NUTRIENT GUIDE & SCHEDULE EXPLAINED
vIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Hi, I’m your prof from Indica Institute, and this is my advanced cannabis growing course entitled “Growing Cannabis 201: Advanced Grow Tips”
I’ve designed this course to help and instruct people on how to grow cannabis plants to obtain better results in terms of overall plant health, yield, taste and more. The course covers a variety of topics including best practices for germination techniques, cloning, transplanting, grow medium, grow environment and nutrients .
Visit me at indica institute or my YouTube channel for a list of cannabis related courses, tips and more. I hope you find the video useful, and please like and subscribe so I can continue making more videos like these!
Hi and welcome to my lesson on feeding nutrients to cannabis plants. The objective of this lesson is to learn what nutrients cannabis plants will need to thrive, what ratios to give for each stages of plant growth, the dangers of under or over feeding your plants, typical signs of a nutrient imbalance and which brands are most used for optimal bud growth.
All links mentioned in this video can be found in the video description, along with a link to Indica Institute where you can find a growing list of cannabis related courses and recommendations on the best products for purchase.
Cannabis plants need three main macronutrients to thrive and produce great buds. Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphorous. How much of each depends on the stage of plant life. Often beginner growers tend to add a ton of supplements and nutrients to get the yield results pros get, though this is easy to mess up and can be detrimental to your plant if it is not done correctly.
This lesson will ease the beginner grower into the basics of nutrient use, suggesting a soil grow in the beginning as it works as a great buffer between plant and additive, allowing leeway for correction if errors are made in the feeding process.
So let’s get started! The seedling stage of cannabis plant growth does not require much in the way of nutrients. Attempting to use nutrient additives during this stage will only harm, if not kill your plant. Instead, nurture your plant in a good potting soil until it is mature enough to transfer into a larger pot for the early vegetative stage of growth.
If you’re not growing in soil, use root boosters and nutrition supplements specifically designed for seedlings so as not to burn or harm your plant. Seedling nutrients have the right quantity of micro and macro nutrients for seedlings, though it is possible to use a diluted version of the vegetative formula as well. If you are planning to use this, start with about ⅕ of the regular recommended dosage and do not increase dosage beyond ¼
For the vegetative stage of growth your plants will need high levels of Nitrogen and Potassium, and medium levels of Phosphorus. When looking into nutrient brands, consider the ratios they have. Phosphorus should be about half that of Nitrogen, and Potassium should be between ½ and ⅓ of Nitrogen for this stage.
If you are using a good quality soil for your grow, you may be able to skip the first few weeks of feeding while the plant uses up the nutrients that are in the soil. Otherwise, begin feeding nutrients to your plants once it has opened its first set of serrated leaves.
As your plant enters the flowering stage it will need a different nutrient ratio that caters to bud production rather than building a root and stem system. Therefore for this stage nitrogen must be lowered substantially, Potassium will stay at the same level and Phosphorus will increase substantially.
Phosphorus works to develop more bud sites, while potassium increases bud production, making for larger juicer buds. By switching your nutrient formula to a ‘flowering’ or ‘bloom’ formula, you are in effect changing these nutrient ratios to benefit your plant growth for this stage. Switch to a flowering nutrient formula when buds start forming on the plant.
Nutrient companies provide feeding schedules when you purchase their product. Often this comes with the bottle, or can be found on the brand website. A word of caution, following the company suggestions for dosage amounts can often have problematic effects. Early on in my grow experience I found that doing this still burnt my plants. The likely reason for this is the company wants you to use as much nutrients as possible so you buy more. My suggestion is to start with half the recommended dose and increase as necessary.
The reason I suggest this approach is because nutrient burn is permanent. While your overall plant can recover from being overfed, those areas that have been burnt will remain this way until they are pruned or fall off. Also yields are always better from an underfed plant than an overfed one, so start with half the recommended dose, and start by feeding only every other watering. Increase your dosages only if your plant begins to show early signs of nutrient deficiency.
