For the modern hydroponic grower, providing a well-balanced nutrient solution and optimal lighting just isn’t enough. If you really want to experience explosive plant growth and huge yields, you need explore the many things that plant enhancers have to offer. A quality plant enhancer, when combined with the optimization of your grow room conditions, can help create bigger, stronger, healthier and higher yielding plants. But what exactly is in these products help create such a response? Typically, it’s simply specially engineered organic material designed to increase nutrient uptake, increase the size or your roots, and generally create a more favorable environment in your grow room. Here are a few things commonly found in the most beneficial plant enhancers on the market.
Beneficial Bacteria – For the most part, bacteria get a bad rap. While it’s true that there are certain strains of bacteria that can weaken your plants, there are also other strains that are designed to work symbiotically with plant life. This is a regular occurrence in soil gardens, where the soil environment allows bacteria, both good and bad, to thrive. But in a hydroponics garden, you can use plant enhancers to enjoy all the benefits of beneficial bacteria, while decreasing the occurrence of harmful bacterial infections. For example, one strain of bacteria you will find in these products is bacillus. This bacterium can greatly increase your plants defenses against pests and help ward off the kind of harmful fungi that can form if your grow room becomes too humid.
Beneficial Fungi – Much like bacteria, fungi have a reputation of being destructive to a hydroponics garden, but there many kinds that can help your plants grow. Two of the most common fungi found in plant enhancers are mycorrhizae and trichoderma. In addition to making it more difficult for harmful fungi to invade your root zone, mycorrhizae can also break down nutrients that your roots may have difficulty absorbing and convert them into something more useful for your plants. Trichoderma can be particularly useful for hydroponics, as this fungus can stimulate root development.
Beneficial Enzymes – Enzymes are proteins that stimulate chemical reactions. Many enzymes are natural to your plants, and the reactions that they catalyze can help your plant grow. But as your plant matures, many of these enzymes become less effective or become less of a presence. Some high quality plant enhancers have several kinds of beneficial enzymes that can encourage further growth and make it more difficult for harmful fungi and bacteria to colonize in your plants’ root zones. These products can help enhance another plant enhancer that contains beneficial bacteria or beneficial fungi.
Amino Acids – Much like people, plants needs protein in order to thrive. But in order to properly synthesize those proteins and benefit plant growth, your plant also needs amino acids. If you find a plant enhancer that comes packed with amino acids, that means it is designed to maximize protein synthesis and help your plants make the most efficient use out of your nutrient solution.