Mixing Nutrients: Mixing Order

The order in which you mix your nutrients can significantly impact the health of your plants, mixing incorrectly can lead to buildup of solid material within your reservoir or feed lines which in turn can lead to blockages and watering problems.

It is best practice to check the feed charts from your chosen nutrient company to see if they provide a mixing order, most companies have them however it can be hard to find the mixing order with some brands. If they do not provide a mixing order, follow these steps.

It is always best to add your silica additives first and wait 30 minutes before adding your other nutrients, this is because silica is a high pH liquid and needs to dissolve into the water before being mixed with other nutrients. Adding other nutrients before it is dissolved can make your silica turn into a 'gel' that your plant will not be able to absorb, there is also potential that it will block irrigation system components such as pumps and emitters.

The next step will be adding your calmag, It is best practice to add calmag after silica but before your base nutrient. It also makes it easy as you know the amount you are adding. If using r/o water your base water will test at 0.0ec, we normally add enough calmag until we raise the ec to 0.3/0.4ec. 

Adding your base nutrients would be the next step, it is best to add your bases separately. For example, you add your part A or 1 first and allow it to mix then you add your part B or 2 once it has been mixed in. Do not mix your bases together in concentrate form as it will turn to a thick gel similar to how silica reacts with other nutrients.

The last nutrients to add would be your boosters/additives. Pk boosters should be added to the mix after adding your base nutrients and then you can follow on with the flavor enhancers or root boosters. Mixing additives together in concentrate will not usually create a gel, however it is best to not mix them together.

Once you have mixed all your nutrients together it is time to adjust the pH of the mix. It is best practice to add small amounts of pH up or down in order to reach the desired pH. Most people use a pipette and add drop by drop to avoid overshooting their target pH. Once you are done with this step you can start watering your plants.