Pay attention to your plant during watering and look for signs of a nutrient imbalance. The most typical signs of this are drooping or yellowing leaves, irregular leaf shape or dimension, or brown spots and burnt edges. Keep in mind that it is normal for leaves to turn yellow during the late flowering stage, and it is also normal for the odd leaf to turn yellow as your plant naturally defoliates.
If your nutrient issue persists despite your attempts to reconcile the problem, flush the soil with water at a neutral pH and remove the top half to ¾ inch of soil that is likely oversaturated in nutrients. Then start feeding again at a ⅓ to half the dosage.
You should know that if your plants are considerably over or underfed, they are likely to be damaged beyond repair. Even in the event that you are able to nurse them back to health, their yields would be significantly less than a healthy plant.
Let’s now take a look at organic and chemical nutrients to see which is the best choice for your grow. Organic nutrients are believed to make better smelling and tasting buds if you are using a nutrient rich super soil, though this may not be the case with organic liquid nutrients. It is also more natural, and super soil generates a symbiotic relationship with your plant making for a stronger healthier plant. Keep in mind it’s not advisable to use organic nutrients with a hydroponic setup though, as organic compounds can lead to unwanted matter growing in your reservoir.
Chemical nutrients on the other hand are perfect for hydroponic setups, and are believed to make for a more potent bud compared to organics. They make the plant grow faster, creating larger yields faster as they are designed to be easier for the plant to absorb.
They are not organic though which is a problem for some, can create pH issues with your plant soil, and it’s necessary to flush the plants and soil before harvest so the buds do not retain any excess chemicals.
As far as what brands to choose to get the biggest and best buds, the differences between brands vary according to their macronutrient ratios and the ingredients they use to get the mixture to that ratio. Different brands will argue that their ratios are better than others for a variety of reasons or the ingredients they use make it easier for the plant to absorb because it reacts differently with the compounds in the soil. These arguments are true to varying degrees, though the yield differences vary only slightly in my experience.
The main thing to take away is that you should be feeding your plants nutrients if you are not using super soil, and to adhere to the general ratio guidelines I previously mentioned. When choosing your nutrients pay attention to the ratios which are normally listed very clearly on the front of the nutrient bottles as a 3 number set. They also tend to have attributing titles that allude to their usage, such as VEG, BLOOM, FLOWER, or some other variation that signifies it’s growth stage usage.
Pay attention to the brand nutrients you purchase as there are different brands that cater to hydroponics, soil or coco coir and will state this in their usage descriptions. If you are experiencing nutrition imbalance symptoms and you have started with a random soil base, it could be your plants are lacking from a micronutrient deficiency, which can be alleviated with a corresponding micronutrient supplement.
Another reason symptoms could persist is due to pH levels in your soil. This is a vital component in delivering nutrients to your plant, as without the proper pH your plant could experience a ‘nutrient lockout’ causing an underfeeding of your plant. Test soil regularly to avoid this issue, and adjust accordingly using pH Up or Down, or an organic alternative.
Finally, when using nutrient additives it is important to flush your plants before harvest. Nutrients are stored in the plant, which can cause an unpleasant chemical taste if the buds are not flushed of the nutrients properly.
So in review, Cannabis plants will need different nutrient ratios for each stage of growth - seedling, vegetative and flowering.
Underfeeding or overfeeding your plants can have detrimental effects on plant health and therefore yields, though it is always better to underfeed than overfeed, so start low with your dosages.Typically starting with half the recommended dose every other watering and working up from there will be more beneficial than working directly with the brand dosage recommendations.
Pay attention to symptoms of nutrient imbalance and correct the issue immediately to avoid a significant loss in yields.
There are organic and chemical nutrients, and different brands with different ratios and ingredients. Choose which is best for your grow, and pay attention to the ratio breakdowns required for each stage of growth.
Be sure to regularly check pH levels to avoid nutrient lockdown and underfeeding as a result.
I hope you found this installment of my course “Growing Cannabis 201: Advanced Grow Tips” useful. For more cannabis related courses or recommendations on the best grow products out there, visit me at indica institute or subscribe to my YouTube channel. If you have any comments or suggestions for a new video, be sure to join the discussion in the comment feed below.
