@Frank the Dank first off I grow hydroponically. There is no buffering like in soil. This means that the "Balance" in the elements is critical. Mega Crop and almost all other nutrient lines are not in balance at the lower PPM that autos thrive at. I know that does not make since until I got the ION testers I did not understand either.
What happens is MC 1 part at 800 PPM is in fair balance. That means they are within the proper range for all elements.
This chart from Harley Smith shows the range for those balances:
For example When Nitrogen is between 150 - 250 PPM (Harley's maximum for cannabis is 250) it is in the desirable range. We know Cannabis in flower needs very little nitrogen and more in veg. So the goal is to provide 150 PPM in flower and up to 250 PPM in veg.
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You cannot control the balance in the 1 part and it starts off low on Mg and S based on my measurments with the ION meters.
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4.5g per gallon of MC 1 Part is about
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These are in balance except Mg and S but not ideal. You can add Epsom Salt to fix the Mg and S. There is nothing you can do about the balance of the base nutrients and in soil this should be fine. Not so in Hydroponics.
Then along came the 2 Part MC and I can adjust this any way I want with the addition of NPK Raw Products and Gypsum. AN Bud Candy has some carbohydrates the plant can assimilate for a better terpene profile. I cannot get them elsewhere.
By using the various Elements from the alternate sources I can achieve the balance I want for the maturity level of the plants.
This is my veg formula high in Nitrogen;
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This is my late flower formula low in Nitrogen :
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I can do this while keeping all of the parts in balance and the PPM <750 PPM
So I hope that explains the Elements part. You can grow good plants with these 17 elements alone.
The rest is the secret sauce. These are beneficial elements that can enhance the quality of the plant to uptake the nutrients and some are actually taken right into the plant.
Amino Acids, Kelp, Humic Acid, silica, and B-vitamins are the major elements found in all of the special stuff that vendors sell. Yes there are proprietary things like Mammoth P that can indeed enhance your plants, I just don't think I need it.
There is some Green Life Biotics products being tested here that I want to add to my schedule. I need to complete some grows I have committed too first.