How to Choose the Right Nutrients for Cannabis?
Cannabis cultivation may require a lot of nutrients to thrive. This is where the inexperienced growers find it difficult to choose the proper nutrients for cannabis, leading them to spend extra money on it.
That’s why understanding the nature of nutrients is necessary.
Some new growers think cannabis farming is child’s play. Many believe that they can grow cannabis by providing some water and sunlight. To be honest, if it were so easy, then everyone would have grown in their backyard.
This article will clarify your facts about why nutrients are necessary and which nutrients you should use for your healthy harvest.
So, follow this article right to the end to know why and when you should provide nutrients to your cannabis plants.
What Nutrients Does a Cannabis Plant Need?
There are two main types of nutrients that cannabis plants need during their lifecycle. One is primary nutrients which are known as macronutrients, and the other is micronutrients.
The macronutrients consist of the following nutrients, and later we’ll discuss them in detail:
· Nitrogen (N)
· Phosphorus (P)
· Potassium (K)
And the secondary (micronutrients) nutrients which are essential as well but in a tiny amount:
· Calcium
· Magnesium
· Iron
· Copper
All these are the nutrients for cannabis they need in different amounts at different phases of the cannabis lifecycle.
There are some other non-mineral elements that a plant automatically gets from air and water.
These are as follows:
· Carbon
· Hydrogen
· Oxygen
Let’s get into more details of the most common and essential nutrients regularly used in cannabis cultivation.
1. Nitrogen
Nitrogen is the most heavily used nutrient for cannabis plants. Nitrogen plays an essential role in the development of the cannabis plant.
Nitrogen is the crucial part of the chlorophyll that keeps photosynthesis at work. Without it, your plant cannot absorb the sunlight into energy.
The tissues of plants are also made up of nitrogen. If your plant has deficiencies, you can easily pick it up by its color.
Some strains of amino acids are present in nitrogen which works as an ingredient for proteins in cannabis, and without it, your plant will become weak.
Another advantage of nitrogen is that it creates nucleic acid that helps plants grow faster and spread.
2. Phosphorus
Phosphorus plays a vital role in the growth of plants, not just for cannabis but for every other plant. The critical point is to make sure that the plant consumes every possible nutrient available.
Phosphorus is one of the essential factors of producing large and healthy buds. Without sufficient phosphorus, cannabis plants may not be able to create progressive roots.
3. Potassium
Potassium, the third macronutrient, comes with maintaining the system to keep plants healthy and robust.
Even though the quantity of potassium is finite in plants, when it makes contact with nitrogen, it upgrades the resistance of plants and provides muscular tissues.
The interaction of potassium is not limited to nitrogen but also works with phosphorus to develop a more massive and dense buds’ system.
4. Calcium
Calcium is from the micronutrients group, and its only job is to protect the outer structure of the cannabis plant.
Without calcium, your new plant won’t further develop, and sooner or later, it will stop functioning. Calcium is always required for new plants, which are yet to be in developing phases.
5. Magnesium
Each secondary nutrient is used in every phase of the plant’s growth but in tiny quantities. Macronutrients don’t make an impact on plants directly. They work with other primary nutrients to make the most use of their properties and functions.
Magnesium also works as a central element in chlorophyll which leads to generating glucose from photosynthesis.
If your plants don’t have enough magnesium, they’ll stop converting energy from sunlight. And soon, your plants will start to show the signs of magnesium deficiency.
Well, these were the top 5 nutrients for cannabis that are widely used in cannabis cultivation. We only discussed those that matter the most.
Now, let’s move forward to see which types of nutrients are required for a particular growth phase.
Nutrients for Cannabis in Different Growing Stages
Obviously, not all nutrients are required in a particular phase. We cannot predict which nutrients that plants need unless we keep in check with their growing stage.
Cannabis plants may need different types and quantities of nutrients depending on the growing phases.
In respect, cannabis fertilizers should be given to your plants once a week with enough water supply.
So, why fertilizers?
Fertilizers are the products developed to “feed” the cannabis plants with primary and secondary nutrients.
Before going further into the depth, you need to understand how to measure the numbers of NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium).
