Best Marijuana Fertilizers

Best and Most Popular Marijuana Fertilizers

Selecting the right fertilizer for marijuana plants is challenging. For many high yield seed or auto flower seed growers, it may be part of the job that is dreaded most. As a result, it isn’t unusual for growers to try to reduce using outside nutrients by creating the perfect growing environment for the plants along with the right genetics.

Unfortunately, eventually, a time will come when plants need additional nutrients. This is especially the case when the plants are first started. Here, growers can learn more about the features of the right fertilizer and what to look for when making a decision.

The right fertilizer will help create a healthy and flourishing plant, but there are other methods to use, too. Here, learn more about the CO2 boost, along with how to safely fertilize the plants. In this situation, knowledge is power, so continue reading to learn how to choose the right fertilizer.

Determining What to Use for Healthy Cannabis Plants

To grow healthy marijuana plants, it is necessary to provide three essential things. With these three things, you can achieve vibrant flowers, firm roots, and high yields. The three must-have ingredients include potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen. You will usually see these nutrients listed on packaging as “NPK” for the chemicals involved.

Nitrogen aids in leaf growth, and phosphorus helps with bud growth. Most potting soils are mixed with these elements, which is going to help the plant remain healthy for as much as three weeks. However, as the plant continues to grow and get more robust, it will require additional nutrients.

After the plant has begun to develop leaves, a balance of 20 percent nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus is necessary. For those who are growing their marijuana plants inside, the plants won’t be able to deal with the full-strength dosages well, and these may result in the leaves drooping because of shock.

It’s fine to feed the plant every time it is watered; however, it’s not necessary. Doing this two times a week is usually enough. Outdoor plants receive plenty of fresh air, and the roots can spread out and grow, so they usually won’t require as much.

Getting to Know the Basic Fertilizer Options

When looking into fertilizer options for marijuana plants, the first decision to make is if a grower wants to create their own, homemade nutrients or if they want to purchase off-the-shelf, professional-grade products.

While it is possible to make the nutrients with the preferred mix, it’s usually easier to buy the nutrients pre-made. Remember, modern marijuana plants have a wide array of needs.

With a professional fertilizer, it is possible to avoid mistakes with chemical reactions that may occur if the nutrients are mixed incorrectly. Another benefit of professional fertilizers is figuring out the proper ratios to feed the plant. This is already taken care of, which is especially helpful for those just starting.

The truth is, there’s a large selection of quality marijuana fertilizers created by growers across the country – why make things more complicated than they need to be?

Pro Tip: Try to avoid using any fertilizer that’s advertised as being “extended” or “slow release.” Even though these systems may be great for regular plants, they will likely cause several issues when trying to grow marijuana plants.

Nutrients and Water: What to Know

Do you know what the fastest and easiest way to waste money on fertilizers is?

The answer is, by not watering your plants properly.

If you don’t use the right watering technique, no soil plant is going to thrive. While plants require water to move nutrients from the roots to the leaves, some new growers will water too often. This leads to an array of overwatering issues. Before choosing fertilizers, be sure to think about watering frequency and techniques.

Here is how to water plants in the soil:

• Keep the top inch of soil dry to the touch
• Mix the fertilizer nutrients in the water
• Flush using pure water once every two weeks only

Allow approximately 20 percent of additional water to drain out of the bottom of the plant when watering

Make sure to add the right amount of nutrients to the plant, and that you have selected the proper fertilizer for the current growth stage of your marijuana plant.

Fertilizers for the Soil

When selecting the right nutrients for plants, the way the plants are being grown matters the most.

Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, focus on choosing the right system for growing marijuana seeds or what you want the growing medium to be.

After choosing the medium to grow the plant, whether in hydroponics, coco coir, or soil, be sure to purchase products that work with that growing method. Some products are suitable for growing in more than a single medium, but others will be limited to a particular medium.

Now it’s time to dive into the meat of the article. Here a person can learn our top picks for marijuana fertilizers and what makes some better than the others.

Fox Farms Trio

This is a top pick for those who are new to growing marijuana. With this product, it is possible to grow virtually any strain of marijuana, and you will never have to use other additives. It is also possible to find soil and hydroponic versions, so make sure to buy the right one. It is even possible to use this product with coco coir growing methods.

Vermiculite and Perlite Marijuana Fertilizers

If you are soil growing your plants, simplify the process by adding a mix of Fox Farms Happy Frog soil along with approximately 30 percent of perlite, to begin with. Another smart option is using Humbolt soil.

For hydroponic growing, add vermiculite or perlite in a mix of approximately 50 percent fertilizer with a mixture of peat moss and water.

If you want to create professional level-soil for your Gorilla Glue seeds or Sour Diesel seeds, always use vermiculite or perlite. These are created when mica is heated. As the minerals are heated, they enlarge and become porous. This creates the white pellets that effectively retain air.

