Fertilizing marijuana plant
Fertilizing the marijuana plant is different than feeding it. Feeding provides it with basic nutrients needed in order for it to live, while fertilizers make it grow bountifully and give consistently high yields.
Commercial gardening fertilizers come in different ratios of N-P-K. Used at different stages of growth, these will make the plant grow stronger and sturdier, as well as more productive. Most potting soils come with a balanced NPK ratio that will sustain a plant for the first 2-3 weeks. However, as the plant grows taller and wider, supplemental nutrients are required.
Dolomite lime is a long - time farmers` favorite. Lime is essential to maintaining the proper soil pH. Calcium is also commonly used to control soil pH.
In the vegetative stage, a good 20 - 20 - 20 supplement is often adequate to maintain proper growth and development. Most growers dilute this formula to one-half or one-quarter strength, as marijuana does not tolerate full-strength nutrient feedings well. This can be given once or twice a week, although some growers use it at every feeding.
In the flowering stage, a higher ratio of phosphorus is needed to promote and encourage flowering, as these flowers are the bud sites, and the number of flowers affect the end yield. Phosphorus alone, or phosphorus in a higher ratio - 10 - 30 - 10, is often used in this stage.
Always grow from seeds as clones sometimes carry pests and other plant diseases that can destroy all your plants. That is one of the main reasons professional growers buy and germinate marijuana seeds The other reason is come by seeds are usually from hermaphrodites and are never as good and strong as commercial cannabis seeds.
A few fertilizing tips:
To grow to a large size, marijuana requires a steady supply of nutrients, which should be added to the water on a regular basis.
The amount of nutrients to add to the water depends on the size of the plant, the size of the pot, and the general condition of the soil.
Always add water when you add any nutrients or fertilizer to the soil.
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It is recommended that you dissolve the fertilizer in the water before watering the plant.
Adding more nutrients than a plant requires will poison the soil thereby harming plant growth and development.
Foliar feeding, or spraying the leaves with a fertilizer solution, is an ideal way of fertilizing large plants with nutrient deficiencies.
Nutrient deficiencies can best be detected by a change in the condition and color of the leaves.
Soilless mixtures are a good alternative to using large amounts of soil, the main advantage being that the nutrient balance is easy to control.
Although marijuana will grow in soils with a pH between five and nine, it thrives in soils with a neutral pH of around seven.
Soils with a high content of organic matter are often quite acidic with a fairly low pH.
Most nutrients are soluble in soils with a pH balance of between six and seven and a half.
Continued use of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium will lower the pH of the soil, this can be rectified by adding some Calcium.
To save over-fertilized plants, the soil can be leached by removing the top few centimeters and over-watering with lukewarm water.
Although healthy, strong growing plants love a steady supply of nutrients, you should never fertilize them every day.
A plant growing in a poor soil, low in nutrients will develop better than a plant growing in over-fertilized soil.
To balance the pH of an acidic soil, crush some egg-shells and soak them in water. Then strain out the shells and pour the water over your plants.
Unless the soil is poor in nutrients, a young seedling growing in a large pot doesn't require any fertilizing for the first few weeks of it's life.
Although Cannabis does not grow well in a soil with a low nutrient content, this is preferable to a soil that has been toxified by over-fertilization.
The influence of the soil, and in particular the nutrient content of the soil, to the potency of the plant is something which cannot be overlooked.
Nitrogen can be positively correlated with higher potency and increased growth, and it is the most influential nutrient available to the grower.
Organic fertilizers are less concentrated than chemical mixes, and as the nutrients are released more slowly, there is less chance of toxifying the soil.
A typical program of fertilization may be to fertilize after the fifth week of growth, and then every two weeks thereafter until flowering.
It is always better to fertilize your plants more often with a more diluted solution, than to give them concentrated doses at longer intervals.
Always make sure that the fertilizer is completely dissolved in the water before you apply it to your plants.
It takes less Nitrogen than other nutrients to toxify the soil, and hence there is less margin for error when using it as a fertilizer.
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