BRAND · THE NUTRIENT WALL
Start with the base. Add a bottle only when you can say why.
Botanicare fills most of a bay on our nutrient wall: the Pure Blend Pro base, Cal-Mag Plus, Silica Blast, Hydroguard and a row of supplements. It works in soil, coco and hydro. Here is what each bottle is for, the maker's starting rates, and which ones most growers can skip.
How we stock it at Green Zone
Botanicare sits in bay 2 of the nutrient wall, quarts and gallons, with General Hydroponics next to it. Pure Blend Pro is a one-part base in two bottles, Grow for veg and Bloom for flower, made for soil, coco, containers or hydro.
The base does most of the work. When someone brings a sick plant to the counter with five supplements in the bucket, the fix is usually fewer bottles, not another one.
One-part base, in one paragraph
Many lines split the base into two or three parts you mix in order. Pure Blend Pro is one bottle per stage: Grow at 3-2-4 plus calcium and magnesium, Bloom at 2-3-5. The maker says to use it every watering and to cut the rate by 25% in a fortified potting soil or when you add supplements. Botanicare's chart gives amounts in mL per gallon and says they vary by plant, so treat them as a starting point.
The lineup
Pure Blend Pro Grow
A one-part base for the vegetative stage, 3-2-4 with calcium and magnesium, for soil, coco, containers or hydro. The maker's chart runs 7 mL per gallon for seedlings and cuttings, up to 15 to 20 in veg.
Where it fits: Veg, every watering
Pure Blend Pro Bloom
The flowering base, 2-3-5 with calcium and magnesium, with minerals and organic extracts. The chart runs 25 to 30 mL per gallon through flower.
Where it fits: Flower, every watering
Cal-Mag Plus
Calcium, magnesium and iron for every stage. The maker says always use it with reverse osmosis water or in coco, at 5 mL per gallon, and that it helps prevent blossom end rot in tomatoes and peppers.
Where it fits: Coco, RO water, or a calcium shortage
Silica Blast
Soluble silicon that the maker says strengthens cell walls and helps plants handle heat, drought and frost. 2.5 to 5 mL per gallon. It goes in the water first, before Cal-Mag.
Where it fits: Stronger stems, every or every other watering
Hydroguard
A Bacillus root inoculant, used every watering at 2 mL per gallon. The maker says never to mix the concentrates together.
Where it fits: Roots, the whole cycle
Liquid Karma
A low-NPK growth enhancer that the maker says can improve nutrient uptake. Its low strength lets it go on cuttings, seedlings and mother plants. 5 to 10 mL per gallon.
Where it fits: Starts, cuttings and young plants
Vitamino
A vitamin B1 supplement that works with any base nutrient, at 5 to 10 mL per gallon in hydro, coco or soil.
Where it fits: Any stage, any base
Hydroplex Bloom Maximizer
A 0-10-6 phosphorus and potassium boost with magnesium, 2 to 5 mL per gallon in weeks 3 to 8 of flower. Safe with any nutrient line, the maker says.
Where it fits: Weeks 3 to 8 of flower
Sweet (Raw, Berry, Citrus, Grape)
A magnesium and sulfur supplement the maker ties to photosynthesis and respiration. Raw is unflavored; the others add aroma esters. 8 mL per gallon through bloom.
Where it fits: The bloom cycle
Pure Blend Tea
A light 0.5-0.5-1.0 supplemental nutrient for hydro, soil and soilless. The maker's feed sheet runs 1 to 3 mL per gallon early and 5 later.
Where it fits: Veg and bloom, with any recipe
Clearex Rinsing Solution
A rinse that the maker says pulls built-up nutrient salts away from roots and media. 5 mL per gallon of plain water, drenched between nutrient changes.
Where it fits: Resetting a pot with salt buildup
Rates above are the maker's starting points in mL per gallon. If your plants are in a fortified potting soil, or you add supplements, the maker says to cut the base by 25%.
The numbers we feed by
Whatever the bottle says, check the mix. We steer input EC at about 0.4 to 0.8 for seedlings, 0.8 to 1.4 in veg and 1.2 to 1.8 in flower, and pH at 6.2 to 6.8 in soil or 5.8 to 6.2 in coco and hydro. Water to about 10 to 20% runoff. Botanicare's chart also says to run a weaker mix when it's hot, because plants drink more.
Change one thing at a time, then give it a full watering cycle for first signs and 7 to 10 days of new growth for the verdict. Cal-Mag takes about a week to show.
How it fits your grow, in 3 steps
Step 1. Pick the base for the stage.
Pure Blend Pro Grow in veg, Bloom in flower, every watering, at the maker's rate or a little under. Cut it 25% in a fortified soil.
Step 2. Add Cal-Mag only if your water or medium calls for it.
Coco and RO water, yes. If you use Silica Blast too, it goes in first, then Cal-Mag.
Step 3. Check, then wait.
Read EC and pH on the mix, then judge by new growth over 7 to 10 days before changing anything.
Who it's for, and who it's not for
A good fit if
You want one base bottle per stage instead of a three-part mix.
You grow in coco or with RO water and need a calcium and magnesium supplement.
You grow vegetables, herbs or flowers in containers or hydro and want rates printed per gallon.
Not the right fit if
You grow in a living soil you only top-dress and water: see /brands/roots-organics or The microbe shelf.
You want to add every bottle on the shelf: most plants need the base and maybe one supplement.
Common mistakes we help people avoid
Full-strength base plus every supplement. The maker says cut the base 25% when you add supplements.
Cal-Mag before Silica Blast. Silica goes in the water first.
Mixing concentrates in the cap. Hydroguard's label says never mix concentrates; add each one to the water and stir.
Chasing a problem with a rinse every week. Plain pH'd water or a light feed for a watering or two usually resets a pot.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Cal-Mag Plus?
In coco or with RO water, the maker says yes, at 5 mL per gallon. In most potting soils with tap water, start without it.
Can I use Botanicare in soil?
Yes. Pure Blend Pro is made for soil, coco, containers and hydro; in a fortified potting soil, cut the rate by 25%.
Do you still carry Fulvex?
Botanicare no longer lists it. Call (508) 459-9609 and we'll check the shelf.
Which sizes do you carry?
Quarts and gallons for most of the line. Call (508) 459-9609 before you drive for one exact size.
Keep going
Departments: Nutrients · Additives & supplements · pH, water & meters · Hydro systems & watering
Grower answers: How can I tell when my plant wants more food? · My runoff number is high. Should I flush? · Yellow leaves: is it a deficiency, and is this too much?
More deep dives: General Hydroponics · Cutting Edge Solutions · pH and EC meters
Want the short version of how we keep a grow steady? Get the free Stability Playbook
Before you drive
In bay 2 of the nutrient wall: Pure Blend Pro Grow and Bloom, Cal-Mag Plus, Silica Blast, Hydroguard, Liquid Karma, Vitamino, Hydroplex, Sweet, Pure Blend Tea and Clearex.
Know your medium (soil, coco or hydro) and your water (tap or RO).
Bring an EC or pH reading if a plant is struggling.
Need one exact size? Call (508) 459-9609 first.
Photographed in the store on October 9, 2026.