Adding Nutrients to Tower Garden - How Often and How Much Should I Be Adding?

One of the most common questions we hear is: How much nutrient solution do I need for my Tower Garden?

Luckily, the answer is super simple—no horticulture degree required! The Tower Garden was designed for the Average Joe (or Jane!) to grow fresh, nutrient-packed food right at home. Whether you're a gardening newbie or a seasoned plant whisperer, let's break it down step by step.

For an established Tower Garden, add 20 ml of Tower Garden Mineral Blend A and 20 ml of Mineral Blend B for every gallon of water you add. New seedlings and hot-weather growing typically use half strength—10 ml of A and 10 ml of B per gallon.

Starting Fresh? Half-Strength is Best!

When you're just getting started with new seedlings, you'll want to use half-strength nutrients. That means:

✅ 200ml of Part A
✅ 200ml of Part B

This gives your young plants a gentle start, without overwhelming them.

How Much and How Often Should You Add Nutrients?

Once your plants are established, you'll need to add nutrients EVERY time you add water. The golden rule:

👉 20ml of Part A + 20ml of Part B per gallon of water

But wait... how do you know how much water you're adding?

Easy Ways to Measure Water in Your Tower Garden

There are a few tricks to figure this out, even if you're not a "precise measurement" kind of person:

1️⃣ Eyeball It – If your FLEX reservoir looks half full (the FLEX holds 20 gallons total and the HOME 13), just add 10 gallons worth of nutrients: 200ml of A + 200ml of B.

2️⃣ Make a Dipstick – A genius hack from Tower Gardeners Nancy & Jerry Kroupa!

What you need:

• A permanent marker
• A ruler

How to do it:

• Mark 10 one-inch increments on the stick
• Label each mark with how many gallons it represents (2, 4, 6… up to 20)
• One inch = two gallons of water

3️⃣ Pre-Mix Your Nutrients – Mix your nutrient solution in 5-gallon food-grade buckets ahead of time. This makes topping up your Tower Garden super easy. (Pro tip: Check Lowes or similar stores for food-grade buckets!)

4️⃣ Use a TDS Meter – If you really want to get scientific, a TDS Meter can tell you exactly how much mineral content is in your water. But honestly? It's totally optional!

Adjusting for Hot Weather

When temperatures rise, your Tower Garden needs less nutrients. During summer months, cut the amount in half:

🌞 10ml of A + 10ml of B per gallon

For a deep dive into why, check out our post on managing minerals in hot weather here.

Quick Nutrient Guide: Your Cheat Sheet

• Brand-new seedlings? 👉 Half strength (10ml A & 10ml B per gallon of water)
• Mix of young & mature plants? 👉 Full strength (20ml A & 20ml B per gallon of water)
• Summer top-ups? 👉 Half strength (10ml A & 10ml B per gallon of water added)
• Indoor Towers? 👉 Full strength (20ml A & 20ml B per gallon per gallon of water added)

How Long Will a Gallon of Nutrients Last?

On average, a gallon of Tower Garden Mineral Blend lasts 9–12 months for a standard Tower Garden (no extensions).

But if you're growing heavy feeders like tomatoes, cucumbers, or squash, you'll go through it faster than someone just growing lettuce and herbs.

🚀 Thinking about getting a Tower Garden? Now's the perfect time! Learn more here. Happy growing! 🌱