2O16-17 Product Guide Products • Tips • Info
www.hydrogarden.com
www.vitalink.eu
Contents: 1
Introduction
32
Chill/Heat
2
Nutrients
34
Finale
4
Hydro MAX
36
Bat Guano
6
Coir MAX
38
Growing Media
8
Earth MAX
40
Professional Enriched Soil
10
Silicon MAX
42
Clay Pebbles
12
PlantStart
44
100% Coir
14
Additives
46
Clay Coir mix
16
CalMag
48
Growing advice
18
RootStim
50
Getting to know your nutrients
20
Fulvic
55
Environmental conditions
22
Buddy
62
Charts
24
PK
64
Temp/humidity chart
26
Turbo
65
Basic Grow charts
28
Foliar
68
Product analysis
30
Hydrate
78
Notes
Welcome to VitaLink!
The range contains various products, all scientifically formulated to improve plant vitality. In this booklet you will find out about all the VitaLink products with detailed information on what each product does and how to use it. We will also throw in some growing tips to help get you the best possible results using VitaLink products!
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Nutrients
VitaLink is a range of plant nutrients, additives and growing media which are manufactured in the UK. Our products are designed for use in hydroponic systems, coco coir and soil or compost. Whether you’re just starting out in growing or you’re an expert, the VitaLink range will help you achieve the best possible plant health, growth and yield.
Nutrients
Nutrients
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VitaLink nutrient products are formulated for specific growing styles. Whether you’re growing in hydroponic systems, coco coir or soil/compost, it is essential that you select the right nutrient product to use in your chosen growing method. Plants need a range of nutrient elements in order to grow (see page 48), and the growing substrate affects the availability of these different elements so our nutrient products are specifically tailored to get the best results from whichever substrate you use. Just make sure you choose the right one!
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Nutrients
Which Nutrient to choose?
Hydro MAX Perfect for use in hydroponic systems The Hydro Max range comes in A+B sets. 1 litre sets come with a convenient holder. It’s available for both growth and bloom stages, and we have hard water and soft water versions too. As well as containing all the nutrients required to produce a complete plant feed for use in hydroponic systems, the Hydro MAX range includes EDDHA and fulvic acid to further help the plants’ well-being.
Nutrients
EDDHA helps to make the iron more available, it forms a shell around the iron and protects it from mixing with other elements (known as “chelating”). When the plant demands the iron the EDDHA releases it. The added EDDHA means that iron will be available across a wider pH range – good for new growers. The EDDHA turns the solution red, don’t be alarmed! The second improvement comes in form of fulvic acid which improves the way plants use nutrients in order to boost results at every stage of their life cycle (rooting, growth and flowering). Recommended pH: 5.8 - 6.5. Available in 1L 5L and 10L bottles.
Tip: Are you using clay pebbles in your hydroponic system? Try VitaLink Clay Pebbles, turn to page 42 to discover why.
Application. For longer growth cycles repeat week -1.
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Nutrients
Coir MAX Perfect for use in coco coir media Our Coir MAX range comes in A+B sets. 1 litre sets come with a convenient holder. It’s tailored to suit either hard water or soft water locations. Our coir two-part feed contains all the nutrients needed in a specific ratio to get the best results from growing in coco coir media. To further improve our solution we have included EDDHA and fulvic acid.
Nutrients
EDDHA forms a shell around iron to stop it from dropping out the formulation, this improves the availability of it – as you may know iron is important for photosynthesis. Fulvic acid enhances nutrient uptake and boosts results at every stage of the plant life cycle whether it’s rooting, growth or flowering. Recommended pH: 5.8 – 6.5. Available in 1L 5L and 10L bottles.
Tip: For best results try VitaLink 100% Coir growing media, turn to page 44 to discover the benefits.
Application. For longer growth cycles repeat week -1.
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Nutrients
Earth MAX Perfect for use in soil/compost type media Earth MAX is a one-part feed formulated for both grow and bloom stages in soil/compost media. Earth MAX has all the nutrients plants need which are not provided from the soil itself, so it has no added calcium as calcium is present in buffered soil. During extensive vegetative states you can use VitaLink CalMag as a calcium and magnesium supplement if required. Earth MAX also contains fulvic acid to increase the plant's ability to take up nutrients.
Nutrients
Recommended pH: 5.8 – 6.5. Available in 1L 5L and 10L bottles.
Application. For longer cycles repeat week -1.
Tip: If you’re using soil/compost media, why not try VitaLink Professional Enriched Soil, turn to page 40 to see how it can benefit your plants.
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Nutrients
Silicon MAX Enhance plant health Silicon MAX is a highly concentrated silicon additive (it contains 6% Potassium Silicate). It is formulated to help produce stronger plants, thicker roots and increased resistance to disease. Arguably not an essential nutrient for your plants, yet it slots into our nutrient range as it is highly beneficial to plant health – we strongly recommend you use it! Note: Add Silicon MAX to the water first, you may need to adjust the pH before adding your base nutrient.
Nutrients
Available in 250ml 1L and 5L bottles.
Use Silicon MAX alongside your nutrients.
Application. During longer cycles repeat week -1.
0.5-1ml/1L
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Nutrients
PlantStart Kick start your plant growth PlantStart is formulated to surge the growth of seedlings, cuttings and young plants. The formula contains a key ratio of boron and calcium which is proven to promote fast and healthy root development. Just make sure you give PlantStart a big shake before you use it, because it contains humates which can sometimes settle at the bottom of the bottle. Available in 250ml 1L and 5L bottles.
Nutrients Application: During propagation use 3-4ml per litre, for seedlings/rooted cuttings use 6-8ml per litre.
If you’re in the propagation stage, why not try ROOT!T Propagator Kits. Visit the ROOT!T website for more info (www.rootit.co.uk).
