Ditch the Bottles, Grow Smarter: How to Craft Your Own Premium Cannabis Nutrients

Written By Andrew .

Are you tired of paying for fancy labels, marketing budgets, and plastic bottles filled with 90% water? Most major nutrient brands use the same raw mineral salts you can buy yourself. By mixing your own, you aren't just saving a fortune—you're giving your plants a precision-dialed, complex diet that "one-size-fits-all" bottles simply can't match.

Welcome to the world of custom dry nutrient blending – a grower's secret weapon for maximizing yield, potency, and terpene profiles without breaking the bank.

The Problem with Bottled Nutrients

Most commercial bottled nutrient lines are designed for convenience. They separate essential elements (like Calcium and Phosphorus) into multiple bottles to prevent reactions in the bottle, forcing you to buy more products. They also often lack crucial micro-ingredients and beneficial compounds that truly unlock a plant's genetic potential. You end up paying for a lot of water, fancy labels, and marketing.

The Solution: Your Own Premium Dry Mixes

By sourcing individual nutrient salts and organic biostimulants, you gain total control. You can precisely tailor your plant's diet for each stage of growth, ensuring it gets exactly what it needs, when it needs it. My custom dry mix recipes are a prime example of how to achieve this.

We're not just replacing bottled nutrients; we're upgrading them. These recipes incorporate:

  • Chelated Micronutrients: High-end forms of Iron, Manganese, Zinc, and Copper that remain available to your plants across a wider pH range.

  • Amorphous Silica: For stronger stems, better heat resistance, and enhanced pest defense.

  • Organic Biostimulants: Kelp Extract, Humic Acid, Fulvic Acid, and Amino Acids that improve nutrient uptake, reduce stress, and boost overall plant vitality.

  • Molasses Crystals: A direct source of carbohydrates to fuel microbial life and enhance terpene production.

Your Custom Nutrient Recipes: A Stage-by-Stage Guide

Medium/Plant Specifics :

While this recipe is highly versatile, your success depends on adapting it to your specific medium and plant type: my preferred method is coco and perlite.

Coco and Perlite, feed daily with at least 15% runoff to flush old salts and oxygenate the root zone

Soil growers should provide water only between feedings to account for soil's natural buffers and prevent nutrient buildup

Drip irrigation and DWC growers should omit organics like seaweed, molasses, and humics to prevent bacterial blooms

Autoflowers, simply jump to the bloom schedule that matches their development phase as soon as they show flowers.

The Ingredients & Sourcing :

The ingredients in these recipes are professional-grade and available globally. While many manufacturers produce these salts, small differences in purity can affect your results. For the best consistency and pricing, I recommend Custom Hydroponic Nutrients (http://customhydronutrients.com/). They offer the best delivered cost for the raw substances needed to build these elite nutrients at the time of writing this.

The Strategy: 4 Stages of Success :

Our program includes four specific feeding schedules. Each contains a Base bulk recipe designed to make enough powder for approximately 100 gallons (387.5 liters) of feed. As well as Additional Parts Depending on Stage. Start with Potassium Silicate if needed in that stage, stir until dissolved and then proceed with Part 2 , Part 3 , Etc. Making sure to mix each individually before adding the next.

Do not mix Part 2 (Epsom Salt) or Part 3 (Calcium Nitrate) into your bulk Part 1 powder. They must remain separate in dry form to prevent chemical reactions that make the nutrients unavailable to the plant.

Important: Store each stage's dry mix in a separate, airtight, moisture-proof container to prevent clumping. Use a precise digital scale for all measurements.

Stage 1 : Veg & Stretch Mix (Weeks 1-2 of Flower)

Part 1

Potassium Silicate 0.2 - 0.4 grams / gallon

PART 2 (Veg & Stretch Base Mix):

Application Rate: 3.0 - 3.4 grams dry mix per gallon of water

Grams per 100 Gallon Batch of base dry mix

Manganese EDTA 13% : 5 Grams

Copper EDTA 15% : 1.3 Grams

Zinc EDTA 14% : 1.5 Grams

Boric Acid 99.9% : 2 Grams

Sodium Molybdate (Molybdenum 39.65%): 0.08 Gram

10% Iron DTPA : 12 Grams

Mono-ammonium Phosphate : 15 Grams

MonoPotassium Phosphate : 40 Grams

Potassium Nitrate Greenhouse Grade : 100 Grams

Calcium EDTA chelated 9.7% : 50 Grams

Magnesium EDTA 6% : 50 Grams

Ferti-Fulvic Plus : 20 Grams

Soluble Humic Acid : 0.5 Grams

Soluble Seaweed : 12.5 Grams

Ferti-Nitro Plus : 2.5 Grams

Additional Components Per Gallon (Mix individually into water separately):

Stage 2 : Early Flower Mix (Weeks 3-4 of Flower)

Part 1:

Potassium Silicate 0.2 - 0.4 grams / gallon

PART 2 ( Early Flower Base Mix) :

Application Rate: 3.6 - 4.2 grams base dry mix per gallon of water

GRAMS Per 100 Gallon Batch of base dry mix

Manganese EDTA 13% : 5 Grams

Copper EDTA 15% : 1.3 Grams

Zinc EDTA 14% : 1.5 Grams

Boric Acid 99.9% : 2 Grams

Sodium Molybdate (Molybdenum 39.65%) : 0.08 Gram

10% Iron DTPA : 12 Grams

Mono-ammonium Phosphate : 13 Grams

MonoPotassium Phosphate : 200 Grams

Potassium Nitrate Greenhouse Grade : 20 Grams

Calcium EDTA chelated 9.7% : 25 Grams

Magnesium EDTA 6% : 40 Grams

Ferti-Fulvic Plus : 20 Grams

Soluble Humic Acid : 0.5 Gram

Soluble Seaweed : 12 Grams

Ferti-Nitro Plus : 1.5 Grams

Molasses Crystals : 6 Grams

Potassium Sulfate : 50 Grams

Additional Components Per Gallon (Mix individually into water separately):

