Feeding Schedules
When it comes to feeding, the questions of what, when and how much, often overwhelm us all. Let us take the time to break down what matters, how to make your mixes and when to apply them to give you the best results possible.
What Matters
NUTRIENT ELEMENT RATIO (NER)
Plants’ nutrient requirements change throughout the different phases of growth and this means the ratio of elements required by the plants change. Therefore, ensuring that the ratio of elements being provided to your grow medium* is correct for each stage of growth is key. Following the suggested feeding schedule and understanding your plants requirements makes this an easy task to accomplish.
ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY (EC)
EC is simply a measure of the strength of the nutrient solution or a measure of the salinity of the water. When the EC is too high plants are unable to uptake water and will show signs of “nutrient burn”. Most feeding charts produce EC levels which are too high for plants and we’ll show you how to deal with this.
PH
Otherwise know as a measure of the acidity or basicity. pH affects the solubility of nutrients and depending on your chosen grow medium* will affect which nutrients are able to be taken up by your plants.
FEEDING THE MEDIUM
Your chosen grow medium* should be the focus of your feeding rather than the plant which you are growing. Creating an environment in which your plants have ample supply of nutrition and are able to easily uptake those nutrients is an absolutely key pillar in making sure that your plants thrive.
Making Your Mix
NUTRIENT ELEMENT RATIO (NER)
Following a nutrient schedule is your best bet of getting the NER correct. NER really comes into play when you begin combining various products at the different stages of growth. Our base range takes care of the NER when used alone, but once you begin combining other products these ratios change up so it’s important to check that these combinations are done to create the correct ratios of elements required by your plants. Following our schedule, combine your mix of nutrients in the following order and according to the dilution ratios suggested [Into 10L water add – Multi Silica, then CalMag Essential, then Base Nutrient of Pot Radix, Grow or Flora, then booster NC 32 or Carbon K]. Combining multiple products could make your nutrient mix far too strong for your plants which we will address below.
ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY (EC)
Once you are sure that the NER of your mix is right for your plants, it is essential that the strength of your solution is right. The easiest way to achieve this is simply by diluting your nutrient mix with plain water to arrive at the desired EC for the stage of growth your plants are in.
PH
The pH required for optimal nutrient uptake is greatly affected by the medium in which you choose to grow. For growers using soil-based mediums an ideal pH range is between 6.0 – 7.0 with optimal Umya uptake between 6.3 – 6.8. For growers using soilless/ inert mediums an ideal pH range is between 5.5 – 6.5 with optimal Umya uptake between 5.8 – 6.3. Using the full Umya range should create these conditions naturally and therefore the pH should only be adjusted with pH Up/ Down in cases where severe pH fluctuations are experienced.
FEEDING THE MEDIUM
Your plants are your indicators and depending on their phase of growth and conditions of growth, they will often show you what is required. Based on each plant’s individual requirements, when it comes to nutrients your focus should be on creating the most ideal environment in the root zone for your plants to uptake all that they require. This could mean feeding a stronger or weaker solution at times or feeding your solution more or less frequently. The key to success with this area of nutrient usage is, consistency. Plants love consistency and will learn over time when to expect feeding and in turn will show you when they are hungry or full and happy.
GROW MEDIUMS | WE’RE FOCUSED ON FEEDING YOUR GROW MEDIUM OR SUBSTRATE.
For growers using organically amended soils or soil blends we suggest lower strength nutrient solutions when feeding and greater intervals between applications. As many soils already contain added amendments, these will begin to breakdown and become plant available over time. The focus should be on ensuring that the processes needed to breakdown the amendments and making all elements plant available is optimal.
For growers using inert grow mediums including peat, coco coir and perlite we suggest gradually building up the nutrient strength, including more regular applications while remaining focussed on creating the right conditions within the medium for optimal nutrient uptake. Using the full Umya range will begin to build these conditions and form a soil-like structure for your plant to grow in.
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