Hydroponics is the growing of plants without soil-meaning, the nutrients that are usually supplied through the soil to the plants must come from another source, usually through the water solution. Indeed, the type of advanced nutrients solution that’s being provided to hydroponic plants would highly affect their yield, health, and growth.

There are approximately 17 different elements found naturally in soil that plants require for healthy growth, and most basic solutions made for hydroponics will provide these elements (you can also mix your own, if you know what you’re doing). The need to use formula made especially for hydroponics should not be underestimated as regular fertilizers typically lack some of the elements required by the plants.

There are also advanced nutrients available-special formulations and/or additives that evoke particular behaviors or growth in the plants. Creating the best nutrient mixture is indeed complicated – what with all the factors that have to be considered like the type of plant, nutrient blend that’s most appropriate to a particular plant, the desired result. The combinations of elements and quantities are endless. In essence, this is chemistry; and if you took chemistry in high school, you probably remember that the correct blend of chemicals can be beneficial, while the wrong blend can be catastrophic. Thankfully, there are several products available where the homework has been done for you; but you still have to be aware of your plants and their needs, and read labels to ensure you are giving them the right thing-particularly when it comes to advanced nutrients and additives.

It is safe to conclude then that while basic nutrient solutions promote the needed health of plants, it’s the advanced nutrients that give the extra push on some areas. Several blends deal with keeping the right pH balance in the water, which is essential in hydroponics. Others are about increasing the yield of harvest, encouraging thicker foliage, affecting the blooming stage and promoting accelerated growth. However, it is not as simple as placing an additive in your gas tank, or applying the right formula to get the expected result.

Plants espouse the adage, “you are what you eat” too; so what you feed them will ultimately affect their well-being. Just as taking a particular medicine, it may treat some symptoms but the fact that side effects could be felt is also there. In the same way, plants would feel some unwanted effects in some areas by the mere “taking” of a booster. Therefore, it is really essential for you to know about the different nutrients that affect plant growth, this way, you have a clearer idea of their results.

Thankfully, most hydroponic developers want you to have the right result from their advanced nutrients, so they’ll put important information on the label. The important thing is to read the label before buying the product. Among the many pieces of information found in the label are the benefits of and the elements that make up the solution. If the product doesn’t have enough information on the label, do not trust it.