Hydroponic Lettuce Experiment - Comparing Water Soluble Fertilizers
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- Опубліковано 11 бер 2013
- I'm doing an experiment to see which water soluble fertilizer works best in a hydroponic setup. This experiment will compare Masterblend, Jacks Triple 20, Base Miracle Grow, and the Miracle Grow Tomato formula.
edit: Jacks does make a lineup of hydroponic fertilizers that would likely be a better option than the triple 20. Here's a link... www.jrpeters.com/Products/Hydr...
The goal here is to see if it's possible to use the last 3 fertilizers without any additional supplements, and to compare the overall results. It is not intended to discourage the use of either of them, as they all have situations where they could be of benefit. This is simply a side by side experiment to see how well they do at growing lettuce.
I would like to do some further testing with organic water soluble fertilizers for the folks who prefer to grow organic. Thus far, I haven't found anything except liquid. If you know of an organic water soluble fertilizer, please let me know.
/ mhp.gardener - Навчання та стиль
What an inspirational and great open source educator!
Side by side hydroponic fertilizer comparison! Amazing. This is great.
If you know of an organic water soluble fertilizer that I could try, please let me know.
Also, just a reminder, I'll be on prepperbroadcasting tonight talking with Rob, otherwise known as Web4Deb on youtube. The link is in the description box.
If you have a lot of questions, you can send them to mhpgardener@yahoo.com I'll do my best to help you.
Thank you ! I was asked to try the Triple 20. I just looked it up, and you're right. I didn't know they had hydro formulas too. I learned something today. I'll make a note in the video.
Thank Larry. I'm learning quite a bit myself.
I found out about potash several years ago when I was told that my first garden spot used to be a burn pile. Everything grew great, even though I had no idea what I was doing. Thanks Donna. :)
I'll do some measurements in the morning, just to see what's up. I'm trying to find a one shot formula that people can use so they don't have to do any mixing. I'll do more tests and maybe vary the nutrient amounts and see what happens. I think I'll need to start wearing a white coat. :)
It has been worthwhile indeed.This type of side by side is what helps people who are new to hydro not make mistakes. Hats off to you brother!
Thanks. Do you use the Triple 20, or do you use their hydro fertilizer? My water is right at 7.0, so it's not an issue. I'm sure it varies quite a bit around the country.
Cool... I hope the move goes well for you. Thanks.
I didn't know that. This is quite a learning process for me too. I wanted to keep people from wasting their time using the last 3 fertilizers, so I think it's been a worthwhile experiment thus far. Thank you.
Thanks. I've never done much with foliar feeding. Some folks claim it really helps, but I have no experience to say either way.
Thanks Rob. I'm trying to come up with a cut and dry method that anyone could use. Looks like I'll have to do a lot more testing.
Watching your videos all afternoon whilst making 'passive hydroponic systems' out of old shoelaces, take-out & protein powder containers, I much admire & appreciate your work to share your passionate efforts with us all. Thank you much & well wishes to you and your family!
You're welcome. I hope it helped.
Yes, it does speed things up by a few days.
Thanks Rob.. 1) For this method, non-circulating, I've mentioned starting at 7.0.. either with good tap water, rain water, or bottled water. Harsh city water or hard well water may need some adjustment. 2) All 4 of these fertilizer mixes have the micronutrients, that's why I agreed to try them. But, they are commercial. I'm getting requests to do an organic test, but I don't know of an organic water soluble fertilizer. The liquids are too expensive.
This is a very easy and productive setup...thanks.
Thanks...I looked them up. Sounds like a good one, but it's liquid. I'd like to find a water soluble powder since they are much more concentrated and cheaper to use. Any ideas?
Been there, done that ! Sometimes you find a channel that really keeps you interested. Rob's is like that.
Yep, I found out about the urea vs nitrate situation while doing these experiments. The best way to learn is to just go out and do something, then post a video about it. I had a lot of feedback from the viewers and it really helped. Thanks.
Mph Gardener Thanks for all the time and effort you put in these videos.If i could remember what you forgot about gardening i would be one smart gardener.You help a lot of people and again THANKS A LOT !
Thanks, I hope it helped.
I order from a few different hydro stores online, and sometimes Amazon. Most everybody has the 1.5 inch Rockwool cubes.
Great videos!! I have been a soil based gardener for a long time, you've been my top resource in switching to hydro. I don't know if you've noticed but the hydro ferts are Nitrate based, not urea or Ammonia based. Plants need the the urea and ammonia forms to be broken down by microbes and enzymes in the soil into a nitrate form. Obviously there is no soil to do this in hydro, that is why they use only nitrate based ferts. I would love to see a comparison of similar products. Great work!!!
Thanks Ben. Right now, with cool temps, the plants don't consume as much water. So the reservoir will be topped off when it's time for a new crop. There is very little water actually discarded from the hydro setups.
