[dizzlekush]

This is a thread for users of and those curious about the products Jacks Professional Hydro 5-12-26, Peters Hydrosol 5-11-26 and all other products that are:
Product A: Potassium Nitrate, (some variety of) Potassium Phosphate, Magnesium Sulfate and a micro-nutrient package
Product B: Calcium Nitrate, which is actually almost always the hydrated double salt Calcium Ammonium Nitrate Decahydrate [5Ca(NO3)2.NH4NO3.10H2O]

These products have been gaining popularity quickly due to the unbeatable low price, ease of use, flexibility and quality results. Sharing of formulations, experiences, pictures, questions regarding how to use such products, do-it-yourselfers and the like are all more than welcome here. This thread will also attempt to delve into the nutritional requirements for optimal cannabis growth and the science behind properly meeting those requirements.

Where such products can be sourced online:

Peter's Professional Hydrosol
https://customhydronutrients.com/zenc...&cPath=1_43_40
Jack's Professional Hydro
https://www.jrpeters.com/Products/Hyd...droponics.html
Hydro-Gardens Mixes
https://www.hydro-gardens.com/51126.htm
Verti-Gro Mixes
https://vertigro.com/products/fertilizers.php


Although Hydrosol is the name of the specific product made by Scotts, I shall use the name to refer to ALL products of the same nature. One thing worth mentioning is that the Hydrosol provided by Jack's is formulated with extra MgSO4 and will NOT need epsom salts added in most situations, if water Mg levels are high a different Hydrosol (such as Peters by Scotts) should be used. Such products are most commonly used in cannabis cultivations by combining the Hydrosol:CaNO3 at a simple 3:2 (i.e.1:0.666) ratio. Your ability to tweak your formulations can improve by purchasing other pure salts to combine with your Hydrosol/CaNO3 'base' formula. One word of caution about buying pure salts is always source all salts containing P from sources that have had legitimate testing of heavy metals as a concern for ALL P sources is leftover amounts of radioactive lead and polonium. Here's where other nutrients can be sourced in their pure form (your CaNO3 can be purchased from any of these sources as well):

J.R. Peters Inc.
https://www.jrpeters.com/Products/Spe...Nutrients.html
Custom Hydro Nutrients
https://customhydronutrients.com/zenc...=index&cPath=1
Hydro-Gardens
https://www.hydro-gardens.com/fertcomp.htm

Other chemicals i personally suggest for Hydrosol/CaNO3 formulations are:
Potassium Silicate (AgSil 16H has the best K:Si ratio)
Ammonium Sulfate and/or Diammonium Phosphate (NH4 is necessary when CO2 boosting & having too significant a NO3:NH4 ratio can lead to pH issues)
Magnesium Sulfate heptahydrate
Magnesium Nitrate hexahydrate (Alternative N source for vegetative formulations, Ammonium Nitrate would be better)
Citric acid and/or Sulfuric and/or Phosophoric acid for pH down
Potassium Carbonate for pH up. (Works especially well with Phosphoric acid to buffer pH)


Tools to assist in formulating nutrient profiles:

HydroBuddy Nutrient Calculator (download only)
https://scienceinhydroponics.com/
ManicBotanix Nutrient Calculator (no download necessary)
https://www.manicbotanix.com/calculat...ution-calc.php
ManicBotanix Chemical Formula & Mole Calculator (good for quick pure salt calculations)
https://www.manicbotanix.com/calculators/molecalc.php

The HydroBuddy nutrient calculator is the most comprehensive free nutrient calculator by far with many perks that other calculators don't have. It is definitely worth downloading. If you like it, don't forget to send Daniel a donation for providing his work for free. When it comes to online calculators, the ones made by ManicBotanix are the best i've seen.

[dizzlekush]

Cannabinoid Profile and Elemental Uptake of Cannabis sativa L. as Influenced by Soil Characteristics
C.B. Coffman and W.A. Genters

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)
Lj. Starcevic

Mineral Nutrition of Cannabis sativa L.
S. Landi

Responses of Greenhouse-grown Cannabis sativa L. to Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium
C.B. Coffman and W.A. Genters

The Influence of Nutrient Supply and Plant Density on the Yield and Fibre of Hemp
Ildiko Ivanyi-Zoltan Izsaki

EFFECTS OF FERTILIZERS ON YIELDS AND BREAKING STRENGTHS OF AMERICAN HEMP, CANNABIS SATIVA
HOWARD V. JORDAN, A. L. LANG, AND GEORGE H. ENFIELD

