Faroutmancommentedweek 124 years ago
@TheUk420Show, I didn't know that you use tap water. As I said, if you are putting 250ml of the HydroSol stock solutions into a 60ml reservoir, that should increase the EC by around 0.5. If your tap water is already around 0.4, that gets you up to around 0.9, which ties in with where you say your feed is at.
I also use tap water. I find the Hydrocrop nutes work well with it.
I do think there is some truth in what plant breeders claim about genetics, but it's often exaggerated. In my experience with plants like tomato (of which there are also hundreds of varieties), some take to hydro better than others, and some are naturally better yielding. If you choose a lower fruiting variety, you can try to optimise the feed all you want but it will never give the greatest yield; particularly if that variety doesn't much like hydro. But all the seed catalogues try to convince you that they have the best. I guess they have a living to make but it does annoy me when breeders make false promises.
I know what a good tomato feed regime is. So I generally just try to pick varieties that perform well with it, rather than battling to get a crap variety to grow better!
I think with plant nutrients it is more clear cut than with genetics, and easier to see through the BS. Compare it to human nutritionโฆ If you have three kids, feed the first one rubbish, feed the second a balanced and healthy diet, feed the third premium ready meals and vitamin supplements. The first will grow up not too healthy. Whereas the other two will grow up EQUALLY healthyโฆ but the third one will have cost way, way more to feed. I mean there is nothing wrong with the premium ready meals and vitamin supplements per se, but there is no discernible benefit either. Just fancy packaging, a bit of convenience and much more cost.
Not sure that was the best analogyโฆ But you know what I mean! Ready made liquid nutes and additives work fine, but you get the same standard of nutrition at far lower cost the way you are doing it.
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