Plant Food Usage

 

Every living thing needs food and plants are no exception. While you might be tempted to feed your plants a lot of food (because the more nutrients, the better, right?) overfeeding is not good for your plants. Please stick to the Plant Food Usage Guide below.

 

• Adding Plant Food For the First Time When True Leaves Emerge

• Plant Food Usage: General Guidelines

 

 

 

Adding plant food when true leaves emerge

>>Learn more about true leaves and how to differentiate them from cotyledons in this article.

 

Plant Food Usage: General Guidelines

 

Usage	Plant Food	Water
Adding plant food to full tank	3 teaspoons	6 gallons (full tank)
Topping off the tank	1 teaspoon	2 gallons

 

General Recommendations:

• Make sure to refill the water tank regularly to ensure greater stability in plant food concentration. For optimum growth, we recommend not letting your water level go below 50%.
• Change the water with new water and plant food at least every 30 days to maintain a healthy pH balance. >>Learn more about refreshing the tank.

Plant food and germination:

- Plant food can hinder germination if added before you see true leaves.

- It can also burn the tips of your plants' leaves if it becomes too concentrated. Make sure you do not add more than the recommended amount of plant food. Plants can overeat and that will impact their growth.

Topping off the tank with a mix of plant food and water:

Whenever you top off the tank with fresh water, you should also add plant food to maintain the correct ratio of plant food in your Gardyn tank.

 

Master Grower Tip: After premixing 1 teaspoon per 2 gallons of water (or ½ teaspoon per gallon), if you fill your tank to full capacity and have any plant food and water mixture remaining, you can keep it for up to one week or dilute it slightly to repurpose for indoor or outdoor plants.

 

Can I use organic plant food?

Mineral plant food provides the same nutrients as organic plant food, but without generating excess waste that will clog your pump. Since there is no soil present in a hydroponic setup, mineral plant food is always preferred because it is cleaner and will prevent biofilm from developing in your tank and columns. Your plants will still be organic, so no worries!

Disclaimer

Some Gardyners have received scoops that amount to more than a teaspoon due to supply issues. The guidelines above have been approved by our Master Grower. Because plant food concentration is measured on a spectrum, these guidelines will work for both a true teaspoon as well as a larger scoop. The true teaspoon will put you at the lower end for ppm, and the larger scoop at a higher end. Both will keep your plants healthy and happy!

Questions? Please reach out to [e-mail] or chat with us.