Stage 3 : Mid-Flower Mix (Weeks 5-7 of Flower)

PART 1:

Potassium Silicate 0.15 grams / gallon

PART 2 (Mid-Flower Base Mix):

Application Rate: 4.5 - 5.0 grams base dry mix per gallon of water

GRAMS Per 100 Gallon Batch of base dry mix

Manganese EDTA 13% : 5 Grams

Copper EDTA 15% : 1.3 Grams

Zinc EDTA 14% : 1.5 Grams

Boric Acid 99.9% : 2 Grams

Sodium Molybdate (Molybdenum 39.65%) : 0.15 Gram

10% Iron DTPA : 12 Grams

Mono-ammonium Phosphate : 12 Grams

MonoPotassium Phosphate : 200 Grams

Potassium Nitrate Greenhouse Grade : 50 Grams

Ferti-Fulvic Plus : 20 Grams

Soluble Humic Acid : 0.5 Gram

Soluble Seaweed : 12 Grams

Ferti-Nitro Plus : 1 Gram

Molasses Crystals : 10 Grams

Potassium Sulfate : 60 Grams

Additional Components Per Gallon (Mix individually into water separately):

Stage 4 : Late Flower Mix (Weeks 8-9 of Flower)

DO NOT ADD POTASSIUM SILICATE

PART 1 ( Late Flower Base Mix):

Application Rate: 3.2 - 3.5 grams base dry mix per gallon of water

GRAMS Per 100 Gallon Batch of base dry mix

Manganese EDTA 13% : 5 Grams

Copper EDTA 15% : 1.3 Grams

Zinc EDTA 14% : 1.5 Grams

Boric Acid 99.9% : 2 Grams

Sodium Molybdate (Molybdenum 39.65%) : 0.15 Grams

10% Iron DTPA : 12 Grams

Mono-ammonium Phosphate : 13 Grams

MonoPotassium Phosphate : 220 Grams

Potassium Nitrate Greenhouse Grade : 22 Grams

Ferti-Fulvic Plus : 20 Grams

Soluble Humic Acid : 0.5 Gram

Soluble Seaweed : 12 Grams

Ferti-Nitro Plus : 1 Gram

Potassium Sulfate : 35 Grams

Molasses Crystals : 12 Grams

Additional Components Per Gallon (Mix individually into water separately):

Weighing & Mixing Guide

To avoid hot spots and nutrient lockouts, accuracy is vital. Always use a digital scale never measuring spoons as densities vary between powders. For tiny trace elements (like Molybdenum), pre mix them into a small cup of your Fulvic Acid before adding them to the batch. Once all ingredients are in your bulk container, tumble and shake for at least 5 minutes until the color and texture are perfectly uniform.

Example: Mixing a 10-Gallon Reservoir of Veg Stage

Follow this specific order to ensure everything dissolves perfectly without reacting.

  1. Fill Reservoir: Start with 10 gallons of clean water.

  2. Add Part 1 (Potassium Silicate) (2.5-5g per gallon) stir until dissolved

  3. Add Part 2 (Base Mix): Weigh out your stage-specific dose 30g for Veg(3g/gal) and stir until the water is clear (approx. 1 minute).

  4. Add Part 3 (Epsom Salt): Weigh out 10g (at 1g/gal), add to the water, and stir until dissolved.

  5. Add Part 4 (Cal-Nitrate): Weigh out 22.5g (at 2.25g/gal), add, and stir.

  6. Finalize: Add any liquids and adjust your pH to 5.8-6.2 only after all powders are fully dissolved.

This Example is for veg only. For other stages you will need to adjust the weights of each part according to the recommended amounts; Number of Parts will change each stage; Refer to chart.

Essential Mixing & Application Tips

  1. Crush the Clumps: Any ingredients like Amino Acid Complex or Molasses Crystals that have solidified must be crushed back into a fine powder before adding to your dry mix.

  2. Achieve Homogeneity: Use a large container and tumble/shake your dry mix for at least 5 minutes to ensure micronutrients are evenly distributed. For very small quantities, pre-mix them with a larger ingredient like Fulvic Acid first.

  3. pH is Key: For peat moss/perlite, aim for a consistent pH of 5.8 to 6.2 in your mixed solution. Test daily when using a reservoir.

  4. Reservoir Life: Your custom mixes contain organic compounds (Kelp, Humic, Molasses). If mixing a large batch (like 20 gallons), use an air stone/pump to keep it oxygenated and/or a submersible pump for circulation. Keep the water cool to prevent spoilage. Dump and refresh if it smells foul or develops slime.

  5. Never mix Part 1, 2, and 3 together in a small cup of water to make a concentrate before adding to the big tank

The Bottom Line

Venturing into custom nutrient blending is a game-changer. You'll gain unparalleled control over your plants' health, witness explosive growth, and harvest higher quality flowers – all while drastically cutting your nutrient costs. It's an investment of time, but the rewards in your garden will speak for themselves.

Happy growing!

I hope this blog post is exactly what you were looking for! Let me know if you need any adjustments or further content.

Andrew .