Month: June 2022

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Why Growers Should Read the Guaranteed Analysis on Fertilizer

Plants absorb a wide variety of elements throughout their lifecycle. In total, there are 16 essential nutrients that plants need to maintain healthy patterns of growth. If you’re new to cultivation, choosing a nutrient product for your garden can be a challenging task. However, understanding the contents of fertilizer can help influence purchasing decisions. For example, inspecting the guaranteed analysis can be a great way to determine whether or not a nutrient product would be beneficial in your garden. Read the passages below to learn how to read the guaranteed analysis on fertilizer. But first, read the section below titled, “General Nutrient Considerations”, to learn about the elements that are required to keep plants happy and healthy. 

General Nutrient Considerations

Plants in any environment need a vast array of elements to maintain periods of vigorous growth. In total, there are 16 essential elements necessary for healthy and deficient-free plant growth. These elements are separated into three categories called, macro, secondary, and micronutrients, and are typically combined at an adequate rate within liquid, powdered, or granular nutrient supplements. However, growers must be aware of the combination of elements within fertilizers – inspecting the guaranteed analysis can assist in fine-tuning a cultivator’s approach to fertilization. 

What is a Guaranteed Analysis?

Law requires that fertilizer manufacturers display the contents of liquid, powder, and granular fertilizers on the back of containers in the guaranteed analysis section. This basic label describes the percentage of macro (primary), secondary, and micronutrients in each formula. So, if you’re interested in learning more about the importance of reading the guaranteed analysis, follow the sections below for more information.

Important Terms:

  • Micronutrients: Trace elements required in very small amounts. Includes iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), boron (B), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), sodium (Na), cobalt (Co), silicon (Si), and nickel (Ni). 
  • Secondary Nutrients: Calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S). 
  • Macronutrients: Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Important elements needed in the highest concentrations. Listed as the three numbers on the front of fertilizer containers- also referred to as N-P-K.

Why Read the Guaranteed Analysis?

Growers can reference the guaranteed analysis on the back of fertilizer containers to fine-tune nutrient enrichment and safeguard against nutrient toxicity and deficiencies. More than that, cultivators can inspect the different types of elements used in nutrient formulas to ensure they meet specific standards of quality. 

Reading the Guaranteed Analysis Examples:

Example #1: Cover Your Bases 

Before purchasing fertilizer, cultivators can reference the guaranteed analysis to ensure their plants are getting the necessary macro, secondary, and micronutrients to maintain healthy patterns of growth. Follow the example below to learn how to cover your bases!

Reference the guaranteed analysis on the back of fertilizer to ensure your plants are getting the nutrients they need to remain healthy and happy. Take GreenPlanet’s 3-Part for example.

If we examine the guaranteed analysis on the back of GP3 Micro, Grow, and Bloom, we can evidence all the essential elements needed for aggressive vegetative and flowering growth. 

GP3 Micro, for instance, contains an aggressive amount of the primary macronutrient nitrogen (N), as well as a long list of trace elements like iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), boron (B), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and cobalt (Co). The nitrogen and micronutrient component of GP3 compliments the other two parts of the program beautifully. For example, GP3 Grow contains essential secondary nutrients such as magnesium (Mg) and sulfur (S), while GP3 Bloom is packed with highly concentrated sources of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). The combination of these products gives plants a wide variety of micro, secondary and macro elements to uptake during periods of growth and bloom. 

Click here to view GP3 Micro Guaranteed Analysis

Click here to view GP3 Grow Guaranteed Analysis

Click here to view GP3 Bloom Guaranteed Analysis

Example #2: Select Specific Elements

Growers might reference the back of fertilizer to select elements needed in specific stages of growth. Read the passages below to learn how reading the guaranteed analysis will help you pick and choose what nutrients your plants absorb.  

Growers might reference the back of fertilizer to select elements needed in specific stages of growth. Read the passages below to learn how reading the guaranteed analysis will help you pick and choose what nutrients your plants absorb.  

If your plants are experiencing a nutrient deficiency, the guaranteed analysis can be inspected for evidence of an element that might quickly remedy the issue. A calcium magnesium deficiency is a common problem in the garden.

Luckily, calcium and magnesium are major components in GreenPlanet’s Pro-Cal. So, if you happen to notice the development of a calcium or magnesium deficiency in your plants, growers can reference and incorporate Pro Cal into their feeding program to rid plants of nutrient deficiencies.

Click here to view Pro Cal Guaranteed Analysis

Example #3: Quality Controlled Ingredients

Not all ingredients are created equal. So, if you’re on the hunt for the best raw ingredients, reference the guaranteed analysis and read the “derived from” section. Read the passages below to learn more about the benefits of inspecting the source of elements in nutrient formulations. 

GreenPlanet formulates its nutrients with the cleanest raw ingredients. Let’s take Hydro Fuel Grow A&B as an example. At the bottom of the guaranteed analysis, you’ll notice a list titled “derived from”. While the guaranteed analysis describes the percentage of elements contained within the formulation, the “derived from” section describes the source of the element. This is important for a few reasons. First, some elements, like calcium, have different grades that range in quality and solubility. Calcium carbonate, for example, is generally regarded as a low-quality source of calcium because of its insoluble nature. Hydro Fuel contains no carbonates, bi-carbonates, unnaturally derivatives, or fillers. However, it’s always a good idea to quality assure the ingredients you’re feeding your plants by inspecting the guaranteed analysis. 

