Solve your problems
- Low yields
- Nutrient deficiencies
- High nutrient costs
- Inconsistent results
Services
- Hourly consultation
- Nutrient solution design
- Growing setup optimization
- Custom crop monitoring automation
My Blog
Through my blog – a top 50 hydroponics blog according to feedspot – I share my insights, research and experience in hydroponic culture. I strive to make this blog a reliable source of high quality, practical information for both commercial hydroponic growers and hobbyists alike. These are some of the blog’s most popular posts:
Welcome to my site!
My name is Dr. Daniel Fernandez, and I have been a consultant in the hydroponic industry since 2009. I specialize in nutrient formulations, crop management, and automation, providing tailored solutions to optimize growers’ results. I hold a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, as well as a master’s and Ph.D. in nanoscience and nanotechnology. With over 15 years of experience in nutrient solution chemistry and crop management, I am dedicated to helping you elevate your crop production to the next level.
Our services
I provide different types of services to suite your particular needs.
I understand that not everyone needs the same type of assistance and I have therefore designed three specific type of services depending on your needs .
- An hourly consultation service where you can ask any questions and get answers to help you solve problems (250 USD/hour).
- A service for the formulation of a specific hydroponic nutrient recipe for your particular needs coupled with guidance in preparing this formulation.
- An on-going consultation service where you will have me available to answer questions and help guide you through your nutrient needs as your crop or hydroponic project progresses.
Hydrobuddy - Open source software for Nutrient Formulations
This site hosts HydroBuddy – a software I programmed – which is the most popularly used open source calculator for the formulation of hydroponic nutrient solutions and fertilizers. This software has been helping hobby and commercial growers prepare their own fertilizer formulations from 2011 with more than 10 thousands downloads in its lifetime. There are also many peer reviewed academic publications that have used hydrobuddy. Feel free to use or modify this software for your nutrient preparation needs. It’s free and OpenSource! Get the software here.
Latest blog posts
NIR Devices for Leaf Tissue Mineral Analysis
Traditional leaf tissue analysis can cost 50 to 150 USD per sample and take weeks to complete, forcing growers to make nutrient decisions based on outdated information. Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy devices could theoretically change this reality by providing real time, on site mineral analysis of leaf tissues at a fraction of the cost and […]
Oxygenation of Nutrient Reservoirs in Substrate-Based Soilless Crops
When growers new to hydroponics start working with soilless systems, one of the first questions that comes up is whether they should be actively aerating their nutrient solutions. Air stones bubbling away in reservoirs have become synonymous with hydroponics, particularly in deep water culture systems. However, when growing in substrates like coconut coir or rockwool, […]
Top 5 Open Source Hardware Tools to Boost Your Hydroponic Yields
The equipment you use to monitor and control your hydroponic system can make or break your crop quality and yields. Commercial systems often cost thousands of dollars, putting precision agriculture out of reach for small to medium-scale operations. Fortunately, open source hardware platforms like Raspberry Pi and Arduino have revolutionized what growers can achieve with […]
Growing Soilless Crops Without Nitrates: Practical Options When Nitrate Salts Are Unavailable
For growers in regions where geopolitical conflicts or economic constraints limit access to nitrate fertilizers like calcium nitrate and potassium nitrate, the question arises: can you grow hydroponic or soilless crops using only alternative nitrogen sources? The short answer is yes, but with important limitations and necessary substrate modifications. This post explores the science behind […]
