The Best Hydroponic Nutrients

UPDATED: Mar 03, 2020.

Plants need nutrients just like people require food to grow and survive. But when developing hydroponically, they can’t actively absorb nutrients themselves – you need to provide them.

This is where the best hydroponic nutrients come in handy. However, there are hundreds of these nutrients out there marking hard to choose the best.

But fret not more. In this post, we will help you to choose the top nutrients for your plants. With this guide, you can rest assured that you will have the best brands and types of nutrients to suit all your hydroponic needs.

At a Glance: Our Top Choices for Best Hydroponic Nutrients that Feature in This Guide:

• General Hydroponics Flora Grow Fertilizer (Top Pick)
• General Hydroponics MaxiGro for Gardening (Top Rated)
• Advanced Nutrients Bloom, Micro and Grow (Editor Choice)
• General Hydroponics General Organics Go Box
• General Hydroponics pH Control Kit
• General Hydroponics FloraGro
• General Hydroponics MaxiBloom for Gardening
• 5GallonBucketHydro Tomato Hydroponic Nutrients
• Fox Fam Liquid Fertilizer Nutrient Trio Hydro-Formula
• General Hydroponics 718125 Flora Micro

Reviews of Top 10 Hydroponic Nutrients for 2020

After hours and days of research, we came up with the top 10 hydroponic nutrients that will do the job.

1. General Hydroponics Flora Grow, Bloom Micro Combo Fertilizer Set (Pack of 3, 1 Quart)

General Hydroponics is a reputable brand that has produced hydroponic products for many years, and the Flora line is just one of its most popular products. This package features three bottles, namely, the Micro, Bloom, and Grow.

You might be wondering why the three pack? The reason is different plants and different growth stage requires different micronutrients and macronutrients at various nutrient ratios.

Although you can use a single bottle for the entire growth phase, it is better to mix the three in order to enjoy the perfect results from your plants. And note that the work of every nutrient is clearly shown on the bottle.

To make it easier, simply mix the three bottles so as to fit every plant and its development stage. What’s more, this package is recommended for beginners who have no idea of how these nutrients work.

With this package, you don’t need to buy additional nutrients to supplement your plants and is ideal for strawberries.

2. General Hydroponics MaxiGro for Gardening (2.2 Pounds)

If you could take a guess and say that powder products are the most economical nutrients, you could be right.  This is because they don’t contain water that adds to their weight, making them heavier to carry.

This model comes from General Hydroponics, a company that people like for producing powdered nutrients. Again, you can easily choose the one-part MaxiGro and use it to grow your plants from the word go till they have matured.

However, we would recommend you to get the 2 parts of the nutrients for the optimum growth of your plants. One thing you should note, you shouldn’t premix the two parts – simply place them into your reservoir, stir them, and then you are good.

The package provides a wide variety of nutrients that are required by your plants in all soil-based, soil, or hydroponic growing conditions. You can easily use the nutrients for cutting and seedlings and also stimulate rapid growth via the vegetative growth stage.

3. Advanced Nutrients Bloom, Micro, and Grow (1 Liter Each, Pack of 3)

This Advanced Nutrients combination pack has been rated highly by most uses since it’s an effective package. Actually, these nutrients are quite effective in plant growth.

When you buy them, you receive 3 parts solutions in a single package. The pack features one-liter bottles of Micronutrients, Grow, and Bloom. The three combined provide a lush look and strong growth of hydroponic plants.

And don’t worry about the pH since these nutrients feature carrier molecules that encourage your plants to consume the optimum amount of nutrients. In addition, more nutrients taken by your plants mean better growth and thus better harvest.

The package balance-free pH tech will continue to work to ensure that the pH is ideal for all your plants. Moreover, Advanced Nutrients claims that it’s just one of the few companies that produce these kinds of nutrients.

What’s more, your plants will consume everything since these nutrients have powerful nonionic surfactant and fulvic aci.

4. General Hydroponics GH5100 General Organics Go Box

If you are a person who prefers to grow plants the natural way and in the soil, then you need to check out this product from General Hydroponics. The package is superb for soil and comes with everything your plants will need to develop and grow healthy.

If you want an all-in-one solution, then you won’t be disappointed with the Organic Go package.  It is premium biological plant supplements and foods that will only add strength to your plant and make them mature faster.

The package features 16 oz. Bio thrives grow as well as bloom fertilizers and 8 oz. samples of all go liquid supplements. These samples include bio weed, bio marine, diamond black, bio bud, bio root, and camg.

That’s mean that you get everything you will require to grow pot in soil effectively. It is actually very effective during the vegetative stage since it encourages optimal root development and growth.

5. General Hydroponics pH Control Kit

The General Hydroponics pH Control Kit was designed to work effectively in the hydroponic setting. Hence, it works well in both soil grown and soil-less mixtures plants without any problem.

The packages include a pH Test Indictor tube that you can easily use to test the pH of your hydroponic garden. To test, simply fill the tube with nutrients (halfway), add 2 or 3 drops of pH Test Indictor, and note the color of the liquid in the vial.

Moreover, the package comes with an 8 oz. bottle of pH Up which you can use to restore the pH to the ideal level. It also features an 8 oz. bottle of pH down which features food grade phosphoric acid for reducing the pH level to the normal level.

For the optimum results, discard and replace the solution regularly. And also note that the solution is quite affordable and will last you for a while before you need to hit the market to get a fresh one.

6. General Hydroponics FloraGro (1 Quart)

FloraGro 1 Quart stimulates the structure of your plants as well as their vegetative growth.  It is able to build strong roots and provides potassium, phosphorous, nitrogen, and secondary minerals.

Actually, these are the original building-block minerals and nutrients of plants, which are often imitated but not duplicated.  This package features complete primary, secondary, as well as micro nutrients for improved yields and quality crop.

