This is a work in progress. Please don't mess with it! Credit will go to whom it is due at some point, before it is submitted to the "grow the growery" thread. Almost all the text is original.IntroductionSelecting the right nutrients can seem like an overwhelming decision to the novice. There are many choice, many of which are great. Other choices are poor. Depending on what growing medium you have decided to use, the choices in nutrients (nutes) will vary. It is of great importance that you choose the right nutes for your cannabis grow. This guide is intended to present the most current options available for nice, healthy Mary Jane. Please read the FAQ below before proceeding.
IndexIntroduction
Index
Nutrient FAQ
Nutrient, Supplement, and Additive Purposes
Nutrient Choices
Links and Feeding Charts
Things to Look For
Nutrient FAQOrganic or chemical?Before you even start looking at all the available products, you must answer the question: Am I going hydro, organic, or chemical with the nutes? You will find that hydroponic and soil based nutrients come in both chemical, organic and organic based varieties. Some nutrients are hydroponic exclusive while others are intended for soil applications only. Many nutes can be used in both soil and hydroponic grows.
Should I stick with one brand?Many growers opt to stick with one line of nutrients from one single manufacturer. The reasoning is very simple: they are meant to work in conjunction with one another. The nute manufacturers develop their products in a manner that, in theory, is suppose to provide your beloved plants with the optimal results.
What makes some brands of nutrients bad choices for cannabis?Simply, some brands are just not intended for this type of application. Just like cacti, orchids, tomatoes, blueberries, etc have specifically formulated fertilizers, the same is true for cannabis.
Will cheap all-purpose brands of fertilizers work?The short answer, yes. The long answer, not really. Again, we want to grow healthy plants. To do this specific things need to be considered. By going with something that cost a few bucks more, you may save yourself a lot of headache a few weeks into the grow.
What is N-P-K (NPK)?The three primary plant nutrients are nitrogen(N), phosphate (P) and potassium/potash (K). NPK numbers are required by law to be printed on all fertilizer bags/bottles.
What are macronutrients?Essential elements used by plants in relatively large amounts for plant growth are called macronutrients. The major macronutrients are nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K). Calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S). Some suggest that only NPK should be in this category and the rest should be considered micronutrients.
What are micronutrients? Micronutrients are elements essential for plant growth which are needed in only very small quantities . These elements are sometimes called minor elements or trace elements. The micronutrients are
boron (B), copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), chloride (Cl), magnesium (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), and zinc (Zn).
What is the difference between granular and liquid fertilizers?Granular fertilizers are often time released and are only suitable for guerrilla operations in which the grower cannot visit very often. Liquid fertilizers are fast acting and are immediately available to the plant(s).
What is a soiless planting mix?A soiless planting mix may look like soil, but its not. Often it contains sphagnum peat moss, perlite, compost, manure, etc. As you can see, none of that is soil.
What are additives and supplements?What is pH up and pH down?Both pH up and pH down are used in hydroponic grows (and sometimes soil) to adjust the pH level of the water.
Why should I go with organic nutrients?Many people say that their bud just taste better when going this route. Thats the main reason for many growers. Still, many find it better to go with what mother nature has provided as opposed to what is produced by chemical companies. Its the green way to go!
Nutrient, Supplement, and Additive Purposestext
Nutrient ChoicesBelow are the choices in many brands of nutes. Prices vary from vendor to vendor, so that will not be included. Added are comments on whether it is organic or chemical, meant for soil or hydroponic applications, and feedback on both the positive and negative aspects of the brands. All mentioned products are liquid unless otherwise noted.
FoxFarm FoxFarm's line of products has been a favorite of cannabis growers for several years. Many swear by it while others complain of problems with the pH. While its off topic, it should be noted that their premixed soil is outstanding.
This line of products is organic or organic based liquid fertilizer. It is suitable for all grow conditions
Big Bloom (0.01-0.3-0.7) is a a blend of worm castings and bat guano.
Tiger Bloom's ultra-potent, fast-acting, high phosphorus formula (2-8-4) also contains a good supply of nitrogen for growth and vigor and a full complement of micronutrients. Use at the first signs of flowering through harvest.
FoxFarm Grow Big (12-7-7) is a comprehensive blend of major, minor, and micro-nutrients. Appropriate for vegetation.
FoxFarm additives to be used with the above nutes.
Open Sesame (5-45-19) is a high-phosphorus soluble fertilizer that's designed to bring plants into bloom.
Beastie Bloomz (0-50-30) is a high-phosphorus soluble fertilizer that's geared toward enormous blossoms and awesome fruit.
Cha Ching (9-50-10) is pack with just the right combination of nutrients to make fruit and flowers drip with flavor and ooze with fragrance. Personally, I want to see the impact with this product.
FoxFarm's Peace of Mind The Peace of mind line is a granular and organic product. Best used for outdoor grows.
All-Purpose (5-5-5) is a balanced fertilizer that contains natural microorganisms which help nute uptake.
Fruit and Flower ( 5-8-4) formula is designed to supply nitrogen for early season growth and higher percentage of phosphorus to increase flower development. This fertilizer will
also establish very healthy root systems.
General HydroponicsFlora SeriesFlora Nova SeriesMaxiGro SeriesFloramato SeriesSunleavesSunleaves GuanoMexican Bat Guano (10-2-1)
Jamaican Bat Guano (1-10-0.2)
Indonesian Bat Guano (0.5-12-0.2)
Peruvian Seabird Guano (10-10-2)
BioBizzLiquid Organic FertilizerOrganic Dry FertilizerAdditivesTechnaflora Technaflora's BC BloomGrotekGen-X lineSolo-Tek lineMonster lineAdditivesVita line additivesB'CuzzBotanicareMiracle-Gro Not the best choice for growing cannabis. The granular fertilizer is fair for guerrilla grows. Chemical, unless stated otherwise. Intended for soil grows. I'm not going to waste time on MG products.
Schultz Not the best choice for growing cannabis. Chemical, unless stated otherwise. Meant for soil applications. Personally I think its a better choice than Miracle-Gro, but still not what is needed to sustain healthy pot plants. Their Cacti Plus fertilizer is great though.
Osmocote
Osmocote seems to be a good choice for the budget soil grower. The reasoning is simple: availability. I like this stuff for vegetable gardening. The time release fert is perfect for guerrilla grows. Chemical and meant for soil.
Links and Feeding Chartstext
Things to Look ForOMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) is a proud label that goes to products that have proven to be 100% organic. Do not by organic products unless it has this label.
Hydro for Hunger is an initiative by participating independent hydroponic merchants in support of hunger relief organizations including the Institute for Simplified Hydroponics (ISH). ISH is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing world hunger through the power of hydroponic gardening. Using interactive Internet-based training programs ISH helps provide people in developing countries with the knowledge and tools to become self-sufficient through simple, small scale hydroponic food production techniques.
Description from hydroforhunger.com. Its a good cause and worth a couple extra bucks.
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