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garysgarden

Which Grow, Micro, and Bloom?

18 years ago

I'm looking for some advice about Grow, Micro, and Bloom (both the General Hydroponics and Advanced Nutrients versions).

I have a little salad green hydroponic kit I made myself and so far I've just been running cheap stuff in it with pretty good results. But I'm about a month or so from the end of this crop and the beginning of the next so I'm trying to plan ahead.

Plus I want to possibly expand into some green beans or maybe tomatoes. This makes me think I probably need to look into some better nutrients. Salad greens are just vegetation (Grow and Micro), but beans and tomatoes will need the Bloom nutrients too. Plus I just want to see if better nutrients equals better growth.

Because of the variation of what I'm growing I'm looking at a three-part formula. That'd let me tailor things better for each crop, right? So the two things I'm looking at are Grow, Micro, and Bloom by General Hydroponics and Advanced Nutrients.

Anyone have any advice on the difference between the two? Pros and cons, etc?

Comments (9)

  • 18 years ago

    The differences of nutrients for different crops are predominantly a case of concentration depending on the growth state, with fruitbearing plants (tomatoes!) requiring additional nitrogen and calcium when the fruits come out.

    Your three nutrients have the following NPK Ratios:
    Grow: 2-1-6
    Micro: 5-0-1
    Bloom: 0-5-4
    (You can work out that approximately:
    Grow = 14% Potassium nitrate + 2% Potassium dihydrophosphate
    Micro = 27% Calcium nitrate + 2% Potassium nitrate,
    Bloom = 10% Potassium dihydrophosphate)

    This information will allow you to mix 'n match your nutrients for each crop.
    Please, also check out: pH/PPM/CF for Various Vegetables

  • 18 years ago

    That's a great link.

    Does anyone know what the difference is between the two brands?

  • 18 years ago

    I don't know any specifics of what exactly is different between GH and Advanced Nutrients' 3-part nutrients, but from what I've read and seen the AN stuff is better.

    I suppose it depends on how important it is to you for your plants to be as healthy as they can be.

  • 18 years ago

    I've always used GH three part solution with great results.
    I'm gonna try chucks Southern Ag hydro formula starting this week. I hope it works out as the GH stuff is expensive on anything but the smallest of systems.

  • 18 years ago

    Advanced Nutrients 3-part is the best. I can go into a big long explanation if you like, but it's the better product.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Grow, Micro, and Bloom

  • 18 years ago

    I went ahead and got the AN three part. Seems great so far, I'm seeing a lot less big swings in pH and the plants are real happy.

    I'll let you know how it goes.

  • 18 years ago

    Quick update:

    Not a whole lot to report. Everything is super-healthy and almost violently green, but I'm still a ways from getting any kind of harvest. My pH has been so stable the last couple weeks I'm tired of checking it. I don't even need to up or down it to start with - just water and nutrients comes out good.

    So far it's the Staples Easy Button for hydroponics.

  • 18 years ago

    Forgot to update this one.

    I just brought in that crop of greens and started another about 10 days ago. This couldn't have gone smoother and the plants I grew were huge.

    Good stuff.

  • 18 years ago

    Well I ended that crop and started another with the Advanced Nutrients. It's everything they say it is. Two thumbs up from me.

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