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Nutrients
Additives
Additives
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An additive is anything that is added to the nutrient solution to supplement the main nutrient or to speed up development. They are usually added to boost growth or improve the overall health of the plant. VitaLink additives come in various forms; stimulants, health tonics and quality enhancers, all are explained in this section. All our additives can really enhance the results you get from your plants, although you need to choose the right ones in relevance to your plant’s growth stage for the product to work. For best results use some of the VitaLink additives alongside your base nutrient, as some of the additives work by encouraging more nutrient uptake. If you are just starting hydroponics or want to try a combination of VitaLink products turn to page 65-67 for our basic grow schedules.
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Additives
Why do I need additives?
CalMag Calcium is a tricky nutrient! VitaLink CalMag is a calcium and magnesium supplement, which can be used for extended vegetative growth in coir media. CalMag can also be added to initial tank mixes in re-circulating hydro systems, in poor soils that may not have the desired calcium available or whenever environmental conditions mean calcium might have mobility issues or is in short supply. It is advised not to use CalMag where the water supply is classed as ‘Very Hard’ nor to exceed the dose rates, as excessive calcium can conflict with the availability of other elements.
Additives
This additive will help strengthen cell wall structure and encourage photosynthesis which will improve the overall vitality of your plant. Available in 250ml, 1L and 5L bottles.
Application: For extended vegetative growth in coco coir media
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Add CalMag to initial tank mixes in re-circulating hydro systems, or whenever environmental conditions mean calcium might have poor mobility issues or is in short supply.
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Additives
RootStim Longer, stronger roots RootStim stimulates roots to grow stronger, longer and also keeps the formation of new root hairs high. RootStim contains ascophyllum nodosum extract which is a type of seaweed. It has been sympathetically extracted to keep the good stuff in (unlike most seaweed extracts), we also only harvest the seaweed during the summer when the nutrition values are at their optimum point. The combination of synthetically extracting and harvesting the seaweed during the summer period maximises the benefits for your plant!
Additives
Also included are carefully selected oligosaccharides to support the establishment of beneficial fungi and bacteria. Available in 250ml, 1L and 5L bottles.
Application:
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Additives
Fulvic Boosts results at every stage VitaLink Fulvic is a pure fulvic acid extract designed to improve the plant’s nutrient uptake and boost results at every stage of the plant life cycle (rooting, growth and flowering). While we put as much fulvic as we can into the nutrients, your plants will still benefit from adding more. Available in 250ml, 1L and 5L bottles.
Additives Application:
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Additives
Buddy A PK to use for a longer length of time VitaLink Buddy is a phosphorus and potassium additive with some extra magnesium and sulphur to support its addition to regular nutrient products. With a PK ratio of 3.5/6 it is great to use over a length of time – from week 3 of the bloom stage until week 8. During flowering, an increase in the potassium to nitrogen ratio encourages plants to divert more energy into their flowers/fruits. Extensive scientific trials prove that VitaLink Buddy improves the size and quality of flowers. Available in 250ml, 1L and 5L bottles.
Additives If you want to give your plants an extra boost during peak flowering periods, use VitaLink PK, turn to page 24 for more info.
Application:
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Additives
PK A concentrated PK for 1 week only VitaLink PK is a high concentrated phosphorus and potassium additive, with a PK ratio of 13/14. PK gives plants an extra push during their late flowering period, as the high potassium levels help plants divert energy to their flowers/fruits, significantly improving size and quality.
Additives
Tip: PK should be used for 1 week only, do not mix VitaLink Buddy and PK together in the same mix. You can use them in conjunction to give your plant an extra flowering boost. Use Buddy from week 3 until week 5 or 6 (peak flowering week), then use PK for 1 week only, after that week switch back to Buddy again to use until week 8. Available in 250ml, 1L and 5L bottles.
Use for one week only two thirds of the way through flowering (for longer or shorter flowering periods use later or earlier than shown on chart below).
Application:
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Additives
Turbo Boosts plant weight rapidly VitaLink Turbo gives plants a significant boost. Both the plant and the flower size will significantly increase when using this product. VitaLink Turbo contains L-amino acids and brassinosteroids to ensure great results. L-amino acids are left handed amino acids and are the building blocks for proteins in plants. Brassinosteroids are signalling compounds which instruct the plant on where to focus its energy. Brassinosteroids are the main ingredient that contributes to the rapid increase of size and weight. Add Turbo to your plant and watch it accelerate!
Additives
Available in 250ml, 1L and 5L bottles.
Use from halfway through Growth phase (e.g. If vegetation is for four weeks, use from start of third week). VitaLink Turbo should be used alongside your base nutrients and additives.
Application:
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Additives Using Evoponic technology
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Foliar Ensure calcium gets to where it’s needed VitaLink Foliar is a calcium foliar feed. It is sprayed on the leaves of the plant to ensure the calcium gets to where it is needed, as calcium has poor mobility within plants. This productive spray will help produce stronger healthier plants. Once Calcium has fixed its position within the plant, the plant can’t remobilise it and transport it to other areas like it can with other nutrients. Hence, why we provide you with this additive. Available in 250ml, 1L and 5L bottles.
Additives Application: Use 100ml per litre on a weekly basis. For best results give your plants a spray under a low light intensity, or just before your grow lights are due to go off.
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Additives
Hydrate Protects against drought conditions Hydrate aids the protection of plants against drought conditions. It also helps to strengthen the root and facilitates storing sugars. Hydrate is perfect for plants being grown without constant attention, or if there is any risk of interruption to water/nutrient supply. Hydrate needs to be incorporated from the very start of growth in order to give the best defence against drought stress. Available in 250ml and 1L bottles.
Additives Application: You need to assess the likelihood of drought situations, depending on climate conditions, whether you’re going on holiday or whenever your plants are likely to not be watered over a period. Low risk situations:
2ml/10L
Medium risk situations:
4ml/10L
High risk situations:
6ml/10L
Always add VitaLink Hydrate to a fresh solution. If used with VitaLink Chill or Heat use half their dose rate and half the dose rate of VitaLink Hydrate. Failure to follow this instruction may result in plant damage.
