedule for the vegetative stage into a nutrient feeding schedule for the flowing or fruiting stage, different lighting regimens are called for. The vegetative stage actually benefits from a great deal of light, about eighteen hours of day. Studies have shown that more than this does not actually help plant growth, and is therefore just a waste of electricity. However, during the flowering or fruiting stage, you need to transition to a photoperiod that provides even less light, about twelve hours a day or so. If you leave the lights going on for longer, you will not only not help your plants at all, but you will be wasting a great deal of money that could be better utilized into improving your hydroponics garden.
Clean Out Your Plant – the very final step in your nutrient feeding schedule is to clean out all of the toxins and salts that have accumulated during the regular feeding schedule. This means before you begin to harvest, replace your nutrient solution with pH balanced water and a hydroponics flushing supplement. This is just the best way to get the best flavor and aromas out of your plants. Do not make the mistake of just using water to clean out your plants, because this will not be sufficient to create the best yield possible.