Dry vs. Liquid Hydroponic Nutrients: Pros and Cons

For most of my gardening life, I've used liquid hydroponic fertilizers and nutrients. But I've recently switched over to dry nutrients, so let's take a look at the pros and cons of both of these types of hydroponic nutrients.
IN THIS VIDEO
→ Entire Veg+Bloom Line on Amazon: amzn.to/39W9q8B
→ Veg+Bloom TAP/HARD: growershouse.com/veg-bloom-ta...
→ Veg+Bloom RO/SOFT: growershouse.com/veg-bloom-ro...
→ Veg+Bloom DIRTY: growershouse.com/veg-bloom-di...
→ Veg+Bloom HD: growershouse.com/veg-bloom-hd...
→ Veg+Bloom +LIFE: growershouse.com/veg-bloom-li...
→ Veg+Bloom SHINE: growershouse.com/veg-bloom-sh...
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[@epicgardening]

Huge thanks to GrowersHouse for sending these out to review. Here are (affiliate) links: → Entire Veg+Bloom Line on Amazon: amzn.to/39W9q8B → Veg+Bloom TAP/HARD: growershouse.com/veg-bloom-tap-hard-nutrient-starter-kit?aff=22 → Veg+Bloom RO/SOFT: growershouse.com/veg-bloom-ro-soft-nutrient-starter-kit?aff=22 → Veg+Bloom DIRTY: growershouse.com/veg-bloom-dirty-nutrient-starter-kit?aff=22 → Veg+Bloom HD: growershouse.com/veg-bloom-hd-nutrient-starter-kit?aff=22 → Veg+Bloom +LIFE: growershouse.com/veg-bloom-life?aff=22 → Veg+Bloom SHINE: growershouse.com/veg-bloom-shine?aff=22 → Veg+Bloom Stackswell: growershouse.com/veg-bloom-stackswell?aff=22

[@aaronb.barber22]

Video quality, editing, product layout, background, info, and even the way you explained things: Superb. Very professional video. Definitely subscribed to your channel.

[@robertjohnson9313]

I haven't done hydroponics myself, but I've seen general hydroponics products at the nursery i work at, so it's good to get more familiar with them

[@epicgardening]

Perhaps it'll help you sell some!

[@RideForLifeCR250R]

I can proudly say I've never spilled over a bottle of GH in all my years.. nope, I screw the cap back on once I have my measured amount drawn out to prevent such incident

[@youngnixx88788]

I completely agree with the powder argument. Reason I left foxfarm and went to Lotus nutrients

[@HIGHGRADECHANNEL]

Right off the bat liquid nutrients mix faster and are easier to maintain ph the downside to powder nutrients is they take longer to dissolve into water.

[@epicgardening]

Yup exactly

[@robertguay3773]

pre mix it in a concentrate then it works the same

[@JimmyBoomTron]

Cap

[@reallmccoy9043]

I like the Kalix products. They have so much to choose from.

[@marksneyd1262]

Great video. Being in the UK I struggled to find nutrients that weren’t crazy expensive and difficult to use but fortunately we dropped on a company called Gro-All one part feed which we have had amazing results with.

[@atomizer2665]

A one part nute is convenient but it wont be optimal ;)

[@marksneyd1262]

Atom izer i disagree this stuff is amazing, healthy roots, plants and the yields are huge.

[@ChickenNugNugz2]

Glad you're happy with your results,my first grows were all Coco/hydro. All I can say is try giving living organics a go, after second run in same soil it's the best results I've ever got, and far easier than sourcing nutes over here. Plus it's cheap as chips. Probably spend about £40-£50 a year max, and that was only year one. Now with my worm bins, growing out lactobacillus from rice water and milk, and home made fermented plant juice I'm spending £20 on brown sugar, stinging nettles are free and comfrey grows wild in most fields, all need for veg, give as foliar spray. For flower same recipe but add half in weight of wasted non citrus fruits, you just add equal weight brown sugar and it pulls out the goodness. With the lacto and oriental herbal nutrient, not had any mites, mold or mildew even threaten to show. You can run hydro with fermented plant juices too, just would recommend soil for best results. I have two worm bins, put food scraps in both with egg shell and oats, but in one I add flower amendments and the worms eat that, and I use the worm compost from both bins in different ratios at different part of the grow. Never have to worry about pH or p again

[@ratwood001]

Hello, wondering if anyone could give me advice. I am growing in hydroton reservoired bubble bucket system, and my tap water is soft 27ppm. Which is recommended veg+bloom HD, or RO soft?

