Most liquid grow formulas are sold at roughly 2-1-6 — a ratio tuned to minimize input cost at the manufacturing level. The plants don't care about manufacturing economics. During the vegetative phase, fast-growing hydro crops take up more nitrogen and more potassium than a 2-1-6 dilution typically delivers at conventional reservoir doses. Grow Green doubles the nitrogen and keeps the potash elevated to match the demand, not the spreadsheet.
The macronutrients come from refined mineral salts — potassium nitrate as the dual N+K source, monopotassium phosphate (MKP) for available phosphate plus chloride-free potassium, potassium sulfate for additional K and sulfur, and magnesium sulfate as a background Mg+S contribution. Each component contributes a known, repeatable EC value to the reservoir, which makes dialing in target electrical conductivity straightforward — and which is why batch-to-batch behavior stays consistent rather than drifting the way mined raw materials sometimes do.
Keeping the micronutrients in a separate bottle isn't a marketing distinction; it's chemistry. Iron, calcium, and phosphorus held together at concentration can precipitate or compete for the same chelating sites. By moving the trace elements into Micro Green 2-0-3 and the calcium into Cal-Mag Plus 2-0-0, every part can sit at concentration without fighting itself in the bottle. The grower adjusts each part to the stage and crop instead of being locked into a fixed ratio.
For deeper coverage of the underlying nutrient roles, see The Function of Nitrogen in Plants, The Function of Potassium in Plants, and our overview of choosing the best hydroponic fertilizers.