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Asked by paul_faf ·January 28, 2021 ·22.1k readers

Alternate recipes for classic ‘maintenance solution’?

Just curious if anyone has tried using a solution of something like 1:500 FAA, 1:1000 OHN, and 1:500 vinegar instead of the classic maintenance solution? It seems like the FAA could be a good substitute for FPJ + calcium phosphate, at least from a mineral and nutrient standpoint. Partly I’m curious because I have FAA but not FPJ or calcium phosphate, and it is the dead of winter here so it will be another 3-4 months before the snow is gone and I can harvest some plants for FPJ once things start to green up! I’m primarily interested in using it as a seed soak in anticipation of gardening season and for watering the house plants when they get hungry again. I’ll mix some up and give it a go, but figured it wouldn’t hurt to see if anyone else has tried something like this : ) Thanks! PF

faa seed-soak maintenance-solution

Top answer

dagoofman · Feb 2, 2021
when watering new plants FAA is a nitrogen source not something a starting plant needs to much nitrogen could cause burning in the new starts what u need at first is high root development the WCAP and growth hormones from the FPJ is what is needed no nitrogen is needed till the first set of true leaves has come in and even at that point only very little is needed at first .......but as a seed soak u would use OHN BRV FPJ LAB FAA WCAP SW if u r missing a couple its not the end of the world remember in KNF there's a 40% leeway window over or under.....also if u dont have it theres a really good free chart at the KNF site thats the CHO Nutritive Recipes good info to keep

From the KNF library

From the KNF library Drafted by Claude from Office Hours and the books · Sep 2026 · 4 sources

Drake's classic maintenance solution keeps FPJ. Your mix drops it for FAA.

The classic recipe is 2 parts FPJ at 1:500, 1 part OHN at 1:1000 and 2 parts vinegar at 1:500 (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 46). Drake's library gives FPJ and FAA different jobs. FPJ carries the plant's hormones and enzymes (Cho's Solutions, p. 1). FAA supplies simple amino acids that assist leafy growth (Cho's Solutions, p. 1).

The Cho chart lists FPJ at 1:500 and FAA at 1:1000 (Cho's Solutions, p. 12). That is twice as dilute as your 1:500 FAA. The chart also pairs FAA with the maintenance spray, not in place of it (Cho's Solutions, p. 12).

The library disagrees with itself on calcium phosphate. One block says it is used in the maintenance solution (Office Hours Ep. 54, 6:56). The manual recipe lists only FPJ, OHN and vinegar (Student's Manual, Basic Course, p. 46).

The library does not say whether FAA can stand in for FPJ. It says nothing about seed soaks made without FPJ.

Sources

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