Nutrient deficiencies and excesses in Cannabis

It's inevitable that at some point, almost all cannabis cultivators will find themselves in the position of needing to apply a foliar spray of one kind or another to their plants. There are many potential reasons for this: you could be in need of a fungicide or an insecticide; or maybe you want to fertilise, correct a nutrient deficiency or just give lacklustre plants a bit of a boost.

Whatever the motive for spraying, we think it's worth doing the job properly, and there are some basic measures we should take every time to make sure we get the best possible results and avoid damaging our plants. We'll deal with these ten fundamental points first, then go on to talk in a bit more depth about foliar application afterwards.

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Nutrient imbalance in marijuana plants?

In this post we will focus on the macro and micro-nutrients necessary for the development of cannabis plants. These elements are available in the nutrients, so the chosen type of fertiliser and its correct use will lead us to a crop without deficiencies or excesses, thanks to a properly planned and balanced feeding.

There are different factors to take into account, so we'll try to explain them in a simple way so that all growers can dispel all the possible doubts which may arise relating to the nutrition of their cannabis plants.

What is a deficiency?

Deficiencies are often - although not as a general rule - a lack or inadequate supply of some nutritional element in a precise moment of the plant's life.

To avoid deficiencies plants must be fed with a complete fertiliser, specially designed for cannabis farming. PH level must be controlled, stabilised and adjusted depending on the type of crop, either in hydroponic or soil crops, and for both potted and in-ground plants.

What is an excess?

Excesses of nutrients are salt accumulations in the metabolism of the plants in a particular stage of their life. To avoid excesses when growing cannabis, we will have to use constant and balanced feeding adapted to each type of culture, substrate and genetics. Each phenotype has its own needs, and to know them ensures best results and avoids nutritional issues.

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Deficiency and excess of Iron in cannabis plants

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Functions of magnesium in cannabis plants

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The Phosphorus Cycle:

Before the phosphorus can be used as nutrient for plants, we must wait for Mother Nature to perform its vital functions in order to take advantage of the raw materials that it offers. Phosphorus is an element classified as macro-nutrient since it directly participates - in large amounts - in the metabolism of all plants and especially in cannabis crops.

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Potassium

There are many nutrients that influence in the development of marijuana plants; on this post, we are going to point out the most important functions of Potassium. We will tell you how to treat deficiencies and excesses of this element and the effect it has on the plant metabolism, especially in cannabis plants.

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Calcium and cannabis

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Micronutrients in marijuana plants

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Nitrogen (N):

Nitrogen as a nutrient is an important mobile element which is directly involved in the development of marijuana plants during all their life cycle. Depending on the stage of life at which these plants are, they need higher or lower amounts of nitrogen.

This element allows marijuana plants to produce proteins, amino acids, enzymes, chlorophyll, alkaloids and nucleic acids. It is the main cause of growth of the stem, leaves and branches, as well as being directly related to the plant's vegetative vigour.

It can be found in different forms: organic, ammonium and nitrate. The basic difference between these forms lies in the rate of absorption of nitrogen by the plant, being ammonium the fastest one and therefore the form that can cause an excess of this nutrient more easily.

On the other hand, nitrogen in the form of nitrate is readily absorbed by the plant, although the process is slower. It is for this reason that you can find a mix of both forms in nitrogen-based liquid fertilizers, to balance the nitrogen uptake of the plants and thus avoid an excess or deficiency of this nutrient in your plants.

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