Growers come in all shapes and sizes and the same is true for cannabis nutrition. Whether you choose to minimize intervention and let the plants grow on their own, or go for a well thought-out strategy using specialized fertilizers and boosters, there are many great products out there, suitable for every phase in the life of your cannabis plant. We’ll give you a quick review of all these options, so, when growing weed, you can decide for yourself what your ladies are needing.
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For Every Phase The Best Cannabis Nutrition?
Every cannabis plant needs nutrition to grow, to bloom and to develop their full potential. Water and (sun)light are crucial for photosynthesis, but without the proper nutrients the grow just won’t make it to harvest time. Some growers swear by a laissez-fair approach and use a mixture of compost, garden soil and other types of soil for their outdoor grow. This way Mother Nature will ensure a natural and rich soil life outdoors. A strong plant can come a long way with this, but there are many more options to use the right cannabis nutrition and take your grow to new heights!
Many growers have their own habits and use regular nutrition for their plants, but wouldn’t it make more sense to choose the right nutrients for every different stage of the grow? Let’s take a look to the possibilities, so you can decide for yourself which choice fits you the best!
Does Germinating Cannabis Need Nutrients?
The cannabis seed provides everything that’s needed for the first step in the life cycle of the plant: germination. So, while it’s theoretically true you don’t need to add anything more that water and kitchen paper, there are some ways to support or speed up the process.
Read our blog about the germination process of cannabis seeds!
If you use a germination accelerator or seedbooster, some special enzymes and other substances enhance the germination rate and help to accelerate the germination process. This way you can give your super seeds the perfect start they deserve. The first phase of your seedling is more likely to be successful in sprouting a strong root and to get a green start while the first cotyledons reach towards the light!
You can buy this kind of cannabis nutrients – that boost the germination process – in a formula that provides everything a young plant could ever wish for. There are also special germination boosters that need to be mixed with the water you use for the germination process of your seeds.
The Best Cannabis Nutrients Per Growing Phase
Once the seeds have germinated and the seedlings are starting to grow, the growth stage has arrived. We also call this phase the vegetative (‘veg) stage. During this time, the plant needs very specific nutrition because of the explosive growth and the leaves and roots start to grow. You can compare this phase with a teenager eating everything that’s in the fridge. You don’t really want to feed the kid fast food, the thing it needs is healthy food and vitamins.
There are some essential ‘meta nutes’ the plant needs during the vegetative stage: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (‘N-P-K’). The one that’s especially important is nitrogen (N), the plant needs this for the chlorophyll in the chloroplasts. Phosphorus is also a very critical substance though. Besides this, calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) are useful booster nutes that you can add to the right cannabis nutrients to support the growth.
You can find many products of different brands that offer reliable cannabis nutrition for the growth stage, so it’s important to look around for yourself. Add a drop to the water that you feed your plants and you are ensured of the right dose of organic booster nutrients. Another great example of specific cannabis nutrition to support the growth are biocatalysts. These substances release extra nutrients and protect the plant from diseases, just like a rich soil life would do this in a natural environment.
During this phase it’s also important to think about controlling the acids or add a root stimulator, which improves the nutrient absorption of the root. There are many products who can help you achieve this.
Important Nutrients During The Flowering Stage
During the flowering stage, the cannabis plant changes its strategy: the goal now is not to grow and increase leaf surface. From now on every drop of energy goes to the flower buds: exactly the stuff that makes a grower very happy after harvesting! The buds of a weed plant need other nutrients though. During the flowering phase the plant needs less nitrogen, but the demand for phosphorus and potassium is growing. This way your buds can’t just get bigger and more compact, the flowers will also start to shimmer from all the trichomes filled with THC and aromatic terpenes for maximal effect and a great taste.
Many different blooming enhancers can help you out here, like a completely organic PK booster. Of course you can also try to use your own homemade recipes or regular products from the garden centre around the corner: you wouldn’t be the first to try these! However, it’s good to know that there plenty of specialist cannabis nutrition products to support every stage of the cannabis plant, whether she grows inside or outside!
Flushing Before Harvest
All these extra nutrients can really boost your cannabis grow, result in strong plants and a big harvest. Even though your plant needed this nutrition until this point, it´s important you make sure there won’t be too many nutrients left – especially in the buds – when you start harvesting. You can do this by flushing your grow when the blooming stage comes to an end.
Just feed the plants water, without any additions or nutrients, so your plant gets detoxed and all the excess substances flush away. Even if you only gave your plant 100% organic nutrition, it can help you to end up with a clean batch and nicely cured buds at the end of the grow.
Organic Cannabis Nutrition For Every Stage
You probably have noticed that every stage of the plant’s life cycle requires the appropriate nutrition. Still, it’s up to the grower himself to make decisions about what to feed your plants: in the end this is the charm of your own grow, indoors or outdoors. Whatever you want, the possibilities to only use organic nutrients are endless and many growers are taking this path very deliberately.
In the end it all comes down to this: so many growers, so many wishes. Every grower has its own desires when it comes to growing cannabis. That’s why it’s great to see there is an abundance of nutrition products to choose from. Whether you like to raise your plants with homemade nettle tea, your own secret compost mixture or you order a big box with pots, drops and tablets, it’s all up to you. Besides the nutrients you use, we probably don’t need to remind you that even a truckload of pills won’t get you a great result if you don’t start the grow with the best cannabis genetics!
Keep in mind the there are many ways to parent your beloved cannabis seeds, whether you go for fully organic indoor, completely natural outdoor or ultramodern hydro!
