Cannabis is a flowering plant belongs to the Cannabaceae family. Cannabis, famous as a recreational drug, can also be used for various purposes in industrial, medical, and religious circumstances. To grow Cannabis, people have the options of growing them indoors or outdoors, plant them in soil, coco coir or hydroponic, feed them with chemical or organic fertilizer. This brief report gives you a general idea of how to grow Cannabis and the comparison between the using chemical fertilizer and organic fertilizer in feeding Cannabis.
Cannabis is an annual plant. Its life cycle passes through several stages: the germination, the seedling stage, the vegetative stage, the flowering stage, and the harvest. Depending on what environment you choose to grow Cannabis, the time to harvest may vary. For indoor growing, it takes approximately three months from germinating seed to harvesting Cannabis. For outdoor growing, it may require you six to nine months to get the result, since you cannot control the sunlight to have the specific light cycle to push the plants to go to the flowering stage. It is very important for Cannabis to get plenty of light, enough space to grow, and best nutrients give the successful harvest.
Light is the important factor to maximize Cannabis growth. The more lights it gets, the more energy it can gain to grow larger. For indoor growing, it needs 18 hours of fluorescent light in the vegetative stage and 12 hours of fluorescent light in the flowering stage. For outdoor growing, it needs long sunny summer days in the vegetative stage. As soon as it gets less light, it will stop growing and change to the flowering stage. Therefore, the best time to start planning Cannabis outdoors is early spring. When it goes to the vegetative stage, it can get the maximum amount of sunlight in summer days and grow the best plant. Then it can go to the flowering stage in autumn when the day is shorter and gives less sunlight. By giving Cannabis plenty of light, it will grow into two to three-foot tall trees during the vegetative stage. It helps the Cannabis to be strong, healthy, promises the big buds, and the good harvest. In conclusion, light is a crucial factor to have success Cannabis to grow up. Soil and water are also necessary, but they won’t make as much of a difference as light does.
It is also important to choose a location where Cannabis can get direct sunlight. When growing Cannabis outdoors, the field should not be blocked by any shade throughout the day. Cannabis also needs enough space to grow. A larger Cannabis root base can support heavier feeding and ultimately larger yields. So, plan to have sufficient space for Cannabis to grow up.
Another factor to have success Cannabis harvest is nutrition. The source of nutrients can be either organic or chemical. For whichever kind of nutrient, three major elements should be included to have the strongest root and most vibrant flowers. They are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N – K – P). The ratio of these main nutrients may differ between the stages. It is essential to have the right mixture of nutrition at the right time. During the vegetation stage, the Cannabis needs need a lot of nitrogen. The pre-flowering stage requires potassium and phosphorus-based nutrients. At the beginning of the flowering stage, it needs a lot of phosphorus. A mixture of 10% nitrogen, 30% phosphorous, and 10% potassium (shortened to NPK 10-30-10) is the best to get the high-quality buds. At the end of the flowering stage, the buds need an extra boost of potassium. Around week 6 of the flowering stage, you need to lower the level of your nutrients (especially Nitrogen) until harvest since Cannabis will stop growing new stems and leaves. Besides the three main nutrients above, Cannabis also uses lots of other nutrients, like iron, zinc, calcium, and magnesium. In addition, you can improve the quality of the smell of the buds by using specialized nutrients and supplements like blackstrap molasses, Floralicious Plus Hydroponics, Liquid Karma, Diamond Black, etc.
You also need to watch out for the pH level. The PH level may affect the Cannabis plant’s ability to consume the specific nutrients even you put enough of it. For example, if the pH level is too low, Cannabis won’t take in magnesium very well. For your marijuana to properly absorb the nutrients it receives, the pH must be right. Be sure to check the pH of the water before you water your marijuana plants. When growing in soil, Cannabis prefer the pH level between 6.5 – 7.5. However, it is essential to check the pH level twice a day to make sure the pH level is 5.5 – 6.5 in Hydroponic Cannabis growing. Effectively managing the pH of Cannabis root is vital can prevent the nutrient problems.
The above is the major factors to grow the Cannabis. There are other factors to successful harvest like selecting the right seeds to grow, checking the temperature and humidity levels, flushing Cannabis before harvest. These conditions also need to consider.
The comparison of using chemical fertilizer and microbial fertilizer to grow cannabis.
A Biofertilizer is a substance which contains living microorganisms which, when applied to seeds, plant surfaces, or soil, colonize the rhizosphere or the interior of the plant and promotes growth by increasing the supply or availability of primary nutrients to the host plant. Bio-fertilizers add nutrients through the natural processes of nitrogen fixation, solubilizing phosphorus, and stimulating plant growth through the synthesis of growth-promoting substances (Wikipedia). Biofertilizers are eco-friendly and improve the soil naturally because the fertilization process can repeat itself year after year. It depends on natural amendments, cultural practices, and biological processes.
When using Biofertilizers to grow Cannabis, you are given the opportunity to improve your growing medium while at the same time improving the quality of Cannabis flowers. It gives the highest quality and most flavorful product. Another benefit is Biofertilizer is low released of nutrients protects the plants from overfeeding/burning. It improves airflow and water retention in soil. It is a matter that every grower wants to lower water uses but still improve the quality plants. The microbes help increases the fertilizer uptake and fulfill this requirement. Biofertilizer also contents beneficial bacteria and fungi which aid the Cannabis nutrition.
There may be some disadvantages of Biofertilizers such as the requirement for microorganisms to break down the nutrients. The process may take more time in colder temperatures. It also requires the plant to have more time to absorb the nutrients from this source.
Chemical fertilizers are synthesized and extracted to a specific chemical form. The nitrogen comes from the Haber-Bosch process. Phosphate and potassium are extracted from minerals, and other impurities that can harm the plants are removed. The results of these extractions are highly refined specific quantities of N-P-K nutrients. The ratio of the nutrition is exactly and ready to use.
There are benefits of chemical fertilizers like the exact nutrient ratios are ready so the grower no need to take care of them. Chemical fertilizers, therefore, are a reliable option for people who are doing container growing. It is widely available, and affordable. Because of perfect ratios of main nutrients, it can increase the growth and THC production.
Chemical fertilizers do have downsides. They can burn and kill a plant by overfeeding. Also, these readily available nutrients do not add to the quality of soil before being used by the plant, leaving the soil quality diminished. Weakened soil quality allows for nutrient run-off to occur, which wastes nutrients and can negatively impact the surrounding environment. Lastly, using chemical fertilizers can leak harmful chemical into the environment and produce nitrogen. The energy intensive process that may affect the environment especially as climate change and environmental issues. This not an option for agricultural trend and scientists.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis
http://www.ilovegrowingmarijuana.com
http://www.growweedeasy.com/how-to-improve-cannabis-smell
http://cen.acs.org/articles/92/i37/Growing-Profits-Microbes.html?h=1571492113
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/microbes-help-grow-better-crops/
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