When it comes to figuring out what to feed to your plants, you might feel a little overwhelmed. Once you factor in the specific needs of your plants, the quality of the soil, and the different types of fertilizers out there, you might be left wondering if all the trouble is worth it. However, if you don’t feed your plants properly, they aren’t likely to grow well or bloom at all.
You have to be aware of the quantity of fertilizer you use on your plants. If they overdose on fertilizers, they might start to decay. On the other hand, too little fertilizer can stunt the plants’ growth.
The fertilizer’s impact is dependent on its components too. A good fertilizer must contain nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium as well as other essential minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, and sulfur.
If you’re looking for a great fertilizer to try, check out Athena products. They offer a wide variety of fertilizers to support your plants as they grow from seedling to flowering. Here’s everything you need to know about this brand of fertilizer.
What is Athena?
Athena Products Inc is a manufacturer of both liquid and dry fertilizer blends that are designed for commercial cannabis cultivators. They follow strict procedures to ensure that their liquid Blended line and powdered Pro line of nutrients surpass industry standards.
Athena Pro and Blended nutrients are made from multiple ingredients combined in specific ways. Listed below are the best products from each line.
Athena Pro Line
The Athena Pro line is divided into three: Core, Grow, and Bloom. These three products are ideal for mixing stock tanks, and they’re compatible with any dosing system. The large-grind mixes are 100% soluble, so they won’t clog your irrigation system or leave sediment in your reservoirs.
Let’s talk about each one.
Athena Pro Core
Athena Pro Core provides the basic nutrition across all the stages of plant growth. It has nitrogen to assemble chlorophyll and amino acids, calcium to build the plant’s structure, and other essential microelements to catalyze photosynthesis, enzyme production, and other important plant processes.
Among Athen Pro Core’s outstanding qualities are:
- It has a low heavy metal content.
- It mixes completely at room temperature.
- It’s a fully soluble dry fertilizer with no particulates or sediment.
- It can work with any dosing system, such as Dosatron, Netaflex, or Rhythm.
Ingredients
Calcium Nitrate, Iron EDTA, Manganese EDTA, Copper EDTA, Zinc EDTA, Boric Acid, Sodium Molybdate
Mixing Instructions
Stock tank: Mix at most 2.5 lbs per 1 gallon of water, then agitate it well until it’s dissolved. Dose at a rate according to desired solution strength.
Reservoir: Mix at 60% of Pro Grow or Bloom. You can refer to a dosing chart for your target EC mix rates.
For best results, use this product in combination with Athena Pro Grow and Pro Bloom. Remember to measure by weight, not volume, and don’t combine the dry or concentrate forms.
Athena Pro Grow
Athena Pro Grow is a balanced soluble fertilizer blend that’s formulated for commercial cultivators to streamline irrigation. It’s best for your plants during their vegetative growth stage since they’ll require well-rounded nutrition to establish strong roots and lush foliage.
Among Athen Pro Grow’s excellent properties are:
- It has a low heavy metal content.
- It mixes completely at room temperature.
- It has a balanced NPK and essential microelements when used with Pro Core.
- It’s a fully soluble dry fertilizer with no particulates or sediment.
- It can work with any dosing system, like Dosatron, Netaflex, and Rhythm.
Ingredients
Potassium Phosphate, Potassium Nitrate, Potassium Sulfate, Magnesium Sulfate, Iron DTPA
Mixing Instructions
Stock tank: Mix a maximum of 2.5 lbs per 1 gallon of water, then agitate well until dissolved. Dose at the rate of your desired solution strength.
Reservoir: For every 1 gram of Pro Grow, use 0.6 grams of Pro Core.
Always use this in combination with Athena Pro Core. Measure by weight, not volume. Don’t combine it in the dry or concentrate forms.
Athena Pro Bloom
Athena Pro Bloom has balanced levels of macro and microelements, including sulfur, and it can improve the potency and flavor of your cannabis crop. It’s best used during the flowering stage because the higher amounts of phosphorus and potassium increase flower bulk and support high-metabolic activities.
Like Athena Pro Core and Pro Grow, this product has the following properties:
- It has a low heavy metal content.
- It mixes completely at room temperature.
- It has balanced NPK and essential microelements when used with Pro Core.
- It’s a fully soluble dry fertilizer with no particulates or sediment.
- It can work with any dosing system.
Ingredients
Potassium Phosphate, Potassium Sulfate, Magnesium Sulfate, Iron DTPA
Mixing Instructions
Stock tank: Mix at most 2.5 lbs per 1 gallon of water. Agitate it until it’s well-dissolved, then dose your plants according to your desired solution strength.
Reservoir: For every 1 gram of Pro Bloom, use 0.6 grams of Pro Core.
Athena Blended Line
The Athena Blended Line is made up of 9 products: Cleanse, CaMg, PK, Grow A, Grow B, Bloom A, Bloom B, Stack, and Balance.
Athena Cleanse
It’s made with one of the safest root zone optimizing agents, hypochlorous acid. Derived from salt and a proprietary electrochemical treatment process, the result is a unique, plant-safe chemical fertilizer.
Due to its powerful oxidative properties, it keeps the root zone clean and free from unwanted material and mineral buildup. These special properties can lessen the mineral scale in irrigation systems.
Features
- It’s safe to use on plants in any stage of growth.
- It’s effective as a final flush to get rid of the mineral buildup in your growing media and irrigation lines.