Nutrient Uptake and Partitioning by Industrial Hemp
John Heard, Keith Watson and Jeff Kostiuk

TIME FACTOR IN UTILIZATION OF MINERAL NUTRIENTS BY HEMP
SISTER MARY ETIENNE TIBEAU

[dizzlekush]

Effect of nitrogen on tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content in hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) leaves at different positions
I. Bócsa, P. Máthé, and L. Hangyel
https://druglibrary.net/olsen/HEMP/IHA/jiha4207.html

Influence of nitrogen supply and P and K levels of the soil on dry matter and nutrient accumulation of fiber hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)
Ildiko Ivonyi1 , Zolton Izsoki1 and Hayo M. G. van der Werf
https://druglibrary.net/olsen/HEMP/IHA/jiha4209.html

Hemp Diseases and Pests: Management and Biological Control
John Michael McPartland, Robert Connell Clarke, David Paul Watson
https://books.google.com/books?id=cDC...page&q&f=false

Unknown Cannabis Tissue Analysis provided by Spurr
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showpost.ph...2&postcount=83

Advanced Nutrients Cannabis Tissue Analysis
www.growersunderground.com/PhosphorusMyth.pdf(PDF)

Changes of photosynthesis-related parameters and productivity of Cannabis sativa under different nitrogen supply
Marija Maļceva, Māra Vikmane, Veneranda Stramkale
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...6YJ8F033bSiwd Q (PDF)

Can I ask where you source 90% Phosphoric acid? Will it burn when you spill it on your fingers? Cause I always do.

I feel like these formulas have too much K for coco. Plus they are extremely high nitrate which is probably ok with RO water but might not necessarily be best for people's tap water...depending on alkalinity.

[dizzlekush]

University of Massachusetts Amherst - Greenhouse Crops and Floriculture Programs - Fact Sheets
https://extension.umass.edu/floriculture/node/56

Utah State University Crop Physiology Laboratory - Research Articles
https://www.usu.edu/cpl/research.htm

Greenhouse Grower Magazine
www.greenhousegrower.com
The Understanding Plant Nutrition Series is a particularly good group of articles
https://www.greenhousegrower.com/arti...omplete-series

Journal of the International Hemp Association
https://www.internationalhempassociat...iha/index.html

Science in Hydroponics - Article Archive
https://www.google.com/search?q=site...iw=840&bih=458

SMART! Fertilizer Management Software - Agricultural Articles
https://www.smart-fertilizer.com/articles

Tester's "Cannabis Research" Google Docs page
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0ByW...MjBhMDk4&hl=en



Scientific Journals
These can be searched very easily when using simple Google search codes. For whatever site and subject you want to seach simply type into Googles seach bar 'site:' followed by (without spaces) the website's url without the "www." then a space, and then use google as you would. For example, if you wanted to search Annals of Botany articles for stuff on Ascorbic acid you would enter into Google's search bar "site:aob.oxfordjournals.o rg ascorbic acid" (without quotations, and the space between the o and the rg that magically appears that i cant edit out)

Annals of Botany - Complete Online Archive
https://aob.oxfordjournals.org/content/by/year

Plant Physiology - Complete Online Archive
https://www.plantphysiol.org/content/by/year

Journal of Experimental Botany - Complete Online Archive
https://jxb.oxfordjournals.org/content/by/year

Journal of Integrative Plant Biology - Complete Online Archive
https://www.jipb.net/Archive.aspx

Molecular Plant - Complete Online Archive
https://mplant.oxfordjournals.org/content/by/year

The Plant Cell - Complete Online Archive
https://www.plantcell.org/content/by/year

[BongRipkenJR.]

Isn't Scotts owned by Monsanto?

[dizzlekush]

Originally Posted by YosemiteSam

Can I ask where you source 90% Phosphoric acid? Will it burn when you spill it on your fingers? Cause I always do.

I feel like these formulas have too much K for coco. Plus they are extremely high nitrate which is probably ok with RO water but might not necessarily be best for people's tap water...depending on alkalinity.

Thanks for pointing that out. Its 75% phosphoric acid which is available at Hydro Gardens, but i got mine as a free 4L of Advanced Nutrients pH down, which is 75% phosphoric acid as well. No actual burn but it does dissolve the outer layer of dead skin giving that extra wet/slimy feeling that usually only comes from alkali products (e.g. bleach).

