zem
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This thread is a detailed explanation of the way to use chemical fertilizers in parts. The main advantages with this method are: first and most of all it is very much cheaper than buying brand names but it is as good or better in result, you can control exactly what you feed your plants, and you buy bulks of fertilizers that would last you for so long. This is only one example of a company that sells this stuff (change hXXp to http) hXXp://www.akpetrochem.com/hydroponic.aspx
I didn't buy mine from there, i found a company that sells farmers and greenhouses and got them from there directly, however they can be found online and shipped to you but is will cost you more since these are big 25Kg bags or more. the prices vary so much so look around for what farmers use. Ther chemicals i got for me i got them for hydroponics but you can get some more parts to make a soil mix too. Farmers who grow tons of food don't go buy their fertilizers from the hydro shop
Parts needed for hydroponics:
1-Calcium nitrate
2-Potassium nitrate
3-mono-Potassium phosphate
4-Magnesium sulfate (epsom salt)
5-trace element mix
You can get more elements but these alone would do. For instance you can get magnesium nitrate which will enable you to add magnesium and nitrogen without the sulfur in the magnesium sulfate and you can also get triple super phosphate which contains calcium and phosphate and enables you to add calcium without having to add any nitrogen. But the parts i listed are the ones that you MUST get if you want to make a hydroponic formula, the others are only to make it fancier. i also bought a bulk supply 35L of Hydrogen peroxide H2O2 35% you can see it in the big blue container. it is nasty suff if you get it on skin, i dilute some in a bottle and use those to my res. you can also find phosphoric and sulfuric acid in bulks for much cheaper than small quantities in shops.
How to use the chemicals:
you would need:
.digital weight scale, if you can get the one that measures 1 to 5 kg accurately it would be great, a small scale like mine still works but you will have to take them in small quantities and add up the sum to know how much you are diluting.
.volume scale that can measure at least 1L
.a big ROUND plastic empty water gallon, i used the 10L one, you can make it bigger but i dont advise you to get smaller ones since you will splash ferts out as you mix.
.speed controllable power drill
.thick metallic drill head, it has to be big enough to fit a 1/2" hose around it.
.hose clamp 1/2"
.small pieces of drip lines
.cone shaped cardboard with a hole that fits in the water gallon opening as big as the opening, you dont want it to be small since the powder chmicals will get blocked.
.cup with handle to shovel chemicals with
.storage containers with good seal
.RO water if possible, it still works with usual water but the less dissolved solids in water the more fertilizers you can dissolve in the water. i didn't get RO water yet but this is one thing i want to get
it is better to use a dust mask when your working with the powders.
Open the bags of fertilizers and start shoveling the powders onto your weight scale until the desired amount is reached, next empty them in your big round water container using the cone shaped cardboard. next measure the desired volume of water and add to that same container. now get your drill, place the head with the hose fit into it firmly and tighten it with the hose clamp. on the side of that hose plug the small driplines sideways to make a nice shaker, set your drill on low. dont make the hose too long. now place it in the big water res and start mixing. CAREFUL! do not mix the chemicals together in the same bottle since some chemicals would result with solid residues when mixed together which makes them completely insoluble and you will have to throw them. they will dissolve fairly quickly depending on the concentration and temperature.
the solubility of the chemicals is as follows:at 25 degrees celcius
1-Calcium nitrate: 1200G/L
2-Potassium nitrate: 360G/L
3-mono-Potassium phosphate: 330G/L
4-Magnesium sulfate:710G/L
you dont have to dilute them to their full solubility, i dilute them with less concentration. i diluted them as follows:
1-calcium nitrate:1000G/L
2-Potassium nitrate:1000G/6L
3-mono-potassium phosphate:1000G/6L
4-Magnesium sulfate:500G/L
this makes dissolving them much faster.
I didn't buy mine from there, i found a company that sells farmers and greenhouses and got them from there directly, however they can be found online and shipped to you but is will cost you more since these are big 25Kg bags or more. the prices vary so much so look around for what farmers use. Ther chemicals i got for me i got them for hydroponics but you can get some more parts to make a soil mix too. Farmers who grow tons of food don't go buy their fertilizers from the hydro shop
Parts needed for hydroponics:
1-Calcium nitrate
2-Potassium nitrate
3-mono-Potassium phosphate
4-Magnesium sulfate (epsom salt)
5-trace element mix
You can get more elements but these alone would do. For instance you can get magnesium nitrate which will enable you to add magnesium and nitrogen without the sulfur in the magnesium sulfate and you can also get triple super phosphate which contains calcium and phosphate and enables you to add calcium without having to add any nitrogen. But the parts i listed are the ones that you MUST get if you want to make a hydroponic formula, the others are only to make it fancier. i also bought a bulk supply 35L of Hydrogen peroxide H2O2 35% you can see it in the big blue container. it is nasty suff if you get it on skin, i dilute some in a bottle and use those to my res. you can also find phosphoric and sulfuric acid in bulks for much cheaper than small quantities in shops.
How to use the chemicals:
you would need:
.digital weight scale, if you can get the one that measures 1 to 5 kg accurately it would be great, a small scale like mine still works but you will have to take them in small quantities and add up the sum to know how much you are diluting.
.volume scale that can measure at least 1L
.a big ROUND plastic empty water gallon, i used the 10L one, you can make it bigger but i dont advise you to get smaller ones since you will splash ferts out as you mix.
.speed controllable power drill
.thick metallic drill head, it has to be big enough to fit a 1/2" hose around it.
.hose clamp 1/2"
.small pieces of drip lines
.cone shaped cardboard with a hole that fits in the water gallon opening as big as the opening, you dont want it to be small since the powder chmicals will get blocked.
.cup with handle to shovel chemicals with
.storage containers with good seal
.RO water if possible, it still works with usual water but the less dissolved solids in water the more fertilizers you can dissolve in the water. i didn't get RO water yet but this is one thing i want to get
it is better to use a dust mask when your working with the powders.
Open the bags of fertilizers and start shoveling the powders onto your weight scale until the desired amount is reached, next empty them in your big round water container using the cone shaped cardboard. next measure the desired volume of water and add to that same container. now get your drill, place the head with the hose fit into it firmly and tighten it with the hose clamp. on the side of that hose plug the small driplines sideways to make a nice shaker, set your drill on low. dont make the hose too long. now place it in the big water res and start mixing. CAREFUL! do not mix the chemicals together in the same bottle since some chemicals would result with solid residues when mixed together which makes them completely insoluble and you will have to throw them. they will dissolve fairly quickly depending on the concentration and temperature.
the solubility of the chemicals is as follows:at 25 degrees celcius
1-Calcium nitrate: 1200G/L
2-Potassium nitrate: 360G/L
3-mono-Potassium phosphate: 330G/L
4-Magnesium sulfate:710G/L
you dont have to dilute them to their full solubility, i dilute them with less concentration. i diluted them as follows:
1-calcium nitrate:1000G/L
2-Potassium nitrate:1000G/6L
3-mono-potassium phosphate:1000G/6L
4-Magnesium sulfate:500G/L
this makes dissolving them much faster.