- It has a very low TDS.
- It can descale irrigation systems and decompose residual organic matter.
How to use
Regular use:
Use a diluted mixture of 2 to 5 mL per gallon of water for regular maintenance.
For cuttings/clones:
Athena Cleanse is a must for clones and fresh cuttings. Dip the fresh cuttings in a solution of Cleanse (10 mL per gallon) to improve cell health and increase immunity. Seedlings and cuttings treated with it have more vigor and are more likely to grow into robust plants. The treated roots will be bright white and bursting with tiny feeder root hairs.
Media/system flush mix:
Use Athena Cleanse at a rate of 5-10 ml/ gallon of water during the final flush to help reduce residual mineral buildup.
You can also perform this procedure at any time during the vegetative or flowering phases if the growing media or irrigation system develops a mineral imbalance or unwanted buildup.
Foliar applications:
Mix 375 mL of Cleanse per gallon water and spray evenly. Test it on a small area first to ensure that there’s no damage.
Athena CaMg
It’s designed to supplement a growing media that requires higher doses of calcium, magnesium, iron, and nitrogen during the heavy growth and development phases. It can effectively correct common deficiencies without disrupting the overall elemental balance.
Application rate:
Add 2.5 mL per gallon of water during all growth stages as needed.
For the specific application recommendation, refer to this feeding schedule.
Athena PK
This liquid booster is a supplement for the mid to late flowering phases. Its low nitrogen content and additional phosphorus and potassium provide maximum production.
Application rate:
Add 3 to 10 mL per gallon of water during the flowering phase starting in week 3.
Athena Grow A
This simple and clean formula is designed for the vegetative stage of growth. It’s a 2-part blended liquid formula that should be used in equal amounts during the veg phase to enhance the rapid onset of bud production while increasing the flowering sites.
This formula is sediment-free and is compatible with all dosing and irrigation systems, including fine dripper heads.
Application rate:
Add 2 to 5 mL of Grow A per gallon of water during the vegetative growth phase.
Athena Bloom A
You can use this formula is designed for the blooming stage of fruiting and flowering plants.
Application rate:
Add 2 to 7 mL of Athena Bloom A per gallon of water during the flowering phase.
Athena Stack
This natural plant nutrient is made from kelp extract. It encourages healthy growth and flowering, allowing the plant to reach its full genetic potential. When it’s used as a foliar or root drench, it can correct minor potassium deficiencies.
How to use:
You can use Stack as a foliar spray or root drench. One application weekly is enough. Stack contains organic ingredients and may separate during storage, so be sure to shake it well before use.
Apply Stack from the final week of vegetative growth to week 4 to 5 of flowering, or once the plants stop growing vertically.
Root drench:
Mix 1 to 2 mL per gallon of water in a weekly mix. You can also mix it with a regular fertilizer recipe, but add it last to the reservoir.
Foliar spray:
Mix 7 mL per gallon of water and spray the plants thoroughly once weekly. Spray it with the lights off and allow it to dry before turning the lights on. Don’t use it past week 3 of flowering.
Transplant use:
Mix 2 mL per gallon of water and use it to bare-root soak for 30 to 60 seconds before transplanting. You can also use it in the watering solution after transplanting. Stack can reduce transplant stress and improve plant vigor.
Seed treatment:
Mix 4 mL per gallon of water and soak the seeds for 1 to 2 minutes before planting to increase the germination rate.
Athena Balance
This simple formula of potassium silicate is specifically concentrated to buffer irrigation water and stabilize the ideal pH. It contains silicon to promote plant growth, stem structure, stress reduction, water usage, and nutrient utilization. Athena Balance is a homogenous fertilizer solution and reduces the need to pH-adjust.
The formula is sediment-free and works with mechanical dosing systems like Dosatron, but it isn’t recommended for electronic dosing like Netafim.
Best Practices for Athena Nutrients
- Shake the products well before use. These products are run through a 1-micron filter before bottling, so any micro-particles you see won’t clog your dosing systems or emitters.
- Use clean measuring instruments. Don’t put anything else into the bottle to avoid contamination.
- To increase your target EC, always use equal parts A & B to maintain the mineral balance.
- Don’t combine these products in their undiluted forms. It renders the formulas useless.
- Store them in their original packaging, and keep them at a temperature between 45° F and 85° F. Exposure to the environment will reduce their shelf-life.
- You can adjust the recipes as needed. Every cultivar and growing environment is unique, so it’s natural to make adjustments to maintain your plants’ health and vigor.
What is the Dosatron Nutrient Delivery System?
The Athena Dosatron Nutrient Delivery System is composed of 4 main panel sections, which can be arranged to accommodate a wide variety of fertigation programs. This system can be used anywhere, from greenhouse environments to outdoors. It can help you to automate the nutrient delivery process to accurately dispense your fertilizers.
With the help of the Dosatron’s full line of injectors, you can create fine-tuned, multi-chemical mixes with repeatable results. They’re water-powered, so there’s no need for electricity, unlike other dosing products. They’re also easy to maintain and keep in service, saving you time and money.
Bottomline
Finding the right nutrition solution for your plants can be a big deal, but with the Athena Pro and Blended lines, you can rest assured that your plants will get the utmost care and nutrients. Athena also offers a wide range of products that are designed to be used in soil and hydro setups, so you shouldn’t have a hard time finding the right one for your needs.