[@theplantlifecanada]

FYI - Not sure if anyone mentioned but it looks like Veg+Bloom is no longer on Amazon (at least in Canada) and Grower House apparently doesn't ship to Canada. Anyone got any leads on where to order?

[@user-bw5xf3yr3m]

I’m doing cuttings in a hydroponic system do I need all 3 nutrients from General Hydroponics For my cuttings?

[@SonniesGardenPA]

Great Info , Thank You!

[@Rosaron7]

THANKS, SECOND CONFIRMATION! 🌹

[@mayploy6869]

Great vid. Salts in theory are cheaper but definitely not in the case of V+B. They also seem more effective in a low intensity and high intensity/volume garden but in medium size not so much due to needing time to properly dissolve. If I have to mix a reservoir NOW and need it NOW it’s not fun. But if I have 10 100 gallon tanks that I can premix well in advance or just have tons of space for extra premix tanks its not so bad, or in the reverse case not using a ton of water, hand watering etc..Those are my thoughts on the powders lol!

[@robertguay3773]

I mix my powders into concentrates, I have a Calcium nitrate bottle and a NPK and Magnesium bottle. The recipe is 150grams NPK 75 Grams Epsom salt 1 liter of warm Distilled water. 150grams Calcium nitrate and 1 liter of warm Distilled water. keep them separate. I use Masterblend for the NPK but i also have used just schultz 20-20-20 they all work but the quality changes with better NPK brands. In a 5 gallon (19 liter pail) Put 4 tablespoons of each in then check you EC or PPM to see if your in range. I buy 2 4 liter bottles of distilled water and mix up a big batch and it lasts me a decent amount of time.

[@DannyTillotson]

Just wondering are these chemicals safe to breathe while mixing and it goes into the air or should we wear a mask? Secondly with hydroponics should we wear a mask always when near the liquid for the plants? Many thanks

[@eliazardelima4228]

Tnx for this very informative video.. appreciated it..

[@scoobydew420]

What would be a good powder product for hydro strawberries grown in a tent?

[@howard977]

Please let everyone know that Monsanto , the company that makes ROUNDUP has the corner on the market in hydroponics.

[@epicgardening]

This is unfortunately true

[@RideForLifeCR250R]

GOOGLE: Terra Aquatica

[@bobjackson7516]

I have yet to have any type of garden whatsoever. That being said, once I'm in a place where I'm able to, the idea of aquaponics appeals greatly to me. I would very much like to hear your thoughts on the subject. Thank you!

[@davidniles1183]

Newbie here. Bought a low priced Miracle Gro Twelve. Seems to work for me. They have their own powdered nutrients in small tear and pour packets (10-8-16). Don't want to support that company once I use up all the packets. Would you recommend the Veg + Bloom product as a replacement? I use soil in the net cups. Mostly culinary herbs at the moment.

[@aturkimi8626]

If I dissolve urea, DAP, potash and Epsom salt in water and use that for hydroponic, will that be bad anyway? It is indeed the cheapest solution.

[@SteveJ619]

For just a couple of those dry fertilizer on Amazon are $165... general hydro starter kit is much cheaper.. Like$50... I'm getting ready to do my first grow .. I started to buy advance new trans and was realizing that I was going to be paying hundreds of dollars for fertilizer ... Then I was going to get Fox farms and a lot of people say that if you're going to be running RDWC that FOX isn't the best.. Might come expired ...I found Humboldt county has a starter kit .. think I might try that.. maybe you can look into it... I really wanted to try salts ... I don't mind paying for liquid if the cost is low ... I know it goes fast .. But I don't want to spend allot of my first grow and mess up... And waist lots .. Because I chose to start with expensive fertilizers and then I ruined it all ..