You can easily adjust the mixtures to suit your specific needs. That’s a plus since most nutrients come with specific instructions that cannot be changed. Tis package improves flavor, aroma, nutrition, essential oils, and potency in both soils cultivated and hydroponic plants.

The series also features highly purified concentrates for optimum solubility and is pH-balanced to provide you with an easy time when using it. And the product comes from a leader in this industry, who is known for conducting thorough research.

Hence, you can be assured that you have a product that is effective and reliable.

7. General Hydroponics MaxiBloom for Gardening (2.2 Pounds)

We saw what the MaxiGro can do for your hydroponic plants and now we have the MaxiBloom. It still comes in a 2.2 pounds packet that is sufficient to provide nutrients to all your plants.

Still, just like the MaxiGro, the MaxiBloom is a stand-alone, water-soluble, nutrient that is dry concentrated. It offers better results when used with a wide number of crops in all soil-based, soil, or hydroponic growing environments.

You can use this product to encourage the growth of cuttings and seedlings and even stimulate fast growth via the vegetative stage. The product also comes in the right quantities to ensure that your plants get the ideal amount of nutrients they require.

And since it is just a single pack, you should expect it to be affordable than when you purchase 2 or 3 packs. So, ensure that you provide the bloom your plants require with the MaxiBloom nutrient.

8. 5GallonBucketHydro Tomato Hydroponic Nutrients (2 Pounds)

This is a complete nutrient formula for tomatoes and contains all the 5 macro nutrients that your plants require. These are N, P, K, mg, and Ca. It also features 6 additional micro nutrients that ensure your plants get balanced nutrients.

Quite affordable, the packages include 2 pounds of powder that you can mix with water to get 128 gallons of nutrients. Note that this is one of the easiest products that you will ever mix without encountering any problem.

Being non-liquid, it means that you won’t pay for packaging, handling, or even shipping associated with these kinds of nutrients. The product also provides you with an easy time when using it.  Literally, you only require 3 five-gallon buckets as well as measuring cup.

And since it comes in a transparent package, you can easily see what the package contains.  No mirrors or smoke. Hence, you can be sure that you have safe nutrients that will promote the growth of your tomatoes.

9. Fox Fam FX14050 Big Bloom, Grow Big, and Tiger Bloom Liquid Fertilizer Nutrient Trio Hydro-Formula

Start with the effective Grow Big Hydro to get abundant green growth of all your plants. Then swiftly move to the Tiger Bloom when you first spot a bud or when your plants start to produce flowers.

Finally, move to the Big Bloom during the growing stage to heal root systems and even boost nutrient intake. That is how simple it’s to apply the FX14050 from Fox Fam.

The product is perfect for mature, late season fruit or flowers and also works toward providing the optimum results. It also comes in a simple 3-pack that is well labeled to ensure that you differentiate the three packs and know which one to apply and when to apply.

Unlike most products out there, this is an affordable package that will offer value for your money. In fact, you won’t feel a pinch when you get these nutrients.

10. General Hydroponics 718125 Flora Micro (1 Gallon)

The General Hydroponics 718125 Flora Micro is a great product for all media. Hence, you can use it in your hydroponic setting or in soil-based plant growth. It is a booster formula that will help your plants to grow the right way and offer abundance harvest.

What more, you can use this package with Micro and FloGro to ensure that your plants get all they nutrients they need.  It also comes in a large bottle that is economical since a little goes a long way in your garden.

The product is able to provide all the building-blocks of your plants since it provides N, K, Ca, and a trace of other elements. This is the product that will make your plants to develop in the right way.

Tips for Choosing Hydroponic Nutrients

The only way you can know “what are the best hydroponic nutrients” is to know what you really need. Hence, you need to choose these nutrients according to your needs and what your plants require (what are you comfortable working with?).

Note that some plants will need more nitrogen, phosphor, calcium, and other minerals. Thus do thorough research about your plants and then find out the nutrients available in the products you want to buy.

One thing you should remember is that there will be variation in the nutrients needs between crops and while they might be small, ensure that you provide your plants with the right nutrients.

So, know how much nutrients you plants have and then determine how much more nutrients they need.

Hydroponic Nutrients FAQs

Q: Which is better: powdered or liquid nutrients?

A: There are two types of nutrients: liquid and powdered. Nutrients such as calcium and nitrogen come in powdered forms that are easy to mix.  Liquid nutrients were also once powders but are combined with water and surfactants so that they can get easily to your plant.  In terms of transportation, powdered nutrients have an edge but when it comes to intake, liquid forms are better.

Q: Is it possible for plants to grow without soil?

A: Yes. This is one of the frequent questions on hydroponics. The soil contains nutrients and water to sustain the plants and supports the roots. On the other hand, hydroponic nutrients contain all the nutrients that are available in the soil and even extra supplements. The roots are suspended on the hydroponic nutrient solutions, and surprisingly, they flourish even more than in the soil.

Q: Are the hydroponic nutrients more effective than the soil?

A: This is a subject for debate. But both are perfect if well utilized. However, with the hydroponic nutrients, you can easily have control over the plant’s environment.

Q: Can I use hydroponics together with the soil?

A: Yes. Hydroponic nutrients do not affect the soil, but if used in excess it may kill the plant due to excessive nutrients. There are some hydroponic fertilizers with regulated supplements although they are costly.

Q: How much do the nutrients cost?

A: This depends on the product’s manufacturer and nutrients in place. You can get the nutrients from as low as $15.

Final Verdict

No matter which nutrient you buy: powdered or liquid, always ensure that you get the best hydroponic nutrients for your plants. Follow our guide and you will have an easier time choose the type that will work for your plants.