Athena Fade

Athena Fade – Nitrogen-Free Finishing Supplement

Athena Fade is a specialist nitrogen-free finishing supplement designed to support plants during the final stages of flowering and fruit development. By removing nitrogen from the finishing feed while continuing to supply essential calcium and micronutrients, Athena Fade helps growers manage nutrient levels during the important final stages of crop maturation.

As flowering and fruiting crops approach maturity, their nutritional requirements change. Excessive nitrogen late in the growing cycle can encourage continued vegetative growth and may delay maturation in certain crops. Athena Fade provides a controlled way to reduce nitrogen input without completely removing other essential minerals from the nutrient solution.

Designed for use with compatible Athena Pro Line and Blended Line feeding programmes, Fade helps growers maintain a balanced supply of calcium and micronutrients while adjusting their nutrient programme towards the end of the flowering cycle.

Unlike a traditional flush using plain water, Athena Fade continues to provide selected nutrients, helping maintain plant nutrition during the final stages of development.

Key Features & Benefits

• Nitrogen-free formulation: Allows growers to reduce nitrogen input during the final stages of flowering and fruit development.
• Supports crop maturation: Helps manage nutrient availability as plants approach their final development stage.
• Contains calcium: Provides an essential mineral involved in cell wall development and healthy plant tissue.
• Supplies micronutrients: Maintains access to important trace elements during the finishing period.
• Controlled finishing nutrition: Reduces nitrogen without completely removing essential minerals from the feeding programme.
• Designed for Athena feeding programmes: Can replace the appropriate calcium and micronutrient component in compatible Athena nutrient schedules.
• Simple liquid formulation: Easy to measure, mix and incorporate into an existing nutrient solution.
• Suitable for hydroponics: Can be used in compatible hydroponic, coco and soilless growing systems.
• Final-stage application: Intended for use during approximately the final three weeks of flowering, according to the relevant Athena feeding schedule.

Why Use Athena Fade?

Nitrogen is an essential macronutrient responsible for many important plant functions, including chlorophyll production, protein synthesis and vegetative development.

However, the nutritional requirements of flowering and fruiting plants can change as they approach maturity. Maintaining unnecessarily high nitrogen levels during this stage may encourage continued leaf and stem development rather than the desired progression towards crop maturity.

Athena Fade has been formulated to help growers reduce nitrogen input during the finishing stage while maintaining access to calcium and selected micronutrients.

This approach allows growers to make a more controlled transition towards the end of the growing cycle, rather than abruptly removing all nutrients from the root zone.

Important: The benefits of reducing nitrogen depend on the crop, growing conditions and existing nutrient programme. Athena Fade should be used as part of a suitable feeding schedule rather than as a universal requirement for every flowering plant.

How Does Athena Fade Work?

Athena Fade works by replacing a nitrogen-containing nutrient component with a nitrogen-free alternative during the final stage of the feeding programme.

In the Athena Pro Line, Fade is designed to replace Athena Pro Core during the final three weeks of flowering, while the remaining nutrients are adjusted according to the appropriate feeding schedule.

Because Fade contains no nitrogen, it allows the nitrogen contribution from Pro Core to be removed while continuing to supply calcium and micronutrients.

This helps maintain selected essential mineral levels without continuing the same nitrogen input used during earlier stages of development.

Fade does not remove nitrogen already present in the growing medium or nutrient solution. Instead, it changes the nutrient composition of subsequent feeds.

How to Use Athena Fade

Athena Fade is intended for use during the final stages of flowering and fruit development, following the appropriate Athena feeding programme.

1. Fill your reservoir or mixing container with clean water.
2. Shake the Athena Fade bottle thoroughly before use.
3. Measure the required amount of Athena Fade according to your feeding schedule.
4. Add Fade to the water and mix thoroughly.
5. Add the remaining compatible base nutrients and supplements separately, following the manufacturer's recommended mixing order.
6. Measure the electrical conductivity (EC) of the finished nutrient solution.
7. Check and adjust the pH after all nutrients and additives have been mixed.
8. Apply the nutrient solution according to your crop's requirements and the relevant Athena finishing schedule.