[@stevetitch]

Ace video thanks! Could you pre-mix like 10L of the powder stuff but not use it straight away? Like so you do a big mix and then you can use that for the next few weeks or whatever rather than having to mix up a batch everytime?

[@bobsadventures6852]

Yes, but not too much.... once it becomes a solution, it's more vulnerable to light and temperature. No sense in wasting large batches of solution due to mold.

[@mikec3820]

hey yo Epic! what would you be using as far as nutes go for hydro (wink wink) now? you are so in the know and edjumcated. i been out the loop for 5 10 yrs

[@Sam-ps6er]

Thank you for the video! I was wondering when you would need more than just the veg+bloom powder by itself? Will vegetables grow fine with just the basic powder? Thank you!

[@larosin]

yes

[@philipripper1522]

agitating (shaking) powders can actually work to separate different particle sizes, instead of mixing them. If you want to mix, advice using a plastic spoon (dry!, nonreactive).

[@Vunderbread]

Only a specific, repetitive process of agitation, in a process consistently perpendicular to the line of gravity, separates particle sizes/densities. If you chaotically shake something at different vectors it will mix everything up.

[@wuwei43]

Nerds

[@RaolDuke76]

I was told dont start with a white strain or NFT, my first several crops were white Russian with an NFT 205.. common sense, done Great

[@hewageprabashan4379]

How many time this nutrient use for per day or week (coco)

[@ablack9431]

Could you do a video on homemade nutrients and how to make them please? I am worried about growing food that is fed in such a way and would prefer the nutrients to be as organic as possible. Thanks.

[@nervouss]

If your using this for food production have you noticed a difference in taste and flavor from one company or type to another?

[@ryandavis4689]

Very unasked question, good to know though, commonly overlooked...

[@howardholmes2876]

Hey Man, are you still in SD? Love to pick your brain about all things gardening!! thanks !

[@MakenzieRae]

Definitely trying it out. I’ve hesitated to try the liquid nutrients because mixing 3 bottles plus balancing pH just seems like more steps than necessary. I love that these powdered nutrients also help lower the pH!

[@scottblanche6657]

Mixing dry ingredients is a large extra step.

[@tombryant4518]

Mixing is mixing. Doesn’t matter if you’re using a syringe to measure liquid, or a scale or spoons to measure dry powders. Liquid nutrients also lower the initial pH of the solution, but it’s always something to verify every time you mix a batch. I have never understood why people always seem to think it’s hard to mix plant food, yet bake cakes with no issues or whining?

[@ryancuda45]

kenz, gh flora 3 part is the most ph stable line on the market. just use their cal mag+ and start there

[@iancollins2177]

Very helpful 👍👍

[@adamloepker8057]

How do you correctly guage NPK ratio when adding dry and liquid nutrients from different companies?

[@hiroyopoetker]

Read the instructions on the back! But you are right, there is no way to gauge it without observation! nobody knows they try, repeat and try again with a slight twist!

[@gardenlifelove9815]

I make my own liquid nutrients with Korean farming fermentation. I feed my soil based and water grown plants and trees. I don't even have to mix in anything extra now that my ferment has been established for so long and gets soo much variety

[@robertguay3773]

I switched to dry too, It is 1/10th the price. I find with GH liquid I was always trying to use less since its expensive now with the dry I never worry about it and have much better yields.

[@tyler238]

Which dry do you use? Have you used Dr earth?

[@robertguay3773]

@@tyler238 I have used Jakes and masterblend but there is many choices. You have better yields because it is so cheap you do not try to use less.

[@StaceyHerewegrowagain]

Really great video! I've never used this brand before. I usually go with dyna gro nutrients because their nutrient system has almost everything you need for the different stages, it's a concentrate too. I recently switched to using more organic nutrients vs using the chemical based. This looks interesting though, I'll have to check it out for sure. I really just use fish fertilizer, blood meal, earthworm castings, homemade compost and potting soil, does really well and I hardly have to add anything else. Thanks for a great video

[@epicgardening]

Makes total sense to go organic Stacey! With hydro I go with whatever makes sense, because the roots are taking in elements at the elemental level anyways, to them they don't know if it's organic or not - nitrogen is nitrogen. But either way it can work super well :)

[@pinksalt1057]

Is there an organic solution to buy in Bunnings?

