Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 16
  1. #1
    Moderator urbanfarmer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Zone 9b
    Posts
    2,294

    Essential Plant Nutrients


  2. #2
    Moderator urbanfarmer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Zone 9b
    Posts
    2,294

    Re: Essential Plant Nutrients

    The information on Wikipedia is WRONG: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_nutrition

    There are 17 essential plant nutrients, but Wikipedia lists some incorrect essential plant nutrients. Albeit, they are plant nutrients, but they are NOT essential to the vast majority of plants in general.

    Also, the document I just linked all of you is missing Nickel (everything else is correct), which is the 17th essential plant nutrient that modern science has recently added and agreed to.

  3. #3
    Moderator urbanfarmer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Zone 9b
    Posts
    2,294

    Re: Essential Plant Nutrients

    This is made for kids, but it's so clear and easy to read I want to include it here: http://www.ncagr.gov/cyber/kidswrld/plant/nutrient.htm

    It also leaves out Nickel.

  4. #4
    Members Bioritize's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Paonia, CO
    Posts
    139

    Re: Essential Plant Nutrients

    Do you have any recommendations of how to add some of those nutrients to the system?

    What about natural vitamin supplements like Body Balance, it claims to have tons of trace minerals and nutrients.

  5. #5
    Moderator urbanfarmer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Zone 9b
    Posts
    2,294

    Re: Essential Plant Nutrients

    Quote Originally Posted by Bioritize
    Do you have any recommendations of how to add some of those nutrients to the system?
    There are lots of ways. Some easy examples are putting things like a simple eggshell or oyster shell for calcium, banana peels for potassium, etc. Tap water/well water often has a lot of minerals in it already. Compost or worm casting tea can work quite well too. We have a member on here that has a hybrid system with the worm poop built into his aquaponics!

    Quote Originally Posted by Bioritize
    What about natural vitamin supplements like Body Balance, it claims to have tons of trace minerals and nutrients.
    It depends what form it's already in. If you read me the ingredients from the label I can give it a shot. That's not the most cost effective way to do it though. Water soluble fertilizers are much cheaper.

  6. #6
    Members Bioritize's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Paonia, CO
    Posts
    139

    Re: Essential Plant Nutrients

    http://www.lifeforce.net/pdfs/datash..._balance_1.pdf

    Here is the stuff, it is in liquid form. I have been taking this stuff for a few years now and I really notice a difference in my overall health. I wondered if I could add this to my tank? It is mostly sea vegetables and aloe. How would I test the PH of this solution, it is very dark.

    I plan to add worms into the grow beds once my beds age a bit.

  7. #7
    Moderator urbanfarmer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Zone 9b
    Posts
    2,294

    Re: Essential Plant Nutrients

    Quote Originally Posted by Bioritize
    http://www.lifeforce.net/pdfs/datash..._balance_1.pdf

    Here is the stuff, it is in liquid form. I have been taking this stuff for a few years now and I really notice a difference in my overall health. I wondered if I could add this to my tank? It is mostly sea vegetables and aloe. How would I test the PH of this solution, it is very dark.

    I plan to add worms into the grow beds once my beds age a bit.
    No wonder. That stuff has all kinds of bad stuff in it including toxins and radioactive chemicals. California company? Explains a lot. You have to be high to come up with this concept... Anyway, the nutrients were added to the mix in organic substances. Chances are at least half that stuff should be available and if not it will become available eventually to the plants. But Jesus... some of the things in it are radioactive, inorganic toxins, and even organic toxins (like one prevents protein uptake in mammals). What the hell is that stuff??? You don't have to be a chemist to know DON'T DRINK LEAD, ARSENIC, CADMIUM, OR COBALT. Cyanidin is a cyanide compound... I mean I could go on and on, and maybe some stuff genuinely could be good in small enough quantities WHO KNOWS, but I doubt it...

    So as not to freak you out completely, understand we drink these substances on a daily basis. Our bodies can remove it from our system at certain concentrations, and in fact it does. The average human being's urine contains arsenic for example. I'd bet you can't find ONE person who doesn't regularly excrete this at low concentrations. Tap and bottle water has these things (except RO in theory). Anyway, don't freak out, but I sure hope you didn't waste much money my friend!

    The pH of the water will still show up in a small pH test tube. Once it gets in the small tube it won't be nearly as dark. If it's really really dark you can always try to settle out some of the stuff making it dark. Maybe let it sit a while or refrigerate it. I had some very dark water in a small aquarium and the pH tests showed up fine.

  8. #8
    Members Bioritize's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Paonia, CO
    Posts
    139

    Re: Essential Plant Nutrients

    How about rock dust for a way to add the essential minerals to your systems?

    http://www.fertilizeronline.com/rockdust.php

  9. #9
    Members
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Fairport Harbor, Ohio
    Posts
    1,073

    Re: Essential Plant Nutrients

    i wouldn't worry about adding "essential nutrients" unless your plants are showing a specific deficency (i think that's something else i agree on with uf! hehehe)

    make sure you provide a quality fish food for your fish and you should be ok, and be able to target specific "problems" in your system when you have them

  10. #10
    Moderator urbanfarmer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Zone 9b
    Posts
    2,294

    Re: Essential Plant Nutrients

    Quote Originally Posted by Bioritize
    How about rock dust for a way to add the essential minerals to your systems?

    http://www.fertilizeronline.com/rockdust.php
    It's hard to say from what little info they have on their website about the product. If it's truly rock, that normally takes a long time in nature to break down. To make it plant available, it often requires the presence of elements that would likely kill your fish and plants. I'm not saying some of the stuff might not become available and quickly, but some of it definitely shouldn't if it's rock. Also, we don't know what else is in there (it mentions 56 unknown elements).

    Personally, I wouldn't use it. We need to know what's in it before we throw it into our little ecosystem.

    Quote Originally Posted by keith_r
    i wouldn't worry about adding "essential nutrients" unless your plants are showing a specific deficency (i think that's something else i agree on with uf! hehehe)

    make sure you provide a quality fish food for your fish and you should be ok, and be able to target specific "problems" in your system when you have them
    YES!

Similar Threads

  1. Deficiency In Essential Minerals
    By badflash in forum Veggies in General
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 07-02-2014, 10:06 PM
  2. June, Central FL, What do you plant?
    By urbanfarmer in forum Veggies in General
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 04-26-2012, 09:39 AM
  3. Identify This Plant
    By jcx in forum SUMP
    Replies: 40
    Last Post: 05-06-2011, 07:35 PM
  4. system nutrients?
    By cedarswamp in forum Want To Know HOW TO..?
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 02-25-2011, 01:05 PM
  5. PLANT FAQS
    By jackalope in forum FAQs
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 05-09-2009, 09:24 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •