Atami - B'cuzz Hydro Booster Universal

A growth booster from Atami for inert substrates. 0.1 to 0.5 ml per litre, daily from the growth phase. Atami position it as a stress reliever.

Atami call this a stress reliever, not a growth accelerator

The heading on Atami's product page reads: stress reliever, ideal for transplanting plants. That is a different product from most of the boosters on this shelf, and it is worth taking seriously rather than turning into a growth claim.

The reasoning is simple. A change of environment is a shock for most plants, and that shock costs growth. A cutting coming out of the propagator, a plant moving from a small pot into a large system, a crop suddenly under brighter lamps: each time, the plant loses a few days recovering instead of expanding.

This booster is meant to make that transition into the growth phase as smooth as possible. Not to make the growth afterwards faster, but to lose less of it at the start.

On an inert substrate that transition is sharper

Rockwool, clay pebbles and other inert media hold no reserve. There is no buffer in the medium, so what happens in the root zone is precisely what you send into it, immediately and undamped.

You can see that in the schedule Atami publish for hydro. The pH window is 5.5 to 5.8, a margin of three tenths, against 5.8 to 6.5 on soil. On hydro you do not have that room, so a shock lands harder and you have less time to correct.

That is exactly where a product aimed at stress rather than at speed makes sense.

What is in it

Atami name two components. A natural plant extract, which supports the plant's physiological processes and does the work of absorbing the shock. And a combination of nitrogen, magnesium and iron.

Atami publish no NPK ratio: the field on their own product page is empty. So we leave it empty too.

The hydro schedule, in brief

• pH: 5.5 to 5.8
• EC: 1.2 to 2.8 across the cycle, and Atami state plainly that you steer on EC rather than on the measuring cup
• Base feed: B'cuzz Hydro A and B, from 1 to 2 ml rising to 2.4 to 3.4 ml
• Booster: 0.5 ml per litre, growth phase only
• Hydro only: ATA Clean at 0.1 ml in every irrigation, to keep pumps, filters, drippers and pipes clear

That last line appears in neither the soil nor the coco schedule. In a system with pumps and narrow lines, clogging is a problem a pot of soil does not have.

Where the booster sits in the order

The first two weeks run on B'cuzz Root Stimulator, and Atami note that it is then replaced by a B'cuzz Booster. That fits what this booster is for: the first weeks are about roots, then comes the transition into the growth phase, and that is the moment a plant has most to lose.

For the best result use it alongside the B'cuzz bloom stimulator. Combining it with another brand's base feed is no problem.

In use

Shake well. Mix 0.1 to 0.5 ml per litre of nutrient water, daily when watering from the growth phase. The grow guide puts the growth phase at 0.5 ml, the top of that range.

If you are transplanting or moving plants over, give it with the first feeds afterwards rather than waiting until you see something. The product is meant preventively.

Available sizes

Technical Specifications:

• Type: liquid growth booster, positioned by Atami as a stress reliever
• Manufacturer: Atami, B'cuzz range
• Contains: a natural plant extract with nitrogen, magnesium and iron
• Dosage: 0.1 to 0.5 ml per litre of water
• In the grow guide: 0.5 ml per litre, in the growth phase
• Frequency: daily when watering
• Substrate: rockwool, clay pebbles and other inert media
• pH per the hydro guide: 5.5 to 5.8
• Predecessor: B'cuzz Root Stimulator, for the first two weeks
• NPK: not published by Atami

Frequently asked questions

When do I get the most out of this?
Around a transition: after transplanting, when moving cuttings over, or when conditions in your room change. That is where Atami aim it too.

Is this only for rockwool?
Atami's hydro guide covers inert media generally, so clay pebbles and comparable systems as well.

Does it differ from the Soil and Coco versions?
Atami publish no difference in composition or dosage. What differs is the schedule: pH, base feed and cal-mag vary by substrate.

Should I keep giving it in flower?
No, the schedule carries the booster in the growth columns only.

Why does ATA Clean appear in this schedule?
Because a hydro system has pumps and narrow lines that can silt up. Atami put it at 0.1 ml in every irrigation.