Thanks for clearing that up. I could not figure out where that number was coming from, but I knew it had to make sense in the calculation. I love what you are doing with the hyrdoponics. I am anxious to start some of my own.
Thanks. I just found out about Jack's hydro formulas. And I saw the herb formula. I reckon I'll be trying it on the next run. :)
Awesome. I'm very excited to see how they perform. I've thought about doing many tests like these myself but I don't have the space so I'm very glad to see you doing it! Long live Science!
I had been delighted just to look how it is done. even the calculation of food plants fertilizers. thanks again.
Thanks Rob.
thanks to you, I will be planting my food this winter, your ideas are so great that I will want to all of my friends try it too.thanks.
Thanks, I'm glad it's helpful.
You have probably the best explanatory videos, great stuff. Do you do ph test here or just mix the fertilizer.
Thank you... that is very encouraging. :)
Thank you Bobby for taking the time and patience to do these type of experiments and share your results and knowledge with us all. Your video's are always fun and informative. Keep the info and updates growing our way :-{}
I've checked the PPM of my compost tea. It's about 200, way too low for being the sole source of nutrients for a plant. I just don't see a way to use tea and have any type of consistency.
Thank you very much..that's good to hear. :)
Thank you very much, I do my best.
Thank you so much, I am very grateful to see the experimental stuff that you have done. I am looking to start a greenhouse hydroponic system once I move down to GA. I am from CO so it will be a very different planting experience for me. I figured I would be doing these types of testing myself, but again I like to watch your videos of your observations and your personal opinions. Keep up the great work!!
Yes, that should work fine.
Thank you very much.
Thanks. 1)The seedlings were over 3 weeks old, past due for transplanting. 2)Adrianna Butterhead 3)I order from several different sites online..hydro stores and Amazon. 4) Yes, it would work outdoors. I will be doing it later on.
Caught the last half of the radio show - outstanding. I hope I remember to tune in for the next one. It's a nice break to get away from this little screen and kick back on the couch with the cat and listen to some interesting stuff. You have a great way of presenting an interview. Thanks.
Those plants looked great for such a short time. I like the tip on the 2" cups and water. Thanks!
Thanks. I did try a sample bottle one time on some plants and it worked pretty good. The liquid nutrients are a lot more expensive in relation to the water solubles that I use, so i didn't pursue it any further.
Love your videos. They have really got me motivated. I was using Miracle Grow for Tomatoes then switched to Jacks hydroponic formula for herbs and my lettuce took off fast. Thanks for what you do and God bless.
I am enjoying your experiments very much Bobby, thanks for sharing.
I guess I don't understand the difference between water soluble soil fertilizer and water soluble fertilizer. Can you explain or give me a reference to read.
Yes... this formulation comes premixed at 4-18-38. The Epsom salt provides Magnesium, and the Calcium Nitrate provides the additional Nitrogen and Calcium to bring it up to about a 20-18-38 level.
Thank you.
It there any reason you can't just use a potting mix instead of the cubes in the hydro setup?
You really never want to use anything organic as a growth medium, organics will start to decompose and choke your roots.
Yes, they should work just fine.
Thanks for the video, you did a great job !!
In this setup, I'm using rockwool cubes. There is no soil to mess with. Yes, you can wash the dirt off if you have soil grown seedlings. But they will wilt for a few days as they get adjusted.
Thanks.... I'll do my best.
Do you put in on a heating pad, sitting in water, under grow lights, covered? It's the details that make the difference. I too would like to see a video, if you don't mind doing one.
Thanks. The mixing pans are fine, but a bit small. And adding fish is something totally different. I'll be working on that in the next few months.
Thank you sir, I do my best.
The lettuce is good, either in a salad or on a sandwich. How often do you clean your system? I clean my rails and boxes after each crop.
Very well done. SO informative.
Thank you sir.
Thanks Mike. I've heard all about GH...they are very well known. My concern with the liquids is the cost. When you start mixing 25-30 gallons of nutrients at one time, the liquid goes away much faster than the powder. I'll keep trying.
Very nice and interesting experiment. Thanks for uploads. May I suggest to expand the test groups to leave bearing, floral bearing and fruit bearing, because all these fertilizers were designed for specific plants.
Interesting experiment there Bobbie. Thanks for showing us how these 4 products compare.
LOL..flashback? I used to have shoulder length hair. Now, I can't even fill up a comb ! After learning more about the differences in soil based versus hydro fertilizers, this is making sense. I wanted to do this test since so many folks wanted to know if they could use MG or Triple 20. Yes, they can...but it's gonna be a much slower process. I'll keep working on it.
