Base Nutrients
Shop complete base nutrient systems for hydroponic, coco, and soil growing, from Athena, Hydrotops, Monkey Nutrients, and Shogun. Our base nutrient range covers both vegetative and flowering stage formulas, available as two-part liquid systems or dry powder concentrates, giving your plants the core mineral foundation they need throughout the entire grow cycle. Whether you're running a simple two-part feed or a full commercial-scale dosing system, our base nutrients give you the reliable nutritional backbone every successful grow depends on.
What is a "base nutrient," and how is it different from a booster?
A base nutrient supplies the core macro and micronutrients your plant needs at every stage — nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and trace elements — in a balanced ratio designed for either vegetative growth or flowering. Boosters and additives (like PK boosters, cal-mag supplements, or root stimulants) are designed to be layered on top of a base feed to target specific outcomes, not to replace it. Think of your base nutrient as the foundation, and everything else as fine-tuning.
Two-part liquid vs dry powder concentrates
Most of our base nutrients — including Athena's Blended Line and Monkey Nutrients' Grow/Bloom A+B — are supplied as two-part liquid systems (Part A and Part B), split specifically to prevent certain minerals reacting and "crashing out" of solution if bottled together at full strength. For larger or commercial-scale operations, dry powder concentrates like Athena's Pro Line (Core, Grow, Bloom bags) offer a more cost-effective per-litre price and longer shelf stability, mixed into a stock solution before dosing.
Choosing a base nutrient for your growing medium
Not all base nutrients are interchangeable between growing methods:
- Hydroponic systems — need a nutrient formulated for direct water delivery with stable EC/pH characteristics (e.g. Hydrotops Grow/Bloom Hydro, Shogun Samurai Hydro Grow)
- Coco coir — coco's high cation exchange capacity behaves differently to pure hydro, so coco-specific formulas (Hydrotops Grow/Bloom Coco, Shogun Samurai Coco) account for this
- Soil — soil already buffers many nutrients naturally, so soil-specific bases (Hydrotops Solo Grow/Bloom, Shogun Samurai Terra Grow/Bloom) are formulated with this in mind
Using a hydro-formulated nutrient in soil (or vice versa) can lead to nutrient lockout or imbalances, so always match your base feed to your actual growing medium.
The vegetative-to-flowering transition
Almost every base nutrient range splits into a "Grow" (vegetative) and "Bloom" (flowering) formula, reflecting your plant's changing nutrient demands — higher nitrogen during vegetative growth, higher phosphorus and potassium during flowering. Most manufacturers recommend a gradual changeover between the two over 1-3 weeks rather than switching abruptly, to avoid nutrient shock.
FAQ
Do I need to buy Part A and Part B together?
Yes — two-part nutrient systems are formulated to be used together in equal (or manufacturer-specified) ratios. Using only Part A or only Part B will leave your plant missing essential nutrients.
Can I mix Part A and Part B directly together?
No — always dilute each part separately into your water first. Combining concentrated Part A and Part B directly can cause certain minerals to precipitate out of solution, making them unavailable to your plant.
How do I know how much to dose?
Follow the manufacturer's feed schedule for your specific product and target EC — dosage varies by growth week, water hardness, and growing medium, so there's no single universal rate across brands.
Can I switch between different brands' base nutrients mid-grow?
It's generally best to stick with one manufacturer's full nutrient line throughout a grow cycle, since brands formulate their base feeds and additives to work together — mixing systems can create unpredictable EC/pH behaviour.