House and Garden Nutrients: The Feeding Schedule and Feed Chart
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House and Garden Nutrients: The Feeding Schedule and Feed Chart
House and Garden, the Dutch brand also known as Van de Zwaan, has a devoted following among serious growers, and it earned that reputation the hard way: consistently big, high-quality yields. The system is built on a simple two-part base and a famous lineup of additives, from the flagship Roots Excelurator to the legendary Shooting Powder, that many experienced growers swear by. The catch is that House and Garden's additive range runs to roughly seventeen products, and the brand's own nutrient calculator tends to push strong doses, so it is genuinely easy to overspend on bottles you do not need and to overfeed your plants. As a shop that stocks the whole House and Garden line, we would rather give you the honest version: pick the right base for your medium, dose to your EC rather than blindly following the strongest numbers, and add only the standout supplements. This guide lays out the House and Garden feeding schedule stage by stage, explains the base options and the famous additives, and tells you plainly which ones are worth your money. You can shop the line on our House and Garden page. We don't upsell.
The 30-Second Answer
- Pick one base for your medium: House and Garden makes a two-part A and B in four versions, Cocos for coco, Aqua Flakes for recirculating hydro, Hydro for drain-to-waste, and Soil for soil, and you run it the whole grow, adjusting the dose to your EC.
- The one rule: add part A to your water, then part B, then any additives one at a time, and never combine the concentrated bottles directly.
- Dose to EC and go lower than the calculator: House and Garden's rates run strong, often near EC 2.0, so many growers feed below that, starting light and building up. Coco and recirc pH sits around 5.6 to 6.3.
- The famous add-ons: Roots Excelurator for roots (at half strength), Bud XL late in flower, Top Booster as a one-week PK spike, and Shooting Powder for the final weeks, plus Drip Clean every feed. You do not need all seventeen.
The base plus a couple of standouts grows excellent plants. We stock the whole line and will still tell you to keep it simple. We don't upsell.
Pick your base: Cocos, Aqua Flakes, Hydro, or Soil
The first decision with House and Garden is choosing the right base nutrient for your growing medium, because unlike some brands that sell a single base, House and Garden makes four medium-specific two-part bases, each tuned to how nutrients behave in that substrate. Cocos A and B is for growing in coco coir. Aqua Flakes A and B is for recirculating hydroponic systems where the solution is reused, such as many deep water culture and ebb-and-flow setups. Hydro A and B is for drain-to-waste hydroponic systems using inert media like rockwool. And Soil A and B is for growing in soil and potting mixes. The important thing is that all four are used for the entire grow, from transplant through flowering, rather than switching to a separate bloom bottle; you keep the same base constant and simply adjust the concentration, and therefore the EC, as the plant matures. So your job is to match the base to your medium and then run it the whole way through. If you are still choosing a medium in the first place, our soil versus coco versus hydro guide walks through the trade-offs, and our nutrient buyer's guide puts House and Garden in context against other brands.
The one rule: add A, then B, then additives in order
As with every two-part nutrient, there is a mixing rule you must follow every time, and House and Garden is specific about it: fill your reservoir with water, add the measured amount of part A and mix well, then add part B and mix well, and only then add your additives one at a time, mixing between each. You never combine the concentrated A and B bottles directly, because they contain elements that react and precipitate into an unusable solid when mixed at full strength, stripping nutrients from your feed. Beyond the A and B order, House and Garden also specifies an order for the additives themselves, generally Drip Clean first, then Roots Excelurator, then the other liquids, and finally any dissolved powders, so that each disperses properly without interacting badly with the others. This sounds fussy, but it matters, especially because House and Garden's additives are concentrated and some, like Roots Excelurator, can micro-precipitate if handled carelessly in auto-dosers. The habit to build is simple: water first, then A, then B, then additives one by one in order, mixing throughout, and never pour concentrates together. Get this right every time and you avoid one of the most common and damaging House and Garden mistakes.