[@Darkstormkun]

Hey whats the best organic nutrient

[@StaceyHerewegrowagain]

@@Darkstormkun I'm not quite sure what the best fertilizer is, but I use Nature safe's granual fertilizers. It is a slow release organic food. I also use some blood meal, bone meal and earthworm castings with it.

[@potefrancis2289]

@stacey here we grow again Hey Stacey, I’m new to hydroponics & I really like your idea of organic nutrients vs chemical base can you help me thank you .

[@larryleon1990]

Use hot or cold water to dissolve ?

[@t1000eg]

tbh ive never had a problem with unscrewing caps or spilling nute all over the floor

[@synthwave_4207]

Yeah that’s kinda a stupid reason. Let alone I do it in a place it wouldn’t matter if it spilled. And I am lazy. I wanna throw liquid in a graduated cylinder and go. Not add an extra step. Again. I’m lazy I don’t mind spending money on water if it saves me a step.

[@doodahgurlie]

I'm pretty new to this and was confused on what to use. I was looking at the liquid vs the dry and just went with MaxiGro which seemed simpler to use at the time (especially when compared to something like Masterblend). Once I really get going and if I decide to stick with it, I'd probably go with Masterblend because someone is selling 5 lbs of it with 5 lbs of cal mag and 2.5 lbs of epsom salt for like $30. That's WAY cheaper than what I paid for the 2.2 lbs of MaxiGrow. But the thing about the dry stuff is that it is REALLY difficult to dissolve.

[@epicgardening]

Yeah that's pretty cheap for the Masterblend! Dissolving can be a challenge, Veg+Bloom seems to dissolve better for me in initial testing, but the price point is also higher so the salts / composition they chose is likely different due to that.

[@nervouss]

@@epicgardening can't you just use a small bottle and dissolve in that then use this liquid solution as a concentrate when required? Put it in a water bottle shake it up then use it later on?

[@tombryant4518]

Mix it up with warm water then add cold water to top up to whatever amount you need. So easy. Warm water in a bucket, add powder, use a drill with a paint mixer to stir it up. Done in 30 seconds. Top up with room temp/cold water, verify pH, then feed away.

[@itssublymonal426]

Does this same information apply to semi-hydro? I have a lot of plants in LECA and could never pull the trigger with general hydroponics. I have other things I’m using for nutrients currently and it seems to be working ok but I’m also still dealing with winter weather so growth has been minimal on most plants anyway. I’m interested in the powders you showed if they would work well with semi-hydro. Thanks for the info regardless!

[@epicgardening]

Yup, this could work! Just must be mixed well

[@itssublymonal426]

@@epicgardening How many gallons of water does the 1lb tub make? I couldn't find that info on the website.

[@angelsuniverse6021]

Did u mix the 2 methods?

[@alcatraz2119]

Can I use blood , bone and fish meal as npk for my autos

[@backyardbque1964]

@Epic Gardening, what do the numbers mean on the front of the bottle?

[@richardochoa340]

Most nutrients will be labeled with those three numbers regardless of the brand name. It’s the amount/part of each item in the nutrient solution they are N-P-K which if u Rememeber the periodic table “N” is for “Nitrogen” “P” is for “phosphorus” and “K” is for “Potassium”

[@skk6100]

Hi these are chemical fertilizers or organic. Please also suggest few organic fertilizer for hydroponics

[@epicgardening]

I'll do in the future :)

[@throttlebuzz9312]

i went lucas method and the amount of dust in the bottom of my DWC is fucking crazy. I got nute lockout almost every time. SO, I have switched to liquid. I was thinking maybe to mix it in with a panty hose or something.

[@memejeff]

great video, been looking forward to the re-visitation of hydroponics. I have been planning to go dry for a while, I really want to try mixing ebay chemicals to get the cheapest price possible.

[@epicgardening]

Yeah you can go QUITE cheap if you go that route

[@memejeff]

@@epicgardening I think I will start by maybe trying the one you recommended though, to get the feel of dry nutes :)

[@ziggywonka50]

its been 9 months. how did mixing ebay chemicals work out?

