House & Garden Nutrient Feeding Schedule: 8-Week Power Guide
Chasing gram-per-watt greatness? Dial in this metric House & Garden (H&G) program and give your plants a crystal-clear path from clone to harvest—no nutrient roulette, no pH drama, just reliable Humboldt-bred performance.
At-a-Glance Success Map
- Choose one core base: Aqua Flakes, Cocos, Hydro or Soil A&B—and keep it constant from transplant to flush.
- Layer root/veg stimulants early (Weeks 0–2) to build biomass and protect new roots.
- Swap to enzymes & system conditioners mid-cycle (Weeks 1–8) to maintain clean lines, living media and a stable EC.
- Finish with high-octane bloom boosters (Bud-XL → Top Booster → Shooting Powder/Top Shooter) in strict order—no PK overlaps!
- Follow the metric feed chart—base peaks at ~2.5 mL/L in Week 6, well inside H&G’s recommended 1.5–3 mL/L band.
- Mix order matters: Part A, then Part B, then additives. Check EC & pH after every step (target 5.6–6.2 for recirc systems).
Pick Your Core Base Nutrient
| Variant | Best For | Standard Range | Key Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua Flakes A&B | Recirculating hydro (DWC, ebb-&-flow, rockwool) | 1.5 – 3 mL/L | Low-ppm recipe keeps pH rock-solid in moving solution; Ca & Mg balanced for RO/soft water. |
| Cocos A&B | 40 %+ coco blends | 1.5 – 3 mL/L | Extra Ca & chelated Fe tame coir’s cation exchange; 100 % liquid actives—no blocky powders. |
| Hydro A&B | Drain-to-waste rockwool / perlite / clay | 1.5 – 3 mL/L | Rapid uptake, wide system compatibility; reaches target pH faster than legacy Dutch ABs. |
| Soil A&B | Peat or mineral soils | 2 – 5 mL/L | Extra Ca & traces without crashing medium pH; replaces grow/bloom two-part bottles. |
Root & Veg Accelerators (Weeks 0–2)
| Product | Dose (mL /L) | Why You’d Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Roots Excelurator | 0.30 | Protective film blocks pythium and sparks root tip explosion in 48 h. |
| Amino Treatment | 0.80 → 1.00 | Sea-kelp amino acids boost chlorophyll & cell division; double after transplant shock. |
| Nitrogen Boost | 0.25 → 1.00 | Pharma-grade N rescues pale clones, fuels rapid leaf mass. |
| Magic Green (foliar) | 10-20 mL/L spray | Instant green-up with Fe & K; spray lights-off to avoid scorch. |
Enzyme & System Conditioners (Weeks 1–8)
| Product | Dose (mL /L) | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Multizyme | 1.0 | Breaks down dead roots, frees P & Ca, raises Brix. |
| Drip Clean | 0.10 | Magnetised K isolates salts; keeps drippers clear & flush time short. |
| pH Stabiliser | 1.0 | Locks RO/rainwater at target pH for up to 10 days—perfect for auto-top-off. |
Bloom-Stage Enhancers (Weeks 3–8)
- Bud-XL – 1.0 mL/L (Week 3 start): Pulls sugars from leaves into flowers, fattening calyces & terps.
- Top Booster – 1.5 mL/L (Week 5 only): PK + EDDHA-iron triggers extra fruit set. Never overlap with other PK spikes.
- Shooting Powder 0.65 → 1.3 g/L or Top Shooter 0.75 → 1.5 mL/L (Weeks 6–7): Forces a second wave of floral cell division—up to 30 % more yield. Use on healthy, well-lit plants.
- Magnesium 8 % – 0.5 mL/L (as needed): Fast Mg rescue for mid-bloom LED chlorosis.
8-Week Metric Feed Schedule (per Litre)
| Stage | Base A&B (mL/L) | Key Additives |
|---|---|---|
| Cuttings / Seedlings | 0.65 | Roots Excel 0.3 | Drip Clean 0.1 |
| Veg Week 1 | 1.45 | Amino 0.8 | Multizyme 1.0 |
| Veg Week 2 | 1.60 | Nitrogen 1.0 (optional) |
| Flower Week 1 | 1.72 | Bud-XL 1.0 |
| Flower Week 2 | 1.98 | Bud-XL 1.0 |
| Flower Week 3 | 2.25 | Bud-XL 1.0 |
| Flower Week 4 | 2.50 | Top Booster 1.5 |
| Flower Week 5 | 2.38 | Shooting Powder 0.65 or Top Shooter 0.75 |
| Flower Week 6 | 1.98 | Shooting Powder 1.3 or Top Shooter 1.5 |
| Flower Week 7 | 1.98 | Begin flush (plain water + Drip Clean 0.1 optional) |
Conversions: original US chart (mL/gal) × 0.264 = mL/L.
Mixing Protocol & Best Practices
- Source water check: Record starting EC & pH (H&G assumes near-zero EC RO).
- Add Part A → stir → Part B → stir. Never combine concentrates undiluted.
- Hit EC target by adjusting with base (up) or water (down).
- Additives in order: Drip Clean → Roots Excel → other liquids → dissolved powders.
- Final pH targets: Hydro 5.5-6.0 | Aqua Flakes/Cocos 5.6-6.2 | Soil 5.8-6.5.
Pro Tip: Running auto-dosers? Pre-dilute Roots Excel and Top Shooter to avoid micro-precipitation.
Troubleshooting Cheat-Sheet
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Fast Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Drippers clog, EC drifts up | Salt precipitation | Increase Drip Clean to 0.15 mL/L for one feed, then resume 0.10. |
| Pale new growth mid-veg | N deficiency or high pH | Re-calibrate pH pen; foliar 0.5 mL/L Nitrogen Boost. |
| Leaf tip burn Week 5 | PK overload | Skip Shooting Powder this run; flush 3-5 days at 0.5 EC. |
Why Stock the Whole Line?
Running the full 17-SKU H&G program keeps chemistry predictable, minimises lockouts and removes guesswork—especially when you grab the starter-kit bundle from Dr Greenthumbs.
FAQ
What EC & pH targets work best with RO water?
Start at 0 EC, add base nutrients until you hit chart values, then pH to 5.6-6.2 for recirculating systems.
Can I use Shooting Powder and Top Shooter together?
No—pick one. Both are powerful PK spikes; stacking them risks tip burn and lockout.
How long should I flush with House & Garden nutrients?
Seven days of plain water is plenty when Drip Clean is dosed each feed. In coco, five days can suffice.
Do I need Cal-Mag with Aqua Flakes in soft water areas?
No—Aqua Flakes already balances Ca & Mg for RO or soft water.
How do I avoid dripper clogging in coco?
Use Drip Clean every feed, keep solution temps 18-22 °C, and sterilise lines between runs.
Ready to Grow Bigger?
Lock in this 8-week schedule, grab your House & Garden nutrients, and watch your canopy go from good to record-breaking. Happy growing!
