Nutrients & Fertilizer

Increase Flower Density With A Bud Hardener!

If you are noticing your blooms are very light and airy, you can try and increase flower density with a bud hardener!

If you’re a hobby grower cultivating for personal use, light, airy buds are super disappointing. Plus, they’re a hassle to try and trim.

From a commercial grower’s standpoint, growing dense buds is a must. Nobody wants to send a light, airy product to market. It's all about bag appeal!

There are a few factors that affect the density of your buds, but a lot of it comes down to genetics.

If you have your grow dialed in and use top-shelf genetics but still can't seem to produce the dense buds you're after, a bud hardener is your best bet.

At the end of this article, we’ll share some of the best products you can use to grow fat, dense colas this season!

Flushing Plants & Preparing For Harvest

Flushing plants is one of the final steps in the growing cycle, and means harvest is just around the corner.

This is a pivotal point, and improper flushing can lead to an unenjoyable final product with poor smell and taste, and a harsh smoke.

Worse yet, some growers omit flushing altogether, leaving behind all kinds of nutrients that they then consume with their flower.

We're going to cover best practices and teach you how to flush your plants properly, and recommend some of the best flushing agents currently on the market. We want to start by explaining what flushing is, exactly, and why it's so important.

Does Nutrient Source Matter When Feeding Plants?

Something you may have never considered is the nutrient source you are feeding your plants.

There are two sources of nutrients for plants: organic and synthetic.

But this can be broken down even further, as organic plant nutrients can be either derived from plant sources or animal sources. 

Which of these is best when it comes to absorption, price, and overall plant growth/yields? We’ll look at some of the research to come up with an answer to this.

Mixing Plant Nutrients - How Order Affects Absorption

There are a lot of growers who are unaware how mixing plant nutrients affects uptake and absorption rates. 

You may not have realized it, but if you don’t mix plant nutrients in the right order, you can cause some to turn to precipitate, and thus they won’t be taken up by your plants.

In this post, we are going to teach you the proper order to mix your nutrients in. But first, we want to cover the basics of mixing plant nutrients and some general safety information.

Common Mistakes Growers Make On Their First Grow

Growing isn't as tough as it seems, but there are certainly a few common mistakes growers make their first time around.

A lot of it has to do with undergoing it or overdoing it, in terms of water, nutrients, pesticides, plant count and size.

Such mistakes usually end up affecting the overall yield, potency, and health of the garden.

If you are a first time grower, or even if you have a couple grows under your belt, this guide will help you avoid the common pitfalls of new growers.

NPK Ratio & Nutrient Balance In Plants

You have likely seen the NPK ratio on the bottle of nutrients you purchased or are shopping for, but are you aware of how the ideal plant nutrient ratios change throughout the plant’s life cycle?

If you aren’t already aware, nutrient balance is one of the most important factors affecting your plant health, quality, and yield.

There are many different schools of thought on which NPK ratio is best across the different stages of growth.

Growers constantly try and manipulate their feeding schedule with additives and supplements to tweak nutrient balance. We'll cover why this is not a great idea.

Silica For Plants: What Every Grower Needs To Know

You’ve likely heard all about silica for plants. But unless you’ve taken a deep dive into the science behind this nutrient, you may be unaware of its importance.

Silica, also known as silicon dioxide, is one of the most abundant minerals on earth. It is present in rocks, sand, and soil, and it is an essential element for plant growth. While silica is not considered a nutrient, it plays a vital role in supporting the health and growth of plants.

We’ll cover what exactly silica does for plants, and how you should apply it to your own garden.

We'll then dive into the best source of silica for plants. This nutrient can get pretty tricky, and not all forms are created equally.

Fulvic Acid vs Humic Acid: What's The Difference?

If you’ve dove into the world of plant nutrition, you’ve likely stumbled across the comparison of humic acid vs fulvic acid.

These are two vague minerals that some growers swear by, while others are unaware of their existence and importance.

Whether they’re growing indoors or outdoors, it’s no secret that plants need an extra boost of nutrients here and there. But, you also need to feed your soil.

Finding the right compounds to keep your soil healthy and fertile can be tricky, especially if you’re working with a neutral growing medium that doesn’t have a lot of fertility to begin with, such as coco. Let’s explore the benefits of humic acid vs. fulvic acid for growing plants.

How To Amend Soil For Healthy, Organic Gardening

As you finish up your grow, you are likely wondering how to amend your soil for the next growing season.

Or, maybe your plants are just about ready for flower, and want to add some organic amendments to the top of your soil to supercharge bud development.

There are plenty of reasons to consistently improve the conditions in your soil because poor soil means poor plants.

We are going to cover why, when, and how you should amend your soil. But first, let’s cover some quick definitions.

The Best Garden Sprayer Of 2024

As your garden grows, it becomes especially important to use the best garden sprayer possible. This will make things a lot easier for you, the grower, while producing better results with your spraying.

Here at Hydrobuilder, we offer a wide range of sprayers and foggers for all growers, from small, manual hand pump sprayers to electric backpack sprayers.

Regardless of how you’re using it, these products will help you keep your grow room or garden in tip-top shape. Before we get to the sprayers, however, we should cover why you need one!