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Hydroponic using a master blend mix #749434

Asked May 12, 2021, 10:01 AM EDT

For most of my Hydroponic plants im using a master blend of: Calcium Nitrate 15-0-0 Magnesium Sulfate or Epsom salt 4-18-30 tomato vegetable blend with ph of 5.5-6.5 What is the best mix per gallon for each of these vegetables and herbs & fruits Sorry I know a big list. Also are there any varieties of any of these that do better than another? I have found in the lettuce giant caesar and black seeded simpson work the best out of the lettice category. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Vegetables Lettuce Spinach Bok Choy Tomatoes Peppers Cucumber Celery Zucchini Kale Beans Fruit Strawberries Blueberries Herbs Tarragon Peppermint Green Mint Oregano Basil Sage Stevia Lemon Balm Rosemary Chives Coriander

Jackson County Michigan

Expert Response

Thank you for your question. My recommendation is to avoid mixing these products by volume and instead mix them by parts per million using an inexpensive EC meter. These meters can be purchased online for less than $15 and are reliable enough for home hydroponics. 

As far as what concentrations to use, for anything which is consumed primarily for its leaves, I recommend mixing the Calcium Nitrate 15-0-0 to a concentration of 200 ppm (as measured on the meter) into your water. After this product has thoroughly dissolved, in a separate container mix your Magnesium Sulfate to 200 ppm. Once thoroughly dissolved, you can then combine the solutions together to create your final nutrient solution. Attempting to mix both nutrient sources together may result in precipitation, which you want to avoid.

Focusing on keeping your nutrient solution under 400 ppm and at a pH between 5.5-6.5 will do more good than trying to tweak individual elemental concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. 


There are some crop-specific recommendations out there, but they assume commercial-level environmental conditions to include light intensities that are not common to home practitioners. 

An Ask Extension Expert Replied May 25, 2021, 11:23 AM EDT

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