How to choose the best fertiliser for your cannabis plants

Growing your own cannabis can be a rewarding experience. With a little care and attention, you’ll have a reliable supply of healthy buds. However, this is best achieved by getting the right fertilizer for your cannabis.

This area can often be a bit confusing. There are three ways to choose between them.

• Type of fertilizer : synthetic, organic and hybrid
• Purpose of the fertilizer : soil, hydro and coco
• Fertilizer mixing method : How many parts of fertilizers will you mix

Type of fertilizer

The first thing to consider is the type of fertilizer you are purchasing. The two main types are synthetic or organic, with a third option being hybrid.

Synthetic fertilizer

The advantage of these fertilisers is their favourable price. A common problem with synthetic fertilizers is oversalting of the soil and subsequent burning of the cannabis plants. This type of fertiliser does not contribute to worthy microogranisms when grown in soil. If you choose synthetic fertilizers to grow, do a longer flushing before harvesting to get rid of any fertilizer residue that would have a very negative effect on the taste and combustion of the marijuana.

Cannabis growers use these fertilizers rarely.

Organic fertilizer

The main advantages of organic (bio) fertilizer is the improvement of soil environment by adding organic materials and a much lower risk of burning cannabis plants due to overfertilizing. The disadvantage is the higher price.

Hybrid fertiliser

Hybrid fertilisers (mineral fertilisers) are a compromise between synthetic and organic products, offering the benefits of both. This type of fertiliser is probably the most widespread way of feeding cannabis plants among cannabis growers so far.

Purpose of the fertilizer

On the market for specialised fertilisers for cannabis plants you can find three basic types that are designed for growing in soil, in hydro systems or in coconut. There are also fertilisers for two of them or even universal fertilisers for all growing systems.

Fertilisers for the soil

Soil fertilizers (especially organic fertilizers) can greatly improve the taste of the harvest, but mostly they cannot be used in hydroponics and are often unsuitable for coconuts.

Fertilisers for hydroponics

Fertilisers for hydro are usually mineral (but organic ones exists too). They do not contain anything to improve the root environment in soil. They are usable for coco and soil. The absence of soil-improving elements makes them an ineffective option for soil. However, they are suitable as a temporary substitute for special soil fertilisers.

Fertilizer for coco

Fertilizers for coco are more or less identical to hydroponic fertilizers, with minor differences in micronutrient ratios. This type of fertilizer can be used in all three growing systems, just like the hydro fertilizers with the same disadvantage for soil. The growing popularity of coconut cultivation has forced most well-known manufacturers to include this type of fertiliser in their range.

Fertilizer mixing method – number of parts

Various fertiliser manufacturers offer fertilisers separately for the growth and flowering of cannabis plants made up of several parts, with a few exceptions of one-part fertilisers. For example GreenHouse all in one powder for grow and bloom compared to Advanced hydroponics 3 liquids-grow,bloom and micro-which are used throughout the cultivation period in different proportions. Cannabis plants require different ratios of macronutrients at different stages of cultivation. It is therefore advisable for advanced growers to use multi-part fertilisers and to adapt the NPK (macronutrients) to the needs of the particular cannabis variety and other factors. For novice growers, on the other hand, fertilisers with fewer parts are preferable because of their simplicity and thus reducing the possibility of human error.

Using or not using boosters

There is also a wide range of boosters and stimulators on the cannabis fertiliser market. Most of them are very expensive. However, their effect is really significant and the investment is usually worthwhile (if there is a successful harvest). They are mostly used in indoor growing and especially in hydroponic systems and coco.

To use fertilisers correctly, it is good to know what the nutritional deficiency signs of different elements in cannabis plants. If you don’t know them or want to refresh your knowledge, visit the article on this topic.

created by Lucas Zaoral