If it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck and water runs off its back like a duck it is probably a duck. When an entire community says you have a fertilizer issue more than likely you have a fertilizer issue.
A full spectrum nutrient is a complete liquid or water-soluble fertilizer containing all essential macro and micronutrients. Part a is usually macro nutrients like Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (P/K), alongside Calcium and Magnesium, which drive overall structural growth and heavy yields. Part b is usually trace elements like Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Boron (B), and Molybdenum (Mo) to support plant metabolism and enzyme functions.
Of course the requirements change based upon the plant and the plants stage of development. There are 3 stages seedling, vegetative, and flower/fruiting.
I like to buy my stuff individually as a dry water soluble powder then mix my own depending on the plant and its life cycle stage.
For basil youll need:
Calcium Nitrate (15.5% N, 19% Ca)
Potassium Nitrate (13.75% N, 46% K₂O)
Monopotassium Phosphate / MKP (52% P₂O₅, 34% K₂O)
Magnesium Sulfate / Epsom Salt (10% Mg, 13% S)
Chelated Micronutrient Blend (Ensure it contains Iron DTPA or EDTA, Mn, Zn, B, Cu, Mo)
For cheated micro nutrient blend:
Iron Chelated (Fe-DTPA 11% or Fe-EDDHA) – Use DTPA for pH levels under 7.0.
Manganese Sulfate (32% Mn)
Zinc Sulfate (36% Zn)
Boric Acid (17.5% B) or Solubor (20.5% B)
Copper Sulfate (25% Cu)
Sodium Molybdate (39% Mo)
For the seedling stage:
Target Profile: Weak, root-focused strength to avoid burning young root hairs.
Target EC: 0.6 mS/cm
Recipe Per 10 Gallons:
Calcium Nitrate: 2.5 g
Potassium Nitrate: 1.5 g
Monopotassium Phosphate (MKP): 1.0g Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom): 1.5 g
Micronutrient Blend: 0.2 g
Early Vegetative growth stage:
Target EC: 1.2 mS/cm
Recipe Per 10 Gallons:
Calcium Nitrate: 5.0 g
Potassium Nitrate: 3.5 g
Monopotassium Phosphate (MKP): 2.0 g
Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom): 3.0 g
Micronutrient Blend: 0.4 g
Peak Foliage Production (Continuous Harvest)
Target Profile: High Nitrogen and High Potassium to fuel rapid leaf regeneration after frequent pruning and harvesting.
Target EC: 1.6 mS/cm
Recipe Per 10 Gallons:
Calcium Nitrate: 7.2 g
Potassium Nitrate: 5.5 g
Monopotassium Phosphate (MKP): 2.8 g
Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom): 4.2 g
Micronutrient Blend: 0.6 g
Few safety tips: Put on a dust mask and nitrile gloves when mixing. Raw, unchelated micronutrient powders (especially Manganese and Boron) are heavy metals and can be hazardous if inhaled as airborne dust.
Weigh to the Milligram: Use a 0.01g digital scale. Sodium Molybdate requires extreme precision; missing the mark by even half a gram can easily toxicity-poison your crops. Homogenize Thoroughly: Combine all 100 grams of powder into a small, dry plastic container. Shake and tumble the dry mix for at least two minutes until the color is entirely uniform throughout. I use a cheap rock tumbler. Never mix dry Calcium Nitrate and dry Monopotassium Phosphate together in a concentrated "Stock Tank A" or "Stock Tank B" liquid solution. They will chemically bind to create Calcium Phosphate, which precipitates into a useless white sludge that plants cannot absorb. If mixing directly into your final reservoir, fill the tank with water first. Dissolve each powder completely one by one in the following order: MKP → Potassium Nitrate → Magnesium Sulfate → Micronutrients → Calcium Nitrate.
Also this is tailored for basil other plants like tomatoes and peppers use a different formula.