We don’t want you to be confused by the measuring numbers for cannabis nutrients. Sometimes new growers get confused in numbers.
So, here’s the thing:
Almost every fertilizer came with the label of primary nutrients for cannabis, that is, Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K).
In short, they are called NPK; you will see the percentages of NPK, the amount used in a particular fertilizer.
For example, NPK 10:20:30 means a particular fertilizer has 10% of Nitrogen (N), 20% of phosphorus (P), and 30% of Potassium (K). So, don’t get confused by upcoming measuring numbers!
Don’t experiment on cannabis plants with your lawn or other growing fertilizer ratios; the nutrient for cannabis depends on the plants’ conditions and different phases.
If you’re wondering about the percentage of nutrients for cannabis outdoor and indoor, remind you both to follow the same pattern.
You’ve understood the measure ratios, now, move to our concerning topic.
Nutrients for Seedling Phase:
This is the starting phase of cannabis grow if you’re not following the clones. At this stage, minimum or nothing fertilizers are required.
You have to wait for your plants to sprout from the seed before depositing the 1st feed of macronutrients. All you have to do is just take care of the soil moist, air circulation, and proper sunlight.
Nutrients for Vegetative Phase:
This is the stage where cannabis plants need a good amount of sunlight and primary nutrients.
Usually, the period of the vegetative phase lasts for four to twelve weeks long, depending on the conditions. Either you’re growing cannabis with clones or with seeds; both follow the same percentage of nutrients.
Nutrients for cannabis clones, especially nitrogen N, are required more in the vegetative stage since the vegetative phase is responsible for the growth of the plants, which also needs other nutrients as well.
At the first week of the vegetative stage, use the ratio of NPK 2–1–2. After every week, increase the percentage of nitrogen.
By the seventh week of the vegetative phase, the NPK ratio will be like 10–5–7.
In the last week of the vegetative stage, decrease the percentage by 1–1–1. At that time, cannabis plants don’t need many nutrients.
Nutrients for Flowering Phase:
During the flowering phase, cannabis plants consume more nutrients, especially phosphorus P and potassium K.
When the flowers appear, the cannabis plant needs less nitrogen. Feeding the proper nutrients for cannabis at the flowering phase will develop and produce a healthy yield.
Organic Vs. Chemical Fertilizers
Before moving further into the depth of organic and chemical nutrients or fertilizers, you should have proper knowledge about organic and chemical fertilizers.
Let’s begin with organic fertilizers:
Organic Fertilizers/Nutrients:
Organic fertilizers are those which are made of organic matter without any artificial flavor of nutrients. Generally, organic nutrients are made of kitchen and animal waste. Obviously, organic fertilizers work expertly in the dirt.
The following types of organic nutrients can be also be added to dirt:
· Manure
· Worm Castings
· Blood or Bone Meal
· Fish Emulsion, etc.
Chemical Fertilizers/Nutrients:
Chemical fertilizers are often termed synthetic fertilizers used to provide instant minerals to your cannabis plants. These minerals include Nitrogen N, Phosphorus P, and Potassium K; these three are primary nutrients for cannabis.
Differences Between Organic Fertilizers/Nutrients And Chemical Fertilizers/Nutrients
Both organic and synthetic fertilizers are used for the development of cannabis plants.
The outdoor growers prefer to go with organic fertilizers. Since everything outdoors grows organically, so they like organic nutrients for cannabis outdoors.
On the other hand, the main focus of indoor growers is on water solutions synthetic nutrients. Or, if they are using a hydroponics system of growing cannabis, they use nutrients for cannabis hydroponics.
But that doesn’t mean they cannot use synthetic nutrients for cannabis outdoors and vice versa.
It doesn’t matter which fertilizer is suitable for use; they’re specialized from different aspects. By looking at the pros and cons of both fertilizers, you’ll be able to decide which one is good for your cannabis plants.
Organic Fertilizers Pros/Cons:
Pros:
· Organic fertilizers are slow releasers, which means there are minimum chances of overfeeding.
· Microorganisms available in dirt can provide many benefits to your plants.
