What is Reddit's opinion of
MASTERBLEND 4-18-38 Complete Combo Kit Fertilizer Bulk (2.5 Pound Kit)?
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29 reviews of this product found across Reddit:
Oh my, I had bought this $4 Phillips light and it was a plant light... I quickly returned it! It was unbearable and a total misguided decision. Innovation at its finest my friend! I might have to look into that. I use https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072F2BL9D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_yZmPBbJ22W12G I’m a chem student and do research in a lab so I have access to scales but I couldn’t wait the weekend to weight out the nutes properly, so I just scooped it in by spoons and it works out! I didn’t shock the plants and every now and then I stirred the tote to dissolve the salts and that worked out too. I consider myself lucky that nothing really died on me. My heart would be crushed lol. I don’t know if these nutes are good for other difficult grows but I wouldn’t see why they can be used all around. There might be cheaper prices for greater amounts somewhere on the web! The lights I use are regular house lights, I just found 2 Phillips LED that have high lumens and high temperature around 5000-6400K. Thanks for the very much needed luck!
I have the light about 9 to 10” above the tallest and that has helped a lot I had it about 16” before and they went getting too fat. I just switched to the master blend kit I was using GeeBee’s recipe before
I planted these guys at the end of March and had them in mason jars inside for a bit. Then I moved them outside slowly. Some are still inside as I have to wait for money to allow me to buy more supplies. I'm just using masterblend from Amazon masterblend kit I have Ph up and down formulas to keep an eye on that stuff. I've also been treating with peroxide as needed because I've had a couple episodes with algae scare and I read peroxide was good for that. I built the green house out of just PVC and plastic sheeting to try and keep rain water out of my stuff.
It should be fine. You could probably get away with a non-organic water soluble fertiliser and you won't have to pay the hiked up cannabis market prices.
Have a look at Masterblend. There's a good chance it'll be cheaper
Thank you. I read about the fertilizer below. Is this a more appropriate option for growing hydroponic tomatoes?
MASTERBLEND 4-18-38 Complete Combo Kit Fertilizer Bulk (2.5 Pound Kit) https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B072F2BL9D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_1NXQZD2TZG9JT4HC5MMJ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I use Masterblend's 3-part mix. Comes with Masterblend 4-18-38, Calcium Nitrate, and Epsom Salt. The recommended ratio is 2:1:1 and you should mix them separately. Insane value. Larger bags = better value. The 62.5lb kit will literally last you a lifetime unless you're growing on an industrial scale. I bought the 5-pound kit and it easily lasts 6+ months for 10+ indeterminate tomatoes, 10+ herbs, and 10+ lettuce.
It's pretty complete because it provides macronutrients (NPK) and minerals (iron, calcium, boron, manganese, etc.). The only other thing that I use to supplement growth is BioAg TM7 for added minerals.
I dunno about specifically for bonchi's. I use the same nutrients for all my plants. I started using it cause I saw khan Starr use it in one of his early videos. Seems to work really really well.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072F2BL9D?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I'll do my best to answer your questions. The plants in the red solo cups are in soil, but once roots come out of the interior cup I start adding a small amount of nutrients. I don't actually water the plants at all. I simply add nutrients to the bottom. I do that almost everyday. Since when I check them in the morning they've downed all the nutrients I put in from the day before.
As for the nutrients I'm using a pack I got off Amazon. Here is the link for that. Not sure if my hyperlink worked so I'll just add the actual URL.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072F2BL9D/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I use a half a teaspoon of the Masterblend and Powergrow, and about 1/4th a teaspoon the epsom salt per gallon of water. Both the Ghost plant and the Reaper in the middle are full on Kratky method.
The Ghost pepper plant was actually almost 2 feet tall when I purchased it. I cut it real low and removed it from the soil it was shipped in. Cleaned it off and brought it inside and transferred it to the kratky method. Sooo what do ya think? Any suggestions?
You could also go with the diy approach and use the Masterblend 4-18-38 + calcium nitrate + magnesium sulfate mix. Amazon has a kit for $23 with enough mix for about 190 gallons. Twice that amount is available for ~$28.
They are pretty well drying almost completely out. 4-18-38 +15.5-0-0 + epsom salts and micronutes
Masterblend MASTERBLEND 4-18-38 Complete Combo Kit Fertilizer Bulk (2.5 Pound Kit) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072F2BL9D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_-9B6DbRQBAYR5
Worked fine for my outdoor plants this summer alternating this and generic miracle grow whatever that had in it.