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Additives Using Evoponic technology
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Chill/Heat Protects against abiotic temperatures VitaLink Chill and Heat work in the same principle as each other but for the opposite environmental condition.
Additives
They are formulated to help plants cope with abiotic stress, VitaLink Chill helps plants thrive in high temperatures (up to 30 degrees) and VitaLink Heat helps the plants thrive in low temperatures (that may be getting as low as 5 degrees). The revolutionary technology that’s been formulated in these products crucially suppresses the response by plants to stop producing growth hormones at abiotic temperatures, which means the plant will continue to flourish during these periods of stress. The products will give more benefit the longer they are used. However if it is only used when high/low temperatures start, a foliar application will give a quicker and more effective response. Available in 250ml and 1L bottles.
Application (for both Chill and Heat – do not use at the same time): If incorporated from the start of growth use 3-5ml/10L. Always add to fresh solution. Foliar application – 5ml/1L. Spray as a fine mist, never spray to run off.
Do not use VitaLink Chill and Heat together – Each product will give some protection for the opposite condition of which they’re formulated to help with. Pick the product that is relevant to your environmental condition, the decision should be based on which temperature (high or low) will be most extreme. If used with VitaLink Hydrate use half the dose rate of each. Failure to follow these instructions may result in plant damage. 32
Additives Using Evoponic technology
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Finale The grand finale! VitaLink Finale is designed for the final stage of flowering. Finale helps the plant to ripen evenly and produce increased yield. Finale is a finishing product which should be used just before flushing, as it contains only the nutrient elements needed to finish flowering. This starts the flushing process while still allowing the plant to gain weight and finish ripening. Finale also gives the plant a final flowering push!
Additives
Note: Finale will bring your pH down as it’s quite acidic! You may need to bring it back up‌ try Essentials pH up. Ask you retailer for more information about this product. Available in 250ml, 1L and 5L bottles.
To really push the weight gain use for 10 or 11 days and flush with water for only 3 or 4 days.
Application:
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Additives
Bat Guano It’s good sh*t VitaLink Bat Guano is bat faeces that have been composted over hundreds of years to produce an odourless and highly phosphorus fertiliser. Basically, it’s bat sh*t and it’s brilliant for your plants! Elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are found in bat guano which are beneficial to plant growth and make the product an ideal fertiliser or soil conditioner.
The Benefits: ✓ Soil builder and cleanser ✓ Compost activator ✓ Increases a plant’s ability to feed
Additives
✓ Reduced fungal infections ✓ Wide range of natural chelates* for great structural stability *Natural organic compounds with a high molecular weight
Application: Ideal for indoor and outdoor use in soil, compost and coco coir growing media, VitaLink Bat Guano can be used with herbs, vegetables, bulbs, flowers, shrubs fruit and trees. VitaLink Bat Guano can be used in seedbeds and on lawns or applied directly to soil either in a powder form or mixed with water to form a guano tea. It can also be mixed with topsoil or other composts to enrich the mixture and be used as a compost activator. • Established plants: Side dress established plants during the growing season to act as a fruiting and flowering booster. Gently work VitaLink Bat Guano into the soil around the plant and water well. • Guano tea: Mix 2 x 10ml spoonfuls (spoon supplied) per 3 litres of water. This works well for soil, as an additive for hydroponic growing or for foliar feeding to help plants resist fungal attacks. Water plants around base twice a week.
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• Potting mix: Mix with soil, compost or coco coir growing media, add 350g per 50L bag of compost/coir, mix well, plant and water. The time-release action of VitaLink Bat Guano means it will be available to the plants over a 3 – 12 week period. Re-apply as necessary. • House Plants/Pot Plants: Surface dress around the base of the plant with one 10ml spoon per plant, lightly mix with surface substrate and water immediately. Continue to water plants regularly, and repeat every three months. Please note: Guano is not complete in its NPK, we suggest you try other complementary organic fertilisers for N (such as; fishmeal) and for K (such as; palm tree ashes) for supercharged growth.
Additives
Available in 7OOg and 3.5Kg tubs
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Growing Media
Growing Media
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There is little doubt that growing in hydroponic systems can give better results than growing in soil or soil-type substrates, however it requires more careful control, maintenance and adjustment of the nutrient solution or things can go horribly wrong very quickly. Hydroponic substrates need to be essentially inert, in other words they take no direct part in the feeding of the plants, merely a carrier for the nutrient solution and air, and as a support structure for the plants roots to grow in. Growing in soil or compost is a lot more forgiving, as the soil holds a bank of nutrients – you are in effect feeding the soil, which in turn feeds the plant, whereas in hydroponics you are directly feeding the plants' roots. Growing in coco coir is a kind of half-way house between the two. It can be fed and watered easily via simple irrigation techniques to reduce the work and will hold some nutrients too. Which technique you choose is up to you, but we have a growing media to suit! Turn the page to discover our growing media products.
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Growing Media
Which growing media should I choose?
Professional Enriched Soil High quality soil, high quality results
Growing Media
VitaLink Professional Enriched Soil is a high quality compost media product which contains a ratio of wood fibre, peat and bark fines to contribute to a greater physical structure to boost aeration and drainage. The amount of peat in our soil has been reduced and substituted for wood fibre – helping the environment by protecting those rare peat bogs! Reducing the peat in our soil means it is less prone to compaction and does not shrink when dry like pure peat-based composts. This also makes it easier to re-wet if it does get too dry. The wood fibre and bark fines maintain the natural structure so there is no need to add perlite or any other bulking agents. Overall VitaLink Professional Enriched Soil has a great water to air ratio. Our soil holds a better ratio of air when fully saturated making it less susceptible to over-watering or water-logging. VitaLink Professional Enriched Soil comes packed with beneficial bacteria and has a high nutrient content to help with growth and to keep plants healthy. There’s enough feed in our soil for at least four weeks, making VitaLink Pro Soil the best compost available for high demand plants. Use our base nutrient VitaLink Earth MAX in conjunction with VitaLink Professional Enriched Soil to get the best results. VitaLink Pro soil is available in 50L bags. 40
Growing Media
Currently available in classic packaging – new Pro Soil bags coming soon!
