The Best Cannabis Nutrients to Use When Growing Outdoors

Hands full of cannabis soil
Photo by: Eric Limon/Shutterstock
Hands full of cannabis soil
Photo by: Eric Limon/Shutterstock

Have you ever wanted to grow cannabis outdoors, but you weren’t sure how to go about it? Have you ever wondered which tools, supplies, and knowledge you’d need to grow abundant cannabis plants? If so, you’re in the right place! Let’s take a look at which cannabis nutrients are the best to use, in addition to other helpful knowledge and tips to utilize when growing.

Important Information About Outdoor Grows

When growing cannabis outdoors, there are lots of factors to consider beforehand. This includes finding the right space to grow the plants, acquiring all the necessary resources and supplies, properly preparing for when harvest time arrives, making sure the plants receive enough sunlight, water, oxygen, and cannabis nutrients, and the list goes on. Once an outdoor growing plan is put into place and once thorough research is conducted, then growers can move towards the beginning of the growing process.

In addition, depending on where individuals plan on growing, it’s important to be aware of that location’s specific rainfall and soil moisture conditions. Also, when looking for a good spot to grow cannabis outdoors, it’s recommended to search for areas with southern sun exposure. It’s essential to maximize sunlight exposure as much as possible, therefore, finding an area that’s free of hills, trees, or buildings is crucial for your cannabis plants to receive enough sun.

No matter where you choose to grow your plants, it’s important to make sure that they receive all the oxygen, nutrients, and water they need.

Some growers are unable to improve their cannabis plants’ soil directly; for them, it’s common to mix the necessary cannabis nutrients into the water. Then, growers can continue executing other tasks that’ll help add cannabis nutrients to the soil as the plants grow, as mentioned in a Bigbuds Magazine article. Also, many growers alter their nutrient-filled watering mixture as the growing season progresses. In general, the most common fertilizer change comes when the plants begin pre-flowering and flowering.

Introduction to Cannabis Nutrients

Throughout the entire growing process, all plants must receive the right cannabis nutrients at the right time. The two main stages of cannabis plants require different nutrients in different quantities. The three main cannabis nutrients that growers should use for their plants are nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K). When first growing cannabis, it’s essential to keep it as simple as possible by making sure that the plants receive enough sun, soil, water, and nutrients.

Additionally, when using cannabis nutrients, it’s important to stay consistent with the same brand of nutrients. When first starting off, it’s recommended to start and maintain one line of cannabis nutrients. Sometimes, adding too much fertilizer and/or adding too many nutrients can cause problems such as the plants getting burnt. Therefore, it’s best to start simply, maintain consistency, and add in the right amount of cannabis nutrients at the right time to ensure an abundant harvest.

Different Cannabis Nutrients for Different Cannabis Growth Stages

During the main cannabis growth stages, different cannabis nutrients and different amounts of those nutrients are needed. For example, during the vegetative stage, more nitrogen and potassium nutrients are needed. However, during the flowering stage, more potassium nutrients are needed, followed by phosphorous and less nitrogen.

Furthermore, during the cannabis transition stage (a.k.a. the first two to three weeks of the flowering stage), the plants will require similar cannabis nutrient ratios as in the vegetative stage. However, to produce new stems and leaves, plenty of nitrogen is needed. During the flowering stage, the plants should receive a low amount of nitrogen after week five or six. During this time, the plants need to focus on bud-building, which will require lots of phosphorous and potassium. At this time, it’s recommended to at least double the amount of potassium as the amount of nitrogen used.

Purpose of Main Cannabis Nutrients & Proper pH Water Levels

Tiny cannabis stalk
Photo by: Marie Nimrichterova/Shutterstock

It’s important for the cannabis grower to be aware of the purpose of each of these nutrients. For instance, phosphorous tends to increase the number of flowers on the cannabis plants, whereas, potassium helps increase the bulk/weight of the flowers, and nitrogen helps promote the development of new leaves and stems.

Along with these cannabis nutrients, it’s crucial to provide all cannabis plants with enough water. However, the water must be at a certain pH level to prevent nutrient deficiencies. Therefore, when growing outdoors and even indoors, it’s essential to always check the water’s pH level. In general, the most common reason why growers’ plants experience nutrient deficiencies is because the water’s pH level is too high or too low. When this occurs, the plants cannot absorb the cannabis nutrients.

When growing outdoors with quality seeds, you can expect full buds, deep flavors, and rich aromas; and who wouldn’t want that? Although outdoor growing is relatively challenging in the beginning, it can be enjoyable once you get the hang of it. It may require ingenious thinking and proper preparation from beginning to end. But when it’s done right, it’s well worth the effort. At the end of the day, as long as you provide your plants with enough sun, water, soil, and the main cannabis nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium), you should be set.

 

To find out how to grow cannabis on your porch, read the interesting article here.

To inform yourself about the essential tools to grow cannabis, read the informative article here.

Article by: Nicole Skrobin