Recommended dosage: Approximately 2.5ml to 4ml per litre of water during the final three weeks of flowering.

The appropriate concentration depends on the feeding programme, water quality, growing medium and crop requirements.

Important: Never mix concentrated Athena Fade directly with other concentrated fertilisers. Always dilute products separately in water to avoid unwanted mineral reactions.

Athena Fade Dosage Guide

Always follow the latest Athena feeding schedule for the specific nutrient range being used.

Understanding Nitrogen Reduction During Flowering

Plants require nitrogen throughout much of their growing cycle. It supports leaf development, chlorophyll production and the formation of proteins and other important compounds.

During the final stages of flowering and fruit development, however, the balance between vegetative growth and crop maturation becomes increasingly important.

Reducing nitrogen input can be a useful strategy in some controlled feeding programmes, particularly where nitrogen levels would otherwise remain unnecessarily high.

Athena Fade allows growers to adjust this balance while continuing to supply other important minerals.

It is important to remember that excessive nitrogen reduction can also affect plant health. The correct finishing strategy should always reflect the needs of the crop and its stage of development.

Why Calcium & Micronutrients Still Matter

Although Athena Fade contains no nitrogen, it continues to supply calcium and selected micronutrients that contribute to normal plant development.

• Calcium: Supports cell wall structure, membrane function and healthy plant tissue.
• Iron: Plays an important role in chlorophyll formation and essential metabolic processes.
• Micronutrients: Support enzyme activity and other important functions during plant development.

Providing these minerals during the finishing stage helps maintain a more complete nutrient programme than simply replacing all fertilisers with plain water.

Athena Fade vs Traditional Flushing

Traditional flushing generally involves reducing or removing fertiliser inputs and applying water to lower the concentration of dissolved nutrients in the growing medium.

Athena Fade takes a different approach. Rather than removing all nutrients, it provides a nitrogen-free supplement containing calcium and micronutrients.

This allows growers to reduce nitrogen input while continuing to supply selected essential minerals.

Fade should therefore be considered a finishing nutrient supplement rather than a conventional flushing agent.

It is not designed to physically remove accumulated salts from growing media or irrigation equipment. Where excessive salt buildup is present, an appropriate irrigation and drainage strategy may still be required.

Suitable Growing Systems

Athena Fade can be incorporated into compatible feeding programmes across a range of growing systems, including:

• Hydroponic growing systems
• Deep Water Culture (DWC)
• Recirculating hydroponic systems
• Coco coir growing media
• Rockwool and other soilless substrates
• Drip irrigation and automated feeding systems
• Indoor growing environments and greenhouses

Always ensure that the complete nutrient programme is appropriate for the growing medium and crop being cultivated.

Tips for Best Results

• Shake the bottle thoroughly before measuring.
• Use clean measuring equipment to prevent contamination.
• Never insert used measuring instruments directly into the bottle.
• Follow the appropriate Athena finishing schedule.
• Use Fade to replace the specified nutrient component rather than adding it unnecessarily on top of the existing programme.
• Monitor EC regularly and adjust nutrient strength according to crop requirements.
• Check and adjust pH after all nutrients and additives have been mixed.
• Avoid mixing concentrated fertilisers together.
• Monitor plant health throughout the finishing period.

Storage Instructions

Store Athena Fade in its original container with the lid securely closed. Keep in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight and extreme temperatures.

Recommended storage temperature: Approximately 7°C to 29°C (45°F to 85°F).

Buy Athena Fade at GHEDirect

We stock a comprehensive range of Athena nutrients and additives, including products from the Athena Pro Line and Blended Line, helping growers find the right products for every stage of plant development.

Whether you're managing a hydroponic system, growing in coco coir or looking to fine-tune your nutrient programme, our experienced team is available to offer practical advice on plant nutrition and feeding.

Order online for fast UK delivery or visit The Greenhouse Effect in Milton Keynes to explore our range in store.