Ecothrive Trace 250ml - Organic Chelated Micronutrient Supplement
Best for: growers who suspect a hidden micronutrient deficiency in soil, coco or hydro and want an organic way to fix it.
Our thoughts
Trace element deficiencies are the ones nobody spots until growth has already slowed down, and Ecothrive Trace is aimed squarely at catching that early. It's Soil Association approved for organic use, which matters if you're running a living soil and don't want to introduce anything synthetic. The dosing is tiny (we're talking millilitres per litre), so a 250ml bottle goes a long way.
Ecothrive Trace is a concentrated organic liquid supplement containing iron (0.6%), manganese (0.6%), copper (0.04%), zinc (0.1%), boron (0.1%) and molybdenum (0.01%), all naturally chelated using lignosulphonic acid, a biodegradable plant-derived compound. It's approved by the Soil Association for organic cultivation and is compatible with soil, coco and hydroponic systems.
Micronutrients like these are often the first elements to become depleted in potting soils and dilute hydroponic solutions used for propagation, and deficiencies can go unnoticed for a while because the early symptoms (interveinal chlorosis, stunted roots, poor flowering) are easy to put down to other causes.
How it compares
Trace sits in the micronutrient/cal-mag booster space, but its organic certification sets it apart from most of that category.
- Where a synthetic booster like General Hydroponics CALiMAGic covers calcium and magnesium, Trace focuses purely on the six key micronutrients and is chelated with a natural, biodegradable agent rather than synthetic EDTA.
- Compared with a general organic vitality booster like Biobizz Bio-Heaven, Trace is more targeted, it's built specifically to correct micronutrient shortfalls rather than act as an all-round tonic.
- It's usable across soil, coco and hydro, so you're not locked into one growing method the way some organic-only additives are.
If you need trace elements specifically, and want them from an organic-approved source, Trace does that one job cleanly rather than trying to cover everything.
Usage guidance
Dosing is small, so it's worth mixing a stock solution rather than trying to measure fractions of a millilitre directly.
Living soil and organic potting mixes
Apply 0.25 to 0.5ml per litre with every watering during vegetative and flowering stages, stopping 1 to 2 weeks before harvest.
Propagation
Use 0.25ml per litre of water with every watering to top up dilute nutrient solutions for cuttings and seedlings.
Hydroponics and coco
Full-strength base nutrients already contain adequate trace elements. If running at half strength, add 0.25ml per litre; at three-quarter strength, add 0.125ml per litre, always after mixing your base nutrients.
Foliar feed
Spray 10ml per litre every 10 to 14 days. Stop foliar applications once flowers have started to form on flowering plants.
Making a stock solution
Dilute 5ml of Trace into 1 litre of water. Use 50ml of that stock per litre of water for a 0.25ml/L dose, or 100ml per litre for a 0.5ml/L dose.
Technical specifications
- Bottle size: 250ml (1L and 5L also available)
- Iron: 0.6%
- Manganese: 0.6%
- Zinc: 0.1%
- Boron: 0.1%
- Copper: 0.04%
- Molybdenum: 0.01%
- Chelating agent: Lignosulphonic acid
- Organic certification: Approved by the Soil Association
- Compatible growing methods: Soil, coco, hydroponics
Who this is for
- Living soil and organic growers wanting a certified organic trace supplement
- Propagators running dilute nutrient solutions for cuttings and seedlings
- Coco and hydro growers feeding below full strength who need a micronutrient top-up
- Houseplant growers whose plants have been in the same container for a long time
Best for anyone who wants to head off "hidden hunger" before it shows up as slowed growth.
Our take
Trace does a narrow job well: topping up the six micronutrients that quietly run short in soil and dilute feeds, without introducing anything outside organic standards. The tiny dose rates mean the 250ml bottle lasts a long time even with regular use.
One we sell a lot of for new growers who are trying to work out why their plants have plateaued despite a normal feeding routine.
