indoor vs. outdoor nutrients
“When grow media systems have faster percolation,
using a slow-release fertilizer can have nice
Indoor vs. Outdoor Nutrients
Again, the same nutrients are generally required to
produce a healthy and productive plant, no matter if it is
grown indoors or outdoors.
Due to the nutrient-leaching aspect of most indoor
hydroponic systems, you need to replenish your nutrient
levels two to three times more frequently. This is a
typical nutrient depletion estimate; it’s not specific to any
single method or set-up. Recirculating indoor systems
are different, however. As it’s normal to refresh the
water reservoir and re-establish nutrient levels in these
systems, this also impacts the frequency and amount
of nutrients to add. If the nutrients applied to your crop
are being recirculated by your grow system, then their
removal will be primarily based on plant utilization
and the requirement to flush the system. What is most
certain is that nutrient levels will decrease much faster
in non-recirculating hydroponic systems and so adding
nutrients will need to happen more often.
Most manufacturers provide recommendations
regarding the application amounts and timing for their
fertilizers. Some will give multiple recommendations
based on different planting applications, such as
planting into the ground, raised beds, or pots. However,
because there is such a diversity of drainage and
percolation rates for grow media, it’s difficult for a
manufacturer to accurately anticipate exactly what
you’re using and need as far as a schedule goes.
Ultimately, the grower needs to know the percolation
rate for their grow media. A key to selecting the right
fertilizer for your crop is to match instructions found on
that fertilizer with your growing set-up.
When grow media systems have faster percolation, using a
slow-release fertilizer can have nice benefits. Some of these
slow-release fertilizers are made by coating the nutrient.
60
grow cycle
A very thin layer of plastic film is impregnated with a release
agent and then used to coat a granule of fertilizer. This then
retards the release of that granule, allowing for a variety of
release times following application. Most of these slow-feed
fertilizers are released by adequate temperature and water. In
grow media that are watered more frequently, this will cause
the nutrients to be released faster, which is beneficial.
Also, some nutrients change state during their exposure
to soil or various grow media. Calcium, phosphorus, and
magnesium precipitate more quickly than other nutrients.
This means that they turn from their ion form (salts), which
are plant available, into solids or other forms that are not
plant available. If you have established a living soil or
medium, one that is teaming with biological life, the microbe
activity will work to convert the non-ionic form of nutrient
back into that form where the plant can uptake it.
Testing the nutrient levels of your leaf tissue, grow medium,
or soil is the best way to discover whether the fertilizer or
application rate you’ve been using is optimal for your crop.
Testing nutrient levels in the soil or nutrient tank is great for
staying on top of providing the proper nutrient levels as you
go. There are many meters and test kits available to help you
discover the rate of nutrient depletion. Plant tissue testing,
on the other hand, will provide important information of the
level of these nutrients that are getting into the plant. These
two techniques are meant to work together to give the most
complete picture of plant health and nutrition.
The primary differences between indoor and outdoor nutrients
are their ability to compensate for
the differences in percolation rates of
grow media or soil and the resulting
changes in application timing. Knowing
this will help the grower to get the
maximum yield from their crop. For more
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