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Clay Pebbles Greater surface area, great results VitaLink Clay Pebbles offers strong structural integrity and good root aeration. Our clay pebbles have a very stable EC and pH, meaning they will not significantly affect the pH of your nutrient solution, or leak undesired minerals into it.
Growing Media
VitaLink Clay Pebbles have a lower bulk density than other competitors, which means they are more porous, therefore they will hold more air and water in a given volume of pebbles. Our pebbles purposely come in irregular shapes. As they are not completely round, it means they have a larger surface area for the plant to benefit from, unlike more rounded pebbles where the surface area is smaller. VitaLink Clay Pebbles are ideal for flood and drain, multi–pot and dripring systems, as well as support media for deep water culture. They can also be used to mix with other substrates to improve structure, or to add a drainage layer in the bottom of pots. When using VitaLink Clay Pebbles, try our Hydro MAX base nutrient for best results.
VitaLink Clay Pebbles are available in 10L and 45L bags. 42
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Growing Media
1OO% Coir Hold more feed, get faster results VitaLink 100% Coir is a buffered coco coir media which is ideal for drip irrigation and passive hydroponic systems. It can also be used as a hand-watered growing media or as a peat alternative in potting mixes. VitaLink 100% Coir contains fulvic and humic acids which act as chelating agents to facilitate nutrient uptake, in our trials it has also led to slightly faster flowering in many plants.
Growing Media
Our 100% Coir is a coarse grade which maintains a good structure. It’s supplied with a lower moisture content than competitor products, so the bag feels lighter which helps with transportation, but also means that when wetting up with nutrient solution prior to transplant, it will hold more. More available nutrient means faster establishment! For even better results use our coco coir base nutrient – VitaLink Coir MAX.
VitaLink 100% Coir is available in 50L bags. 44
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Growing Media
Clay Coir Mix Two types of media, twice the benefits VitaLink Clay Coir contains an optimum blend of 60% expanded clay pebbles, and 40% coconut coir. Ideally used for flood and drain, drip irrigation and passive hydroponic systems, or can be used as a handwatered growing media.
Growing Media
VitaLink Clay Coir reaps the benefits of two different types of growing media that complement each other very well. The clay pebbles provide better aeration and drainage than coir alone, and the coir absorbs more nutrient feed which means less frequent watering is required than pebbles alone. Check out the specific product information in this catalogue on VitaLink Clay Pebbles and VitaLink 100% Coir, to learn all the benefits of these two great products that combine to make the best clay/coir mix available. As our clay/coir mix provides you with 60% clay pebbles, we recommend you use VitaLink Hydro MAX to achieve the best results.
VitaLink Clay Coir is available in 50L bags. 46
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Growing Media
Growing Advice
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This section will give you some information about the elements in your nutrient solutions and some advice about environmental conditions. Towards the end of the section we will provide you with some schedules which will make your life easier! Especially if you’re new to growing.
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Getting to know your nutrients Lots of people don’t fully understand the nutrients, especially if you’re a first time grower. To be fair you don’t really need to know the specific details as most nutrient solution companies spoon-feed you information, which makes it easy for you to just follow what they say, fingers crossed they’re right. However, we feel it’s important for you to understand the nutrients your plants need to give you a better understanding of how they work… Before we start, you should know that there are 16 elements that are absolutely essential for healthy plant growth and development. There are 3 obvious ones which never usually get mentioned; carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Companies never really market these “organic” elements because they come from carbon dioxide and water. Right, that leaves us with 13 essential mineral elements left to discuss. There’s a broad spectrum of nutrients. When these nutrients combine together with the right ratios of how much are going into a solution you get a complete plant feed… this varies for the style of growing (Hydro, Coir and Soil) and what you're growing. The nutrients are split into Macronutrients and Micronutrients. Macronutrients are divided into primary and secondary nutrients. Whereas Micronutrients consist of trace elements.
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Macronutrients Primary nutrients While all of the nutrients are essential the primary nutrients are often considered most important, in the horticultural industry you will often see these expressed as N:P:K on many fertilisers and nutrient bottles. Nitrogen (N) – can be provided as two forms; nitrate nitrogen and ammoniacal nitrogen. Ammoniacal nitrogen is easier to absorb by the plants, however too much of it can be toxic. Nitrate nitrogen is used mostly. Nitrate nitrogen is a component of all amino acids, and as some of you keen gym goers will know… amino acids are the building blocks for protein. However humans use slightly different amino acids than plants. Phosphorus (P) – is taken up by the plant as phosphate and required for the root and flower development. Potassium (K) – is essential for growth and reproduction. This is the highest demanded nutrient, as potassium is always present in a solution at a stable level. Whereas Nitrogen and Phosphorus fluctuate in levels demanded by the plant. So they’re the very important primary nutrients. Turn the page to discover the secondary nutrients.
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Secondary Nutrients Sulphur – Essential for building chloroplasts, so essential for photosynthesis. Sulphur is always supplied as sulphate, it’s highly unlikely that the plant will have a sulphur deficiency as there are other nutrients similar to sulphur available. Calcium – important for strengthening cell wall structure. Once calcium has fixed its position within the plant, the plant can’t remobilise the calcium and transport it to other areas like it can with other nutrients. Hence, the CalMag additive, which is a calcium and magnesium supplement. Calcium is one of the factors that plays a part in the reason for separating nutrient solutions into A+B sets. When calcium mixes in a high concentrated solution, it doesn’t mix well with phosphate or sulphate; when they mix calcium tends to drop out of the solution. Calcium doesn’t like to play with the other nutrients. Magnesium – important part of chlorophyll, so essential for photosynthesis. Magnesium also activates many enzyme functions needed for growth. That’s the macronutrients out of the way… now to discuss the micronutrients.