Please like and share this video, and as always, thank you for listening!
I’ve designed this course to help and instruct people on how to grow cannabis plants to obtain better results in terms of overall plant health, yield, taste and more. The course covers a variety of topics including best practices for germination techniques, cloning, transplanting, grow medium, grow environment and nutrients .
Visit me at indica institute or my YouTube channel for a list of cannabis related courses, tips and more. I hope you find the video useful, and please like and subscribe so I can continue making more videos like these!
Hi and welcome to my lesson on feeding nutrients to cannabis plants. The objective of this lesson is to learn what nutrients cannabis plants will need to thrive, what ratios to give for each stages of plant growth, the dangers of under or over feeding your plants, typical signs of a nutrient imbalance and which brands are most used for optimal bud growth.
All links mentioned in this video can be found in the video description, along with a link to Indica Institute where you can find a growing list of cannabis related courses and recommendations on the best products for purchase.
Cannabis plants need three main macronutrients to thrive and produce great buds. Nitrogen, Potassium and Phosphorous. How much of each depends on the stage of plant life. Often beginner growers tend to add a ton of supplements and nutrients to get the yield results pros get, though this is easy to mess up and can be detrimental to your plant if it is not done correctly.
This lesson will ease the beginner grower into the basics of nutrient use, suggesting a soil grow in the beginning as it works as a great buffer between plant and additive, allowing leeway for correction if errors are made in the feeding process.
So let’s get started! The seedling stage of cannabis plant growth does not require much in the way of nutrients. Attempting to use nutrient additives during this stage will only harm, if not kill your plant. Instead, nurture your plant in a good potting soil until it is mature enough to transfer into a larger pot for the early vegetative stage of growth.
If you’re not growing in soil, use root boosters and nutrition supplements specifically designed for seedlings so as not to burn or harm your plant. Seedling nutrients have the right quantity of micro and macro nutrients for seedlings, though it is possible to use a diluted version of the vegetative formula as well. If you are planning to use this, start with about ⅕ of the regular recommended dosage and do not increase dosage beyond ¼
For the vegetative stage of growth your plants will need high levels of Nitrogen and Potassium, and medium levels of Phosphorus. When looking into nutrient brands, consider the ratios they have. Phosphorus should be about half that of Nitrogen, and Potassium should be between ½ and ⅓ of Nitrogen for this stage.
If you are using a good quality soil for your grow, you may be able to skip the first few weeks of feeding while the plant uses up the nutrients that are in the soil. Otherwise, begin feeding nutrients to your plants once it has opened its first set of serrated leaves.
As your plant enters the flowering stage it will need a different nutrient ratio that caters to bud production rather than building a root and stem system. Therefore for this stage nitrogen must be lowered substantially, Potassium will stay at the same level and Phosphorus will increase substantially.
Phosphorus works to develop more bud sites, while potassium increases bud production, making for larger juicer buds. By switching your nutrient formula to a ‘flowering’ or ‘bloom’ formula, you are in effect changing these nutrient ratios to benefit your plant growth for this stage. Switch to a flowering nutrient formula when buds start forming on the plant.
Nutrient companies provide feeding schedules when you purchase their product. Often this comes with the bottle, or can be found on the brand website. A word of caution, following the company suggestions for dosage amounts can often have problematic effects. Early on in my grow experience I found that doing this still burnt my plants. The likely reason for this is the company wants you to use as much nutrients as possible so you buy more. My suggestion is to start with half the recommended dose and increase as necessary.
The reason I suggest this approach is because nutrient burn is permanent. While your overall plant can recover from being overfed, those areas that have been burnt will remain this way until they are pruned or fall off. Also yields are always better from an underfed plant than an overfed one, so start with half the recommended dose, and start by feeding only every other watering. Increase your dosages only if your plant begins to show early signs of nutrient deficiency.
Pay attention to your plant during watering and look for signs of a nutrient imbalance. The most typical signs of this are drooping or yellowing leaves, irregular leaf shape or dimension, or brown spots and burnt edges. Keep in mind that it is normal for leaves to turn yellow during the late flowering stage, and it is also normal for the odd leaf to turn yellow as your plant naturally defoliates.
