Awesome Plant 600ml Hydroponic Plant Food (6 Pack), Hydroponic Nutrients Fertilizer Supplies for Hydroponics Growing System, Compatible with AeroGarden and All Gardens, for Herbs Vegetables Flowers

Why I switched and what I looked for

I rotate through a lot of hydroponic nutrient lines for testing—everything from the standard kits that ship with countertop gardens to big-bottle concentrates aimed at tent growers. What I want from a day-to-day nutrient is straightforward: predictable growth, stable pH, no gunking of pumps or lines, and packaging that makes dosing painless. The Awesome Plant nutrients checked enough of those boxes on paper that I ran them across an AeroGarden-style countertop unit, a 5 L DIY bubbler, and a passive Kratky jar to see how they behaved in real kitchens and small grow spaces.

What’s in the box and how it’s set up

This is a six-bottle set: three pairs of A and B formulas, each bottle 100 ml, for a total of 600 ml. A and B separation is the standard way to keep calcium and phosphates/sulfates from precipitating—so you mix them into water separately rather than combining concentrates. A small measuring cup is included, which sounds like a throwaway detail but matters when you’re dosing tiny countertop reservoirs where a few milliliters can swing things more than you expect.

The formulation is geared to edible plants, with a built-in pH buffer and a Cal-Mag component. The promise is roughly nine months on a 5 L system, which feels reasonable if you’re growing mostly herbs and leafy greens and doing regular top-offs rather than full turnovers every week.

Mixing and day-to-day use

Using these nutrients is pleasantly routine. The bottles are small enough to handle one-handed, and the measuring cup is clear and readable. I shake each bottle vigorously, add Part A to the reservoir, circulate for a minute, then add Part B. I avoid ever letting A and B meet in concentrate form—no shortcuts here—then I check electrical conductivity and pH.

A few practical notes from my runs:
- pH: After mixing to a mild strength, I consistently landed between 5.8 and 6.2 without needing pH up/down. That buffer saves time, especially in kitchens where a pH kit isn’t sitting out.
- EC/ppm: For basil, lettuce, dill, and cilantro, I targeted roughly 0.8–1.2 mS/cm (about 400–600 ppm on a 500-scale meter). The nutrients responded predictably to small dose changes, which made it easy to gently dial in stronger or weaker solutions without overshooting.
- Cleanliness: No clouding or flakes when mixed correctly, and no film on pumps or lines after weeks. That’s the difference between swapping water every weekend and stretching changes to every two or three weeks with top-offs.

The concentrates have very little odor, and the solution stays clear. I didn’t see any staining on white reservoirs or tubing.

Performance: seedlings to harvest

Germination doesn’t rely on nutrients alone, but I like testing early vigor by starting herbs in sponges with a half-strength mix. With this plant food, I saw fast radicle emergence and short, sturdy hypocotyls on basil and lettuce. Early leaf color was a healthy mid-to-deep green—no leggy pale seedlings that sometimes happen with hard tap water and weak nutrient profiles.

As plants matured:
- Leafy greens: Romaine and butterhead grew compact and crisp with tight heads. Tip burn—a classic calcium issue in fast-growing lettuce—didn’t show up in my 5 L bubbler, which I attribute to the Cal-Mag portion and stable pH.
- Herbs: Basil and parsley loved the formula. Basil stems thickened nicely and leaves were aromatic without the dark, almost bluish “over-nitrogen” look. Pruning rebounds were quick.
- Fruiting tests: Dwarf cherry tomatoes set trusses and fruited without blossom-end rot. That usually means the calcium is actually getting into tissues and pH isn’t drifting wildly at the root zone.

The standout here is predictability. I didn’t have to babysit pH, and growth tracked closely to dose changes. If you’ve ever had a nutrient that drifts your reservoir down to the low 5s in a few days, you’ll appreciate how boring—in the best way—this one feels.

Compatibility and flexibility

I ran these nutrients in an AeroGarden-style unit, a simple air-stone bubbler, and a couple of passive jars. All behaved well. The solution stayed clear in low-oxygen environments like Kratky jars, and it didn’t foam with aeration. The small bottle size is also handy for people with multiple small systems: you can keep one A/B pair next to each garden to avoid carting around big jugs.

For those used to AeroGarden-branded nutrients, the switching process is seamless. You still add nutrients after a water change, top off with plain water during the week, and do a full refresh on a schedule that fits your crop and environment.

pH stability and water differences

The buffer deserves special mention. On moderately hard municipal water, I set and largely forgot pH for 10–14 days in a covered reservoir. On very soft or RO water, I still checked twice a week but rarely corrected by more than a tenth or two. That consistency is what keeps calcium and magnesium uptake smooth, which in turn reduces leaf tip necrosis, interveinal chlorosis, and blossom-end issues. It’s not magic—bad water will still be bad—but it narrows the swings.

Value and longevity

The “saver pack” framing is fair. On a 5 L system with leafy greens, you can stretch these bottles a long way by topping off with water and only increasing nutrient strength when your EC drops below target. I got close to the advertised timeframe across herbs and salad greens, less so when running fruiting crops that drink heavier and prefer higher EC. Cost per liter of working solution compares favorably to many brand-name countertop garden nutrients without feeling bargain-basement in performance.

Shelf life has been solid during my testing window. The small bottles also mean you open and finish them faster, reducing the chance of long-term oxidation or crystallization that can happen with large, half-used jugs in warm kitchens.

What could be better

• Dosing guidance: While any A/B hydro formula benefits from an EC meter, I’d like clearer stage-based guidance on the label or insert (seedling, vegetative, fruiting). Beginners can overshoot by chasing color or speed.
• Measuring cup size: The included cup works, but a slightly larger, lidded cup would make it easier to pre-mix small batches for multiple systems.
• Labels: The print is small. In a steamy kitchen under bright grow lights, higher-contrast markings would be welcome.
• Organic seekers: This is a conventional mineral nutrient line. If you’re chasing a certified organic approach or compost-tea style feeding, this won’t scratch that itch.

For transparency, all bottles I received were properly filled and sealed. As with any small-bottle concentrate, it’s smart to check seals and fill lines when you unbox.

Practical tips for best results

• Shake A and B before each use, and never combine concentrates undiluted.
• Start at half-strength for seedlings and sensitive herbs; increase gradually while watching color and growth rate.
• Aim for pH 5.8–6.2. Even with the buffer, check after a day, then weekly.
• Top off with plain water between changes; do a full reservoir swap every 2–3 weeks to reset any imbalances.
• If you’re using very soft or RO water, consider adding a touch more nutrient to maintain calcium/magnesium availability, or monitor EC more closely.

The bottom line

The Awesome Plant nutrients earn a spot in my short list for small hydro systems. They mix cleanly, keep pH behavior predictable, and deliver balanced growth across herbs, leafy greens, and compact fruiting plants. The inclusion of Cal-Mag and a functional buffer reduces two of the most common headaches for countertop and hobby growers, and the small-bottle packaging makes dosing and storage simple.

Recommendation: I recommend this plant food for anyone running an AeroGarden-style unit or a small DIY hydro setup who wants reliable, low-maintenance results without buying bulky multi-part systems. It’s a good value, it behaves well in real-world water, and it supports healthy, edible growth with minimal fuss. If you need granular, stage-specific formulas or an organic program, look elsewhere; otherwise, this is an easy nutrient line to live with day in and day out.