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Micronutrients Trace Elements “Trace” being the key word as some elements may be present in solutions at less than 1 part per million. Iron – it’s easier to explain what will happen if iron is not present. Without iron the plant can’t produce chlorophyll, can’t get oxygen and won’t be green. So it’s essential for photosynthesis. Molybdenum – needed for building amino acids… and therefore protein! Boron – essential for building cell walls, sugar transport and cell division. Copper – important for photosynthesis and the manufacture of cell walls Manganese – necessary for building chloroplasts Zinc – required for many enzymes and copying DNA Chlorine – Necessary for osmosis and ionic balance. Chlorine isn’t always recognised, as trace amounts of it are in our water supply. However too much chlorine can be toxic. The next part of this casual learning experience takes us to the nonessential elements. If an element is non-essential it’s because the plant can live and reproduce without it. This makes the elements sound unimportant. However if you read on you’ll discover that actually some of the elements play vital roles.
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Non-essential elements Silicon – Strengthens cell walls, thereby improving health and productivity. Silicon also helps with disease resistance, so although it’s not essential it’s kind of a big deal! Nickel – Involved with nitrogen metabolism (breaking nitrogen down for growth). Cobalt – Helpful for symbiotic beneficials; It supports the beneficial microbes which in turn support the plant. Microbes: There are many microbes in the soil, some microbes take nitrogen from the atmosphere and convert it into nitrate form into the soil, nice one, microbes. There are millions of different microbes all doing different facilitating things. One example is fungi, this helps the growth of trees. Sodium – is present in all nutrient solutions but in low amounts, and helps with metabolism. You don’t want too much sodium as it can form sodium chloride which is salt, too much salt is toxic to plants. There you have it… all the nutrients your plant needs, all categorised!
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VitaL Info Although our nutrients, additives and growing media give your plants a big vitality boost, other factors need to be addressed for the products to actually do their job! We get a number of emails and calls about various products, but when we investigate into the issues it’s usually a problem with either environmental conditions, growing regimes, water quality or pest control. With this in mind, we thought it would be useful to let you know the most common reasons for poor results.
1. Environmental conditions Environmental conditions are number one on the list causing the most confusion. The environment needs to be thoroughly understood before starting your grow. It might seem like there’s a lot to cater for and each factor interlinks, but once you get these conditions right you will truly start to see a big difference to your plants, with the help of VitaLink of course. The main culprits contributing to successful results are; light, humidity and temperature. Light is important for photosynthesis, as plants create energy from light to make building materials to help the photosynthesis process; maximise your results by choosing LUMii lighting, LUMii knows light! Humidity and temperature are closely linked and need to be in the right balance to keep the stomata healthy. Stomata have a direct effect on the process of transpiration and taking in carbon dioxide, therefore they need to be well kept. Check out our temperature/humidity chart for the optimum ratio (turn to page 64).
2. Growing regimes Second in the list is your growing regime. How often and how much you water your plants has a huge influence on results. You shouldn’t over-feed your plants as this may cause more problems, if a plant gets too much of one nutrient it may stop taking in other essential nutrients; this is known as “lock out”. Hand-watering your plants little and often can minimise the risk of causing “lock out”, it also prevents water logging. Follow the VitaLink top up regime on page 60 for ultimate results…
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3. Water quality There are a lot of different ways to look at and measure water hardness, and a lot of different things that can affect it. The simplest way for you to look at it, is to measure the EC of your water supply, though it is also a good idea to keep an eye on the pH as well. To ensure you get a true EC/pH reading, we’ve found the Essentials EC and pH meters to be very reliable. For the purposes of our nutrient range we should classify as follows: EC range (mS/cm)
Water quality
0.0 – 0.3
Soft water
0.4 – 0.5
Moderately hard
0.6 – 0.9
Hard water
1.0 +
Very hard
If you have ‘Moderately hard’ water, you could in theory use either Soft or Hard water nutrients, but ideally you would need more information relating to the specific calcium content. With either choice you’re likely to need more pH adjustment. If you have ‘Very hard’ water you may want to consider softening the water to some degree, there are various options available. Regardless of water quality, it is good practice to allow tap water to stand for at least 24 hours, to allow chlorine to dissipate, especially if the chlorine can actually be smelled from the supply.
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4. Pest control Nutrient deficiencies are the most common diagnoses given when a plant’s leaves start to look discoloured. In a lot of cases the reason behind the unfavourable discolouration is down to pests! Early identification is key, so check your plants regularly so you can catch the pests early before they do major damage!
Most common pests Spider Mite – these tiny mites are difficult to see. They can have devastating effects on a wide range of plants. The first sign that your plant may have spider mite is speckling on the leaves, soon accompanied by distorted leaves and stunted growth. In severe cases webbing may appear. Solution - Spider Mites prefer it hot and dry, so it’s important to raise the humidity around the plant. If the problem still persists try Nite Nite Spider Mite, it alleviates your plant from these pests! Enquire about Nite Nite Spider Mite with your local retailer.
Thrips – are very small insects that leave silvery brown dry patches on the leaves with black dots. The adults are tan and dark with wings, they are difficult to spot due to them ‘flicking’ off easily. They place their eggs on young leaves and in flower buds, this can lead to shoot tips and flower buds becoming distorted if the thrips hatch and feed. Solution – clean up debris surrounding the plant, to eliminate alternative hosts. Early identifying is key, so constantly checking your plants is essential. Discover the Guard’n’Aid range for pest control products. Enquire with your local retailer.
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Sciarid Fly (Fungus Gnat) – they are small black insects, their key identifying features are long legs and long thin wings. The Sciarid Fly feeds on decaying plant matter and lays eggs in the root zone, in serious cases the larvae hatch then feed on the plant roots. Solution – Identification is essential, these pest usually need exterminating via pest control products, Guard’n’Aid DiatoMITE is a reliable product. Enquire with your local retailer.
Aphids – they can range in size from 1 to 7mm, and can come in various colours, some people refer to them as Green Fly, but they can come in a range of colours including black, white and even peach. These sap sucking pests can stunt growth or weaken plants. Solution – In small cases you can pick the flies off the plant, or wash them off by spraying the plant with water. If the problem persists then use Guard’n’Aid DiatoMITE, enquire with your local retailer about this product.