My plants definitely needed fertilizer but you might be right and I have too much nitrogen
that past item you linked me. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072F2BL9D is what you need. but look at the prices, you get double the 2.5lb kit for only 4$ more. i order the 3 bags in bulk from morgan county seeds so it is considerably cheaper.
masterblend 3 part is complete nutrient formula you don't need anything else. compost tea doesn't hurt if you want to use it in addition, but you don't need to.
compost tea is usually used with soil growth to promote soil microflora. provides some nutrients and helps break down organic matter already in the soil.
I purchased Masterblend for my basil and it worked well. I decided to purchase it after seeing a lot of people using it on youtube. They sell a kit on amazon that comes with three different ingredients that you need to measure out and mix together (you will need a digital scale). So far I have grown Basil, thyme and rosemary using it and have had great results (better than the liquid hydro mix I bought).
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I purchased the 2.5 pound kit off amazon for ~$22. I'm not sure how many batches this kit makes, but I have made several gallons and still have a bunch left: MASTERBLEND 4-18-38 Kit
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The kit will come with instructions on how to mix it properly. I usually make a gallon at a time and mix in: 2 grams of Calcium Nitrate, 2 grams of MasterBlend, 1 gram of Epsom Salt.
I followed Jeb Gardener and Khang Starr's guides on YouTube when I started out.
Jeb Gardener: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z0NaYpVHMs
Khang Starr: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K34skxa0ogk
MHPGardener: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDYeffYcVkY
You can buy either liquid pre-mixed or dry powdered nutrients and add it to your reservoir of choice (quart mason jars are great for herbs and lettuce, I prefer 5-gallon buckets for larger plants like tomatoes and peppers). Powdered nutrients usually require the use of a gram scale and more mixing than liquid nutrients but they're generally cheaper than using liquids. Liquids are much more convenient.
I prefer to use Masterblend 4-18-38 + calcium nitrate + epsom salt (dry powder): https://www.amazon.com/MASTERBLEND-4-18-38-Complete-Combo-Fertilizer/dp/B072F2BL9D
General Hydroponics MaxiGro and MaxiBloom is another dry option that doesn't require the mixing of different powders: https://www.amazon.com/General-Hydroponics-Maxigro-Maxibloom-Each/dp/B01GLV51NC/
General Hydroponics Flora Series is a good liquid option: https://www.amazon.com/General-Hydroponics-Flora-Bloom-Fertilizer/dp/B017H73708/
I've also heard good things about Advanced Nutrients' liquid nutrients but they're more expensive than the others on this list: https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Nutrients-Bloom-Micro-Grow/dp/B004FYSDFQ
Inexpensive/homegrow sizes:
Masterblend 25USD
mr fulvic 20USD (yeah it's a bottle, sue me)
Grow More Mendocino Flowering Cal Mag Gallon (yeah it's a bottle, sue me) Also, I'm of the mind to buy a different dry cal mag and not worry about the added N, personally. 43USD
Earth Juice Natural Down (in a bottle, but it's dry!) 30USD
Woodstream Safer Insecticidal Soap Insect Killer 23USD
Monopotassium Phosphate Fertilizer 0-52-34 20USD
25+20+43+30+23+20=161USD, not too bad and will last a lot longer than an equivalent amount spent on other watered down nutes. This is of course a framework, you can shop around for analogous products that work for you. I'm not telling anyone to do anything, except consider saving some money in the long run.
MASTERBLEND 4-18-38 Complete Combo Kit Fertilizer Bulk (2.5 Pound Kit) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072F2BL9D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_CG2ZGDMVGBJXKTR5RSWF
For all three nutrients
Sodium benzoate: Sodium Benzoate 99% USP/FCC Grade 8 oz (Ounce) Preservative, Additive https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084D4YH1W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_CHY5SQZ6GM6EFPGWC3VS
Happy growing!
> Masterblend at 2g, 2g, 1g per gallon
Of this stuff?
Masterblend 4-18-36 + Calcium Nitrate + Epsom Salt. Generally in a 2:2:1 ratio. Buying in bulk really saves you a lot of money in the long run (just make sure that you store it correctly).
BioAG TM-7 for micronutrients that are commonly deficient (manganese, iron, etc.). The package comes with instructions but I only use half of what they tell me to use because Masterblend has some micronutrients in it already. Humic acid also may improve nutrient uptake.
