How to Mix Fertilizer: Order and Dissolving Tips

Mixing a feed is simple, and the order matters. Here is the one order we run every Growganica feed in: water first, Microbes second, your powder (Veg or Bloom) third. Below that you will find how to get powders to dissolve, which products need special handling, and the things we do not have a published number for.

The Mixing Order: Water, Microbes, Powder

Water first. Microbes, the liquid, second. Your powder third. That is water, then Microbes, then Veg, and Bloom follows the same order. Do not flip it to powder first and Microbes after.

Why does Microbes go in before the powder? Because that is the order the Growganica program is run in. It is not the result of a published lab test on mixing sequence, and we are not going to dress it up as one.

Why pair Microbes with Veg and Bloom at all? Veg is a low-nitrogen formula (guaranteed analysis 0.5-0-3), and the product docs say its nitrogen comes through microbial activity, not from the bag. Veg and Bloom are both built to work with Microbes or established living soil.

What to Do: One Mix, Step by Step

Start with plain water in a clean jug or watering can. Measure the volume, because every dose is per gallon.
Add Microbes. Our per-gallon spec for Microbes is 1 to 3 ml (about ¼ to ¾ tsp) per gallon. Stir briefly.
Add your Veg or Bloom powder. The per-gallon spec for each is ¼ to ½ Tbsp (¾ to 1½ tsp). Stir until the powder is wetted and spread through the water.
Use it. Water the plants with the finished mix.

The per-gallon figures are the dose for one mix, not how often to use it. For potted plants, the product docs list Veg every 3 to 4 weeks, Bloom weekly through flowering, and Microbes monthly. Doses also vary by plant and stage, so treat these numbers as the base. Your plant’s feeding chart at /pages/feeding-schedule is the source of truth for how much and how often.

Dissolving Powders Without the Lumps

Veg and Bloom are wettable powders. Bloom and King Krustacean are documented as clearing 100-mesh, which is fine enough to disperse in water rather than sit as grit. Veg’s finished mesh has not been independently confirmed. Incredible Bulk is micronized, and its exact mesh is not recorded.

Sprinkle, do not dump. Add the powder while stirring, not in one pile. A pile on the surface is what turns into lumps.
Stir, rest, stir again. Fine powders in general wet slowly. A second stir after a minute or two catches what settled.
Expect some haze or sediment. These are nutrient powders, not clear salts. Stir the jug again right before you pour so the last gallon is not the strongest or weakest.
Strain if you spray. If you put a mix through a sprayer, passing it through a fine mesh first is a sensible general precaution against clogged nozzles. We do not publish a straining specification.

Powder that clumps usually met water in a pile, or the bag was left open. Kelp It Real is hygroscopic: it pulls moisture from the air, so keep it in an airtight container. If your Kelp has already clumped, break the lumps up before you measure and dissolve it fully in water before adding anything else to the mix.

Products That Need Special Handling

Microbes (liquid): always apply with a microbe food (Veg, Bloom, King Krustacean, Phishy). Store below 100°F, out of direct sun.
Veg and Bloom: wettable powders. Both need Microbes to work as designed.
Kelp It Real: hygroscopic, so airtight storage. Add surfactants only after it is fully dissolved. Pre-mix calcium products separately.
King Krustacean: do not hold it in a microbial tank mix for more than 4 hours unless the tank is aerated. It can be tank-mixed with fertilizers for up to 24 hours.
Phishy (fish hydrolysate): do not mix with other mineral fertilizers. Oil separation is normal, so agitate before drawing.
Vitamin Sea (liquid): apply alone. Never mix with synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Apply a few days apart from other products.
Incredible Bulk: powder for the last 4 to 6 weeks of flowering, added on top of Bloom. Our documents list no separate mixing restriction.

Oil separation in Phishy is normal. Fish hydrolysate contains oils, and they can separate on standing. That is not spoilage. Shake or agitate the bottle before you draw your dose.

On calcium: Kelp’s spec sheet says to pre-mix calcium products separately. Veg, Bloom and King Krustacean all list calcium on their labels, but our documents do not say how that note applies to them in a home mix. For a specific answer on a combined jug, ask us rather than guessing. Same goes for Phishy and “mineral fertilizers”: the spec sheet does not define the term for Veg and Bloom, so if you are unsure, give Phishy as its own watering rather than combining it.

Common Mixing Mistakes

Everything in one jug. For the core pair, Microbes and Veg or Bloom, the one-jug mix is the standard. Beyond that, the list above has the limits: Vitamin Sea goes on alone, and Phishy has its mixing warning. Add boosters one at a time.
Powder before Microbes. This reverses our order. Water, Microbes, powder.
Using the dose as a schedule. The per-gallon figure is for one mix, not every watering.
Letting a Microbes and King Krustacean tank sit. Past 4 hours without aeration, King Krustacean can crash the microbial population. Mix it fresh.
Leaving Kelp open. It clumps. Close the container.
Combining Vitamin Sea with other products. It goes on alone, a few days apart.
Skipping Microbes with Veg or Bloom. Both are built to rely on microbes. Without them, or established living soil, the formulas under-deliver.

What We Do Not Publish

You will see advice online about exact water temperature or a target pH for the mix. We do not publish a water temperature or a mix pH for any Growganica product. Anything specific you read elsewhere is not from us. If tap water is a concern for you, ask us directly, because our documents do not cover it.

We also do not publish a maximum hold time for a finished Veg or Bloom mix, other than the King Krustacean 4-hour limit above. A sensible general habit is to mix what you plan to use in the same session.

Where Growganica Fits

For most growers the mix is simple: Microbes plus Veg, or Microbes plus Bloom, in water, in that order. Everything else in the line is an add-on, introduced once the basic mix is working. Kelp It Real, Phishy and Vitamin Sea each have a handling note above, so read it before you add them to the jug.

If you are growing in a houseplant pot, Kelp It Real is the booster to reach for, not Incredible Bulk. Incredible Bulk is for the last 4 to 6 weeks of flowering. And if you cannot tell from this page whether two specific products can share a jug, ask. A short question to our support team beats a wasted batch.

Frequently Asked Questions

What order do I mix my feed in?

Water first, then Microbes, then your powder (Veg or Bloom). Stir briefly after the Microbes and stir until the powder is wetted and spread through the water after the powder.

Can I mix everything in one jug?

For the core pair, Microbes and Veg or Bloom, yes. That is the standard mix. Beyond that there are limits: Vitamin Sea goes on alone, a few days apart from other products, and Phishy should not be mixed with other mineral fertilizers. Add boosters one at a time rather than building an everything-jug.

Why does my powder clump?

Usually because it met water in a pile, or because the bag was left open. Sprinkle powder in while stirring. Kelp It Real is hygroscopic, so keep it in an airtight container, and dissolve it fully in water before adding anything else if it has already clumped.

Can I mix Kelp and Bloom together?

Kelp’s spec sheet says to add surfactants only after it is fully dissolved and to pre-mix calcium products separately. Bloom lists calcium on its label, and our documents do not say how that note applies to it in a home mix, so for a specific answer on a combined jug, ask us. If you do use both, dissolve the Kelp fully first.