Athena CaMg

Athena CaMg – Calcium & Magnesium Supplement

Athena CaMg is a premium liquid calcium and magnesium supplement designed to support healthy plant growth and help prevent nutrient deficiencies. Formulated to complement the Athena Blended Line of two-part base nutrients, CaMg provides additional calcium, magnesium, iron and nitrogen when plants require extra nutritional support.

Although Athena's two-part base nutrients already contain calcium and magnesium, certain crops, growing conditions and water sources can increase the need for supplementation. Athena CaMg provides a convenient way to increase these essential nutrients without unnecessarily disrupting the overall nutrient balance.

Particularly useful for growers using reverse osmosis (RO) water, coco coir, rockwool and other inert growing media, Athena CaMg can be used throughout the growing cycle when additional calcium and magnesium are required.

Key Features & Benefits

• Additional calcium and magnesium: Supplements essential minerals to support healthy plant growth and development.
• Helps prevent nutrient deficiencies: Useful when growing conditions or water quality create an increased demand for calcium and magnesium.
• Contains iron and nitrogen: Provides additional nutrients that support healthy foliage, chlorophyll production and plant development.
• Ideal for RO water: Helps replenish essential minerals that may be removed during reverse osmosis filtration.
• Excellent for coco coir: Helps maintain calcium and magnesium availability in growing media where nutrient interactions can affect uptake.
• Suitable for inert media: Particularly useful in rockwool, hydroponics and other soilless growing systems.
• Supports vigorous growth: Provides additional nutritional support during periods of rapid plant development.
• Compatible with Athena nutrients: Designed to complement Athena's two-part liquid base nutrient formulas.
• Easy-to-use liquid formula: Simple to measure and add to existing nutrient solutions.

Why Use Athena CaMg?

Calcium and magnesium are essential secondary macronutrients involved in many important plant processes. While most complete base nutrients provide sufficient quantities under normal conditions, additional supplementation can be beneficial when plants are growing rapidly or when the water supply contains very low levels of these minerals.

Calcium plays an important role in cell wall development, structural strength and healthy new growth. A consistent calcium supply is particularly important for developing leaves, growing tips and fruiting crops.

Magnesium is a central component of chlorophyll, making it essential for photosynthesis. It also supports enzyme activity and the movement of energy within the plant.

Athena CaMg also supplies iron and nitrogen, helping support chlorophyll production, healthy foliage and continued plant development.

By providing additional minerals when needed, Athena CaMg can help growers maintain a more consistent nutrient supply throughout the growing cycle.

When Should You Use Athena CaMg?

Not every growing system requires additional calcium and magnesium. However, supplementation may be particularly beneficial in the following situations:

• Reverse osmosis (RO) water: RO filtration removes most dissolved minerals, including calcium and magnesium. Supplementation may be needed to achieve a suitable nutrient profile.
• Coco coir growing: Coco can interact with calcium and magnesium through its cation exchange capacity, particularly when the substrate has not been properly buffered.
• Rockwool and inert media: These growing media provide little or no nutritional contribution, making a balanced nutrient solution essential.
• Rapid vegetative growth: Fast-growing plants may have increased nutrient requirements during periods of vigorous development.
• Flowering and fruiting crops: Certain crops may benefit from additional calcium during demanding stages of fruit development.
• Identified deficiencies: Additional CaMg may help address low calcium or magnesium availability when the underlying cause has been identified.

Important: Excess calcium or magnesium can interfere with the uptake of other nutrients. Supplementation should be based on water quality, growing conditions and plant requirements rather than added automatically to every feed.

How to Use Athena CaMg

Athena CaMg can be added to your regular nutrient solution during vegetative growth, flowering and fruiting when additional calcium and magnesium are required.

1. Fill your reservoir or mixing container with clean water.
2. Shake the Athena CaMg bottle thoroughly before use.
3. Add the required amount of Athena CaMg to the water and mix thoroughly.
4. Add your base nutrients separately, following the manufacturer's recommended mixing order.
5. Add any additional supplements according to their individual instructions.
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. Feed according to your crop's requirements and the appropriate Athena feeding schedule.

Recommended dosage: 0.7ml per litre of water, as required.

The appropriate dosage may vary depending on water quality, existing nutrient concentrations, growing medium and plant requirements.

Important: Never mix concentrated CaMg directly with concentrated base nutrients. Always dilute each product separately in water to reduce the risk of unwanted mineral reactions.

Using Athena CaMg with Coco Coir

Coco coir is a popular growing medium for hydroponic and indoor gardening systems, but it has some important nutritional characteristics.

Coco contains natural exchange sites that can hold onto calcium and magnesium while releasing other minerals, particularly potassium and sodium. This is why properly buffered coco is important for maintaining a stable nutrient balance.

For suitable unbuffered coco substrates, an initial treatment with a calcium and magnesium solution may help prepare the growing medium before planting.

Suggested pre-treatment dosage: 0.5ml of Athena CaMg per litre of water.

Prepare the solution, check the appropriate pH and use it to evenly moisten the coco before planting. The correct buffering procedure depends on the condition and preparation of the substrate.

Please note: Many commercially available coco products are already washed and buffered. These may not require additional treatment. A low-strength CaMg pre-drench is not necessarily a replacement for a complete buffering process, so always follow the growing medium manufacturer's instructions.

Understanding Calcium, Magnesium, Iron & Nitrogen

Athena CaMg provides several important nutrients involved in healthy plant development:

• Calcium (Ca): Supports cell wall formation, tissue strength and healthy new growth.
• Magnesium (Mg): Essential for chlorophyll production, photosynthesis and enzyme activity.
• Iron (Fe): Supports chlorophyll formation and important metabolic processes within the plant.
• Nitrogen (N): Contributes to leaf development, protein production and overall vegetative growth.

Maintaining the correct balance of these nutrients is important for healthy plants. Deficiency symptoms can sometimes resemble problems caused by unsuitable pH, root damage or other environmental conditions, so accurate diagnosis is recommended before increasing nutrient concentrations.

NPK Analysis

Athena CaMg has the following NPK ratio:

The 2-0-0 NPK ratio indicates the product's declared nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content. Calcium, magnesium and iron are supplied in addition to this NPK analysis.

Suitable Growing Systems

Athena CaMg is particularly useful in systems where calcium and magnesium levels require additional attention, including:

• Hydroponic growing systems
• Deep Water Culture (DWC) and recirculating hydroponics
• Coco coir growing media
• Rockwool growing systems
• Drip irrigation and automated feeding systems
• Soilless growing substrates
• Systems using reverse osmosis (RO) or very soft water

It can also be used with soil-grown plants where additional calcium or magnesium has been identified as necessary.

Tips for Best Results

• Shake the bottle thoroughly before measuring.
• Use clean measuring equipment to prevent contamination.
• Avoid inserting used measuring instruments directly into the bottle.
• Check your source water before deciding whether additional CaMg is required.
• Monitor EC regularly and account for the additional nutrients supplied by CaMg.
• Check and adjust pH after mixing all nutrients and additives.
• Avoid excessive supplementation, which can create nutrient imbalances.
• Check whether coco coir has already been buffered before applying additional treatments.
• Follow the appropriate Athena Blended Line feeding schedule for your crop and growing system.

Storage Instructions

Store Athena CaMg 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 CaMg at GHEDirect

We stock a comprehensive range of Athena nutrients and additives, including the Athena Blended Line, helping growers find the right products for healthy plant development throughout the growing cycle.

Whether you're growing in coco coir, running a hydroponic system or using RO water, our experienced team is available to offer practical advice on plant nutrition, nutrient mixing and supplementation.

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