· They can be renewable and eco-friendly, with no harm to the environment.
· Soil doesn’t dry too quickly as the water holds up prolonged.
Cons:
· Usually, take a longer time to absorb by the plant.
· Weather conditions may impact the organic nutrients.
· Not every mineral is distributed equally.
Chemical Fertilizers Pros/Cons:
Pros:
· Comes with exact numbers of minerals.
· Growers can easily manipulate the mineral ratios, resulting in bigger yields.
· They can be available on the spot when needed.
· It might be cheaper than organic matter.
Cons:
· Your plants will always be at risk of overfeeding.
· Synthetic fertilizers can degrade the quality of dirt.
· Not renewable.
How to Use and Mix Cannabis Nutrients?
Mixing and using the chemical solutions are done technically and can be tricky for new users. Read further and improve your skills for cannabis growing.
The nutrients for cannabis are mostly liquid solutions or powder, so they are used and mixed with water. You can also use compost as an alternative to chemical nutrients. But indoor growers mostly prefer chemical fertilizers.
Remember, nutrients for cannabis indoor perform well when you’ve other necessary equipment like LED grow lights and a sound ventilation system.
Your plants need a sufficient amount of light to process photosynthesis. That’s why LED grow lights play an essential role in absorbing nutrients.
Follow the five simple steps to learn how to mix and use cannabis nutrients:
1. Selecting the Right Nutrients:
There are lots of nutrients for cannabis outdoors and indoors available at the store and online.
You have to make sure you pick the suitable NPK ratio substance according to the growth phase. We’ve already mentioned above the ratios and amounts to use in different growing stages.
Some fertilizers brands recommended by the experienced growers are as follows:
· FoxFarm Soil Liquid Trio (Dirt)
· Botanicare Pure Blend (Dirt)
· Botanicare Kind Nutrients (Hydroponics)
· Canna Coco A&B (Coco Coir)
Few more things you may also need, 10ml syringes and measuring cups. With that, you’ll require a TDS and EC meter to check the concentration.
2. Arrange Water
Before preparing the water, a few things need to be considered: water must be distilled, warm, and chlorine-free.
After that, use a TDS meter to check the readings; ppm should be between 100 to 150. If it exceeds 150, then the water still has some unnecessary elements that should be removed. Or if it’s less than 100, you can raise it by adding a bit of Cal-mg add-on.
3. Time to Mix Nutrients with Water:
When mixing the nutrients, it’s always ideal to read the instructions labeled on nutrient bottles.
Once you read the instructions, start mixing the substance with half of its strength. Look for the deficiency in your plants and mix accordingly.
4. Use EC Meter
EC stands for electric conductivity, and its meter determines the total ratio of nutrients in the water.
All you have to do is simply dip the meter into the water, and it’ll show the exact amount of nutrients present in the liquid.
Now, it’s up to you at which phase or stage of your plant is, and adjust the nutrient for cannabis accordingly.
5. Keep the Solution in Optimal Temperature:
Although the mixture can be made at different temperatures, it doesn’t matter if you’re mixing the nutrients in cool or warm temperatures, but the problem occurs when you’re feeding to your pants.
Too cold water may cause the root to pack, which results in nutrient deficiencies. On the other hand, too much warm water may invite bud rot and minimize the efficacy of the nutrients.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. When do you see nutrient deficiency symptoms on cannabis?
Nutrient deficiency in cannabis plants can be easily identified when your plants become weak or fragile. Other symptoms include yellowing or curled leaves is a sign of nutrient deficiencies.
2. How often should I feed my cannabis plant?
You can give nutrients to your cannabis as far as it still showing deficiency symptoms. As for the often perspective, you can feed them on a weekly basis.
3. Should I use nutrients every time I water?
Excessive nutrients may lead to damage or destroy your plant. You have to be very careful while feeding the plants.
4. How do you know you are feeding cannabis too much?
Suppose you overfeed your cannabis plants. You’ll start to see the following symptoms:
· Element of fertilizers on dirt/soil
· Lower leaves will start wilting
· Tips and margins of leaves will give a brownish look
· The development of plants will become slow
