Nutrients Blending nutrient companies?

[Hypathetical Gardener]

Hey yall. Ive been playing with different nutrient companies. And i know some are better than others for different things. Yield, flavor, etc.
But what if i could give the ladies a little variety in their diet?

Ive heard over and over from various sources to not mix (COMPANY A) parts with (COMPANY B) parts because of different nutrient choices, levels, addons, etc made to work with that specific company's other parts. And i kinda get it enough.
BUT
Could i take (company a) and fully mix a 5 gallon bucket of complete solution.
Then take (company b) and mix a 5 gallon bucket of complete solution.
AND MIX THEM in a 10 gallon res?
Would that cause unwanted nutrient binding?
Or since each solution was stable, the mix would be stable?

 

[Olderfart]

Hey yall. Ive been playing with different nutrient companies. And i know some are better than others for different things. Yield, flavor, etc.
But what if i could give the ladies a little variety in their diet?

Ive heard over and over from various sources to not mix (COMPANY A) parts with (COMPANY B) parts because of different nutrient choices, levels, addons, etc made to work with that specific company's other parts. And i kinda get it enough.
BUT
Could i take (company a) and fully mix a 5 gallon bucket of complete solution.
Then take (company b) and mix a 5 gallon bucket of complete solution.
AND MIX THEM in a 10 gallon res?
Would that cause unwanted nutrient binding?
Or since each solution was stable, the mix would be stable?

The compatibility issue that you refer to mostly applies to mixing the base nute solutions, not to amendments such as yucca, fulvic, pH up and down, etc. Yes, you can more than likely mix base nutes once they are in dilute solution. In concentrated solution, chemical interactions can cause some nute compounds to precipitate out in insoluble form. This is why concentrated liquid formulas are provided in part A and B. But once concentrations of the vulnerable compounds are sufficiently dilute, precipitation does not happen, everything stays in solution where it can be used by plants. Whether you should mix prepared solutions of base nutes from more than one manufacturer is a separate question.

If you know enough about the game to use the actual contents of each nute source to target known objectives in the final mix, you might be able to accomplish something useful. If you are just trying to mix stuff to use up supplies and see how things go, all you are likely to do is make mischief more difficult to diagnose.

If you need to use up more than one nute source (as I do), I suggest the better plan is to use one source of nutes to handle early growth, and another later, or some combination that accomplishes what you have in mind. Diagnosing issues will be easier if you use a given mix for longer rather than switching nute mixes more often. If you want to switch nute mixes, make sure that you keep EC consistent so that you do not stress plants with large swings in osmotic conditions in the grow medium.

Good luck, and let us know how you make out.

 

[Death The Cultivator]

Hey yall. Ive been playing with different nutrient companies. And i know some are better than others for different things. Yield, flavor, etc.
But what if i could give the ladies a little variety in their diet?

Ive heard over and over from various sources to not mix (COMPANY A) parts with (COMPANY B) parts because of different nutrient choices, levels, addons, etc made to work with that specific company's other parts. And i kinda get it enough.
BUT
Could i take (company a) and fully mix a 5 gallon bucket of complete solution.
Then take (company b) and mix a 5 gallon bucket of complete solution.
AND MIX THEM in a 10 gallon res?
Would that cause unwanted nutrient binding?
Or since each solution was stable, the mix would be stable?

I don't know how much it matters when an ion is an ion to the plant. Either it will be readily available or need to be broken down but, in hydroponics at least, the purity of the salts can have an effect. Taste and yield are largely anecdotal and affected by far more variables then just what they are being fed.

I've shared clones with my mentor who exclusively uses Pure Blend Pro and Liquid Karma but yield and quality were similar enough to my Jack's or Mega Crop that I think it's irrelevant to some degree. I think where differences start popping up is in the application of hormones for claims like more root mass, bigger buds, terps, etc but hitting macro/micro with biostimulants will achieve much of the same without the BS claims preying on ignorance.

 

[Mañ'O'Green]

From a chemical standpoint there is no problem doing that. The problem comes in the "Balance" of nutrients you end up with in the tank.

Totally hypothetical: Brand Mojo puts all of their calcium in Part B and brand Pina puts all of their calcium in Part A. now you mix

Mojo A + Pina B = 0 calcium

Mojo B + Pina A = Excess calcium

Of course this applies to all of the needed components and you only need to screw-up one to send a grow in the wrong direction.

It is all about Liebig's Law of the Minimum.

 

[Hypathetical Gardener]

The compatibility issue that you refer to mostly applies to mixing the base nute solutions, not to amendments such as yucca, fulvic, pH up and down, etc. Yes, you can more than likely mix base nutes once they are in dilute solution. In concentrated solution, chemical interactions can cause some nute compounds to precipitate out in insoluble form. This is why concentrated liquid formulas are provided in part A and B. But once concentrations of the vulnerable compounds are sufficiently dilute, precipitation does not happen, everything stays in solution where it can be used by plants. Whether you should mix prepared solutions of base nutes from more than one manufacturer is a separate question.

If you know enough about the game to use the actual contents of each nute source to target known objectives in the final mix, you might be able to accomplish something useful. If you are just trying to mix stuff to use up supplies and see how things go, all you are likely to do is make mischief more difficult to diagnose.

If you need to use up more than one nute source (as I do), I suggest the better plan is to use one source of nutes to handle early growth, and another later, or some combination that accomplishes what you have in mind. Diagnosing issues will be easier if you use a given mix for longer rather than switching nute mixes more often. If you want to switch nute mixes, make sure that you keep EC consistent so that you do not stress plants with large swings in osmotic conditions in the grow medium.

Good luck, and let us know how you make out.

I don't know how much it matters when an ion is an ion to the plant. Either it will be readily available or need to be broken down but, in hydroponics at least, the purity of the salts can have an effect. Taste and yield are largely anecdotal and affected by far more variables then just what they are being fed.

I've shared clones with my mentor who exclusively uses Pure Blend Pro and Liquid Karma but yield and quality were similar enough to my Jack's or Mega Crop that I think it's irrelevant to some degree. I think where differences start popping up is in the application of hormones for claims like more root mass, bigger buds, terps, etc but hitting macro/micro with biostimulants will achieve much of the same without the BS claims preying on ignorance.

From a chemical standpoint there is no problem doing that. The problem comes in the "Balance" of nutrients you end up with in the tank.

Totally hypothetical: Brand Mojo puts all of their calcium in Part B and brand Pina puts all of their calcium in Part A. now you mix

Mojo A + Pina B = 0 calcium

Mojo B + Pina A = Excess calcium

Of course this applies to all of the needed components and you only need to screw-up one to send a grow in the wrong direction.

It is all about Liebig's Law of the Minimum.

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Thank yall. That about covers all the things. Therell be a thread around years end documenting.