It takes a diverse understanding of the plant and the way it absorbs nutrients throughout its lifestyle. Once you know these things however, the rest should be fairly simple. Firstly though, let's take a look at which nutrients are important to our cannabis plants.
Nutrients are what the cannabis plant will use to grow. You can ensure your plants get these nutrients through the use of fertilizer or good soil. The three main nutrients that will be found in most fertilizers and soil are nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.
These may be represented as (N), (P) and (K) respectively. Each fertilizer should show the measurements of these three chemicals and you'll want to pay careful attention as to how much of each one is present. The optimal amounts of each to put on the plants will vary depending on the stage of your plants life cycle.
For example, in its vegetative state, the cannabis plant will require more nitrogen. This is due to the fact that it is believed nitrogen is responsible for regulation of growth. So when your plants are still vegetating, look out for a fertilizer or soil with a slightly higher nitrogen content. But what about when it progresses past the vegetative stage?
Well, once your cannabis plant reaches the flowering stage, the nutrients and their amounts need to be re-regulated. When your cannabis plant begins flowering you are going to want to switch from a high nitrogen fertilizer to one that is higher in potassium and phosphate.
This is because our focus is now on the buds rather than the growth of the plant itself. By making this transition you will ensure that when the buds do emerge that they achieve their full potential. As long as you are aware of the plant's life cycle and the nutrients within your fertilizer and soil then it shouldn't be hard to tweak the amounts to ensure you get the absolute most out of your cannabis plants.
Warning
One should be familiar with both state and federal legislation before attempting to cultivate or grow cannabis to ensure the complete legality of the operation.
| Type of Fertilizer | Nitrogen Levels | Phosphorous Levels | Potassium Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marijuana Grow Booster | 20% | Unspecified. | Unspecified. |
| Tiger Bloom | 2 parts. | 6 parts. | 4 parts. |
| Grow Big | 6 parts. | 4 parts. | 4 parts. |
Common Mistakes in Providing Nutrients for Your Cannabis Plants
Now, just because nutrients are helpful in maintaining your cannabis plants, one should be careful not to overdo it. In fact, one of the most common mistakes with amateur cannabis growers is the overuse of fertilizer. Not only does this not correlate with better growth, but an excess of fertilizer can lead to root burn.
Root burn will turn the ends of your plant's leaves and roots yellow or black. However, if you find this has happened to your plants, it's not the end of the world. Simply water the plant and stop fertilization, effectively allowing the excess nutrients to run off. Conversely, some growers may believe that cannabis will grow naturally anywhere, this is also a common misconception.
Although it is possible to grow cannabis naturally in soil, this can only occur when the nutrient levels and ph are within the correct ranges. The soil you plant it in may have a ph that is too high, or too low.
The soil may be barren and not able to grow anything. The point here is although natural growth can be achieved, it really does depend on the quality of the soil. If you do intend to grow without the help of fertilizers, make sure the soil is as close to the ph point of 6.0 as possible.
Overall, the biggest growing mistake one can make is not being prepared enough. As with many plants, growing cannabis can be a complicated maneuver. Ensure that you have the right fertilizer, growing space, lighting and watering in place. With plants you can also never know what might happen. They might get eaten by bugs or not receive enough CO2, you just can't know what might occur. You can minimize risks however by mitigating all that you can. The best way to do this is through proper research so that you can be prepared for an optimal growing experience.
Now, just because nutrients are helpful in maintaining your cannabis plants, one should be careful not to overdo it. In fact, one of the most common mistakes with amateur cannabis growers is the overuse of fertilizer. Not only does this not correlate with better growth, but an excess of fertilizer can lead to root burn.
Root burn will turn the ends of your plant's leaves and roots yellow or black. However, if you find this has happened to your plants, it's not the end of the world. Simply water the plant and stop fertilization, effectively allowing the excess nutrients to run off. Conversely, some growers may believe that cannabis will grow naturally anywhere, this is also a common misconception.
Although it is possible to grow cannabis naturally in soil, this can only occur when the nutrient levels and ph are within the correct ranges. The soil you plant it in may have a ph that is too high, or too low.
The soil may be barren and not able to grow anything. The point here is although natural growth can be achieved, it really does depend on the quality of the soil. If you do intend to grow without the help of fertilizers, make sure the soil is as close to the ph point of 6.0 as possible.
Overall, the biggest growing mistake one can make is not being prepared enough. As with many plants, growing cannabis can be a complicated maneuver. Ensure that you have the right fertilizer, growing space, lighting and watering in place. With plants you can also never know what might happen. They might get eaten by bugs or not receive enough CO2, you just can't know what might occur. You can minimize risks however by mitigating all that you can. The best way to do this is through proper research so that you can be prepared for an optimal growing experience.
Other Essentials in Cannabis MaintenanceSo now that you know what nutrients cannabis plants need, what else is important for ensuring healthy, strong growth? Well, apart from making sure your fertilizer has the correct levels of nutrients there are a few things that one can do to ensure healthy plants. One of these is starting with a good soil.
You can bypass the need for a lot of fertilizer if the soil you purchase or plant in is already rich with nutrients. This is definitely a better, cleaner way to ensure your plant reaches its full potential. If your soil is good enough it'll lower your workload while still providing you with great plants. As well as nutrient content, you should also ensure both your soil and water have the right ph content.
Ph content is of as much importance to plant growth as nutrients. With cannabis plants, they actually prosper better in a soil that is slightly acidic. So instead of opting for a neutral 7 ph level which might be the case with other plants, you should instead aim for a value between 5.5 and 6.5.
The ph level of your water, in order to ensure optimum growth should be around 6.0. By monitoring the ph level and adjusting accordingly you can ensure that your cannabis plants are always in the perfect range for maximum healthy growth.
So there you have it. Now you know which nutrients to use, which ph levels are optimal and how to avoid some of the more common mistakes. By keeping the ph level slightly acidic and matching nutrient levels with the plant's life cycle you can keep your cannabis plants healthy. With this information, hopefully you can begin to grow cannabis plants that are some of the best around. Cannabis plants do take some research and maintenance to upkeep but when you see the results, you'll know it's worth it.
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