The nutritional needs of cannabis plants vary as they develop, and growth fertilisers provide the basic nutrition that they require during the first stage of life. In this first phase they demand a large amount of nitrogen and phosphorus to help the plants create an excellent structure, with strong and robust stems, leaves, petioles, roots and branches that allow the plants to grow vigorously.
At Alchimia we have a wide range of growth nutrients from different brands and with different ratios of NPK, together with micronutrients, which are all balanced for ease of use and exuberant growth in cannabis plants.
Liquid or solid fertilisers for growth
Growth fertilisers are available in two main formats: liquid fertilisers and solid fertilisers, powdered or granular. Liquid fertilisers must be diluted in water and applied via irrigation, adjusting the dosage according to the size of the plant.
Powdered or granulated fertilisers are ideal for mixing with the substrate at the beginning or when transplanting, meaning the grower only needs to think about watering. Solid nutrients are recommended for both beginners and the most expert cannabis cultivators.
Organic or mineral growth fertilisers
As well as differentiating between liquid and solid nutrients, we can also take choose between organic and mineral fertilisers. Organic nutrients come from natural sources, and can be of animal or vegetable origin, for example guano, earthworm humus, Nutrihemp, etc.
Mineral fertilisers are generally synthesised in laboratories from raw elements, meaning the nutrients are in a form that's directly assimilable by plants.
Basic differences between organic and mineral fertilisers
The principal difference between organic and mineral fertilisers is that plants grown with organic nutrients will tend to develop a more complex terpene profile than those cultivated with mineral fertiliser.
Organic fertilisers must be complemented with beneficial microbes and other elements to help the plants offer similar or improved yields compared to using mineral fertilisers. Typically, mineral nutrients usually offer higher production, simply because they allow faster nutrient uptake by the plants.
It's worth mentioning that plants fed with organic fertilisers will suffer far fewer problems from nutrient excesses or lockouts compared to mineral fertilisers, which due to their rapid uptake can easily lead to over-fertilisation of the plants.
We can find growth fertilisers from all nutrient brands. It should be noted that some brands of mineral nutrients do not have separate growth and flowering fertilisers but instead are supplied as two bottles, A+B, which are mixed together to form the base nutrient throughout the life of the plant.
Other elements to complement fertilisers
Growth fertilisers can be complemented with enhancers, stimulators, beneficial microbes, and other additives for cannabis cultivation thus making up a complete diet and getting the best results from your grow, whether indoors or outdoors.