The House and Garden feed chart, stage by stage
Here is the schedule in table form, matching the chart above, in milliliters per liter of each part of your chosen base, with the famous additives layered in during flower. Notice that the A and B run the whole grow while the boosters come in at specific windows, and the two PK boosters, Top Booster and Shooting Powder, never overlap. The bloom-booster logic reflects the plant's biology, since cannabis shifts toward higher phosphorus and potassium demand during flowering.
| Stage | A + B base (each) | Additives | Target EC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetative | 2 mL/L | Roots Excelurator 0.5, Drip Clean each feed | 1.2 to 1.5 |
| Early flower | 2.5 mL/L | Roots Excelurator 0.5, Drip Clean | 1.5 to 1.8 |
| Mid flower | 2.5 mL/L | Bud XL 1, Top Booster 1.5 (one week only), Drip Clean | 1.6 to 1.9 |
| Late flower | 2.5 mL/L | Bud XL 1, Shooting Powder (1 sachet/week), Drip Clean | 1.6 to 1.9 |
| Flush (final 5-7 days) | Plain pH-balanced water (Drip Clean helps) | under 0.5 | |
Treat these as a starting framework and lean toward the EC column rather than the exact milliliters, because House and Garden's own figures are calibrated for low-mineral tap water and run strong. As we cover next, many experienced growers deliberately feed below the full recommended rates, so start light, measure your EC, and build up only as the plant clearly wants more. Keep your pH in the right range for your medium, and change your reservoir weekly in recirculating systems.
Dose to EC, and go lower than the calculator
One of the most useful things we can tell you about House and Garden specifically is that its recommended doses run strong, and you do not have to follow them to the letter. The brand's nutrient calculator, mixed at full prescribed rates, tends to land you around an EC of 2.0, which House and Garden considers optimal, but many seasoned House and Garden growers report that their plants do best at noticeably lower concentrations, feeding the bases at four to six milliliters per gallon at peak flower rather than the ten some charts suggest, and running PPM figures that start around 1100 to 1200 and climb to perhaps 1800 by late flower. The practical lesson is to dose to a target EC rather than blindly trusting the milliliter numbers, and to start on the lighter side, because overfeeding is a far more common problem than underfeeding and shows up as the burnt leaf tips of nutrient burn, which our nutrient burn guide covers. Measure the EC of your mixed solution, watch how your plants respond, and adjust. There is no prize for running the strongest possible feed, and with a potent line like House and Garden, restraint often produces cleaner, healthier growth than pushing the numbers. Less, measured carefully, is usually more.
Roots Excelurator: the flagship
If House and Garden is known for one product above all others, it is Roots Excelurator, often called the gold standard of root enhancers, and it is the single additive most House and Garden growers consider worth the money. It is a root-zone stimulator packed with a proprietary blend of ingredients, including kelp and seed extracts, designed to drive vigorous root production while keeping the root zone clean, and healthier roots genuinely do support bigger plants and better yields. It comes in two versions: Roots Excelurator Gold for soil and coco substrates, and Roots Excelurator Silver for hydroponic applications, so you match the version to your medium. Two practical tips matter with it. First, run it at half the strength you might expect, since House and Garden itself advises a conservative dose and the product is potent; overdoing it is wasteful and can cause issues. Second, use it early, through vegetative growth and into early flower, where root development is happening, rather than late in bloom. Add it in the correct order, after Drip Clean, and if you run auto-dosers, pre-dilute it to avoid micro-precipitation. Of all the House and Garden extras, this is the one we would reach for first, because strong early roots pay dividends across the whole grow.
Top Booster and Shooting Powder: the bloom boosters
House and Garden's flowering boosters are famous for a reason, but they must be used correctly, because they are powerful and easy to misuse. Top Booster is a one-week phosphorus and potassium additive, also containing EDDHA-iron, used for a single week around week five of flower to trigger extra fruit set, at roughly 1.5 milliliters per liter, and then stopped. Shooting Powder, and its liquid equivalent Top Shooter, is the legendary finisher, a concentrated flowering booster added during the final weeks of flower, typically as one sachet per 25 to 50 gallons per week for the last few weeks, prized for maximizing bud size and density. The critical rules are these: Top Booster and Shooting Powder are used in sequence, not together, with Top Booster's one-week PK spike coming first and Shooting Powder taking over for the finish, and you must never overlap two PK boosters at once. Just as importantly, you must never use Shooting Powder and Top Shooter at the same time, since they are the powder and liquid versions of the same thing and stacking them risks tip burn and lockout. Used properly, one after another in their windows, these boosters are part of what gives House and Garden its yield reputation; used carelessly, stacked or overlapped, they cause more harm than good. Follow the sequence, respect the one-week timing on Top Booster, and never double up.