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59
VitaLink top up regime Maximise your nutrient use in a recirculating hydroponic system, you could see an increase in yield! When using an active hydroponic system you always want to keep your nutrient reservoir as full as possible. The reason is, the more nutrient solution that is available to circulate around your system the more stable your nutrient solution will remain. If you allow levels to become too low the concentration of salts in your solution will increase dramatically, so by doing regular “top ups” you can maintain the levels and in return maintain the stability of your nutrient solution. Many of the basic grow schedules that you will see published for re-circulating hydroponic systems will simply rely on you, the grower, doing regular full changes of your nutrient solution (every one or two weeks). We believe this can be wasteful at the early stages of your crop’s development and can often be too infrequent at the later stages of your crop’s life. However, we understand the vast majority of you prefer to be guided, so see our basic grow schedules in the “chart” section of this booklet. We prefer to gauge our nutrient changes in relation to our plant’s demands, so we carefully monitor the amount and strength of our topping up solution and stick to the following regime… Always use a half strength solution for a top up. In all re-circulating systems a certain amount of the dissolved salts that are in your nutrient reservoir will be unusable waste given off by the plants roots. Over time the ratio of good salts to bad salts will increase if left unchecked (this is also why you see the pH of your solution change over time, most usually it will rise). Using a half strength solution will help to dilute the unusable waste salts and add just enough good salts (nutrients) to maintain the stability of your solution. As with any other schedule always check your nutrient's pH levels after topping off and adjust as required.
60
If you are simply using the dilution ratios given in the instructions for your chosen nutrient it’s easy, just add half the amount of nutrient to the water you are going to use. Any additives you are using that also affect the EC/CF of your solution should also be halved, but any additions that don’t affect the EC/CF should still be used at the directed dosage. If you use an EC/CF meter when mixing your nutrients always remove the base reading of your tap water before doing any half strength calculations. Our tap water usually has a base reading of 0.4 EC adding a full dose of VitaLink Hydro MAX nutrient (4ml A and 4ml B) will normally bring the EC up to 2.0. So we are adding 1.6 to the base water reading. To do a half strength mix we would add 0.8 to our base water giving us a final reading of 1.2 EC. Again the strength of any additives should also be calculated in this way. Always correct the pH of your mixed top up solution before adding it to your reservoir, then check and adjust (as required) the final pH of your combined top up and solution in your reservoir. Now here is how we efficiently use our nutrients. We carefully monitor the amount of top up solution we use, and when we have used one whole reservoir worth of top up, this is when we do a complete solution change. At the early stages of growth when the plants are using less solution per day, this can be as long as two or three weeks (although as a general rule we would do a nutrient change after three weeks regardless of the amount of top up used). When plants are in full swing, during aggressive growth phases or maximum flower production we often find we are using a full reservoir of top up in three or four days. For example a standard F1 tomato plant that is 2m tall, in full fruit, and being grown under intensive lighting can easily be using two to three litres of nutrient solution per day! Add to that some inevitable evaporation and it does not take many plants many days to consume one hundred litres of solution.
So in brief, 1) Always strive to keep your nutrient reservoir as full as possible. 2) Do frequent top ups using a half strength solution. 3) When you have used the same volume of top up as your reservoir holds when first filled, it’s time to do a nutrient change. 4) Enjoy the fruits of your labours!
61
Charts
62
In this section you will find a temperature/humidity chart and growing schedules for coco coir, soil (Earth) and Hydroponic methods. Please note that the grow schedules are basic ones and do not include all VitaLink products – we only include the products we think are suitable for beginners/ intermediate growers.
63
64
95%
90%
85%
80%
75%
This chart is suitable for typical indoor/greenhouse plants
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
16
15
Humidity
Temp â °C
70%
65%
60%
55%
50%
Temp/humidity chart
65
3-4ml/1L
3-4ml/1L
4
5
Bloom
1ml/1L
6
7
3-4ml/1L
8
9
For longer growth cycles, repeat Growth Week -2. For longer flowering cycles, repeat Bloom Week 4.
Please note: the final solution PH should be between 6-7.
0.5ml/1L
Buddy
Finale
2ml/1L
Fulvic
0.5ml/1L
3
RootStim
2
0.5-1ml/1L
1ml/1L
1
Silicon MAX
1ml/1L
1-2ml/1L
Coir MAX B
Cal Mag
1-2ml/1L
Coir MAX A
-1
Week
-2
Growth
Stage
Flush with water
66
Use VitaLink Enriched Soil for best results
4
3-4ml/1L
5
Bloom
1ml/1L
6
7
3-4ml/1L
8
9
For longer growth cycles, repeat Growth Week -2. For longer flowering cycles, repeat Bloom Week 4.
Please note: the final solution PH should be between 6-7.5.
0.5ml/1L
Buddy
Finale
2ml/1L
Fulvic
0.5ml/1L
3
RootStim
3-4ml/1L
2
0.5-1ml/1L
1ml/1L
1-2ml/1L
1
Silicon MAX
Earth MAX bloom
Earth MAX grow
-1
Week
-2
Growth
Stage
grow schedule
Flush with water
67
5
only add to fresh solution mixes.
* In a recirculating hydroponic system
7
3-4ml/1L
8
9
For longer growth cycles, repeat Growth Week -2. For longer flowering cycles, repeat Bloom Week 4.
1ml/1L
6
Please note: the final solution PH should be between 5.8-6.5.