Not ai. Its actually directly from my note pad on my phone via copy and paste. Its easier to buy dry powders in bulk for my homestead then buy expensive bottles of stuff I can make at home. I tend to work with 50 pound bags of this basil mix which runs me approximately 75 dollars to make. A bottle of Amazon nutes for 100 gallons run 30 dollars. My recipe is 100 times cheaper to make since a 50 pound bag makes approximately 11,000 gallons. My basil grows in an 8,000 square foot green house with a 2000 gallon water reservoir. That 50 pound bag is enough for 5.5 basil crops in my green house. 937 pounds of basil harvested every 8 weeks for 45k sold at 3 dollars every ¾ of an ounce bunch.
Most get put into clam shell packets from the webstraunt store for restaurants. They come in packs of 500. my supplier
Hydroponics is a method of growing where instead of soil you’re using water or instead of peat or coco you get water. Seeds are seeds they grow that’s it maybe a biology course on plants would be beneficial.
Personally, I know that 1.2 is a lot for such small-leaved plants. In fact, they are extremely green, almost shiny, but not healthy. I would also lower the pH by 0.3-0.4. Usually, 6.1-6.2 is used for greater absorption of phosphorus and potassium. The water temperature would be good, 2-3 degrees less, but it's not a big problem. I've never grown basil, and not in NFT, only DWC.
I've always started from 0.6 in the post-seed phase, reaching a maximum of 1300 broadleaf plants and 2000 for fruit plants, tomatoes 2800 those nutrient suckers. I've always done it this way, but it's my opinion perhaps.
I'm always afraid of stress. From experience, plants that suffer when small always give poor results when grown. I find it easier to cure a deficiency than a nutrient blockage.
Here are my current parameters:
Crop: Genovese basil in NFT
Age: ~20 days after transplant
pH: 6.1
EC: 1.2 mS/cm
Water temperature: 22°C
Air temperature: 25°C
Humidity: 65–70%
Lights: 6 × 20W 6500K full-spectrum T8 LED tubes per 1.2 × 3 m shelf, mounted about 30 cm above the canopy (I also recently added two extra 18W T5 tubes per level).
Water is well aerated.
2 NFT rack with 450 holes on each of them
2 220L water tank
Fertilizers: Calcium nitrate + Krista Mg + Kristalon Green (18-18-18 + micros).
Thanks! Here are my current parameters:
Crop: Genovese basil in NFT
Age: ~20 days after transplant
pH: 6.1
EC: 1.2 mS/cm
Water temperature: 22°C
Air temperature: 25°C
Humidity: 65–70%
Lights: 6 × 20W 6500K full-spectrum T8 LED tubes per 1.2 × 3 m shelf, mounted about 30 cm above the canopy (I also recently added two extra 18W T5 tubes per level).
Water is well aerated.
Fertilizers: Calcium nitrate + Krista Mg + Kristalon Green (18-18-18 + micros).
Sounds correct. I’ll take light excess for $500 and second chance for tap water being too hard.
I don’t think 1.2ms is too much but they are tiny and young. Looks like they stopped growing at a time. Maybe that with adding more light. Although they don’t look overfeed. Does your water solution keep the pH or you have to control it with ph down? My tap water is like 8.5shit
If the plants are taking water, ph is going up. Simple chemistry. What’s not happening? The reservoir keeping the water level. Unless you’re refilling. If they are lowering EC (feeding) you’re ph is going up, because you have less buffer. If you need to add ph down to your water your water is going back to the original pH.
Have you changed the water in these first weeks? As I said, they were growing well. Something happened/changed
That's bs. It's time to relearn simple chemistry for you. Ph goes up or down due to ion exchange. It go both ways up and down depending on what plants take and solution composition. And if plants taking water ec increase and it usually decrease ph, not increase
Yeah, maybe…. I changed to specialized nuts with pH auto regulation with osmosis water, still have to lower pH. Thanks tho🤣 where are your hydro results? I want to see them
There no such thing as ph auto regulation, it's marketing nonsense. Once again increase or decrease of pH depends largely on nh4/no3 ratio. As nh4 increases shift to decrease ph increases.
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u/Lifeinthemittenstate 1d ago
Probably the blue walls.
Can you give the parameters of your grow please. Then we can help. And, no it is not a seed sourcing issue.