Click here to view Hydro Fuel Grow A Guaranteed Analysis

Click here to view Hydro Fuel Grow B Guaranteed Analysis

Second, some nutrient manufacturers, like GreenPlanet, include multiple sources of high-quality ingredients. For example, Hydro Fuel Grow (A) contains three unique sources of chelated iron (Iron EDTA, Iron EDDHA, Iron DTPA). Not all brands include multiple sources of chelated metals. So, before committing to a fertilizer, refer to the guaranteed analysis to quality assure the ingredients going into your garden.  

Whatever your style of garden, chances are, GreenPlanet Nutrients has the perfect base nutrient program. To access the programs available at GreenPlanet Nutrients, contact a member of the GreenPlanet sales team, or your local garden supply store for product information and purchasing inquiries. 

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What’s the Difference Between Our Base, Additive and Maintenance Products?

Whatever you grow, chances are, GreenPlanet Nutrients has the ideal nutrient system to support your crop. However, selecting a fertilizer can often be a difficult task. So, to help educate and encourage our clients, we’ve organized our catalogue of products into three sections: base nutrients, additives, and maintenance products. To learn more about the products offered at GreenPlanet Nutrients, read the following passages below. 

The Difference Between Base, Additive, and Maintenance Products 

Base Nutrients

A base nutrient, or a base nutrient system, can be described as a crop’s main source of plant food. Furthermore, an adequate base nutrient program will likely contain a well-rounded list of macro and micro-elements, be highly concentrated, and provide your plants with essential minerals throughout periods of growth and bloom.

Additive Nutrients

An additive nutrient can be described as any plant food product that seeks to enhance natural patterns of development. And unlike base nutrients, which are designed to maintain healthy patterns of growth and bloom, additive nutrients aim to promote specific actions, whether it be the development of large, dense flowers, trichome production, root growth, or rapid cell expansion.

Maintenance Products

Unlike base and additive supplements, some of our products specialize in maintaining or preserving a particular area in a plant’s life cycle. So, while not directly considered a fertilizer, maintenance products help support specific actions such as pH stability, plant health, and general performance in the garden

More About Base Nutrients

Why are base nutrients important? Like us, plants are only able to digest certain elements throughout their lifecycle. So, a base nutrient could be described as any liquid or powdered plant food which contains most of, or all of the essential elements for plant health and stability. Although base nutrient systems vary in many ways, most notable in price, brand, and in the number of “parts”, an adequate base nutrient program will contain a well-rounded list of macro and micro-elements, be highly concentrated, and provide your plants with essential minerals throughout periods of growth and bloom.

More About Additive Nutrients 

What are additives? Unlike base nutrients, additive nutrients are supplements that aim to promote specific actions and outcomes. There are a wide variety of additive nutrients available on the market. For example, GreenPlanet Nutrients manufacturers 16 nutrient additives, ranging from beneficial bacteria inoculants, bloom boosters, and carbohydrates supplements. While all these supplements have different desired actions and outcomes, they all aim to enhance the natural growth patterns of plants.

Base nutrient supplements can be seen as your plant’s source of “meat and potatoes”, essential elements necessary for growing healthy crops. Additives on the other hand, if we stick with food analogies, can be described as a plant’s “dessert”, something that is not essential for survival, but if supplemented appropriately, can ultimately enhance the potential for size, flavour and appeal during flower.

Enhance Your Crop with Flowering Supplements and Additives

More About Maintenance Products

Why use maintenance products? Maintenance products are specialized products that assist in the general upkeep of the garden. Designed to be used periodically with base nutrients and additives, maintenance products support specific actions that aim to promote and optimize crop production and plant health. Some maintenance products such as pH Up and pH Down are essential for maintaining stabilized plant growth and are recommended for buffering nutrients during every irrigation cycle. 

Combining Base Nutrients and Additives in a Feed Program 

GreenPlanet offers growers four distinct liquid feed programs: the 1-Part Medi-One, the 2-Part Dual Fuel, 3-Part GP3, and the 4-Part Hydro Fuel. But what feed program is right for you? Read the passages below for more information on the feed programs available at GreenPlanet. Or, click the button below for advice on choosing your ideal nutrient system. 

1-Part Medi One Feed Program 

A complete, organic feed program formulated for the medical grower. 

Medi One is a balanced blend of organic ingredients that encourages vigorous growth in the vegetative stage and resinous aromatic flora production in the flowering stage. Medi One is also OMRI listed. This means that the ingredients that go into producing Medi One are backed against industry standards for organic fertilizer production. 

Feed Program Contains: 

2-Part Dual Fuel Feed Program  

A simple and highly concentrated feed program designed to save growers time and money.

Whether you’re a novice cultivator with your first grow tent or a master grower producing on a commercial scale, our 2-part Dual Fuel Feed Program gives you the ability to fine-tune your garden to ensure you get bigger and better yields! Simple and easy to use so you can scale up or down without the headache.

Feed Program Contains:

3-Part GP3 Feed Program

Formulated for the veteran grower, GP3 offers increased flexibility, control, and reliability. 

GP3 is the OG of 3-part feed programs. It’s the 3 part base nutrient system that has been tried and tested by seasoned growers throughout the years. If you want a product backed by veteran growers, then this is the feed program for you.

Feed Program Contains: 

4-Part Hydro Fuel Feed Program

The classic and easy-to-use formula for the traditional hydroponic garden.

The 4-Part Hydro Fuel Feed Program gives growers extreme control over both vegetative and flowering growth with two specific formulas for each stage of production. The base nutrient component comes in four parts: A&B Grow and A&B Bloom. 

Feed Program Contains: 

Your green-thumbed adventure starts here! To access the programs and products in this blog, contact a member of the GreenPlanet sales team, or your local garden supply store for product information and purchasing inquiries. 

Check out our Resource Centre for more product information

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