The rest of the House and Garden lineup: which are worth it
House and Garden sells around seventeen supplements, and here is the honest truth, which even enthusiast guides will tell you: no grower needs all of them. The base A and B is a complete nutrient program, and beyond it, a handful of additives are genuinely popular and worthwhile while the rest are optional. The standouts most House and Garden growers value are Roots Excelurator for roots, Algen Extract for its cold-pressed sea kelp, Bud XL for pulling sugars from the leaves into the flowers late in bloom, and Shooting Powder for the finish. Drip Clean also earns its place because it keeps your lines, media, and plants free of salt buildup and is used at a tiny dose every feed, which also makes flushing easier. Beyond those, products like Multi Zen, Amino Treatment, Nitrogen Boost, Magnesium Boost, and Magic Green address specific situations, such as a particular deficiency or a foliar feed, and are worth adding only if you have that specific need. Our advice, especially if you are new to the line, is to start with your base plus Roots Excelurator and Drip Clean, learn how your plants respond, and add the flowering boosters and other extras deliberately rather than buying the whole seventeen-product range at once. We stock all of it, and we will still tell you the base and a few standouts do the job. We don't upsell.
House and Garden by medium and water
Because House and Garden makes medium-specific bases, matching your setup is mostly handled by choosing the right one, but a few details help. Your target pH varies by medium: House and Garden recommends roughly 5.5 to 6.0 for hydro, 5.6 to 6.2 for Aqua Flakes and Cocos, and 5.8 to 6.5 for soil, and getting pH right matters because nutrient availability depends directly on pH, as our pH guide explains. In coco specifically, feed frequently to a little runoff and consider cal-mag if you use reverse osmosis or very soft water, since coco can create calcium and magnesium demand, and our coco watering guide covers the mechanics. In recirculating hydro with Aqua Flakes, watch your reservoir EC closely and change the solution weekly. Across all media, the flowering-stage nutrient shift covered in our flowering guide holds, and House and Garden's boosters are timed to it. Pick the base for your medium, set the right pH, adjust for your water, and the system adapts smoothly across soil, coco, and hydroponics.
Is House and Garden worth the price?
House and Garden sits at the premium end of the market, both the bases and especially the additive range, so it is fair to ask whether it is worth it. Our honest take, as a shop that carries many brands, is that House and Garden earns its reputation on quality and results: the bases are clean and effective, Roots Excelurator is genuinely one of the best root products available, and the flowering boosters can produce impressive yields when used correctly, which is why it has such a loyal following among serious and commercial growers. What you are paying for is that quality and the depth of the additive system, not a magic ingredient that cheaper, well-formulated nutrients cannot approach, since a careful grower measuring EC and pH can get excellent results from more affordable lines too. So House and Garden is well worth it if you value top-tier quality, the standout additives, and the ability to fine-tune a premium program, and it is a perfectly reasonable choice to run more simply with just the base and a couple of extras rather than the full range. If cost is your main concern, keep your lineup lean and compare it against the alternatives in our four-brand nutrient comparison. We don't upsell, so we will happily point you to a more economical line if it fits you better.
Common House and Garden mistakes
A handful of mistakes cause most House and Garden problems, and avoiding them keeps your grow on track. The first is combining the A and B concentrates directly instead of adding each to the water separately, which causes precipitation and lost nutrients. The second is feeding at the full calculator rates without dosing to EC, which overfeeds plants that would have done better on a lighter, well-measured solution. The third is misusing the bloom boosters by overlapping Top Booster and Shooting Powder, or by combining Shooting Powder and Top Shooter, both of which risk tip burn and lockout. The fourth is skipping Drip Clean, which quietly prevents salt buildup and makes flushing easier. The fifth is buying and using the entire seventeen-product range under the impression it is all necessary, when the base and a few standouts do the job. And the sixth is running the wrong pH for your medium. Avoid these by mixing in order, dosing to EC, sequencing the boosters correctly, using Drip Clean every feed, keeping your lineup lean, and matching pH to your medium. We don't upsell, and avoiding these six is worth more than any single bottle.
