Create optimized nutrient recipes from raw salts using Automatic Creation, or enter your own formula manually with Manual Creation.
Blends
The Blends feature is a recipe calculator and optimizer for nutrient salt formulations. It lets you create a custom blend that matches the nutrient profile of a commercial fertilizer reference — using the raw salts you have available — or manually enter a recipe you already use.
Saved blends can be added to Feed Charts as parts of a feeding schedule.
Overview
There are two ways to create a blend:
| Method | Best For |
|---|---|
| Automatic Creation | Replicating a commercial fertilizer using available raw salts |
| Manual Creation | Entering a known recipe to save it in the Library |
Blend reports can be downloaded as PDF from the Actions menu on any saved blend in the Blends Library.
Automatic Creation
Automatic Creation uses an optimization algorithm to find the best combination of raw salts that matches the nutrient profile of a selected reference fertilizer.
When to Use It
Use Automatic Creation when you want to reproduce a commercial fertilizer using the individual salts you have on hand — typically to reduce costs, improve control over nutrient ratios, or work around product availability.
Step 1 — Choose Reference Fertilizer
- Click Create.
- Select Automatic Creation.
- In the Reference Fertilizer table (step 1, Choose Reference), select the commercial fertilizer you want to replicate.
Nutrient concentrations are calculated per 1 liter of concentrated solution for liquid fertilizers, or per 1 kg for solid fertilizers. If you want the mass calculated for 1 liter of concentrate, check the box below the fertilizer table.
Step 2 — Set Calculation Parameters
Scroll down to the Calculation Parameters box. Select the nutrients you want to optimize in the calculation.
Only select the nutrients that are relevant to your crop and growth stage. Including unnecessary nutrients can reduce the quality of the optimization result.
Click Next.
Step 3 — Choose Available Salts
In step 2 (Choose Available):
- From the Available Solid Fertilizers list, select the raw salts you have on hand.
- At the bottom of the page, review the nutrient coverage to confirm all required nutrients are accounted for.
Example: To replicate AN Cultivator Series Bloom 3-13-26, you might select: Diammonium Phosphate (DAP), Dipotassium Phosphate (DKP), Iron Sulfate, Potassium Carbonate, and Milagro Oligomix-Co as your available salts.
- Click Run to start the optimization.
Step 4 — Review Results
Step 3 (Results) displays the calculated quantities of each salt and a comparison with the reference fertilizer’s nutrient profile.
To recalculate, click Retry and run again with the salts already selected. Alternatively, go back to the previous step and add or change salts to cover any missing nutrients. It is common to run 2–5 times before reaching a satisfactory result.
When satisfied with the result, click Next.
Step 5 — Fine Tuning
In the Fine Tuning tab, you can adjust the quantities in grams to make salt weighing easier based on the level of precision required. The simple decimal-place adjustment shown below is provided as an example of how the calculated masses can be refined.
Scroll down to review the updated nutrient levels and ranges after your adjustments.
At the bottom of the page, click Save. In the window that appears, enter the name for the blend and add any notes in the Notes field (optional but recommended).
Step 6 — Save
The blend is saved to your Blends Library and is now available for use in Feed Charts.
Manual Creation
If you already have a recipe and want to add it to the Blends Library to use in a Feed Chart, use Manual Creation.
When to Use It
- You have a tested recipe from a previous grow.
- You received a formula from a consultant or agronomist.
- You want to digitize a paper-based feeding program.
Steps
- Click the Create button.
- Click Manual Creation.
Step 2 — Choose Fertilizers
The Available Solid Fertilizers list is displayed. Select the solid fertilizers you want to include in your blend.
You can select more than one solid fertilizer.
Click Next at the bottom of the page.
Step 3 — Blend Composition
Enter the amount in grams for each selected fertilizer in the Fertilizer Amounts table.
Step 4 — Save
Click Save. In the dialog that appears, enter the name for the blend and an optional description.
The blend is saved to your Blends Library.
Tips and Best Practices
- Run Automatic Creation more than once. The algorithm may produce different results depending on the salt combination — experimenting with different available salts often yields a better match.
- Fine tune for practical use. Adjust gram values so they are easy to measure with your scale. Small rounding adjustments rarely affect plant performance significantly.
- Use notes to document your rationale. Record why you chose certain salts or made specific adjustments — this is valuable when revisiting a blend months later.
- Test before scaling. Always verify a new blend on a small batch before applying it across an entire crop.
Related Features
- Fertilizer Library — Manage the salts and fertilizers used in blends.
- Feed Charts — Add blends as parts in your feeding schedules.
- Recreate a Commercial Fertilizer — Guided workflow for Automatic Creation.