[@memejeff]

@@ziggywonka50 hahah, didn't expect a reply :). it works but it's a pain to get the amounts perfect.

[@RoCkShaDoWWaLkEr]

Like with everything, you get what you put in. Always trying to do things on the cheap will cost you in the long run. Somethings you just have to buck up and buy, I say that with over 20 years cannabis growing experience at HUGE facilities.

[@dmo848]

I know maxibloom powder works really good. Jus as good as advanced nutrients sensi products surprisingly

[@mrdino5101]

Yup, and there is no need for maxigro as you can use maxibloom all the way through.

[@bariewhite6688]

Haven’t heard why dry is better just what you like now so how informal is this really

[@mgarwatoski]

I’ve seen several videos on this product and have been tempted to try it out. All the videos I see and a lot of their info on the site is marijuana based. Is the RO/Soft water formula good for use with my greens, peppers and tomatoes? And if so is the same pH of ~6.0 a good target?

[@epicgardening]

The nutes and pH would remain the same, using RO/Soft would only be for if your water is in that EC range - if not, there are other formulations - make sense?

[@mgarwatoski]

Epic Gardening I went to our towns water quality report and they don’t list a hardness but it says that the water is “very soft” and does not require the use of a water softener.

[@Shane-zl9ry]

Have you ever tried Jack's Hydro Nutrient? or is it just for Marijuana?

[@tombryant4518]

It’s for everything. They have a whole raft of crop specific blends.

[@scottblanche6657]

After a short while my Veg+Bloom bag wouldn't reseal.Fine powder caused that even taking care.And why not give us the all important 1penny silicon packs with the expensive product ?

[@708744772]

do you sell this plant?

[@brownsugar1958ful]

I have already brought the master blend solution all I want to know is how much powder do I add with a one gallon jug

[@nervouss]

I want to buy the master blend it seems super affordable compared to the general hydro I use but I can find master blend out the usa

[@adenbuford7396]

Liquid nutes worked better for me in my experience because the dry / powdered did not dissolve well in water. I suggest Dyna-Gro. Inexpensive and effective.

[@debbiep99]

No one provides information on the amount of nutrients needed for a kratky system

[@Phoenix38m]

masterblend works great with kratky...there are videos on how to mix this formula,,,then you can scale the amount needed up or down by how many gallons of water your container holds....check out keep on growin with mike vanduzee...lots of good kratky vidz!

[@pwnedyouwithpurple]

Normal person: great vid! Very informative! Me: hehehehe. Hard and dirty. Ehehehe.

[@epicgardening]

;)

[@JesseKaufman]

hahaha glad I'm not the only one .. though it was definitely informative, too! lol

[@EngineerCatPyro]

Hey Kevin i'm currently using GH and find it time consuming to mix everything being I currently have 6 bins some 12 gallons and some 27 gallons, with more to come. Would the plants hate me if I switched them to Veg+bloom when it's time to flush them out and add new nutrients? I feel like nutrient day would go a lot quicker with the Veg+bloom but I'm worried they wont like the change. They are doing awesome on GH and I don't want to cause any issues. Also do you know how many gallons can be made with the 1lb container?

[@donniedarko7579]

Llllllll

[@HIGHGRADECHANNEL]

Bro you don’t have a full grip if you think they will evaporate first of all the gh line is not water it’s super concentrated salts solutions. Salts will climb and leave a crust on the lid but they will last longer than your powders because they will not get hard and absorb water.

[@Androbench]

Veg bloom doesn't work out much cheaper even though it's in powder form

[@northeastslingshot1664]

General Hydroponics is Monsanto-Bayer...... 🙏

[@northeastslingshot1664]

Along with Botanicaire nutrients...Gavita grow lights....and many more. Scotts....Miracle Grow....on and on.

[@epicgardening]

Yup, they're buying up everything these days...

[@kingfisher685]

I love Roundup, it just works.