The pellets can hold almost four times their initial weight in water. This is why so many commercial potting soils won’t become lumpy and tough when they dry out. The minerals create potassium, calcium, and magnesium naturally and will infuse in the soil eventually. This is ideal because the mixture will continually feed nutrients into the soil.

Is Miracle-Gro a No-Go?

If a person has ever grown something – anything at all – they have probably heard of Miracle-Gro. This is a popular product, and a household name when it comes to fertilizers for plants. It is possible to ask anyone about it, and there’s a good chance they have either heard of it or used it for “regular plants.” While this is true, it’s not the best option for marijuana plants.

One reason to avoid Miracle-Gro for indica seeds or sativa seeds marijuana plants is that it gives excessive nitrogen when the plant is flowering. The proper balance of nutrients is crucial for growing a healthy marijuana plant, and Miracle-Gro doesn’t have the appropriate balance.

If Miracle-Gro is used, it means the grower is using the same formula for the lifespan of the plant. In the beginning stages of growth, this is fine; however, the requirements for a marijuana plant will shift substantially between the seedling stage and when buds begin to grow. As the plant moves into different stages of growth, the nutrient formula should, as well.

Natural Fertilizer Options

While the professional-grade options are fine, a grower can also choose a more natural mixture by creating organic fertilizers. Some examples of organic fertilizers can be found here.

Can Urine be a Viable Fertilizer for Marijuana Plants?

It’s understood that nitrogen is necessary for a marijuana plant to grow and develop. Most people also know that human urine is full of nitrogen. What may be surprising is that, yes, urine is a healthy and effective fertilizer for marijuana plants.

Make sure not to directly urinating on the plant, as this could cause it to die. Avoid urinating on the ground around the plant, too. Instead, mix commercial plant food with one bladder of urine for each gallon of water. This solution is necessary to avoid the formation of toxic ammonia.

Chicken Manure

People aren’t the only ones who can make a quality fertilizer. Another natural marijuana fertilizer is chicken manure. Using an organic, slow-release formula will help increase yield and promote healthier plants.

Wood Ashes

Is the soil in the area too acidic? If so, growing marijuana plants may be impossible. If this is the case, consider using plain wood ashes to restore the proper pH levels. To use this, mix a shovelful of wood ashes with a five-gallon bucket of water, then add to the soil. If that isn’t an option, try lime to achieve similar results.

Composting

While professional fertilizers can help a grower achieve the right results, compositing is a smart, natural alternative.

For most people, composting isn’t the first or best form of fertilizer they would likely think of. Also, it may not bring up the most pleasant thoughts. However, leftover food scraps and animal manure create thriving, bountiful marijuana crops.

Vegetables and fruits, along with animal excrement, are recycled back into the earth, the same as any other organic material is. Along with all that goes the nutrients that are contained inside it. These are the nutrients that will be absorbed by the marijuana plant.

If a grower opts for compost as marijuana plant fertilizer, it is something they can use for any growing medium. If a person lives where the soil is subpar, it will help to enrich the soil.

Once a pile of compost is created and it begins to decompose, a new one can be made. Make sure to have a pitchfork on hand to turn the material, so everything is blended well. Try to do this daily to reduce how long it takes to transform from decay to dirt. Another reason to turn the compost pile is to avoid cases of spontaneous combustion.

Hydroponics Fertilizers

If soil isn’t the desired growing medium, then a person can grow their White Widow seeds or Bruce Banner Fem seeds plants entirely in water. This is officially referred to as hydroponics. This method requires the use of fertilizers that are designed specifically for hydroponic growing. There’s no room for loose debris or particles that may clog the tube, pumps, or any of the other equipment being used.

Some options for fertilizing the plants when growing like this include:

General Hydroponics Flora Series

This nutrients system is ideal for advanced or beginner growers. It is possible to use this formula for soil and coco coir grown plants, too. It is possible to purchase the “performance pack,” which includes a pH balance test kit.

General Hydroponics FloraDuo

For a grower who wants to minimize the products needed, consider the General Hydroponics FloraDuo. This line of fertilizers helps accommodate the various stages of the plant as it grows and ensures it gets the nutrients needed to thrive.

Coco Fertilizers

If coco coir is the chosen growing medium, the results are similar to hydroponics systems. Coir comes from the husk of the coconut and is used in many products. For those using this method of growing, remember to keep the pH over 5.5 and under 6.5, alternate the watering schedule with regular water, and add extra magnesium and calcium. Even if plants are healthy, if the coco coir method of growing, they may become magnesium or calcium deficient.

The Bottom Line

When growers are ready to select a fertilizer for their marijuana plants, they need to put time and effort into finding the right one. This is why figuring out how to choose nutrients is the initial step in growing the best possible and healthiest marijuana plant. If soil is the preferred medium for growing, the AK-47 cannabis seeds will have different needs than if hydroponics are used. While fertilizer is an essential part of the growing process, it isn’t the first solution – especially for those who don’t know what they are doing or what the plants need.