A nutrient schedule is only useful when it matches the system, water source and plant response in front of you. This Shogun nutrients feeding guide explains how to use the range as a practical feeding programme, rather than treating the numbers on a chart as a fixed instruction for every grow room.
Shogun products are built around separate base feeds for soil, coco and hydroponic systems, with additives used where they solve a specific problem or support a specific stage. Start with the correct base nutrient, mix it accurately, then use EC, pH and runoff to decide whether the feed needs adjusting.
Start with the right Shogun base nutrient
The base nutrient should do most of the work. Choosing the wrong one is a common cause of deficiencies, salt build-up and disappointing growth, even where every booster is being used correctly.
Shogun Terra Grow and Terra Bloom are designed for soil and soil-based mixes. They suit hand-watered pots and provide a straightforward grow-to-bloom programme. Soil retains nutrients and buffers pH more than inert media, so it generally needs a lighter, less frequent approach than coco.
Shogun Coco A and B are for coco coir. Use equal amounts of Part A and Part B, adding each separately to water. Coco is an inert medium and is normally fed regularly, often at every irrigation once plants are established. It also has a tendency to hold onto calcium and magnesium, which is why a suitable CalMag strategy matters.
Shogun Hydro A and B are for recirculating hydroponics, DWC, flood-and-drain and other water-based systems. These systems react quickly to changes in nutrient strength and pH. Measure the reservoir daily, especially under strong lighting or when root mass is increasing.
Do not substitute one base range for another simply because it is available. Terra is not a replacement for Coco A and B, and a hydro formula is not automatically the best option for a coco run-to-waste setup. Match the feed to the root zone first.
Shogun nutrients feeding guide: build the feed in stages
Treat the manufacturer’s current feeding chart as the starting point for millilitres per litre. It provides the intended ratio between the base feed and additives. Your working strength should still be based on EC, plant age and the environment.
Propagation and early establishment
Cuttings and young seedlings do not need a full-strength feed. Roots are limited, transpiration is low and the growing medium may already contain enough nutrition for the first few days. Start with a light solution after roots are visible and active, then increase gradually over successive irrigations.
Katana Roots can be used in early growth to support root development, particularly after transplanting or when establishing plants in coco and hydro. Shogun Start is intended for the early stage, but it should complement a sensible base-feed programme rather than compensate for weak rooting conditions. Avoid saturating small pots for long periods. A well-mixed feed cannot correct a cold, waterlogged root zone.
Vegetative growth
Once plants are established, use the relevant Grow base nutrient and increase feed strength in steps. Healthy vegetative plants usually show even new growth, a stable leaf colour and a predictable dry-back between irrigations.
If you are using coco, frequent irrigation at an appropriate EC is usually more effective than allowing the medium to swing from very wet to very dry. In soil, wait until the pot has dried back suitably before watering again. Those two methods should not be managed in the same way.
CalMag may be useful with soft water, reverse-osmosis water, coco, or under intense LED lighting where demand can rise. It is not an automatic extra for every tank. If your source water is already hard, adding more calcium and magnesium can push EC up without fixing the actual issue.
Shogun Silicon can be introduced during growth and early bloom where stronger stems and improved stress tolerance are the aim. Add silicon to the water first, mix thoroughly, then add base nutrients. This order matters because concentrated products can react if poured together.
Transition and flowering
When plants move into the reproductive stage, change from Grow to Bloom according to the crop’s development and the Shogun chart for your medium. Avoid an abrupt jump from a light vegetative feed to maximum bloom strength. A gradual increase gives you time to see whether the plants are taking up the solution correctly.
Bloom additives should have a defined job. Sumo Active Boost is typically used to support flowering performance, while PK Warrior 9/18 is a high-phosphorus and potassium additive intended for the appropriate bloom window. Strong PK products are not everyday base feeds. Used too early, too heavily or for too long, they can create nutrient antagonism and make calcium, magnesium or trace-element issues harder to diagnose.
A useful rule is simple: if the base nutrient is already producing healthy colour, steady growth and acceptable runoff, introduce only one new additive at a time. That makes it far easier to identify what changed if leaves begin to claw, tips burn or EC climbs in the root zone.
Late flowering and finish
Late in the cycle, plants often need less nitrogen and may drink less as temperatures or light levels change. Do not keep increasing feed because the calendar says so. Watch reservoir consumption, runoff EC and leaf condition. A crop that is slowing down can be damaged by a concentration that was appropriate a fortnight earlier.
Zenzym can be useful where root-zone hygiene and the breakdown of dead organic matter are priorities. In recirculating systems, keep the reservoir clean, maintain adequate aeration and replace solution at sensible intervals. Additives cannot rescue stale, poorly oxygenated nutrient solution.
Whether to reduce feed at the end depends on the crop, medium and the condition of the root zone. Do not confuse a planned reduction with a corrective flush. If runoff EC is high or plants are clearly overfed, correct the root-zone problem first with appropriately managed irrigation rather than carrying on with the same programme.
EC and pH decide whether the chart is working
EC tells you the total concentration of dissolved salts in the feed. It does not tell you which nutrients are present, but it is the fastest way to prevent a feed becoming too weak or too strong. Always measure source water before adding nutrients, then measure the final mixed solution.
For most hydro and coco grows, pH is commonly managed in the mildly acidic range, often around 5.5 to 6.2. Soil generally runs at a higher pH, commonly around 6.2 to 6.8. The exact target depends on the medium, source water and crop, but instability is usually more damaging than being a tenth of a point away from an ideal number.
Check runoff in coco and soil where practical. If runoff EC is consistently much higher than the input, salts are accumulating in the medium. Reduce the strength, improve irrigation volume or frequency as appropriate, and reassess after a few feeds. If runoff is far lower than the input and plants are pale or hungry, the feed may be too weak or irrigation may be insufficient.
In recirculating systems, track both EC and water level. Falling water with rising EC indicates plants are taking up more water than nutrients, so the tank is becoming stronger. Falling water with falling EC generally suggests active nutrient uptake. These trends are more useful than reacting to one isolated reading.
Mixing order and reservoir discipline
Use clean water and accurate measuring equipment. Add products one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition. A practical order is silicon first where used, then CalMag, then Part A, then Part B, followed by other additives. Adjust pH last.
Never combine concentrates in the same measuring cup or pour one concentrate directly into another bottle. This can cause precipitation, making nutrients unavailable before they even reach the root zone.
Keep a simple record of date, crop stage, input EC, pH, runoff EC and any changes made. For growers running several tents or systems, this is faster than guessing and far more useful when troubleshooting. It also prevents the common mistake of changing nutrient strength, irrigation timing and climate settings all at once.
Avoid chasing problems with more bottles
Pale leaves are not always a feed issue. Low root-zone temperature, poor oxygenation, unsuitable pH, overwatering, light stress and pest pressure can all reduce uptake. Raising EC in response can turn a minor environmental issue into nutrient burn.
Likewise, tip burn does not always mean every additive must be removed. Check the input EC, runoff, irrigation frequency and water temperature before stripping the programme back. In many cases, the correction is a modest reduction in base strength and better root-zone management, not a complete reset.
Use Shogun’s chart to establish the ratios, but let measured EC, pH and plant response set the final dose. A controlled, repeatable feed programme will outperform a crowded tank every time.