0.5ml/1L
Buddy
Finale
2ml/1L
0.5ml/1L
Fulvic*
RootStim*
Silicon MAX
1ml/1L
4
3-4ml/1L
0.5-1ml/1L
3
Hydro MAX bloom B
3-4ml/1L
2
3-4ml/1L
Hydro MAX grow B
1
Bloom
Hydro MAX bloom A
1-2ml/1L
Hydro MAX grow A 3-4ml/1L
-2
-1
Week
1-2ml/1L
Growth
Stage
grow schedule
Flush with water
Product Analysis
68
We manufacture VitaLink in the UK and go through strict processes to make sure all our products meet high standards. The solutions are always tested to make sure batch mixes of each product do not significantly differ in regards to EC levels. To put your mind at ease this section will show you the minimum guaranteed analysis of our products. Some products are not specified in this section as they contain only a few ingredients which are specified in the product descriptions.
69
Hydro MAX Grow formulation HW analysis
SW analysis
Minimum guaranteed analysis.
Minimum guaranteed analysis.
Total Nitrogen (N)
5.5%
Total Nitrogen (N)
5.5%
Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH4)
0.7%
Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH4)
0.5%
Nitrate Nitrogen (NO3)
5.0%
Nitrate Nitrogen (NO3)
5.0%
Potassium oxide (K2O) (water soluble)
7.5%
Potassium oxide (K2O) (water soluble)
7.5%
Phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) (water soluble)
2.5%
Phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5)
2.5%
Calcium oxide (CaO)
3.6%
Calcium oxide (CaO)
4.9%
Magnesium oxide (MgO)
1.3%
Sulphur trioxide (SO3)
3.0%
Boron (B)
0.009%
Cobalt (Co)
0.001%
Copper (Cu) – chelated by EDTA
0.002%
Iron (Fe) – chelated by EDDHA
0.075%
Manganese (Mn) – chelated by EDTA
0.026%
Zinc (Zn) – chelated by EDTA
0.010%
Molybdenum (Mo)
0.001%
Nickel (Ni)
0.001%
Magnesium oxide (MgO)
1.7%
Sulphur trioxide (SO3)
3.0%
Boron (B)
0.009%
Cobalt (Co)
0.001%
Copper (Cu) – chelated by EDTA
0.002%
Iron (Fe) – chelated by EDDHA
0.075%
Manganese (Mn) – chelated by EDTA
0.026%
Zinc (Zn) – chelated by EDTA
0.010%
Molybdenum (Mo)
0.001%
Nickel (Ni)
0.001%
Low in Chloride
Low in Chloride
70
Hydro MAX Bloom formulation HW analysis
SW analysis
Minimum guaranteed analysis.
Minimum guaranteed analysis.
Total Nitrogen (N)
5.0%
Total Nitrogen (N)
5.0%
Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH4)
0.3%
Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH4)
0.5%
Nitrate Nitrogen (NO3)
4.5%
Nitrate Nitrogen (NO3)
4.5%
Potassium oxide (K2O)
9.8%
Potassium oxide (K2O)
9.8%
Phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) (water soluble)
4.6%
Phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) (water soluble)
4.6%
Calcium oxide (CaO)
2.8%
Calcium oxide (CaO)
3.9%
Magnesium oxide (MgO)
1.3%
Magnesium oxide (MgO)
1.7%
Sulphur trioxide (SO3)
2.4%
Sulphur trioxide (SO3)
3.9%
Boron (B)
0.009%
Boron (B)
0.009%
Cobalt (Co)
0.001%
Cobalt (Co)
0.001%
Copper (Cu) – chelated by EDTA
0.002%
Copper (Cu) – chelated by EDTA
0.002%
Iron (Fe) – chelated by EDDHA
0.075%
Iron (Fe) – chelated by EDDHA
0.075%
Manganese (Mn) – chelated by EDTA
0.026%
Manganese (Mn) – chelated by EDTA
0.026%
Zinc (Zn) – chelated by EDTA
0.010%
Zinc (Zn) – chelated by EDTA
0.010%
Molybdenum (Mo)
0.001%
Molybdenum (Mo)
0.001%
Nickel (Ni)
0.001%
Nickel (Ni)
0.001%
Low in Chloride
Low in Chloride
71
Coir MAX (A&B set) HW analysis
SW analysis
Minimum guaranteed analysis.
Minimum guaranteed analysis.
Total Nitrogen (N)
5.0%
Total Nitrogen (N)
5.0%
Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH4)
0.2%
Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH4)
0.3%
Nitrate Nitrogen (NO3)
4.8%
Nitrate Nitrogen (NO3)
4.7%
Potassium oxide (K2O) (water soluble)
7.5%
Potassium oxide (K2O) (water soluble)
6.0%
Phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) (water soluble)
4.0%
Phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) (water soluble)
4.0%
Calcium oxide (CaO)
5.6%
Calcium oxide (CaO)
7.0%
Magnesium oxide (MgO)
2.5%
Magnesium oxide (MgO)
3.3%
Sulphur trioxide (SO3)
3.8%
Sulphur trioxide (SO3)
8.5%
Boron (B)
0.009%
Boron (B)
0.009%
Cobalt (Co)
0.001%
Cobalt (Co)
0.001%
Copper (Cu) – chelated by EDTA
0.002%
Copper (Cu) – chelated by EDTA
0.002%
Iron (Fe) – chelated by EDDHA
0.075%
Iron (Fe) – chelated by EDDHA
0.075%
Manganese (Mn) – chelated by EDTA
0.026%
Manganese (Mn) – chelated by EDTA
0.026%
Zinc (Zn) – chelated by EDTA
0.010%
Zinc (Zn) – chelated by EDTA
0.010%
Molybdenum (Mo)
0.001%
Molybdenum (Mo)
0.001%
Nickel (Ni)
0.001%
Nickel (Ni)
0.001%
Low in Chloride
Low in Chloride
72
Earth MAX Grow formulation
Bloom formulation
Minimum guaranteed analysis.
Minimum guaranteed analysis.