I personally don't like coco due to insufficient CEC and AEC, not being a truly inert medium (e.g. heavy Ca affinity, often needs Na leaching), and whenever i do comparison grows with peat, the peat always outyields the coco with fewer waterings. But yes i would agree that it is a little heavy in the K for coco growers.

Originally Posted by BongRipkenJR.

Isn't Scotts owned by Monsanto?

AFAIK Scotts is still its own entity not owned by Monsanto but the 2 companies do collaborate together heavily. Dont really see the relevance to this thread.

[high life 45]

I am excited to start using Jacks, I have ran into nothing but positive feedback from those who use it. Great thread!

Fwiw.. IMO ... monsanto = agricultural nazis.

Any company that works closely with them does not need the support of the cannabis community.

Thanks for the heads up on the possibility of heavy metals in P.

[dizzlekush]

[The below article is a copy/paste mash-up of the 2 articles "Water Quality for Crop Production" provided by University of Massachusetts Amherst and "Understanding Plant Nutrition: Irrigation Water Alkalinity & pH" by Bill Argo and Paul Fisher that have been edited and composited by myself for fluidity and your convenience. Bolds and text within [] have been added by myself.]

Water quality is a key factor affecting pH and nutritional management in container-grown crops. Understanding a few technical details about water quality will help you improve nutrient management appropriate for your own greenhouse. Among the most important are alkalinity, pH and soluble salts. But there are several other factors to consider, such as whether hard water salts such as calcium and magnesium or heavy metals that can clog irrigation systems or individual toxic ions are present. In order to determine this, water must be tested at a laboratory that is equipped to test water for irrigation purposes.

Poor quality water can be responsible for slow growth, poor aesthetic quality of the crop and, in some cases, can result in the gradual death of the plants. High soluble salts can directly injure roots, interfering with water and nutrient uptake. Salts can accumulate in plant leaf margins, causing burning of the edges. Water with high alkalinity can adversely affect the pH of the growing medium, interfering with nutrient uptake and causing nutrient deficiencies which reduce plant health.

[pH and Alkalinity]
The term pH is a direct measurement of the balance between acidic hydrogen ions (H+) and basic hydroxide ions (OH-), and can be measured with a pH meter. The pH of a solution can range between 0 (very acidic) and 14 (very basic). At a pH of 7.0, the concentrations of H+ and OH- are equal, and the solution is said to be neutral. When the pH is above 7.0, the concentration of OH- is higher than H+, and the solution is said to be basic or alkaline (not to be confused with alkalinity). When the solution is below 7.0, the concentration of H+ is higher than OH-, and the solution is said to be acidic.

Alkalinity is a measure[ment] of the water's ability to neutralize acidity. An alkalinity test measures the level of bicarbonates, carbonates, [sulfides] and hydroxides in water from the geologic materials of the aquifer from which the water is drawn, such as limestone and dolomite. In a water sample, the concentration of all of the ions that make up the alkalinity term are combined and reported as equivalents of calcium carbonate, CaCO3, which is the main component of lime. The concentration of alkalinity (or any other plant nutrient) can be expressed a number of different ways:

1) Parts per million (ppm or mg/liter): A weight per weight ratio. One part per million is equivalent to one unit of something dissolved in a million units of something else. In the case of anything dissolved in water, 1 ppm is equal to 1 mg/liter. Levels between 30 and 60 ppm are considered optimum for most plants.
2) Milliequivalent (mEq/liter): A chemistry term that is not only dependent on a materials concentration, but also on its molecular weight and charge. In the case of alkalinity, 50 ppm (or mg/liter) CaCO3 equals 1 mEq/liter CaCO3. Sometimes, the concentration of bicarbonates is also reported on a water test from a commercial laboratory. In most cases, bicarbonate makes up most of the alkalinity. The relationship is 61 ppm bicarbonate equals 1 mEq total alkalinity.

When it comes to managing the pH of a substrate, the alkalinity concentration has a much greater effect than does water pH. Alkalinity (calcium bicarbonate, magnesium bicarbonate and sodium bicarbonate) and limestone (calcium and magnesium carbonate) react similarly to limestone when added to a container media. And just like too much limestone, the use of irrigation water containing high levels of alkalinity can cause the pH of the substrate to increase above acceptable levels for healthy plant growth.

