Nutrient Demand describes how much nutrition a plant can actually use indoors, based on its light level, growth rate, and water movement, not how much fertilizer it can tolerate in theory.
A plant’s nutrient demand rises and falls with energy availability. When light is sufficient and growth is active, nutrient uptake increases because transpiration and root activity are higher. When light is low and growth slows, nutrient demand drops sharply, even if the plant looks healthy on the surface.
Nutrient demand levels used in plant profiles:
Low — The plant grows slowly indoors and uses nutrients sparingly. Excess fertilizer is more likely to accumulate in the root zone than be taken up.
Moderate — The plant maintains steady growth under adequate light and uses nutrients predictably when supply matches growth rate.
High — The plant grows rapidly under strong light and has high nutrient throughput. Deficiencies appear quickly if supply does not keep pace with growth.
Nutrient Demand is not a feeding schedule and not a recommendation to fertilize more often. It explains how closely nutrient supply must track light-driven growth to avoid both deficiency and salt buildup.
In short, Nutrient Demand tells you how much nutrition the plant can realistically use indoors, helping growers avoid overfeeding plants that are limited by light or slow growth.
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