What nutrients do marijuana plants need?
Cannabis crops need a variety of nutrients to develop and thrive. The adaptable nature of weed lets it pull the necessary elements from the soil, growing happy and healthy in most environments.
You could plant in organic soil, water your crops, and skip nutrients for weed plants. You would still collect smokable harvests, and they might end up sticky and potent.
Why stop there, though? The massive industry developments allow us to tailor the cannabis cultivation journey to maximize the quality and quantity of each yield. Even as a regular grower, you have access to tools that help you achieve dispensary-tier buds at home.
Weed plant nutrients are the perfect example of such assistance. They encourage vigorous growth, high bud production, and rich cannabinoid and terpene profiles. In simple terms, they guarantee that each yield is as hefty, tasty, and potent as it gets.
What nutrients does marijuana need, then? Where do you even begin? Cannabis nutrients fall into two distinct categories—macronutrients and micronutrients. Crops need the former in larger quantities, which is why we most often supplement with these. The latter exists in trace amounts and supports healthy growth.
Macronutrients
Marijuana plants can’t survive without generous amounts of three primary nutrients, which we collectively refer to as ‘macronutrients.’ They are:
- Nitrogen (N)
- Phosphorus (P)
- Potassium (K)
Together, these nutrients for cannabis are referred to as NPK, the basis of plant growth and the abbreviation on fertilizer packs. What purpose does each serve?
Nitrogen is the main nutrient for marijuana during the vegetative stage. It helps form chlorophyll, turning sunlight into energy and encouraging foliage, stem, and branch development. Cells don’t grow and multiply without an ample nitrogen supply.
Phosphorus is the marijuana grow nutrient for the flowering stage. It ensures that every other element is available for uptake, pushing bud production and root development. A deficiency stunts flowering.
Potassium remains relevant throughout all life stages. This marijuana nutrient regulates the internal processes of a cannabis crop, especially water and salt uptake. It also controls energy production and storage.
Micronutrients
Quality nutrients for marijuana don’t stop at macros. Your fertilizer should include a selection of trace elements that promote the internal processes of a cannabis crop.
The following elements are necessary, but in much smaller quantities than macros:
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Iron
- Copper
- Boron
- Zinc
These cannabis nutrients mostly play into the roles we discussed above, only on a smaller scale. For instance, calcium ensures that new growth remains healthy and that each cell is robust and stable. Magnesium supports your plant as it absorbs food through its roots.
Since weed asks for these micronutrients in much smaller quantities, getting a well-balanced nute pack doubles in importance. Minimal doses of micros combined with large macro servings promote healthy development.
Should you ever introduce additional micronutrients?
As a rookie, only supplement with micros if you notice a particular deficiency developing in your garden. Experts might consider marijuana nutrient additives, remaining extra careful about symptoms of nutrient burn.
Best cannabis nutrients for each growth stage
Your cannabis plant needs all weed nutrients throughout its life cycle, but its precise requirements change with time. Our range of products is here to cater to each growing stage.
Seedling stage
Baby cannabis needs minimal nutrition to start stretching. While germinating, use potting soil lightly fertilized with nitrogen and phosphorus. It’s better to err on the side of caution here, as nutrient burn this early on stunts future growth.
Our Seedling Booster bottle ensures that you’re meeting marijuana nutrient needs at its very beginning. It also prevents you from overdoing it. Your cannababies grow strong and resistant to potential threats from the start.
This product contains a range of vital elements, including:
- Monopotassium and diammonium phosphate
- Potassium nitrate and potassium sulfate
The organic marijuana nutrient alternative features the same essentials, but we derive them from soy proteins, phosphorus rocks, and kelp.
Vegetative stage
Once it enters vegging, your cannabis no longer appreciates moderate feedings all that much. Crops are hungry at this point, and you’ll find yourself feeding regularly and abundantly.
Marijuana vegetative stage nutrients revolve around ample nitrogen servings. Feed with moderate amounts of potassium and minimal phosphorus.
Our Growtime Fertilizer derives marijuana nutrients from:
- Monopotassium and diammonium phosphate
- Potassium nitrate and potassium sulfate
If you’re choosing the best marijuana nutrients for organic growth, you’ll love our vegging fertilizer bottles that obtain nutes from:
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Water-soluble copper
- Water-soluble manganese
- Water-soluble zinc
- Water-soluble iron
- Water-soluble boron
This mix ensures that your hungry plants develop strong stems, branches, and foliage. It suits soil, but given the water-solubility of the elements, they’re also suitable as marijuana hydroponic nutrients.
