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Is humic acid bad in hydroponics?


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Old 12-25-2016, 08:30 PM
chopficaro chopficaro is offline
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Default Is humic acid bad in hydroponics?

I bought a powder mix of kelp and humic acid but a few people told me not to use it, some said that it would clog the pours in my roots. Is this true?

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Old 12-26-2016, 10:50 AM
GpsFrontier GpsFrontier is offline
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humic acid is beneficial in hydroponic systems. However it's usually a liquid and doesn't have additives like kelp. What's your reasoning for wanting to use it? If your using a balanced nutrient solution you shouldn't need additives, and while humic acid is beneficial to plants, it's most beneficial and most often used with organic nutrients and/or compost teas. If your just adding stuff because a salesman says it's great to add, your probably wasting your money.

P.S.
Nothing will clog pours of the plants root system unless it's not manufactured correctly, or you don't fallow directions. Unless it's manufactured or over used in a way that causes a sticky residue, it's not going to clog the roots. That doesn't mean you should add or use anything you want. Because everything you add will affect the pH and/or nutrient balance. If your going to add something you should know why your adding it. as well as how it will affect your nutrient solution.
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Old 01-01-2017, 09:52 PM
chopficaro chopficaro is offline
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oh but it looks like that one guy was right. the only guy on the whole internet who said it would clog my roots, and i researched for a long time. he warned me, and look what happened to my roots.
https://i.imgur.com/KAkFUhU.jpg
is it safe to use the rest of my additives like fulvic, kelp, and amnino acids? reason for using these is that kelp has lots of micronuntients that maxigrow doesnt have and plants need, fulvic chealates it and takes it to all parts of the plant, and amino acids help with calcium uptake and help protect plants from mold, diseases and pests
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Old 01-02-2017, 12:01 AM
GpsFrontier GpsFrontier is offline
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Hello chopficaro,
First discolored roots don't mean "clogged" Color and clogging pours are two very different things. Roots can be become stained/colored for many reasons (especially when using additives). Colored roots may very well be completely natural. The only way to clog the plants roots is with an unnatural sticky residue that coats the roots. Kelp by itself wont leave a sticky residue, and neither will fulvic or Humic acids. The only way it can cause the roots to clog is if the manufacture added some other ingredients that cause a sticky residue.

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reason for using these is that kelp has lots of micronuntients that maxigrow doesnt have and plants need
Where did you get that from??? Manufactures propaganda trying to sell you their products? Maxigrow contains ALL macro and micro nutrients the plants need.

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fulvic chealates it and takes it to all parts of the plant
Hydroponic nutrient manufactures already use chelted mineral salts to make their nutrients with. Hydroponic nutrients are 100% water soluble and use chelted minerals for those that could bond with other minerals. Again Favic and Humic acids are typically used in soil and with organic nutrients that don't use chelted mineral salts. As for taking them to all parts of the plant, that depends on the type of nutrient/mineral it is. Some are mobile and some are not. Calcium for example is NOT mobile. Once deposited in the plants cell walls, it can't be moved to another part of the plant.

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and amino acids help with calcium uptake and help protect plants from mold, diseases and pests
Off the top of my head I can't remember reading any research on amino acids and plant biology so I can't say if there is any truth in that statement right now. What I can say is there are many things that affect nutrient uptake, as well as help protect plants from disease and pests. While I wouldn't hesitate to add fulvic or Humic acids to a hydroponic system, I would have to research amino acids before adding that one. Also I would use liquid fulvic and Humic acids, and make sure not to exceed recommendations. I also wouldn't use ones that were combined with other additives.

Many times new hydroponic growers fall for all the manufactures propaganda designed to sell their products. They spend all their money buying all the best and greatest additives thinking they will have the best plants on earth, only to realize later they just wasted their money because manufactures claims aren't what their cracked up to be. Instead of just using a complete hydroponic nutrient, they believe all the hype and buy every additive they can and watch their money go down the drain.

If your going to add a additive you should know why. By that I don't mean what the manufacture says it will do for your plants, but actually know what is in it, how much, and why the nutrients your already using don't contain it, or contain enough of it. Hydroponic nutrients already contain all of the essential macro and micro nutrients. There are some beneficial nutrients that aren't essential, but can be beneficial. Manufactures will market these beneficial nutrients as essential to get you to buy them and get your money. But in most cases aren't needed, and/or the benefits aren't even noticeable.

If your going to be adding these, you should know the difference between essential minerals elements and beneficial elements. And if your going to spend the money on Beneficial elements, you should know exactly what beneficial elements are in it, and what it's function in the specific plant your growing is. As an example though silicon does have some other benefits it's mainly used for heat tolerance. So if your plants aren't particular heat tolerant and tour growing outside in summer heat, it may be beneficial to add it. But if your growing inside a climate controlled room, or during the cool spring or fall, it wont really be much benefit, thus a waste of money.

Also many growers often get caught up adding so many different additives they cause themselves problems. Mainly because doing so throws off the balance of nutrients in the nutrient solution. Hydroponic nutrients contain all the essential macro and micro nutrients, and in balanced ratios. But when you start tossing things into the mix you throw off that balance. The more you toss in, the more you throw off the balance. You could even wind up with a toxic brew before you know it.

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