## Why complex fertilizers can be harmful for hydroponics
### 1. Unpredictability of nutrient profile
Complex fertilizers contain several nutrients in one formula. However, their ratio and availability to plants can vary significantly. This means you cannot know exactly how much of each element your plant receives. In hydroponics, where plants grow in a water environment without soil, this is especially critical. If plants do not receive the elements they need in the right amounts, their growth may slow down and yield may decrease.
### 2. Nutrient control
With simple salts, such as potassium nitrate or magnesium sulfate, you can easily control the concentration of nutrients in the solution. This can be done by measuring the solution density and its electrical conductivity:
- Density shows how much salt is dissolved in water.
- Electrical conductivity indicates the total amount of ions in the solution.- Electrical conductivity indicates the total amount of ions in the solution.- Electrical conductivity indicates the total amount of ions in the solution.
These parameters can be easily measured with simple instruments. This way, you can precisely adjust the nutrient level and adapt it to the needs of your plants.
### 3. Trust in complex fertilizer manufacturers
When you use complex fertilizers, you rely on information from the manufacturer about what elements and in what quantities they contain. However, this information may not always be accurate or up-to-date. Nutrient profiles shared by people using complex fertilizers may not match the reality of their specific system. This can lead to misunderstanding plant needs and errors in their care.
### 4. Risks for hydroponics development
Using complex fertilizers can create a false sense of confidence in hydroponics beginners. They may think that everything will be simple and convenient with complexes, but in practice this can lead to problems:
- Nutrient deficiency: If the complex lacks some element, this can negatively affect plant growth.
- Nutrient excess: If elements are not absorbed properly, this can lead to toxicity and root damage.
### Conclusion
In conclusion, using simple salts instead of complex fertilizers gives you more control over plant nutrition. You can precisely adjust the solution composition and adapt it to the specific conditions of your hydroponic system. This is especially important for successful plant growth and a good harvest. Therefore, it is worth considering what fertilizers you use in your hydroponics practice!
you can also use simple salts in this calculator
Shows how much NO₃ there is per 1 part of NH₄. «1 to 7» = NH₄ is ~14% of NO₃.
NH₄ acidifies the root zone and lowers pH. Optimum: NH₄ = 5–15% of total N. Above 20% — risk of toxicity at high EC.
recommended ranges
A low K:N drives vegetative growth, a high one stimulates the generative phase and sugar accumulation.
recommended ranges
Antagonism of K⁺ and Ca²⁺. High K suppresses Ca uptake → blossom-end rot, leaf-margin burn.
recommended ranges
Antagonism of K⁺ and Mg²⁺. Excess K blocks Mg uptake → interveinal chlorosis of lower leaves.
NH₄⁺ + K⁺ + Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺ in milliequivalents per liter.
In a balanced solution Σ⁺ ≈ Σ⁻. A large difference indicates a charge imbalance.
NO₃⁻ + H₂PO₄⁻ + SO₄²⁻ + Cl⁻ in milliequivalents per liter.
In a balanced solution Σ⁻ ≈ Σ⁺. A large difference indicates a charge imbalance.
Computed from the ionic composition of the solution (NO₃⁻, H₂PO₄⁻, SO₄²⁻, NH₄⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Fe²⁺, Cl⁻) using the Debye–Hückel method.
It does not change when you edit the EC field — it reflects the real ionic composition, not the set concentration.
Empirical formula: pH = 6.5 − 2.0 × (NH₄/N_total)
Accuracy ±0.3–0.5 pH units. Calculated for pure water without a carbonate buffer. Always verify with a real pH meter!
π (bar) ≈ 0.36 × EC_ion. Shows the osmotic load on the root.
| Low | < 0.5 bar |
| Normal | 0.5–0.9 bar |
| Acceptable | 0.9–1.3 bar |
| Stress | 1.3–1.8 bar |
| Universal starter | 1.8–2.5 bar |
| Critical | > 2.5 bar |
Записывай pH / EC / фото / урожай — и сравнивай, какой рецепт дал лучший результат.
MACRO ratio and gram checks according to Chesnokov are implemented.
To analyze ratios, click «More» → «Ratio matrix». Above the table there is an info panel — click ⓘ for detailed explanations of each parameter:
Added ability adding your own fertilizers — they go through a moderation process.
After moderation, such fertilizers cannot be edited. Before moderation, you can delete/edit them.
| N= | ppm | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Grams | NH4 | NO3 | NH2 | P | K | Ca | Mg | S | Cl | Fe | Zn | Cu | Mn | Mo | B | Co | Si |
| Total NPK: 0-0-0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| Comparison | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| N | P | K | Ca | Mg | S | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ca | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mg | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| S | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Phase | N | P | K | Ca | Mg | S |
|---|
| Phase | Fe | Mn | B | Zn | Cu | Mo |
|---|
The root absorbs not the amount of an ion in solution but its activity — the real «available» fraction. In a saturated solution ions interfere with each other and their activity is lower than the concentration. The γ coefficient (Debye–Hückel) shows this correction: at EC=1.5 γ≈0.45 for Ca²⁺, at EC=3.0 γ≈0.35.
| Element | Optimum | Min. | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ca²⁺ act. | 80–120 ppm | 60 ppm | <40 ppm |
| Mg²⁺ act. | 20–40 ppm | 15 ppm | <12 ppm |
💡 Even at the «correct» Ca/Mg ppm a plant may experience a deficiency — if the EC is too high, activity drops.
| N | P | K | Ca | Mg | S | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | 1 | - | - | - | - | |
| P | - | 1 | - | - | - | - |
| K | - | 1 | - | |||
| Ca | - | - | 1 | - | ||
| Mg | - | - | 1 | - | ||
| S | - | - | - | - | - | 1 |