To compare the effect of water pH or alkalinity on the ability to raise pH (or neutralize acid) in a medium, 50 ppm alkalinity (which is a low alkalinity) would be similar to having a water with pH 11 (i.e. an extremely high pH). A water with a pH of 8.0 would have the same effect on substrate pH as an alkalinity concentration of only 0.05 ppm (i.e., almost nothing). Don’t ignore water pH, though. Water pH is still important for crop management because it affects the solubility of fertilizers and the efficacy of insecticides and fungicides before you apply it to the crop. Generally, the higher the water pH, the lower the solubility of these materials.

The common problems associated with high alkalinity result from its tendency to increase media pH. Since the solubility of micronutrients (particularly iron) decreases as media pH increases, the use of high alkalinity water often results in micronutrient deficiency in the crop. The most common method for minimizing the "liming effect" of high alkalinity is to neutralize it by adding a strong mineral acid (usually sulfuric acid or phosphoric acid) directly to the irrigation water. The acid causes the water pH to decrease, which neutralizes some of the alkalinity. All of the alkalinity has been neutralized when the pH of the water reaches 4.5. For more specific recommendations on how much acid is needed to neutralize a specific amount of alkalinity, you can download the "Acid Addition Calculator" from Purdue University and North Carolina State University at www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/floriculture/software/alk.html.

Another option for alkalinity control is to use acidic fertilizers. Fertilizers high in ammoniacal nitrogen produce an acidic reaction when added to a container media, which can be used to neutralize the liming effect of water alkalinity. There are several drawbacks to using fertilizer for alkalinity control. Fertilizers high in ammoniacal nitrogen may cause excessive growth and are not effective when the temperature of the substrate is less than 60˚F. In addition, you lose flexibility because you can only choose commercial fertilizers based on ammonium content. For example, fertilizers that contain more than 40 percent ammoniacal nitrogen do not contain calcium or other key nutrients.

Not everybody has irrigation water with high alkalinity. Even in areas where high alkalinity is considered normal, some growers have switched to low alkalinity sources such as reverse osmosis purified water or rain water. The primary problem associated with low alkalinity water is a tendency for substrate pH to drop over time, which can cause micronutrient toxicity problems. Low media pH problems are often a result of fertilizer selection. Fertilizers high in ammoniacal nitrogen are acidic, and without any alkalinity in the water to balance the reaction (resist lowering of pH), acidic fertilizers will tend to drive the substrate pH down over time.

Understanding a few technical details about water alkalinity can help you improve pH management. However, irrigation water can affect plant nutrition in more ways than just media pH.

[Dissolved Solids Content]
Soluble salts in water are measured by electrical conductivity (ECw) expressed as millimhos per centimeter (mmhos/cm), which is equivalent to milliSiemens per centimeter (mS/cm). Electrical conductivity is also referred to as specific conductance or salinity.

EC (electrical conductivity) measures the levels of natural salinity and salinity caused by fertilizer residues in water and soils. [For most municipal sources] high EC water is not a common problem. However, high EC may occur in water from containment ponds rich in fertilizer residues, certain wastewaters used for irrigation, water contaminated by road salt, and rarely from saltwater intrusion in coastal wells. Irrigation water to which water-soluble fertilizer has been added has an EC of about 1.5-2.5 mS/cm, so, to avoid plant injury, the untreated water should have an EC no higher than the acceptable range of 0-1.5 mS/cm, although values of less than 1 are recommended for plugs. Excess soluble salts impair root function, which can lead to reduced water uptake and nutrient deficiencies.

Hardness is an indication of the amount of calcium and magnesium in the water. Calcium and Magnesium are essential elements for plant growth that are reported in parts of element per million parts water (ppm) on a weight basis.

Irrigation water from rivers, streams, private wells, [some municipal sources] and private ponds may contain excess sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl).

[Sodium:] High sodium acts to inhibit plant uptake of calcium, and may result in excess leaching of calcium and magnesium from the media. There is also the possibility of foliar absorption of sodium, resulting in leaf burn. Sodium levels of about 50 ppm or less are considered acceptable for overhead irrigation. Because of its effects on calcium and magnesium availability, the amount of sodium in irrigation water should be evaluated when you consider whether you have adequate calcium and magnesium. The effect of sodium is calculated as the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR). If the SAR is less than 2 and sodium is less than 40 ppm, then sodium should not limit calcium and magnesium availability

Chloride: Wells and municipal water sources may contain high chloride levels in association with sodium. The concern with chloride is the possibility of excessive foliar absorption under overhead irrigation or leaf edge burn caused by excessive root uptake in sensitive plants. If concentrations are less than about 100 ppm, there is no concern from excessive foliar absorption. If concentrations are less than about 150 ppm, there is no concern about toxicity resulting from root uptake.

