Who makes the best Calcium Nitrate for Hydro?

[Tomatoesonly]

I bought some Souther AG Cal. Nitrate and that garbage has some sort of petroleum based contamination or at the very least it's part of the manufacturing for some reason. Confirmed by other Amazon reviews, I apparently didn't see. When you dissolve it you can smell something weird and it leaves a film on my beaker.
So I'm looking to see if Powergrow is better or if there is someone else who makes a real kickass version.

 

[dramamine]

Yeah, that Southern Ag calnit is bullshit.

Yara or Haifa are both good, but I've been using PureCal because it has a higher calcium to nitrogen ratio so it's easier to run a little higher calcium. No ammonium nitrogen in it either. I like that, but I mix it with a little Yara calnit to give 2ppm of ammonium for ph stability.

 

[hyposomniac]

No weird smell or film from powergrow

 

[delta9nxs]

yara liva by far. i get mine from farm supply stores for about 22 bucks for 50 lbs.

it has about 7 percent of the nitrogen as nh4.

rapid, lush, green growth.

below is a recent plant at the end of veg

used in conjunction with the jack's 5-12-26 and magsulfate

 

[troutman]

Cal/Mag has calcium nitrate.

 

[Tomatoesonly]

Cal/Mag has calcium nitrate.

I get that, but when you're pissing it away buffering coco, I'd rather just mix up easy to get chems. I don't feel so bad.

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Have access to shells? Egg, clam, etc... Got vinegar? KNF water soluble calcium is the best for your plants. No bothersome nitrate b.s. either.

 

[Three Berries]

I use Calcium Chloride, have used Calcium Acetate before (vinegar and eggshells). I like the chloride as I also use Magnesium Chloride.

Beware when adding any to the nutes as high pH will precipitate the minerals out.

 

[Tomatoesonly]

I use Calcium Chloride, have used Calcium Acetate before (vinegar and eggshells). I like the chloride as I also use Magnesium Chloride.

Beware when adding any to the nutes as high pH will precipitate the minerals out.

What does the chloride side of that do? is it salt or chlorine or what happens to it?

 

[Three Berries]

What does the chloride side of that do? is it salt or chlorine or what happens to it?

The Chloride based minerals are easily soluble in water. It will react with any +charged element when it goes out of solution to reform. So as long as it's wet it's free ions. The chloride may/will form chlorine (ClO2) and will evaporate pretty quick if there's some free O2.

I've been using it for a year as a topical application, ~1300 ppm usually directly on the soil (~150mL per plant) or added to a foliar spray.. If you add it to a sulfate mineral it will form calcium sulfate or -OH it will form CaOH and drop out of suspension.

So if your nutes have magnesium/potassium sulfate or you neutralize with a strong base -OH it will fall out of suspension.

^^^ I would guess the same is true for Calcium Acetate. It is slightly acidic though.

 

[Avenger]

In my opinion, PureCal calcium nitrate for the win in hydroponics especially recirculating systems.

PureCal 13-0-0 calcium nitrate fertilizer

customhydronutrients.com

• ammonium free, all nitrogen in the nitrate form
• more calcium per unit nitrogen
• made in the USA
• not an oxidizer

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Beware when adding any to the nutes as high pH will precipitate the minerals out.

Your calcium acetate should be almost 7 pH

 

[Three Berries]

Your calcium acetate should be almost 7 pH

Using either CaCl2 or Calcium Acetate you really have to be careful on what you mix it with as the free Ca will readily bind with other chemicals/mineral used in the nute solution and drop out.

Adding -OH or -SO4 compounds will bind the Ca++ and drop out of suspension.

I went to the chlorides vs the acetates, so far so good. I should get some potassium chloride too.

 

[Ichabod Crane]

Have access to shells? Egg, clam, etc... Got vinegar? KNF water soluble calcium is the best for your plants. No bothersome nitrate b.s. either.

Haha I had 2 gallons of crushed eggshells. Till a mouse got into it and threw it all over the garage. Little bastard. I can say that since mice seldom get married.

 

[Tomatoesonly]

In my opinion, PureCal calcium nitrate for the win in hydroponics especially recirculating systems.

PureCal 13-0-0 calcium nitrate fertilizer

customhydronutrients.com

• ammonium free, all nitrogen in the nitrate form
• more calcium per unit nitrogen
• made in the USA
• not an oxidizer

Wish I woulda seen this stuff a day earlier. Maybe next time, but getting through 4 or 5 lbs is gonna take a LONG time.

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

I'm simply using it with rabbit manure, but I get the hydro angle and incompatibilities.

 

[Agropop]

Have access to shells? Egg, clam, etc... Got vinegar? KNF water soluble calcium is the best for your plants. No bothersome nitrate b.s. either.

I have 470 g of crushed eggshells to use, how much (white?) vinegar do I need and how long should I wait until the thing is ready?

 

[Three Berries]

You can get Calcium Acetate powder on eBay for around $23 a kilo right now under health supplements.

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

That's pretty dang cheap! Thanks

 

[Tomatoesonly]

Why don't Cal/Mag makers use calcium acetate?