Flowering stage
Marijuana flowering nutrient solutions are much higher in phosphorus and lower in nitrogen. This chemical composition directs energy towards bud production. Without much nitrogen to go around, crops don’t stretch any further.
The standard Flowertime Fertilizer derives essentials from the same elements as our other products. We tailor the following elements to better fit flowering:
- Monopotassium and diammonium phosphate
- Potassium nitrate and potassium sulfate
The organic option blends the nutes used for the earlier two stages into one cola-booster. It includes:
- Soy protein hydrolysate
- Rock phosphate
- Ferrous, zinc, potassium, copper, and manganese sulfate
- Potassium chloride
- Sodium borate
- Kelp extract
Note: We also offer an advanced nutrient for marijuana to further increase yields and fatten up buds. Our Plant Booster is part of both nute packs. Rich in phosphorus and potassium, it provides an extra push towards abundant harvests, even with autoflowering strains.
Types of nutrients for weed
Rookies might find themselves confused with the various available types of marijuana nutrients in the offer. Homegrown has your back.
Variations relate to the growing medium and your preferences. These two factors affect what you feed to your cannabis and the amounts necessary for optimal plant health.
Organic vs. chemical nutrients
Chemical fertilizers are the best nutrients for marijuana if you’re looking for ease and accuracy. These contain precise NPK ratios and micronutrients in forms that are immediately available to your cannabis.
You’d follow schedules to avoid nutrient burn, but there’s very little guessing involved. Our standard pack is one of these products, tailored with precision to maximize bud production.
Marijuana organic nutrients are naturally-sourced, originating from animal waste, plant-derived substances, and mineral sources. Some come ready for use, while others require treatment or composting beforehand.
You can make organic fertilizer at home or buy marijuana nutrients sourced from organic materials. You don’t need to worry about treatment and dosage in the latter case.
Both methods are excellent if you carry them out correctly. In general:
- Cultivators use chemical cannabis nutrients to maximize yields and correct deficiencies
- Those looking to keep their operation more environmentally friendly go organic
Soil vs. hydroponic nutrients
Plants need the same elements to thrive, no matter the growing medium. Amounts change between soil and hydroponics cannabis fertilizers, though.
Soil already contains plant food. If not, it’s pretty easy to fertilize before planting seeds. When it comes to hydroponics, you have to feed your plants the full range of necessary nutrients by hand.
Fertilizer packs for hydroponics are richer in nitrogen and micros, which aren’t as available in water sources. In essence, marijuana nutrients for soil are a less precise business. You’ll need to be more generous and accurate with your feedings in hydro.
Why buy marijuana nutrients?
If you live on farmland, many weed soil nutrients are already abundant in your garden. Many cultivators in the US aren’t that lucky, though. Most of us need to fertilize the soil to some extent to make it optimal for plant development.
You could go all-natural and source your marijuana-growing nutrients from plants or animals. This option is eco-friendly, but it isn’t convenient. It doesn’t let you control the exact amounts, and it’s a far cry from nutrient solution efficiency.
A marijuana nutrient pack ensures that crops get what they need for each growth stage.
There’s zero risk of nutrient burns or deficiencies that come with ballparking the amounts. Instead, it’s all clean and precise. All you need to do is follow the instructions and keep your crops healthy and productive.
If you’re interested in keeping your weed fully organic, you don’t have to use bone meal and flax seeds for the job. Our organic marijuana nutrients are easy to dose, instantly available to the plant, and better for the environment.
Where to buy marijuana nutrients in the USA?
Now that you know what your plants need and how to provide it, only one thing remains. Where to buy the best marijuana nutrients?
Skip store seeking and get everything you need here at Homegrown Cannabis Co.
Apart from the extensive selection of weed seeds in the offer, we provide two all-encompassing cannabis nutrient packs. Go regular or choose organic—either way, you get the right amount of nutes for a thriving garden.
Both packs incorporate everything you need for each growth stage, from germination to cola collection. We include the following:
- Seedling Booster
- Growtime Fertilizer
- Flowertime Fertilizer
- Plant Booster
Order a pack and find marijuana nutrient guides on our blog. Our products and resources are here to ensure a hefty harvest for every cultivator in the community.
