Building an effective fertilizer regimen
because it is assumed that the gardener’s water supply will
contain it. If your water supply has little calcium, though—or
if you are using reverse
osmosis water—then
adding a calcium
supplement might
be necessary. Although calcium
supplements
at hydroponic
stores are sold
separately from
the actual base
fertilizers,
calcium is so
integral to basic
plant functions that
it should be considered part of your
base formula.
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Maximum Yield USA | March 2012
Vegetative Additives
Once you are satisfied with
your base formula you can start
to add amendments specific
to the stage of growth or a
particular purpose. Some
crops like lettuce only have a
vegetative stage and therefore
the focus on amendments
should be for this stage
only. Additives containing growth hormones like
kelp can accelerate growth
throughout the vegetative period and enhance
the plant’s overall health.
Other additives for the vegetative period—and my personal
favorites—are root enhancers. There are
a variety of enzyme formulas and beneficial microorganisms that promote root growth. Root enhancers will help
build root mass, thus increasing nutrient uptake and overall
performance. If you are growing a crop that has a fruiting/
flowering stage you can also increase your yields by increasing
the root mass in the vegetative stage. Plants with large, healthy
roots perform better and are more resistant to potential problems as well.
A recent advancement in plant stimulators is the use of
protein hydrolysate. Protein hydrolysate is a mixture of amino
acids prepared by splitting a protein with an enzyme. In the
case of plant additives we use the hydrolysis process to produce
L-amino acids, the type of amino acids used by plants. Amino
acids are the basic building blocks for the proteins and enzymes
required for the structural integrity and metabolic functions of
plants. By supplementing L-amino acids directly to our plants
we can boost their metabolisms, resulting in faster growth
and stronger resistance to pathogens. Protein
hydrolysate
can be used
throughout the
plant’s entire
life, making it a
great vegetative
and blooming
additive.