Get digital meters to measure you EC (or ppm) and pH. I recommend HM Digital and BlueLabs for TDS meters. Apera Insturments is great for pH (they also offer a 2-in-1 TDS and pH meter). Most plants like a pH of 5.5-6.5 with the sweet spot being around 6.0. Nutrient concentration (EC or ppm) depends on the plants. Fruiting plants want more nutrients than leafy plants. You can easily find values online.
Speaking of water meters: check the pH and ppm/EC of your water. Water hardness isn't an issue when you use RO water or distilled water, but some potable water can be very hard (>200ppm). Not too much of an issue but it can cause buildups which will cause nutrient lockout.
Lettuce and basil can be grown together but they'd be happier grown in two different Kratky systems. They both like the same pH (5.5-6.5) but basil prefers more nutrients in a solution (which could cause nutrient burn in lettuce).
When it comes to lighting, look at PPFD and use this webpage to determine the DLI (basically how long your lighting interval should be / how much light your plants need using your provided light source). If you're using sunlight, just give your plants 4-6 hours of direct sun (6-8 if they're fruiting plants).
Coat your containers in something that blocks light. I've used both aluminum foil and spray paint (one black coat, one chrome coat) with great success. Algae will suffocate roots and they need light to grow.
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Kratky is great for leafy plants but they become very limiting with fruiting plants (peas, tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, etc.). You can just add more nutrient solution and whatnot but then you also run into the issue of stagnant water (which can breed microbes that cause root rot). I would suggest the following in any hydro system:
- Cultured Solutions UC Roots. Really just plant-safe bleach. Add 5mL/gal when you first establish your system. Add an additional 3-5mL/gal twice a week.
- Hydrogen Peroxide. Can help control the microbial population and provides oxygenation to your roots because it decomposes into oxygen and water. Add 5-8mL/gal when you first establish your system. Add an additional 5mL/gal twice a week (or every other day if you notice browning in the roots).
Note: Hydroguard is incompatible with UC Roots and Hydrogen Peroxide because you're adding symbiotic bacteria into your solution. UC Roots and H2O2 can't differentiate between good and bad microbes so they'll try to kill everything. This causes two issues. (1) You end up wasting your hydroguard and (2) less of the UC roots and H2O2 will be available to kill bad microbes (because it was used to kill the hydroguard).
I went dry powder nutrient. Way cheaper! This is what I use
https://www.amazon.com/MASTERBLEND-4-18-38-Complete-Combo-Fertilizer/dp/B072F2BL9D/
1L of aerogarden liquid nutrient can do 100 feedings for $25 bucks, but for the price u can get 2.5lbs of powder nutes that can feed 300-400 times. Even cheaper when you buy larger bulk.
You either mix what you need or make a small concentrated bottles to quickly mix with water like the aerogarden liquid nutes.
Alternatively, to prevent mold etc inside your open bottle of nutes just put it in the fridge.
I also use Masterblend. Nothing cheaper. I buy the 12.5 pound kit (5 lb MB, 5 lb CN, 2.5 lb MS), and my cost is 15-cents per five gallon working solution. I use it by making up liter bottles of each as concentrates. As concentrates, they will keep indefinitely, and they are easy to add as liquid to reservoir.
But pick you nutrient product for convenience, access, cost or some other logistical factor, because all nutrient sets made for hydroponics provide all the essential nutrients. Claims that one is better than others is mostly, I think, the natural human confirmation bias in favor of what happened to be their choice. No difference will appear in controlled testing.
MB works well for growth and bloom. For greens, you use a lesser concentration. For tomatoes and peppers, adding cal-mag is wise, since once a fruit is bit by blossom end rot, it's too late.
Here's a good little video on Masterblend. And an old post on making up MB concentrates. I use brown liter bottles and make up six liters of each at a time.
Masterblend is always available from Amazon in multiple sizes.
https://www.amazon.com/MASTERBLEND-4-18-38-Complete-Combo-Fertilizer/dp/B072F2BL9D
I personally only use masterblend, it's popular for a reason but you do need to take the time to measure it out either by weight or spoons/cups. But when you start using it you don't have buyers remorse-
It has been engrained in me to buy stuff now that I can repurpose as grow vessels. Such as gallons of milk gallons of cider, even laundry detergent it's a sickness lol. A utility knife and some drilled holes can turn anything into a growing vessel.
