Basic Fertilisers - What to Buy to Start?
In short, basic fertilisers are those that contain the essential nutrients. In today’s article, we will look at which ones are available and answer a common question: how do you choose the right one from the vast number of bottles on offer?
What are essential nutrients?
Essential nutrients are those that plants need in large quantities. They are therefore also known as macronutrients. These nutrients are absolutely necessary; without them, plants grow slowly or die completely.
Where do plants get essential nutrients from?
The most basic elements that plants need, namely carbon (C), oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H), they obtain from the air and water. They obtain the rest through their roots from the soil. To help them grow better, we add fertilisers, mainly the primary macronutrients known by the abbreviation NPK, namely nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K).
Essential nutrients also include secondary macronutrients, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sulphur (S), which are present in fertilisers in smaller amounts because they are usually available in sufficient quantities from the substrate – naturally, unless you are growing hydroponically.
How do basic fertilisers differ from one another?
Fertiliser manufacturers design nutrition so that it matches the plant’s needs as closely as possible. They take into account different stages of development, plant species, and their own experience. Every manufacturer has its own approach to cultivation and experience from tests (sometimes even its own scientific laboratory!), which is why fertiliser brands differ so much from one another.
1. According to the growth stage
Fertilisers are often tailored to the developmental stage. For beginners, the simplest are universal fertilisers for growth and bloom (you use two or three components at once) or single-component ones for growth and bloom (you first use one component for growth and then the second component for bloom). Multi-component fertilisers divide nutrition into four bottles (two for growth and two for bloom), so you can adjust it precisely according to the genetics being grown and the surrounding environment.
- Fertilisers for growth
Growth fertilisers contain more nitrogen, which plants need in greater quantities during the vegetative phase than at other times. Such fertilisers are usually labelled as the Grow component (Eng. “growth”). Growth fertiliser is also available in two components, marked Grow A and Grow B, because some compounds do not mix well in one bottle - more in the separate article.
- Fertilisers for bloom
Bloom fertilisers contain more potassium and phosphorus to support flowering and ripening. They are usually labelled as Bloom (Eng. “bloom”). Just like growth fertilisers, these can also be divided into A and B components.
- Universal fertilisers
They contain everything a plant needs during the cultivation cycle. The dosage changes according to the current stage the crop is in. Such fertilisers are usually in two bottles, A+B, or even three, most often labelled Grow, Bloom and Micro.
- Fertilisers for cuttings and seedlings
Fertilisers for the youngest plants are usually less concentrated to avoid overfertilisation.
2. According to the growing method
The growing method significantly affects plant needs, so there are fertilisers for soil substrates, coco, hydroponics and aeroponics. For example, in coco plants often lack calcium and magnesium, so fertilisers contain more of these elements. Hydroponic fertilisers tend to be more concentrated because plants cannot take nutrients from the substrate.
Some fertilisers are universal or can be used in more than one method. For example, the world-famous Dutch Formula from Advanced Hydroponics is intended mainly for hydroponics, but at half doses it also works very well in coco or soil.
3. According to composition
- Mineral fertilisers
These are the most widely used fertilisers today. They contain artificially created compounds, optimised to suit plants as well as possible and to be absorbed well. Mineral fertiliser is effective, concentrated and you usually know exactly what is in it. It does not spoil in a nutrient solution tank.
- Organic fertilisers
Organic fertilisers contain extracts from natural substances. They are closer to what a plant would naturally encounter. We recommend them especially for beginners, because with organics it is almost impossible to overfertilise. They are often suitable for ecological or at least more ecological cultivation, but you cannot use them in hydro.
- Bio-mineral fertilisers
They combine the best of organic and mineral fertilisers. The ingredients must be carefully selected, because some mineral substances can actually do more harm than good to the organic ones.
4. According to form
- Liquid fertilisers
A complete classic of home gardening. The fertiliser is in a bottle and is diluted with water, which is then used to water the plants. Such fertilisers work immediately and higher doses lead to overfertilisation, so it is necessary to dose carefully and regularly.
- Solid fertilisers
Solid fertilisers are usually loose or in tablet form. They are either mixed into water or added directly to the substrate. They release nutrients gradually; one tablet can last for several months.
So which fertiliser is the best?
The comprehensive description above is meant to help you ask and answer four questions, based on which you will choose the right fertiliser.
- Do you prefer more or fewer components? In which vegetative stage is the plant?
- What are you growing in, and how are you growing the plant?
- Do you prefer organic or mineral fertiliser?
- Do you want to fertilise regularly or only once or twice?
The choice of a specific brand then depends on your personal experience or preferences. From the Higarden team, we recommend the single-component nutrition from BioNova, which is available in versions for soil, hydroponics and aeroponics. Their range also includes a special fertiliser for autoflowering plants. If, on the other hand, you are interested in the simplicity of solid fertilisers, you certainly cannot go wrong with BioTabs. For coco substrates, we recommend the excellent nutrition from Shogun and, as for hydroponics, Advanced Nutrients or Terra Aquatica stand out.