How to use nano.10⁻⁹

Undertaking any new hobby can be daunting, especially with the abundance of available information, made even harder with the amount of misinformation on the internet to confuse you.

Using nano.10⁻⁹ will allow you to make some errors without the plant punishing you, like it can with traditional salt based nutrients.

If you are just starting to learn, stick to our grow charts for the feed schedule and if you have any questions, it’s often best to ask someone who can help you with your specific question, rather than searching around to come across your question answered in ten different ways. Use our instant messaging tool located in the bottom right of the website and ask a nano specialist your questions. If they are not available, leave an email address and they will get back to you ASAP.

The rest of this blog goes into much more detail about dosage rates and how to adjust pH, EC and background water types for growers with some experience.

Have you grown plants before?

Using nano.10⁻⁹ is more manageable and requires less work than traditional nutrients because you we can combine certain ingredients into one bottle. We recommend keeping the pH between 5.5 and 6.2.

However, if the pH does drift outside of these values, there will be a reduced risk of a nutrient deficiency because nanoparticles aren’t pH-dependent for uptake (They can be up-taken across a much broader pH range).

Stick to our grow guide EC level

This grow guide blog will help show when to use our products and the concentrations to use at different stages of growth.

We suggest sticking to our grow guide EC level(4) to ensure the plant gets the optimal nutrition for its growth stage. However, being above or below the suggested EC level will have a less detrimental impact than traditional nutrients. This is due to our nanoparticles not adding to the EC value of water, reducing potential nutrient burn.

Using the nano.10⁻⁹ range at various growth stages

We will go into detail below on why you should use these products at the various growth stages.

How to use coco and hydro base⁺

Used throughout all growth and flowering stages, coco and hydro base+ are the primary sources of food throughout a plant’s lifecycle when growing in a coco medium or a hydroponics system.

It contains the optimal NPK(6) values, secondary macronutrients(7) in nano form and a complete micronutrients(8) package, supplying everything a plant needs from start to finish.

During the early stages of growth, keeping the nutrient concentration low allows better root development. The recommended dilution rate is 1ml of A and 1ml of B per 1 Litre to give an estimated EC value of 0.6-0.8 (The EC level depends on your background EC(9)). nano.10⁻⁹ is designed for growers with a background EC of between 0.2-0.4.

If your background EC is lower than 0.2 (soft water), it can be beneficial to add calcium and magnesium to your water tank first, which buffers(10) the water and helps prevent big pH swings.

Sometimes, the background EC can be above 0.4 (hard water). In these cases, it is beneficial to add RO (reverse osmosis) water in the reservoir, reducing the background EC to below 0.4.

As growth continues and plants get bigger, we recommend increasing the food to 1.5ml of A and 1.5ml of B per 1 litre of water, giving an estimated EC value of 0.8 - 1.2.

Following the grow guide, you can see we suggest increasing the dosage of coco base+ incrementally every week until week three of flowering. We keep the dosage at 4ml of A and 4ml of B per litre of water from week three to week six. The dosage then reduces to 3ml of A and 3ml of B per litre in week 7 of flower and finally 2ml of A and 2ml of B in the final week of flowering.

It’s important to note that our feed schedule is just a guide to help point you in the right direction. Growers will need to adjust this based on specific strains, environments and type of lighting used (HPS, LED or sunlight) to get the best results possible.

How to use root⁺

Containing seaweed extracts, nanoparticle macronutrients and silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles, nano.10⁻⁹ developed the world’s first root stimulator that contains highly available silica. The root promoting compounds in root⁺ build solid and healthy root growth, while the silica strengthens the plant structure, increasing resistance to pests and disease.

Use at 1ml per litre of water from the first appearance of root growth until the end of week five in flower alongside coco or hydro base+. We remove root⁺ at week five to focus the plant’s energy on fruit and flower formation.

How to use flower start⁺

To assist plants in the transition from vegetative to generative(11) growth, flower start⁺ is the perfect additive to use alongside coco/hydro base⁺ and root⁺.

Added to the nutrient tank at 1ml per litre in the last week of veg growth and the first two weeks of flowering, it will relieve plant stress as they produce new hormones and generate flowering sites for fruit production.

How to use flower boost⁺

Supplies additional nutrients needed during the flowering period, increases plant energy and promotes vigorous fruit production. Flower boost⁺ is a must have additive to get the absolute best yield from your plants.

Add it to your nutrient reservoir at the start of week three during the flowering period with an initial dosage of 1ml per litre. At weeks five and six, increase the dosage to 1.5ml per litre and then reduce back to 1ml per litre in weeks seven and eight of flowering.

The dosage of flower boost⁺ is increased at weeks five and six to allow the plant easy access to nutrients when needed (The most rapid stage of flower development). If your plants don’t look happy or healthy due to environmental reasons, do not increase the dosage of flower boost⁺ as the plant won’t metabolise it. For example, if your temperatures are exceptionally high (above 32 degrees C).

How to use finisher⁺

Used during the final stage of a plant’s life, finisher⁺ will ripen the flowers to full maturity, flush the medium of any excess salts and finish a plant to perfection. Using three different types of sulphur, we ensure the plant has access to the nutrients needed to enhance the flavour and increase terpene production.

finisher⁺ should be used at the very end of flowering at 1ml per litre of water for a minimum of ten days. For example, during an eight-week flowering period, you would start to use finisher⁺ at week nine for ten days. This minimum period ensures that the end product has reached full maturity and is ready for harvesting.

nano.10⁻⁹ top tip

To keep your nutrient solution well mixed, use a dedicated water mover at the top of the reservoir pointed towards the bottom. These are designed to run 24 hours a day and will not interfere with the nutrient mix. Only use an aeration stone sparingly, as this can negatively affect the pH and stability of your nutrient reservoir.

Thank you for reading our November blog on how to use nano.10⁻⁹ nutrients. If you would like to learn more, check out our Instagram page @nanonutrients.

Glossary

(2) Nutrient burn - Excess nutrient uptake causing brown (necrotic) growth at the leaf tips

(3) pH - The potential Hydrogen of your solution. This measures the acidity or alkalinity of water.

(4) EC level - Electrical conductivity. This measures how conductive the water is, which is represented as a number. The higher the number, the more nutrient salts have been added.

(5) Wilting - The visual effect of high temperatures, excess water loss or disease, shown as a limpness of the leaf or plant.

(6) NPK - The chemical element symbols for Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K).

(7) Secondary macronutrients - These are Calcium, Magnesium and Sulphur

(8) Micronutrients - These are Boron, Chlorine, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum and Zinc.

(9) Background EC - The EC value that comes straight from a main water source

(10) Buffers - A buffer is a solution that can resist pH change upon the addition of an acidic or alkaline components (Your pH remains stable when adding nutrients)

(11) Generative growth - Flowering and fruiting growth