Why You Need Cannabis Nutrients
Why does indoor cannabis need nutrients?
Photo by Matthew Sichkaruk
You’ve got a pest free environment, nothing trampling the plants, specially engineered light, and pH tested water when you grow indoors. So why isn’t your soil enough to keep your plant fed?
Simply put? Nothing’s pooping or dying in your soil.
Hopefully.
Every outdoor ecosystem is sustained by leaves falling and decomposing, animals leaving scat, and let's be real, a lot of death. Even if you wouldn’t rub it on a scrape, your indoor soil is a comparatively sterile environment!
Even beyond that, unlike the miles of dirt and minerals beneath and around you when you’re outside–your indoor cannabis has less room to expand its roots! In the wild, and on farms, root systems spread, not just to anchor a growing plant, but to actively seek out deposits of moisture and of decayed matter to feed on.
That’s where cannabis nutrients come in.
Photo by 2H Media
Cannabis nutrients can be divided into two categories: Macronutrients and micronutrients.
Macronutrients need to be served up in large portions for plant life, and are comprised of the elements: magnesium, sulfur, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
Micronutrients are still essential, but must be absorbed in tiny portions. These elements are molybdenum, chlorine, iron, boron, nickel, zinc, and copper.
Because different plants need different amounts of each nutrient, generic "plant food" doesn't help all plants equally. And cannabis is especially unique in multiple ways! Choosing nutrients specifically tailored to the cannabis family is the best decision you can make when it comes to nourishing your grow.
What do nutrients DO for cannabis?
Photo by Ryan Lange
When given in the right combinations, cannabis nutrients will:
Allow for stronger growth.
Bumps, mites, overenthusiastic pruning, etc…these things happen! Plant strength isn't just about growing, it's about resilience. If things go a bit awry, or when you're introducing artificial stressors to push your grow into the flowering stage, you'll need your grow to be tough enough to handle it!
Grant bigger yields
We think of them as medicine, but flowers are still the reproductive organs of any plant. If your grow is directing sub-par resources to just staying alive, romance won't be on its mind. Flowers will be small, sparse, and misshapen–turning out pretty pathetic harvests. But when you feed your plants' needs, they'll want to breed! Growing female plants in isolation won't grant you new plant babies by design, but you will get more and bigger blooms as your ladies mature!
Increase harvest quality
Cannabis potency and flavor do depend on a few factors, especially the strain. But no matter what cultivar is growing in your home, if it's not properly nourished, it can't reach its ultimate potential.
Proper nutrition fosters trichrome growth (the frosty, resinous hairs on buds) and the cannabinoid and terpene production that gives herbal medicine its flavors and positive effects!
Want to make sure you're giving your grow the best it can get? Check out our video on nutrients, and keep up with our blog and the Grow Strong Industries' YouTube channel!
