Enzymes break down dead root material in the medium and convert it back into something the plant can use. In a pot that has been running for months, a meaningful share of the root mass is already dead – enzymes stop it becoming food for pathogens and turn it into nutrition instead.
What they are for
Clearing dead roots. Every time roots die back, that material sits in the medium. Left alone it feeds pythium; broken down it feeds the plant.
Reusing medium. An enzyme treatment between crops is what makes coco genuinely reusable.
Salt build-up. They help mobilise accumulated nutrient salts, which reduces how aggressively you need to flush.
Recirculating systems. In DWC and NFT, enzymes keep the reservoir cleaner and reduce slime.
Enzymes are not the same as beneficials
They are constantly confused. Enzymes are proteins – chemical tools that do one job and then are spent. Beneficials are living organisms that colonise and reproduce. Enzymes work immediately and briefly; biology takes longer and persists. They complement each other, and most growers running coco or hydro use both. See beneficials, bacterias and inoculants.
Hygrozyme, Canna Cannazym, Mills, Plant Magic and Ecothrive enzyme products. Related: root stimulators for early growth and grow room cleaning between crops.
Enzyme FAQs
How often? Every feed or every other feed, at label rate, right through the grow. They are consumed rather than accumulating.
Can I use them with beneficials? Yes. Unlike sterilants, enzymes do not harm beneficial bacteria or fungi.
Do they need refrigerating? Keep them cool and out of sunlight. Heat denatures enzymes and a bottle left on a warm windowsill is inert.
Why buy enzymes from The Hydro Bros?
We are a hydroponics shop in Croydon and we will tell you whether your system actually benefits from these or whether it is money better spent elsewhere. Discreet UK and European delivery, and excellent customer reviews on Trustpilot.
