Cannabis fertilizers are an essential element for maximizing the yield of growing light marijuana plants.
Certainly the good quality substrate or soil can make the difference, but also the nutrients that the plant needs to develop in every phase of its growth.
As we will see in this guide to cannabis fertilizers, there are a wide range of both organic and mineral products on the market, specific for each phase that characterizes the life cycle of a marijuana seedling.
Understanding what are the differences between all these types of fertilizers and what are the different mechanisms of action, will help you choose the most suitable one for your cannabis cultivation project.
Cannabis plant food: what are their benefits
Like any other plant and vegetable, cannabis also needs nutrients to grow and develop inflorescences. Cannabis fertilizers are nothing more than mixtures containing micro and macro nutrients used to stimulate the development, production and flavor of plants.
Complete nutrition, provided in adequate quantities and at the right time, serves plants to ensure:
- Good growth;
- Greater resistance to diseases and parasite attacks.
A lack of the right food for cannabis plants, in fact, not only makes the plant more susceptible to external aggressions, but can also block development and, in the worst case, cause the death of the plant, if action is not taken promptly.
Weed fertilizer types and composition
To develop, the cannabis plant needs oxygen, hydrogen and carbon: all nutrients that are absorbed from water and the atmosphere.
In addition to these substances, there are some key macronutrients, which are mainly:
- Nitrogen (N);
- Phosphorus (P);
- Potassium (K).
These three elements are usually indicated with the acronym NPK and are already present in the substrate in which the plant grows, together with other minor but equally necessary elements, such as Magnesium (Mg), Calcium (Ca), Sulfur (S), Iron (Fe ) etc..
When the state of the soil is not able to satisfy all the needs of the plant, then an external contribution is necessary, which is called fertilization.
There are many fertilizers for indoor and outdoor cannabis cultivation, containing different dosages of the three essential macronutrients, as well as the right quantities of microelements, present in small concentrations.
With so many types available, it is essential to know which ones are most appropriate to administer to your plants and in what dosage.
Types of fertilizers for cannabis
Cannabis growing nutrients can be liquid or solid. There are those already dosed or to be composed according to needs, since at each growth stage it is essential to use different dosages and in the right proportions.
Choosing the most suitable fertilizer for your marijuana cultivation is essential to guarantee maximum yield. In this regard, there are three different types of fertilizers:
- Minerals;
- Organic;
- Organo-minerals.
Mineral fertilizers, as the word itself suggests, are composed of elements of mineral origin, manufactured through chemical processes and containing all the primary nutritional elements (NPK) in variable concentrations and directly assimilable, to satisfy the nutritional needs of each plant.
Organics are natural liquid fertilizers for sativa, indica and autoflowering seedlings, both of a vegetal nature (coming from composting) or of animal origin (as breeding by-products). Furthermore, there are solid fertilizers such as Supersoil , which is widely used for growing hemp). The last type is, obviously, a mixture of mineral and organic fertilizers, called "Organo-mineral".
If interested, consult our guide: How to prepare and use Supersoil
Organic cannabis nutrients and synthetic ones: what are the differences?
Organic or biological fertilizers , as we have already seen, are nutritional compounds resulting from the decomposition of plant or animal substances.
Instead, synthetic ones contain the minerals necessary for plant growth, derived from chemical processes, even aggressive ones, in order to obtain a precise concentration suitable for immediate administration.
Let's try to understand the advantages and disadvantages of both types:
- Mineral fertilizers : offer greater control and are more precise and specific in terms of nutrient contents and ratios, which are immediately assimilable by the plant. On the other hand, they produce buds with a more sour taste (even in the case of multiple root washings), release toxins into the substrate and make pH and EC management difficult;
- Organic fertilizers: in addition to requiring smaller initial investments, they guarantee a high quality final product with a pleasant flavour, because there is no risk of overfertilisation and possible accumulation of toxins. However, nutritional release is very slow.
The choice of using organic or mineral cannabis soil nutrients in outdoor and indoor cannabis growing depends greatly on the type of crop you intend to plant.
