I have some 10 year old general hydroponic nutes. Id be nervous to use them. has anyone had experience using old hydro nutes.
I’ve use my old Technaflora BC nutes and I’ve still have 10+ yr. plus that I’m using today in my Phototron grow and its seems like it’s still good…
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If it’s straight salts, which is typical, I could see only a couple things happening. 1) Some of the salts fall out of solution or 2) Some sort of infection or 3) cross reaction causing percipitation.
Check for precipitation. Give it a good shake. Check to see if re-dissolved. Give it a smell test. Verify the PH matches what’s expected once you mix up a batch. Should work.
If the formulation has something else in there like mycorrhizae, organics, or volatiles (peroxides, etc) then it’s probably out-of-date with unpredictable changes being likely. Which means it may or may not work as expected.
Most formulations are likely straight salts.
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Honestly mean no insult, but that’s the first mention of a Phototron I’ve seen in over 20 years. When I ran a hydro shop (back in the ‘early days’) we used to joke that “If we were to design a machine to intentionally torture a plant to death - it would be the Phototon.” I thought those things were killed back in the 1980’s and your post made me search and find that they are still around. Wow…
And to the OP – I would not use nutes that old. Trace elements precipitate out of solution over time. That precipitation is why they package the nute concentrates in 2 (or more) parts. Just not worth it is all - get fresh nutes.
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I had my first Phototron 1987 even went to their factory in the western suburb of Chicago…check out my SWC/TRON thread bromigo…they were just ahead of their time…if you really think about it growing in tents is just a bigger versions of Phototrons …
Matanuska Thunder Fuck the real deal clone only strain
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I also have phototrons and worked great, only now twenty years later i can not find the company because i need the nutrients that you could purchase. i need something that is 12.58% Total Nitrogen 1.44% Available Phosphoric Acid and 5.11% Soluble Portash anything i can use?
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Try using Technaflora nutes…
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that might work?
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thanx, mine looked like that. Hopefully i can again.
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Found out that the company went outa business…did you ever get your Phototron working again?
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check out Massive Bloom for flower here are a few very good and not expensive nutes:
Elemental Nutrients -== myco base nutrient line (3) $10.00 sample pack
Neptune harvest _ 3 bottles + kelp and crap meal ($15.00 sample pack
Dyna Gro _ beleive 6 bottles of line - $25.00 sample pack
All mentioned have used with goos results (Ynoo Gro has a very good “rooting” soultion and Elemtental - their line is based on Myco + their bloom booster is rated in top list
Hope this helps ( a inexpensive way to find what works for you – Peace