What We'd Tell You at the Counter
If you came in wanting to run House and Garden, we would tell you it is a genuinely excellent, premium line, and you need far less of the range than the shelf suggests. Start by picking the base that matches your medium, Cocos for coco, Aqua Flakes for recirculating hydro, Hydro for drain-to-waste, or Soil for soil, and run that same A and B the whole grow. Always add A to your water, then B, then additives one at a time, and never pour the concentrates together. Here is the money-saving part: dose to your EC and feed lighter than House and Garden's calculator suggests, since the plants usually prefer it. For additives, the one we would always add is Roots Excelurator, at half strength, early in the grow, plus Drip Clean in every feed. For flowering, add Top Booster for one week around week five, then Shooting Powder for the final weeks, never overlapping them and never mixing Shooting Powder with Top Shooter. Everything else in the range is optional. We sell every House and Garden product there is, and we will still tell you the base and a couple of standouts do the job. We don't upsell.
Shop the House and Garden line
Here is the system as a shopping list, so you can grab your base and only the extras you actually want.
Frequently asked questions
What is the House and Garden feeding schedule?
The House and Garden feeding schedule is built around a two-part A and B base, chosen to match your growing medium, run for the entire grow and adjusted to your EC, with a lineup of additives layered in during flower. You pick one base, Cocos for coco, Aqua Flakes for recirculating hydro, Hydro for drain-to-waste, or Soil for soil, add part A to your water and then part B, then add additives one at a time in order. In veg you add Roots Excelurator at half strength and Drip Clean each feed; in flower you add Bud XL, then Top Booster as a one-week PK spike around week five, then Shooting Powder for the final weeks, never overlapping the two PK boosters. House and Garden's rates run strong, near EC 2.0 at full strength, so many growers dose lower to a target EC and start light. You finish with a plain-water flush for the last five to seven days. The base alone is a complete program, so most additives are optional.
Which House and Garden base do I use?
You choose your base by your growing medium, since House and Garden makes four medium-specific two-part bases. Use Cocos A and B if you grow in coco coir; Aqua Flakes A and B if you grow in a recirculating hydroponic system where the solution is reused, such as many deep water culture or ebb-and-flow setups; Hydro A and B if you grow in a drain-to-waste hydroponic system with inert media like rockwool; and Soil A and B if you grow in soil or a potting mix. Each is formulated for how nutrients behave in that particular substrate, so matching the base to your medium is important for good results. Whichever you choose, you run that same base for the entire grow, from transplant through flowering, rather than switching to a separate bloom nutrient, simply increasing the concentration and EC as the plant matures and then tapering for the flush. If you are unsure which medium suits you, our soil versus coco versus hydro guide can help you decide before you buy.
How do you mix House and Garden A and B?
Fill your reservoir with water first, then add the measured amount of part A and mix well, then add part B and mix well, and only then add any additives one at a time, mixing between each. You must never combine the concentrated A and B bottles directly, because they contain elements that react and precipitate into an unusable solid when mixed at full strength, which wastes nutrients and can cause deficiencies. House and Garden also specifies an order for the additives, generally Drip Clean first, then Roots Excelurator, then other liquids, and finally any dissolved powders, so they disperse properly without interacting badly. If you use auto-dosers, pre-dilute concentrated products like Roots Excelurator to avoid micro-precipitation. The simple habit is water first, then A, then B, then additives one by one in order, mixing throughout, and never pouring concentrates together. After mixing everything, adjust your pH to the right range for your medium, then feed. Getting this order right avoids one of the most common House and Garden mistakes.
What does Roots Excelurator do?
