nutrients Understanding nutes

[crazy8]

Ok so I have some, what most may consider to be elementary questions about nutes. Now I know that the first letter "N" in the "N-P-K" stands for Nitrogen the "P" stands for phosphorus and that "K" is for potassium, although I do need to be reminded from time to time about what is "P" and what is "K". Anyway my questions are...

1) When something (like a liquid fert/nute) says "0-6-4", is this on a per dose basis? For example if the bottle says 1ml/liter and I decide to add 2ml/liter does this mean that the solution then becomes "0-12-8"?

2) This has to do with mixing ferts/nutes. Now lets say I have a grow fert/nute that is "10-5-5" and a bloom fert/nute that is "8-10-8". If I were to mix the bloom with the grow at 1/4 strength does that make my solution "12-7.5-2"?

Maybe I am asking the same question twice or maybe im not making any sense at all. Anyway if someone has some idea what I am at least trying to ask here, any help would be greatly appreciated.

3) Lastly, when dealing with "N-P-K" levels what is the highest values any of those three can have and should have when gardening and does pH play a role in any of it?

 

[chilliman]

1) & 2) NO, your increasing the EC or PPM not the value or available nutes.
The numbers are a PERCENTAGE of different chemical and compounds that have already been dissolved into a liquid format.
ie; the reason why one farmer can grow using nutrients with a rating of 15-30-15 and another can get identical results using 5-10-5 is because the proportion of each nutrient is the same. During the vegetative-growth stage, phosphorus levels should be maintained at 1/2 that of nitrogen and potassium at 1/2-2/3 that of nitrogen. During flowering or fruit, phosphorus takes the lead: Give nitrogen at 1/2 and potassium at 1/2-2/3 the strength of phosphorus.

3) you can get 99.9% compounds of them all, its just not useful to a back yard gardener, its best to stick with your MIX`s.
&
PH plays a part in FERTZ for one reason ! The uptake and shutout by the plant is determined by the PH value of soil. If too acidic or alkaline it will shutout certain nutes and not allowing them in.

I hope that helped, its one complex subject, as they are only the primaries available, if you look closer at the label you will also find the secondary or micro compounds & elements such as; carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur, magnesium, copper, cobalt, sodium, boron, molybdenum, and zinc are just as important to plant development as N-P-K..
CM

 

[crazy8]

Thanks for that info. I do think you answered most of my questions and even more but I think the one question that you may have missed or maybe I missed the answer was...
When mixing nutes/ferts with different N-P-K values does the final value become the sum of the two? So if I mix a grow fert/nute that is 2-1-6 with a grow fert/nute that is 0-5-4 does the final outcome become 2-6-10?

 

[chilliman]

can I ask why you would do that ? IMO you shouldn't.
The micro structure of each would be different also, so in effect the PGR`s, hormones, micronutes, etc that you are feeding when mixing would confuse the plant.
Each is designed for a particular part of development. So establish where you are at` and find something in 1 part that would suit that part of its life.


Now to confuse you - you may also find a two part that requires mixing, or single compounds that you also have to mix. These all bring DIFFERENT elements. The reason it comes in two part (usually) is shelf life ! - the manufacturer of the product can not mix it prior due to the fact that it may "grow" other elements and chemically react over longer periods while on shelf or in storage. These are usually much more complex and need some knowledge of whats what.

Best advice I got " K.I.S.S" plants - KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID- my dad told me that when I was young.

 

[crazy8]

Well I am an IT guy so I know all about the KISS policy well thank you much for your wealth of information.

 

[chilliman]

anytime.