Acceptable levels of Na and Cl for ornamentals are less than 50 ppm and 140 ppm, respectively, however higher levels may be tolerated depending on crop sensitivity. Na and Cl can be directly toxic to plants, may contribute to raising the soluble salts (EC) level of the growing medium, or may inhibit water uptake by plants. Plant problems include injury from excess soluble salts, growth reduction, and increased susceptibility to disease. Foliar chlorosis caused by high Na and Cl is similar in appearance to that caused by deficiencies of nitrogen, iron, and magnesium. Increasing the level or frequency of water-soluble fertilizer should not be used as a corrective measure for this problem.

Sulfate: Sulfur is an essential element for plant growth [that is often found in significant amounts in irrigation water]

Excess iron and manganese compounds may result in unsightly residues on foliage under overhead irrigation. Fluoride may be present in levels high enough to damage foliage plants and Easter lilies. Concentrations in irrigation water should be less than 0.75 ppm. There may be a problem with the use of some fluoride-treated municipal water supplies.

[Correcting Water Quality Issues]
There are three major categories of water quality problems that can be corrected by chemical or physical treatment systems.

1) Alkalinity can be neutralized by addition of acids described in the alkalinity section.
2) Total dissolved solids, the soluble salts measured together as EC and individually in ppm of the element, can be removed by several water purification systems.
3) Individual elements can be removed from the water if total dissolved solids are not high enough to warrant total salts removal.

Before investing in any treatment system, however, it may be advisable to investigate the possibility of switching to an alternate water source, or mixing water sources, if it is an economical alternative for solving a water quality problem. Water purification methods and their applications are summarized in [the attachment below]

[dizzlekush]

The terms 'electrical conductivity' and 'parts-per-million' are often used almost interchangeably when expressing the solute content of water in cannabis cultivation. However when properly used the terms are actually measuring different aspects of the solutes in the water.


Parts-Per-Million is quite literally as it sounds, one unit out of one million units. To understand how ppm is PROPERLY used in horticulture lets just brush up on our metric system really quick.

g= gram, mg= milligram, kg= kilogram, L= liter, ml= milliliter
milli= one thousandth (1/1000), kilo= one thousand (1000)

There are 1000ml in a L
There are 1000g in a kg
There are 1000mg in a g
So there are one million mg in a kg (1000 x 1000 = 1,000,000)

One liter of pure water weighs exactly one kilogram (i.e. 1000g or 1,000,000mg)

Since a liter is exactly 1,000,000mg, and ppm is 1 out of 1,000,000 units, PPM is defined as mg/L in horticulture. The only time when this is not true is when the specific gravity (SG) of your solution changes. This is almost never of significance in horticulture unless formulating your own concentrated liquid nutrients or using chemicals that must be dissolved in solvents that have different SG than water. PPM should only be used when expressing the content of individual solutes when the proper math or nutrient calculator has been used to find the solutes content as mg/L.


Electrical Conductivity (EC or ECw) is a measurement of electrical conductance and admittance of a solution, which is given to the solution by the soluble salt content of the solution. EC is mathematically defined as millimhos per centimeter (mmhos/cm), or milliSiemens per centimeter (mS/cm), both having equal value. EC should be used when expressing the total soluble salt content of your water as measured by an EC meter. However there are limitations to the accuracy of EC (other than quality of meter). Below is an excerpt from an article by the maker of the HydroBuddy calculator that explains the limitations of EC.

FAQ- Electrical Conductivity in Hydroponics
Daniel Fernandez

Salts increase conductivity but each different ion present inside the solution has a different specific conductivity (they contribute differently to the overall EC) so you could in fact be deceived because you could just have a small amount of an ion that conducts a lot or too much of an ion with a small conductivity. Of paramount importance are the ions that determine pH which have conductivities hundreds of times larger than other ions.

Given the above mentioned conditions, EC should always be measured at a constant pH. An EC measured at pH 5 and an EC measured at a pH of 7 will be completely different given that the ions which determine pH have a very large effect on the EC value. Another important fact is that the conductimeter should be calibrated using a solution of known conductivity. If it is not, comparison between measurements can be meaningless.

The attachment below shows the different electrical conductivity values of different chemicals once dissolved into solution.