Hydroponic plants require the same essential nutrients as soil-grown plants, but in a readily available form since their roots don’t have access to the complex interactions that occur in soil. These essential nutrients can be broadly categorized into two groups:
Macronutrients:
- Nitrogen (N): Essential for plant growth and development, responsible for chlorophyll production and overall leaf health. Deficiency symptoms include stunted growth, yellowing leaves, and poor fruit development.
- Phosphorus (P): Crucial for root development, flowering, and fruit production. Deficiency symptoms include weak root systems, stunted growth, and delayed flowering.
- Potassium (K): Plays a vital role in water management, enzyme activation, and stress resistance. Deficiency symptoms include weak stems, brown leaf margins, and reduced fruit quality.
- Calcium (Ca): Important for cell wall structure, root development, and fruit quality. Deficiency symptoms include distorted leaves, blossom end rot in fruits, and weak stems.
- Magnesium (Mg): Essential component of chlorophyll and plays a role in photosynthesis and enzyme activation. Deficiency symptoms include chlorosis between leaf veins, stunted growth, and poor fruit set.
- Sulfur (S): Necessary for protein synthesis, enzyme activation, and flavor development. Deficiency symptoms include stunted growth, yellowing leaves, and poor fruit quality.
Micronutrients:
- Iron (Fe): Essential for chlorophyll production and enzyme activation. Deficiency symptoms include chlorosis, stunted growth, and poor leaf development.
- Boron (B): Plays a role in cell wall formation, pollen germination, and fruit set. Deficiency symptoms include distorted leaves, poor fruit set, and internal browning of fruits.
- Manganese (Mn): Important for enzyme activation, photosynthesis, and chlorophyll production. Deficiency symptoms include interveinal chlorosis, stunted growth, and poor fruit development.
- Zinc (Zn): Crucial for enzyme activation, protein synthesis, and auxin production. Deficiency symptoms include stunted growth, interveinal chlorosis, and poor fruit set.
- Copper (Cu): Plays a role in enzyme activation, protein synthesis, and photosynthesis. Deficiency symptoms include chlorosis, leaf tip dieback, and poor fruit development.
- Molybdenum (Mo): Essential for nitrogen fixation and enzyme activation. Deficiency symptoms include stunted growth, interveinal chlorosis, and poor fruit development.
