Vitalink Hydro MAX Bloom A&B Hard Water — Two-Part Flowering Nutrient for Hard Water Systems
Best for: Growers in hard water areas running hydroponic systems during the flowering stage who want balanced, hassle-free bloom nutrition
Our thoughts
Hard water's a pain in the kettle but a gift to your plants—if you've got the right feed. Vitalink Hydro MAX Bloom sorts out the mineral imbalance that comes with it, keeping iron available and nutrients where they need to be. We see consistent results with this one: clean blooms, no lockout drama, and plants that finish properly.
Vitalink Hydro MAX Bloom A&B Hard Water is a highly concentrated two-part mineral base nutrient specifically formulated for the flowering stage in hydroponic systems where hard water is the norm. It's engineered to handle the calcium and magnesium minerals that come with your tap supply, so you spend less time fighting chemistry and more time growing.
The formulation combines EDDHA-chelated iron—which stays available across a wider pH range—with fulvic acid to act as a nutrient catalyst, ensuring your plants make proper use of everything in the tank. That's what separates a two-part from the one-part feeds: extra micronutrients that can't coexist in a single bottle, but absolutely matter when plants are demanding everything during bloom.
With an NPK ratio of 10.9.19, Hydro MAX Bloom delivers the phosphorus and potassium boost flowering plants need, balanced against the nitrogen still required for structure and health.
How it compares
This positions itself squarely in the professional two-part hard water bloom tier.
- Hard water formulation—addresses mineral buildup that generic feeds ignore
- EDDHA iron chelation ensures micronutrient availability, even when pH climbs
- Fulvic acid improves nutrient uptake efficiency during peak flowering demand
- Works equally well in run-to-waste or recirculating systems
- Significantly lower cost than premium imported brands, same functional performance
Compare it to Ionic Hydro Bloom or Shogun Samurai, and you're getting comparable science at a price that doesn't assume you're made of money.
Usage guidance
System compatibility
Vitalink Hydro MAX Bloom works across all hydroponic setups: NFT, DWC, aeroponics, flood and drain, recirculating, and run-to-waste. It's equally at home in rockwool, clay pebbles, perlite, or mapito.
Mixing and dosage
Use at 3–4 ml/L. Always add part A to your water first, mix thoroughly, then add part B in equal parts. Never mix the concentrates together. Maintain a pH range of 5.8–6.5 for optimal nutrient availability.
Feeding window
Switch from Hydro MAX Grow to Hydro MAX Bloom when your plants show the first signs of flowering. Run the bloom feed from week 2 of flowering through to week 8 (your final flush period). Hard water rewards consistency—keep EC and pH steady rather than chasing strength.
Hard water specific note
Hard water contains elevated calcium, magnesium, and sometimes iron already. Vitalink Hydro MAX Bloom Hard Water accounts for this, lowering those elements in the formulation to prevent mineral imbalance and nutrient lockout. If you're in a soft water area, use the soft water variant instead, and consider running a half-strength CalMag supplement during growth stage.
Technical specifications
- Type: Two-part (A&B) liquid concentrate
- NPK ratio: 10.9.19
- Growth stage: Flowering/bloom
- Dosage: 3–4 ml/L (equal parts A and B)
- pH range: 5.8–6.5
- Active ingredients: EDDHA-chelated iron, fulvic acid, balanced micro and macronutrients
- System compatibility: NFT, DWC, aeroponics, flood & drain, recirculating, run-to-waste
- Media compatibility: All inert media (rockwool, clay pebbles, perlite, mapito)
- Formulation: Hard water optimised (high mineral content adjustment)
- Available sizes: 1L, 5L, 10L bottles
Who this is for
- Hydroponic growers in hard water areas (over 120mg/L calcium carbonate) who want feed formulated for their supply
- Growers running run-to-waste or recirculating systems during the flowering stage
- Anyone previously experiencing nutrient lockout, iron deficiency, or pH drift with generic feeds on hard water
- Experienced hydro growers looking to simplify their feeding without compromising results
- Budget-conscious growers who want professional-grade performance without premium brand pricing
- Growers already running Vitalink Hydro MAX Grow and wanting a matched bloom partner
Particularly well-suited to NFT and flood-and-drain systems where clean, stable feeding prevents dripper blockage and tank degradation.
Our take
This is proper bloom nutrition built for the UK water supply. Vitalink Hydro MAX Bloom Hard Water doesn't pretend your tap water isn't there—it works with it. The EDDHA iron and fulvic acid combination keeps micronutrients available and plants upright through the entire bloom window without the lockout drama that catches people out.
If you're on hard water and want straightforward flowering nutrition that actually behaves itself, this is worth picking up. Does exactly what it should, bloom week after bloom week. Good time to buy while stock lasts.