Roots Excelurator is House and Garden's flagship product, widely regarded as one of the best root enhancers available, and it is the additive most House and Garden growers consider essential. It is a root-zone stimulator containing a proprietary blend of ingredients, including kelp and seed extracts, designed to drive vigorous root growth and root vigor while keeping the root zone clean, on the sound principle that healthier roots support bigger plants and better yields. It comes in two versions to match your medium: Roots Excelurator Gold for soil and coco, and Roots Excelurator Silver for hydroponics. Two tips are important: run it at roughly half the strength you might expect, since it is potent and House and Garden advises a conservative dose, and use it early, through vegetative growth and into early flower, where root development happens, rather than late in bloom. Add it in the correct order, after Drip Clean, and pre-dilute it if you use auto-dosers. Of all the House and Garden extras, this is the one we would reach for first.
When do you use Shooting Powder and Top Booster?
They are used in sequence during flowering, never together. Top Booster is a one-week phosphorus and potassium additive, also containing EDDHA-iron, used for a single week around week five of flower to trigger extra fruit set, at roughly 1.5 milliliters per liter, and then stopped. Shooting Powder, or its liquid equivalent Top Shooter, is the famous finisher, added during the final weeks of flower, typically one sachet per 25 to 50 gallons per week for the last few weeks, to maximize bud size and density. The critical rules are that Top Booster comes first as a brief PK spike and Shooting Powder takes over for the finish, with no overlap between the two PK boosters, and that you never use Shooting Powder and Top Shooter at the same time, since they are the powder and liquid versions of the same product and stacking them risks tip burn and lockout. Used correctly, one after the other in their windows, these boosters are part of what gives House and Garden its yield reputation; used carelessly by overlapping or doubling up, they cause more harm than good.
Do you need all the House and Garden additives?
No. House and Garden sells around seventeen supplements, but the base A and B is a complete nutrient program on its own, and no grower needs the entire range. A handful of additives are genuinely popular and worthwhile: Roots Excelurator for roots, Algen Extract for sea kelp, Bud XL for moving sugars into the flowers late in bloom, and Shooting Powder for the finish, with Drip Clean also earning its place as a line cleaner used every feed. Beyond those, products like Multi Zen, Amino Treatment, Nitrogen Boost, and Magnesium Boost address specific situations and are worth adding only when you have that particular need. Our advice, especially for a first grow with the line, is to start with your base plus Roots Excelurator and Drip Clean, learn how your plants respond, and add the flowering boosters and other extras deliberately rather than buying all seventeen products at once. The base and a few standouts will grow excellent plants, so treat the rest of the lineup as optional fine-tuning, not requirements.
Is House and Garden worth the price?
House and Garden is a premium-priced brand, and whether it is worth it depends on what you value. It earns its strong reputation on quality and results: the bases are clean and effective, Roots Excelurator is one of the best root products on the market, and the flowering boosters can produce impressive yields when used correctly, which is why serious and commercial growers are so loyal to it. What you pay for is that quality and the depth of the additive system, not a magic ingredient that well-formulated cheaper nutrients cannot approach, since a careful grower who measures EC and pH can get excellent results from more affordable lines too. So House and Garden is well worth it if you value top-tier quality, the standout additives, and the ability to fine-tune a premium program, and it is perfectly reasonable to run it more simply with just the base and a couple of extras. If cost is your main concern, keep your lineup lean and compare it honestly against other brands before committing.
Whether you run the full program or just the base plus Roots Excelurator and a finisher, the House and Garden bases and additives live on our House and Garden collection, with the alternatives in our premium nutrients range if you want to compare. Pick your base, mix A and B separately, dose to your EC, and pair this with our guides to how the brands compare, avoiding nutrient burn, pH for cannabis, and the full week-by-week grow guide. Because, as always, we don't upsell.
For informational and educational purposes only. This article is general horticultural guidance and is not legal advice, nor is it affiliated with or endorsed by House and Garden or Van de Zwaan. Product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Cannabis cultivation laws vary by country, state and locality, and growing cannabis may be illegal where you live. Always understand and comply with the laws and regulations that apply to you, and follow the manufacturer's official instructions when mixing nutrients, before growing any cannabis plant.