I believe the best choice for multiple reasons is the Masterblend kits. The ingredients are powder, so are less expensive than liquids where the cost of shipping water around is built in to the price. Masterblend offers kits in several sizes. I've been working on a 12.5 pound kit for months. (5 lb MB, 5 ldbCN, 2.5 lb MS) The three parts can be made up into three parts concentrates that are very easy to use and have unlimited shelf life. Last time I checked, I got five gallons for 15-cents.
Masterblend is a very standard hydroponic nutrient set. Here's the listing on Amazon for the various kits.
https://www.amazon.com/MASTERBLEND-4-18-38-Complete-Combo-Fertilizer/dp/B072F2BL9D
This is a calculator and a good video. https://www.tool-rank.com/tool-blog/editorial/masterblend-hydroponic-fertilizer-calculator-for-any-container-size-201610071988/
And an older post on this group about making concentrates. https://www.reddit.com/r/hydro/comments/eqr0yo/masterblend_stock_solution_32oz/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
There are particular requirements for fertilizers for hydroponic use. The primary one is that, naturally, all the ingredients must be soluble in water. And all ingredients must in in ionic or chelated forms that can be taken up and used by plants directly. Fertilizers for soil get to take advantage of the community of microbes and the geological processes that do the work of breaking down substances into usable compounds. We, of course, have no soil. In fact the very definition is simply, "without soil." It is often said that soil fertilizers feed the soil, while hydroponic fertilizers feed the plants.
This is quite a task. When you look at the analysis of fertilizers, you see things like "iron", and "nitrogen." But Iron does no dissolve in water, and nitrogen is a gas under Earth conditions. So these things must be elements in compounds. You will see them listed for many fertilizers under the analysis under the label "derived from." You must find appropriate compound and work with their chemical properties and calculate how much of each element they contribute and decide on a weight of each. Sometimes, you have little choice. Calcium nitrate is the only compound suitable for providing calcium. And you can't avoid it adding nitrogen, so that has to be accounted for in the nitrogen total.
Now, that's fertilizers from scratch. But you can buy sets of ingredients and make your own liquid concentrates. Don't just buy hydro fertilizer in a single powder form. That is intended to be mixed and used immediately before the ingredients can react to each other.
So an example of a kit that works as concentrates with unlimited shelf life it Materblend and the two ingredients commonly sold with it. Masterblend is the base set of nutrients. In separate bags, you get calcium nitrate and magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt.) You make a part A with the Masterblend. A Part B with Calcium Nitrate. And a Part C with magnesium sulfate. Then you have three brown (to prevent algae growth) bottles of concentrates. For use, you measure out the desired amount of each and add them one at a time to water. It is very cost-effective. For the 12.5 pound kits I buy, I think I end up paying 15-cents per five gallons of working solution.
Here is a past post by a user here:
Here is a Masterblend calculator and a very valuable video recognized by Masterblend.
Here is Masterblend offered in kits on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/MASTERBLEND-4-18-38-Complete-Combo-Fertilizer/dp/B072F2BL9D
These are the sort of brown bottle I use. You can use any sort of dark glass or plastic bottles.
Masterblend: MASTERBLEND 4-18-38 Complete Combo Kit Fertilizer Bulk (2.5 Pound Kit) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072F2BL9D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_OGkLpAxBhKlZj
I use Masterblend. Because I buy it in 12.5 pound sets (5 lb MB, 5lb CN, 2.5 lb MS) and it gets my cost down to about 15 cents per five gallons. But that's a lot of nutrient, though it keeps indefinitely.
I make up concentrates of the three parts so I don't have to mess with powder each time. Here's a way to do that that's pretty much what I do. I use brown bottles from Amazon.
If you want some more depth on Masterblend, here's a goo short video.
From what I've seen strawberries don't work quite the same as vegetables. I've seen failures in NFT. But I've seen ebb and flow do well with them. The thing about Kratky and strawberries is that they are perennials, and in Kratky, perennials present new considerations. You're going to be maintaining them for a long time, and you usually want a lot of plants. So it's awkward for small containers. And large containers (I consider 5-gallon to be about right for strawberries) take up a space. In a couple of weeks, I will be putting strawberries into an ebb and flow tank that began as a Lowes mortar mixing tray. It should be a permanent part of the greenhouse.
Here's the Masterblend set on Amazon. Get the five pound. It's only a little more than the 2.5 pound. That will be two pounds of MB and CN and one pound of MS.
