Hydroponic Nutrient to Water Ratio

Nutrients

• Plants need 17 different nutrients to be able to grow. These are boron, copper, cobalt, nitrogen, potassium, calcium, sulfur, molybdenum, magnesium, chlorine, phosphorous, iron, manganese, zinc, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They are supplied by the air, water and the nutrients mixed with the water in a hydroponic system. As the plants grow, the ratio of these nutrients to the water they are in becomes out-of-balance, requiring the solution to be completely replaced every week or two.

Water

• Water supplies a means for plants to take in other necessary nutrients. It also contains hydrogen, which is essential to the growth and development of plants. It is important for plants to receive adequate amounts of water. Plants that get too little water will appear sickly and wilted and eventually die. Water is especially important in hydroponic systems, since it is the only means by which plants receive other nutrients. Nutrients are mixed with the water, then given to the plants on an ongoing basis.

Ratio

• The exact ratio of hydroponic nutrients to water depends on several variables. The type of nutrients, the original strength of the nutrient concentrate and the desired results can all affect the ratio of nutrients to water. Hydroponic nutrients that are diluted at the rate of 2 tbsp. per gallon of water would be in a ratio of 2:256, or 1:128, since there are 256 tablespoons in a gallon. More concentrated nutrients may be mixed at half that rate, with a ratio of 1:256, and less concentrated nutrients need more per gallon, resulting in a ratio of 3:256 or something similar. These figures vary widely by manufacturer. It is important to check the label of a specific product in order to determine its nutrient to water ratio.

Adjustments

• Some plants do not need a full-strength nutrient solution. For these plants, a normal strength batch of solution can be made, then diluted according to the user's specific requirements. It is common for some growing applications to use the nutrient solution at half strength. In order to achieve this, the solution needs to have double the amount of water called for in the original instructions. Hydroponic sprouts, for example, do best when grown with a half-strength nutrient solution.