[@scottloder7976]

It also works well at destroying the connective tissue in the gut leading to all sorts of things going though you gut wall and straight into you blood. Your immune system then starts attacking the foreign proteins (thinking there some sort of pathogen) leading to all sorts of chronic debilitating conditions. don,t be so naive. Monsanto should be shut down

[@alexrossouw7702]

Yeah but at least with liquid nutes I know exactly what my plants are getting to the ppm. I do make my own tho, so it doesn't get shipped anywhere.

[@Topsrite]

Top nutes GH flora series GH Maxibloom GH Floranova Technaflora Fox farms Ionic Botanicare

[@Opal.Workshop]

unfortunately when growing high value crop like cannabis you really need to tailor the nutrients for each week stage and these dry nutrients are really difficult for hobby growers to use if they're trying to be precise

[@buddahlovers]

Powered is better always

[@brandonlasvegas]

😎

[@Brandon-bm6wq]

How much $

[@djjersey1179]

Thanks everyone says you need ten things gets expensive

[@enigmab8978]

Why has everyone been shilling this particular brand of dry nute?Paid advertisement?

[@C...G...]

fyi... monsanto own general hydroponics, just thought i'd share that with you. :-)

[@epicgardening]

Yup - learned that recently! Appreciate the tip :)

[@C...G...]

@@epicgardening no worries!

[@memejeff]

oh sh...now i have to change for sure

[@C...G...]

@@memejeff you know it makes sense! :-)

[@memejeff]

@@C...G... yeah, sadly :)

[@destinyarmijo2122]

You lost me at might spill my GH 🥴 sorry but this seems very one sided.

[@BatBrakesBones]

He knows he grows cannabis too.

[@EvilGreenSyintis]

So, i see 3 water bottles and 7 dry containers.

[@thompsonj1417]

3 of those are optional and the other 4 are pick one for your growing situation.

[@Gworthyone]

Cool to see veg bloom used to work for the company in sandiego Really good products just not the best workplace management wants everyone to kiss ass Anyways love the sd rep

[@dmo848]

So it's more about what water are you using. You have to match it to the nutes. Something no one tells ya. No one. This man kinda does

[@frankielofaro4778]

why have a resealable bag inside a sealed container? seems like a waist of plastic.

[@epicgardening]

Doubly-sure there's no leakage / inhalation when you first open, etc.

[@lukeo85]

Because it turns into a clumpy pile of mush when exposed to moisture. Now that would be a waste.

[@MrOrangeTurd]

This guy is so biased in his review. You can tell who's paying him to say all these bs.

[@Actaeon2nd]

Super annoying that Veg+Bloom provides zero information on nutrient content. Is this a faith based product? How about some information, some data?

[@jeffwebber7325]

Awesome, a commercial.

[@johnroehsler6440]

This is an infomercial for sure. I'll stick with General Hydroponics. This stuff is all fluff

[@EpicFragz]

Veg/bloom products will produce comparable yields to GH without additional boosters.

[@Androbench]

Athena pro line are the best nutes

[@Farmer_26]

You should check out jacks powder vs the gh there gouging u

[@victorybeginsinthegarden]

They need to work on their packing so wasteful

[@MorganaDevina80]

I usually like your videos. But paid promotion......no!

[@anneharo001]

Liquid nutrients just flat out work better. 100%

[@RaolDuke76]

Just a small query to all green thumbs, HID,s or LED,s,?? I know, I know i hear the cannibis cops,!! LED Cheapest blah, blah,..but i still prefer my 600 MH/HPS systems,! It's what i learnt on, ain't broke don't fix et al,.. my digital adjust a watt still gives me huge results, ain't got the grm per watt ive been striving for, but at 0.75 of quality dry, cured product,! I know HID lamps are pricier, but i started with the ol skool magnetic ballasts, but the digital adjust a watt is a superior bit kit, 600 W bulbs running at 250, 400, 600 then overdrive,..660 W, where n when required, in conjunction with the Flexi wing reflector its the business,! Now with LED, HID,s are cheaper than a quarter of quality bud,!! My last 600 complete set up cost bout £60,.. Omega digital ballast, Flexi reflector, Omega 600 MH, Omega 600 HPS with light spreader/diffuser, plug n grow heavy duty timer and rope ratchets,!! What a steal, last time this was way into the £280 mark, the ballast alone was £150,