If your nutrient issue persists despite your attempts to reconcile the problem, flush the soil with water at a neutral pH and remove the top half to ¾ inch of soil that is likely oversaturated in nutrients. Then start feeding again at a ⅓ to half the dosage.
You should know that if your plants are considerably over or underfed, they are likely to be damaged beyond repair. Even in the event that you are able to nurse them back to health, their yields would be significantly less than a healthy plant.
Let’s now take a look at organic and chemical nutrients to see which is the best choice for your grow. Organic nutrients are believed to make better smelling and tasting buds if you are using a nutrient rich super soil, though this may not be the case with organic liquid nutrients. It is also more natural, and super soil generates a symbiotic relationship with your plant making for a stronger healthier plant. Keep in mind it’s not advisable to use organic nutrients with a hydroponic setup though, as organic compounds can lead to unwanted matter growing in your reservoir.
Chemical nutrients on the other hand are perfect for hydroponic setups, and are believed to make for a more potent bud compared to organics. They make the plant grow faster, creating larger yields faster as they are designed to be easier for the plant to absorb.
They are not organic though which is a problem for some, can create pH issues with your plant soil, and it’s necessary to flush the plants and soil before harvest so the buds do not retain any excess chemicals.
As far as what brands to choose to get the biggest and best buds, the differences between brands vary according to their macronutrient ratios and the ingredients they use to get the mixture to that ratio. Different brands will argue that their ratios are better than others for a variety of reasons or the ingredients they use make it easier for the plant to absorb because it reacts differently with the compounds in the soil. These arguments are true to varying degrees, though the yield differences vary only slightly in my experience.
The main thing to take away is that you should be feeding your plants nutrients if you are not using super soil, and to adhere to the general ratio guidelines I previously mentioned. When choosing your nutrients pay attention to the ratios which are normally listed very clearly on the front of the nutrient bottles as a 3 number set. They also tend to have attributing titles that allude to their usage, such as VEG, BLOOM, FLOWER, or some other variation that signifies it’s growth stage usage.
Pay attention to the brand nutrients you purchase as there are different brands that cater to hydroponics, soil or coco coir and will state this in their usage descriptions. If you are experiencing nutrition imbalance symptoms and you have started with a random soil base, it could be your plants are lacking from a micronutrient deficiency, which can be alleviated with a corresponding micronutrient supplement.
Another reason symptoms could persist is due to pH levels in your soil. This is a vital component in delivering nutrients to your plant, as without the proper pH your plant could experience a ‘nutrient lockout’ causing an underfeeding of your plant. Test soil regularly to avoid this issue, and adjust accordingly using pH Up or Down, or an organic alternative.
Finally, when using nutrient additives it is important to flush your plants before harvest. Nutrients are stored in the plant, which can cause an unpleasant chemical taste if the buds are not flushed of the nutrients properly.
So in review, Cannabis plants will need different nutrient ratios for each stage of growth - seedling, vegetative and flowering.
Underfeeding or overfeeding your plants can have detrimental effects on plant health and therefore yields, though it is always better to underfeed than overfeed, so start low with your dosages.Typically starting with half the recommended dose every other watering and working up from there will be more beneficial than working directly with the brand dosage recommendations.
Pay attention to symptoms of nutrient imbalance and correct the issue immediately to avoid a significant loss in yields.
There are organic and chemical nutrients, and different brands with different ratios and ingredients. Choose which is best for your grow, and pay attention to the ratio breakdowns required for each stage of growth.
Be sure to regularly check pH levels to avoid nutrient lockdown and underfeeding as a result.
I hope you found this installment of my course “Growing Cannabis 201: Advanced Grow Tips” useful. For more cannabis related courses or recommendations on the best grow products out there, visit me at indica institute or subscribe to my YouTube channel. If you have any comments or suggestions for a new video, be sure to join the discussion in the comment feed below.
Please like and share this video, and as always, thank you for listening!