Total Nitrogen (N)
4.0%
Total Nitrogen (N)
2.0%
Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH4)
1.4%
Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH4)
0.5%
Nitrate Nitrogen (NO3)
2.6%
Nitrate Nitrogen (NO3)
1.5%
Potassium oxide (K2O)
4.0%
Potassium oxide (K2O)
4.0%
1.0%
Phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) (water soluble)
2.0%
Magnesium oxide (MgO)
1.0%
Magnesium oxide (MgO)
1.3%
Sulphur trioxide (SO3)
1.6%
Sulphur trioxide (SO3)
2.3%
Phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) (water soluble)
Boron (B)
0.004%
Boron (B)
0.004%
Copper (Cu) – chelated by EDTA
0.001%
Copper (Cu) – chelated by EDTA
0.001%
Iron (Fe) – chelated by EDDHA
0.034%
Iron (Fe) – chelated by EDDHA
0.034%
Manganese (Mn) – chelated by EDTA
0.005%
Manganese (Mn) – chelated by EDTA
0.005%
Zinc (Zn) – chelated by EDTA
0.005%
Zinc (Zn) – chelated by EDTA
0.005%
Molybdenum (Mo)
0.001%
Molybdenum (Mo)
0.001%
73
PlantStart
Calmag
Minimum guaranteed analysis.
Minimum guaranteed analysis.
Total Nitrogen (N)
2.0%
Total Nitrogen (N)
2.0%
Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH4)
0.1%
Nitrate Nitrogen (NO3)
2.0%
Nitrate Nitrogen (NO3)
1.9%
Calcium oxide (CaO)
4.5%
Potassium oxide (K2O)
2.4%
Magnesium oxide (MgO)
1.7%
Phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) (water soluble)
1.1%
Sulphur trioxide (SO3)
0.6%
Calcium oxide (CaO)
2.1%
Iron (Fe) – chelated by EDDHA
0.45%
Magnesium oxide (MgO)
1.1%
Iron (Fe) – chelated by DPTA
0.55%
Sulphur trioxide (SO3)
1.8%
Boron (B)
0.006%
Cobalt (Co)
0.001%
Copper (Cu) – chelated by EDTA
0.001%
Iron (Fe) – chelated by EDDHA
0.045%
Manganese (Mn) – chelated by EDTA
0.007%
Zinc (Zn) – chelated by EDTA
0.006%
Molybdenum (Mo)
0.001%
Nickel (Ni)
0.001%
RootStim Minimum guaranteed analysis. Ascophyllum extract
1.6 %
Plant sugars
0.5%
Preservatives
Buddy Minimum guaranteed analysis.
74
Potassium oxide (K2O)
6.0%
Phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) (water soluble)
3.5%
Magnesium oxide (MgO)
0.8%
Sulphur trioxide (SO3)
5.8%
PK
Hydrate
Minimum guaranteed analysis.
Minimum guaranteed analysis.
Potassium oxide (K2O) (water soluble)
14.0%
Nitrogen (all ammoniacal)
Phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) (water soluble)
13.0%
Sulphur trioxide (SO3)
0.9%
Sulphur (bio active sulphates)
Low in Chloride
Turbo Nitrogen (N) Phosphorous Potassium Sulphur
0.06% 0.125% 0.025% 0.02%
Carbon
5.25%
Copper
0.001%
Manganese
0.002%
Magnesium
0.003%
Boron
0.0005%
Calcium
0.001%
Algal Extracts
0.5%
L-Amino Acids
0.2%
Also contains naturally occurring cytokinins, lignin salts and glucoside.
75
5%
Lignopolycarboxylates (plant extracts)
1.5%
Carbon (sugars)
1.25%
Amino acids (as natural plant extracts)
1.5%
Ascophyllum extract (sympathetically extracted to preserve hormones)
Minimum guaranteed analysis.
2%
5%
Gibberelins and auxins
>0.1%
Humic acids (soluble)
>1.0%
Betaines
<0.5%
Mg
0.3%
Ca
0.2%
Cu
0.05%
Zn
0.5%
Mn
0.1%
Heat
Chill Minimum guaranteed analysis.
Minimum guaranteed analysis. Nitrogen (all ammoniacal)
2%
Nitrogen
Sulphur (bio active sulphates)
5%
Sulphur
5%
Carbon
1.25%
Copper
0.05%
Manganese
0.1%
Amino acids (as nat plant extracts)
1.5%
Ascophyllum extract (sympathetically extracted to preserve hormones)
5%
Gibberelins and auxins
>0.25%
Humic acids (soluble)
>1.0%
Betaines
>0.5%
Mg
0.3%
Ca
0.2%
Cu
0.05%
Zn
0.5%
Mn
0.1%
1.05% 0.52%
Nitrate Nitrogen (NO3)
0.52%
Potassium oxide (K2O) (water soluble)
7.8%
Phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) (water soluble)
10.3%
Magnesium oxide (MgO)
4.3%
Sulphur trioxide (SO3)
28.9%
0.3%
Boron
0.15%
Iron
0.2%
Zinc
0.5% 5%
Also contains gibberelins and auxins, betaines, amino acids and vitamin B1.
Minimum guaranteed analysis.
Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH4)
Magnesium
Seaweed
Finale Total Nitrogen (N)
2%
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Notes:
Notes:
Notes:
Keep in the know! Follow VitaLink on social media to keep up to date on everything VitaLink, and the occasional jokey post. You can also visit our website for more info, there will be blogs posted every month for a light read on some interesting articles, so keep a look out for those.
Facebook.com/VitaLinkEU @VitaLinkEU www.VitaLink.eu Feel free to contact us via our website or social media pages if you have any queries.
New productsâ&#x20AC;Ś An entire new range of exciting products are currently being developed, these should be available towards the end of the year! Follow us on social media to keep updated.
HydroGarden details: VitaLink is a registered HydroGarden brand, all VitaLink products are manufactured in the UK. For any enquiries please contact our sales team on 02476 651500
HydroGarden Wholesale Supplies Ltd 2 Progress Way, Binley Industrial Estate, Binley, Coventry, CV3 2NT. UK Website: www.hydrogarden.com
HydroGarden is an official distributor of VitaLink Contact us on: +44 (0)24 7665 1500 Website: www.hydrogarden.com or info@hydrogarden.com
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