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Just like animals plants need a source of fuel to provide energy in order to grow and thrive. The fuel source for animals is food – meat or vegetables which they eat. ‘Plant food’ is rather different in that plants ‘consume’ their food by absorbing simple chemical elements through their roots and leaves.

Plants contain chlorophyll which absorbs light. The light energy converts carbon, hydrogen and oxygen into sugars, starches and cellulose. These are called carbohydrates and this is how plants store the energy derived from light.
Oxygen (O), carbon (C), and hydrogen (H) are obtained from air (oxygen,) water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 is absorbed through the leaves of the plant and water through the roots. Perhaps surprisingly oxygen is also absorbed through the plants roots.

The process of using light energy to convert these elements into carbohydrates is called photosynthesis.

In addition to carbohydrates, plants require other essential elements – nitrogen for amino acids to make protein, magnesium is required to make chlorophyl and so on.

These essential elements can be divided into two groups:-

1) Macronutrients. These are nutrients required by plants in relatively large amounts. They are: nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca) and sulphur (S)
2) Micronutrients. These are nutrients required by plants in relatively small amounts – sometimes referred to as trace elements. These include iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), boron (B), molybdenum (Mb) and chlorine (Cl)

In the natural world these elements can be found in the soil. However soils vary considerably in both their make up and consistency. Some may be rich in nutrients and others may contain little or no nutrient. Soils can be light and sandy. These soils may be well aerated but with little or no water retention. Some can be heavy or waterlogged, providing adequate water for a plant but restricting the amount of oxygen available. Over many thousands of years different plants have adapted to suit these different conditions.

In the artificial world the one thing we can’t do is wait for thousands of years for our plants to adapt to the conditions we provide. Whether it’s a plant in a pot on the windowsill or a container on the patio, a plant in an aquarium or a plant in a hydroponic system, it is essential that it is provided with the right nutrients and an adequate supply of water and oxygen at the roots, CO2 and of course light.

In any sort of contained planting, house plants, patio containers, planted aquariums or hydroponic systems, the most convenient way of ensuring that plants receive an adequate supply of nutrients is to use a specially formulated fertiliser. This may be in the form of powder, pellets or liquid but it is essential to use a product that has been designed for the application. You can’t use garden fertiliser in a hydroponic system and certainly not in a planted aquarium.

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