If you search 4-18-38, it shows up. I've said before that their site is a little bit hard to navigate. If you want to try any of the other formulations, check with Hydro-Gardens. They have the complete lineup of mixes made for specific plants like tomato, strawberries, lettuce, etc. To keep it simple, I use the tomato and just weaken it down for growing leafy veggies.
I don't know of anything that you could mix with it. It seems to be doing ok, just a bit slower. Thanks.
I'm not sure. I used MG by itself. I didn't add anything to it in the test and it didn't do so well. Let me know how it turns out.
It's the fertilizer that is most commonly available. I had a bunch of requests asking if it would work, so I had to find out. Thanks.
Yea, I found out about their hydro fertilizers, very similar to the Masterblend. I think they'd be a better choice than Miracle Grow. The passive beds are passive by design. Adding airstones makes them into somewhat of a DWC. Look up BA Kratky online. He published some interesting papers on this method.
Thanks, I love the look of the plants...looks like you can just pluck some leaf's and still have some more later.
I agree. No two brews are the same. There would be no way to have any kind of consistency.
With night temps being kept in the 55 degree range, there's not a lot of cooling going on. I've checked the water temps, and they stay about 63-68 right now...perfect for lettuce. That's one good thing about a large reservoir and styrofoam insulation on top ... not much temp fluctuation.
Thanks Brock. I just found out that Jacks made a hydro fertilizer, so I'll order some and give them another chance. Gotta be fair about it. :)
Thank you for the great info!!!!! I think its really good of you to take the time and share your information.
I just don't see any consistencies with compost tea. The original compost will vary greatly from one person to another depending on what you were using. How would you explain to someone exactly how much to use? Plus, in a non-aerated solution, I think CT could lead to some smelly problems. If I could come up with a precise mixture, it would be worth a try.
As was suggested down below, it could be the difference in Nitrogen..Nitrate vs Urea. The MB is Nitrate based. I think the additional P has a lot to do with it too. Getting off to a fast start makes a huge difference.
No, I haven't looked at the ph. I was just trying to use equal amounts and see what happened. I'll check the ph tomorrow. Thanks.
Your the man Bobby! Thanks for all your hard work.
very educational I have learned a lot from watching your video. I like the test you do and mention the items you use etc. keep up the good work and thank you for taking time to educated us newbies
I have some new seed due in tomorrow. Soon as I get it, I have to start more lettuce. I'll document what I do.
The 3 components you listed are to get a complete fertilizer with the Masterblend. The other 3 fertilizers are being used "as-is", straight out of the box, so no additional mixing. I mix at a rate of 10 grams per 5 gallon bucket. It takes 5.6 buckets to fill 28 gallons. So, 10 grams per bucket X 5.6 (the # of buckets) = 56.
The 3 components for the Masterblend are not added together for the calculation...just the base ratio of 10g per.
Thanks for your experiment and off grid system
Thanks, I do too. But usually I don't have the patience to follow thru. I see something going wrong, and I want to try to fix it..rather than letting things play out. :)
No, never heard of that method before. Is there anywhere in particular that would have the best info?
Yep, that'll work. The stain was some kind of cherry I think. I had several partial cans, and just grabbed one that looked a bit dark, but not like walnut.
I use 1.5 inch rockwool cubes for starting the seeds. Just drop a seed in the hole, and wait. Very easy to do.
I'm learning a lot from this....and much of it is coming from the comments. Awesome. ;)
No, I use rockwool cubes or plain seed starting mix. But I think the netting is supposed to stay on. The roots will grow out with no problem.
Thx Katz... I try to fill in all of the blanks.
For people who only want to grow lettuce and leafy greens, I'm gonna recommend they use something like the Hobby formula 10-8-22. Yes, they have to add epsom salt, but that is readily available. The soil based fertilizers, even though they are water soluble, just aren't gonna do as well. Thank you.
Thumbs up once again Bobby :D
This information is very helpful! You have really helped me so much. I need to find out where to order that Master Blend, and how to mix that. Thanks again.
I bought mine online from Morgan County Seeds. Hydro-Gardens carries it too.
Great results with the Masterblend, It will be interesting to see the results in a couple of weeks, Take care and thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. Take care.
Look up Hydro-Gardens... they are in Colorado and carry the entire line of MB products. If you want the 4-18-38, Morgan County Seeds has it and they might be closer and cheaper. But for the other formulas, I haven't seen them for sell anywhere else.
Thanks for all the great videos, I'm headed over to Hydro Gardens today to pick up some Master Blend (they are local for me, bonus!) and wanted to just say thank you for all the great advice, we're starting our first hydro garden this year and hope for great things! BTW a simple formula for volume is LxWxH (in inches) divided by 231 = gallons. :)
Finally..an easy question ! The cubes are about a dime each, and the seeds are about a penny. Better to discard a few seeds than lose a few cubes. :)