Hydroponic Nutrient Solutions
This could get complicated, so bear with me and I'll try to simplify, or not.
I HIGHLY recommend that you make a paper copy of each web page listed.
There are about 24 nutrients that plants require for good growth.
Source Document:
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/cv21616 of these nutrients are:
carbon (C),
hydrogen (H),
oxygen (O),
phosphorus (P),
potassium (K),
nitrogen (N),
sulfur (S),
calcium (Ca),
iron (Fe),
magnesium (Mg),
boron (B),
manganese (Mn),
copper (Cu),
zinc (Zn),
molybdenum (Mo),
chlorine (Cl)
I would add the trace element Selenium to this list.
While you can, at this time (now, prior to a SHTF event), purchase these
elements in a form usable by plants. I want to address the situation (post
SHTF) where that is not an option.
So how do you get most (perhaps all) of these elements and make a "brew" which
can be used for Hydroponic gardening?
First, I highly recommend buying a good quality pH meter or a lot of pH
"strips". This is a better way to measure the condition and availability of
the nutrients in your solutions. The meter needs batteries but the strips will
only last so long.
Also, note that hydroponic solutions should generally NOT be reused. The
nutrient balance will change as plants extract what they need. The remaining
solution will be nutritionally imbalanced. It is better to make new batches
about every week to 10 days, depending on how many plants are being fed.
Here are a few options:
1) Buy now, a mix of trace element compounds, in sufficient quantity to last
years. My own experience is with a product made by metal smelters. It is
known as "Sintered Trace Elements". I do not have a brand name. The form is
small fused beads of glass which, when scattered in a garden bed will slow
release their trace element content. Being "trace" elements, the actual amount
needed, each year, is small and each bead application lasts for multiple years.
For hydroponic use, these sintered glass beads will release their content in a
water solution. It is more difficult to control the concentration, but
do-able...
2) Learn to make fertilizer "tea" by soaking various animal and vegetable
matter in a water solution and filtering the tea into your hydroponic system.
This is manure "tea" and should contain the majority of the three major
nutrients: NPK - Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K).
This is basically taking your composted materials and soaking them in water for
24 - 48 hours, then filtering the solution. You will need to add amendments to
get a complete balance of nutrients.
A noted good fertilizer is seaweed tea, soaked for several days, filtered and
used as hydroponic solution.
Other good "tea" ingredients are bat guano, earthworm castings, eggshells,
and rabbit droppings.
Worm castings are addressed in this article:
http://www.jasons-indoor-guide-to-organic-and-hydroponics-gardening.com/worm-
casting-tea-supplement.htmlEggshells, for calcium, should be soaked (overnight in vinegar to release
calcium quickly. Eggshell dissolves slowly unless the pH is lowered by the
acetic acid (vinegar).
Calcium can also be obtained from the plaster used for common construction
plaster board. Plaster is mostly Calcium Sulphate and it dissolves slowly in
water. This material is available in most homes (think post SHTF event).
Wood ash can add Potassium but be warned, it will raise the pH and should
be used in small quantities.
3) Soak some of your normal garden soil in water. This will dissolve a FEW of
it's nutrients, making them available for hydroponic use. This can take much
longer (days) and require stirring and higher temperature water. Again,
controlling concentration is difficult.
4) Buy a large quantity of commercial hydroponic fertilizer. This will be
expensive if you plan on having enough stock for years. It is probably the
easiest method, if you plan ahead and retain the mixing instructions.
If you have the expertise, use a simple chemistry test kit for the primary
nutrients (NPK). These are available for purchase in most garden stores. They
are not, in my opinion, a viable long-term option because they get used up and
must be repurchased...
From the list above, the first three elements (Carbon, Oxygen and Hydrogen) are
available from the air and water through leaf respiration and root absorption.
Home mixed nutrient solutions:
Source Documents:
1)
http://www.diy-hydroponics.com/nutrients.htmlThis article (1) mentions a soil conductivity tool for measuring nutrient
content. As a chemist, I say that this is NOT an accurate tool, but it will give
basic information about your soil. It also required batteries, which might not
be available...
The article only talks about using commercial hydroponic chemicals to compound
your own mix.
2)
https://store.aces.edu/ItemDetail.aspx?ProductID=13551This (2) is PDF which includes a good list of nutrients need for hydroponics
3)
http://www.jasons-indoor-guide-to-organic-and-hydroponics-gardening.com/homemade
-hydroponic-nutrients.htmlThis article gives a more detailed procedure to making compost "tea" and
adding amendments to adjust the nutrient balance.
Read the comments on this article too.
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