Cannabis plants have two main life stages, vegetative and flowering. There are different nutrient requirements for each stage. The nutrients required for growing cannabis also differ when growing in soil versus hydroponic growing. Taking these factors into consideration, there are base nutrients that provide healthy growth for cannabis plants to thrive.
The most crucial macronutrients for growing cannabis include Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K). These nutrients are typically identified on the packaging with the ratio indicated as N-P-K. The ideal ratio for these nutrients changes throughout the cannabis plant’s growth cycle.
For example, during the vegetative stage you should have a higher proportion of N and K to P, such as 3-1-3. During the flowering stage, it is critical to maintain higher proportions of P and K, and to reduce the portion of N.
Nitrogen – this is the most essential nutrient for your cannabis plant and is crucial for photosynthesis.
Phosphorus – found in every living plant cell and is vital for plant growth, phosphorus supports photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, and metabolism.
Potassium – the third most important macronutrient interacts with nitrogen and helps with compounding proteins and amino acids.
These base nutrients should provide the necessary micronutrients as well, typically supplements are not necessary. It can be easy to go overboard on supplements and you want to be careful to not burn your plant or cause unwanted reactions. As you get more experienced you can introduce supplements one at a time to see how your plants react.
Be sure to use the right amount of these macronutrients to support the stage of your plant whether vegetative or flowering, and as you get more experienced you will see what works best for your grow set up and your strain.
Quality plants start with quality seeds from Mosca Seeds, available in award-winning strains in autoflowers or feminized for easier growing.