When you look for strawberries, most look for everbearing, like Albion, for indoor hydro.
I've seen a number of comments elsewhere mentioning master blend. Is this the right stuff?
>Inexpensive/homegrow sizes: > >Masterblend 25USD > >https://smile.amazon.com/MASTERBLEND-4-18-38-Complete-Combo-Fertilizer/dp/B072F2BL9D/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=masterblend&qid=1604456997&sr=8-1 > >mr fulvic 20USD (yeah it's a bottle, sue me) > >https://smile.amazon.com/Fulvic-Amendment-Hydroponic-Nutrient-Enhancer/dp/B07KGHNHH7/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=mr+fulvic&qid=1604457082&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExTVk5UFJVOTc2QzRaJmVuY3J5cHRlZEl... > >Grow More Mendocino Flowering Cal Mag Gallon (yeah it's a bottle, sue me) Also, I'm of the mind to buy a different dry cal mag and not worry about the added N, personally. 43USD > >https://smile.amazon.com/Grow-More-Mendocino-Flowering-Gallon/dp/B0777H557M/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=grow+more+flowering+cal+mag&qid=1604457446&sr=8-4 > >Earth Juice Natural Down (in a bottle, but it's dry!) 30USD > >https://smile.amazon.com/Earth-Juice-Natural-Down-1-6/dp/B004AYOSVE/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Earth+Juice+Crystal+pH+Down&qid=1604458642&sr=8-2 > >Woodstream Safer Insecticidal Soap Insect Killer 23USD > >https://smile.amazon.com/Woodstream-Safer-Insecticidal-Insect-Killer/dp/B007RG8USY/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2HPB4B0PRS5JI&dchild=1&keywords=insecticidal+soap+concentrate&qid=1604458747&sprefix=insecticidal+soap+conc%2Caps%2C174&sr=8-4 > >Monopotassium Phosphate Fertilizer 0-52-34 20USD > >https://smile.amazon.com/Monopotassium-Fertilizer-Hydroponics-Greenway-Biotech/dp/B00HCS44LY/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=mkp&qid=1604458906&sr=8-2 > >25+20+43+30+23+20=161USD, not too bad and will last a lot longer than an equivalent amount spent on other watered down nutes. This is of course a framework, you can shop around for analogous products that work for you. I'm not telling anyone to do anything, except consider saving some money in the long run. These prices honestly aren't great compared to analogues available at a decent hydro store, or the new Jack's Tap kit they now sell.
This is exactly what I've been looking for. So if I buy all these items all my nute requirements are met? How did you go about figuring the amount of grams per gallon you would need? Directions on the products?
Right now using gh gro. Switching to https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B072F2BL9D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabt1_waxSFbMC0CGGV in about a month
I know alot of people who have had good success with Master Blend nutes.
You can buy them on amazon in the US, i can't speak to if you can order them in the UK but you can give it a shot.
Sounds like you might have had some airflow problems with the strawberries, do you have a fan blowing in the general direction? Direct on the leaves isn’t always good but air flow around the plant is always good.
Some basics:
Nitrogen (in the form of nitrate): helps foliage grow strong and gives plants their green color by helping with chlorophyll production.
Phosphorus: helps with root and flower growth, while helping plants withstand environmental stressors.
Potassium: strengthens plants, especially during early growth, and helps them retain water.
Magnesium: plays a key role in giving plants their green color.
Sulfur: helps plants resist disease and to grow seeds. It also helps the plant create amino acids, enzymes, and vitamins.
Calcium: aids in the growth and development of cell walls, which is key for the plant’s ability to prevent disease. It is also essential for the plant to absorb nitrate.
Starting out I recommend a package like this MASTERBLEND 4-18-38 Complete Combo Kit Fertilizer Bulk (2.5 Pound Kit) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072F2BL9D/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fab_3KEGFbD0ZQJ67
And buying a stirring setup like this Masterblend Tomato & Vegetable Fertilizer Plant Nutrients Fertilizer Combo Kit - Pre-Weighed Packets for 5 Gallons - 3 Kits to Make 15 gallons Total https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0843W5TNF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fab_CKEGFbJ9T3EAB
This link will lead you to a bunch of YouTube searches in how to use masterblend and learn about salts https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=masterblend+hydroponics
This link will tell you how to use the magnetic stirrer https://m.youtube.com/results?search_query=magnetic+stirrer
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