Those who grow cannabis outdoors rarely use chemical fertilizers, preferring instead organic fertilizers and adequate work of the soil that will accommodate the plants. Mineral fertilizers in an outdoor growing could only be used to increase and accelerate flowering, in the last phase of the plant cycle, or to treat parasite infestations.
Indoor soil growers often prefer organic fertilizers specifically formulated with an NPK ratio perfect for cannabis plants, such as bat guano powder fertilizer . Those who grow marijuana in hydro systems must necessarily use fertilizers for hydroponics.
Some growers prefer to use a mix of organic and mineral fertilizers, while others use only one type of weed plants nutrients.
How and when use cannabis fertilizer
At each stage of its growth, the cannabis plant requires a different type and concentration of nutrients.
Therefore, when choosing fertilizers for outdoor and indoor hemp cultivation, it is essential to know the plant's needs based on the growth phase it is in.
Let's see what these phases are and when it is necessary to add fertilizer fertilizer: (936)
- Germination and seedling stage: Large amounts of fertilizer are not required. To germinate the seed, a soil mixture poor in nutrients is sufficient. When the first seedlings emerge, it is necessary to add a minimum quantity of fertilizer and possibly organic supplements to stimulate root growth;
- Vegetative Growth: fertilizers with high concentrations of Nitrogen (N) and low quantities of Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) are required, the proportion of which can vary depending on the cultivated variety;
- Flowering: the fertilizer for the flowering phase of hemp must contain a different proportion of NPK, with a greater supply of Phosphorus and Potassium, to stimulate the plant to grow, and less nitrogen.
During the last two weeks of the cannabis flowering phase it is advisable to dedicate ourselves to another fundamental operation, namely washing the roots of the Cannabis plants.
The cannabis flowring nutrients, in fact, tend to accumulate and can negatively affect the pleasantness of the buds, which must therefore be appropriately irrigated with plenty of water or with specially formulated solutions so as not to compromise the quality and flavor of the plant.
To use the quantity of fertilizer appropriate to a plant's needs, it is first necessary to know the system in which the NPK ratio is regulated, and then adopt the best one in your cultivation, also based on the characteristics of the substrate or soil.
In fact, there is a fine line between giving your plants the correct nourishment or burning them due to an overdose of fertilizers. Let's see, therefore, in general terms what the right proportion of nutritional needs for cannabis could be depending on the state of growth in which it is found:
- In the early stages of vegetative growth of cannabis, a greater supply of nitrogen is necessary, the adequate proportion of NPK is 3:1:2, optimal for many varieties of cannabis up to the beginning of flowering;
- When they begin to flower, marijuana plants require a different ratio of NPK, with higher concentrations of Phosphorus and Potassium. You can start, for example, with a formula of 1:5:4 in the first phase, continuing with a 1:5:5 in the last phase, where the nitrogen supply is no longer necessary.
For doses, it is however advisable to always start with a minimum dosage to gradually increase every week, up to the maximum recommended by the fertilizer manufacturer. Always consult with your trusted seller.
We remind everyone that accurate knowledge and observation of the marijuana leaf will allow you to identify imbalances, excesses and deficiencies in the plant.
If interested, consult our guide: How to recognize cannabis deficiencies by observing the marijuana leaf.
How to choose weed nutrients
To choose the best fertilizers for your autoflowering or cannabis sativa plants and make your indoor or outdoor cultivation productive and quality, you must always consider some elements of the product you intend to purchase:
- Nutritional value, i.e. the nutritional ratio of NPK;
- Ingredients, i.e. natural or mineral;
- Growing substrate (the type of nutrients needed is different from soil cultivation and hydroponic cultivation).
Meet the nutritional needs of your cannabis plants with professional soils, not forgetting the use of beneficial bacteria and fungi such as Micosat powder fertilizer.
Choose cannabis fertilizers with the macronutrients best suited to their growth and development.
On the Grow Shop Italia website you can find a wide range of cannabis fertilizer products and kits that will help you produce larger, higher quality crops.