Nutrition is vital to your cannabis plants. Cannabis needs four important things to grow. These are light, carbon dioxide, water, and nutrients in the form of fertilizers. The plants can produce their food through the process of photosynthesis in which they mainly get through the leaves. The roots acquire water and other forms of nutrients that will help supplement the growth of the plant. However, growers need to know more about cannabis feeding schedules to fully understand and realize the nature of cannabis growth.
What is a Feeding Schedule?
A cannabis feeding schedule is a standard protocol that will allow the plants to get the nutrition it needs throughout its different stages of growth. Most feeding schedules are manifested as feed charts wherein it resembles a graph that states the different stages of cannabis growth divided into different weeks. Another information that can be seen in the chart is the kind of fertilizer that is being used as well as the amount and the pH level it produces to maintain the soil’s pH level throughout the entire process.
Importance of Feeding Schedule
While many would want to tell you that investing in the best fertilizer in the market is key to your success, it is still all about the timing that matters. Knowing your cannabis feeding schedule is key to having a healthy set of crops.
Factors That Affect Feeding Schedules
Timing is key to the overall success of the plant’s growth. This is the reason why a feeding schedule is needed. A feeding schedule is commonly used by cannabis growers to achieve a specific goal with regards to the type of strain being used as well as the current stage of growth. There are a lot of factors that are involved in the creation of a feeding schedule. Apart from the strain and stage of growth, you will also need to consider the environment, the number of nutrients introduced as well as a growing medium.
It is important to note that the plants will need specific nutritional needs during each stage of growth. Growers cannot simply provide the same amount of nutrients from seedling to its mature stage. Growing medium also plays a role in the absorption and control of the nutrients. Hydroponic users gain full control of the nutritional feeding of the plants whereas soil tends to vary greatly.
How To Create/Read A Cannabis Feeding Schedule
Feeding schedules will always be based on the different stages of cannabis growth. Note that within each stage, there should be changes done that will help suit the needs of each plant. Each feeding chart will be broken down into different categories so you can properly manage each feeding.
Time Frame
The time frame should always start with the seedling phase then transition to vegetation and finally towards flowering stages. Most growers tend to use weeks to fully categorize each time frame. This makes it easier to read and program the feeding schedule for each strain. Most of these schedules include 2 weeks of vegetation and around 8 to 12 weeks of flowering depending on the strain being used for cultivation.
Nutrients
Another category that should be present in your feeding schedule is the type of nutrients you introduce to your plants. Cannabis plants tend to thrive in nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and sulfur. Other nutrients such as zinc, iron, chlorine, silicon, copper, and manganese are also needed though they should be introduced in smaller doses.
During the different stages of growth in the plant, growers will need to determine the different doses or concentrations for each stage. Most of the time, growers would skip providing nutrition for the plant during its seedling stage. They would begin proper nutrition by the time the plants hit the vegetative stage towards the flowering stage. Nutritional concentrations vary from one strain to another as well as the different stages.
Nutrient Concentration
Growers will also need to learn more about the concentration or dilution of the nutrients given to the plants. They can be listed as parts per liter or per gallon depending on which is more convenient for you. Some list the amount provided in grams while others use teaspoons before they are added to water. Most growers use distilled water since the process of distillation removes all the minerals from the water which leaves it clean. This way, you get to have a more accurate amount of minerals and nutrients added to your solution.
Soil Acidity
Cannabis usually thrives in more acidic soil hence growers should know how to maintain the normal range of pH level in the soil they used. The normal range would be around 5.8 to 6.5. Anything lower or higher than that range would mean issues like delayed growth, toxicity, malnutrition, and yellowing of the leaves.
When and How to Feed Your Plants
Knowing when to start feeding your plants is essential to its overall growth. Normally, growers should start feeding the plants just after the seedling or stage. This usually happens when the plant has 3 or 4 sets of leaves or around the third or fourth week after planting your seeds. This is the time when the roots are slowly extending to the adjacent areas and start absorbing the nutrients in the soil.
This is the time when you will need to transfer your seedling or plant into a larger pot where it can receive your measured dose of fertilizer. The concentration will depend on the strain however most growers would often go for either 2.5mL to 5mL of fertilizer for every 4 liters of distilled water.
In feeding the plant, the rule is to always make room for a runoff. This means that you need to reserve at least 20% of the entire feeding to run off into the bottom part of the pot. This way, you are ensured that every inch of the soil is saturated with the fertilizer. Some growers also tend to water the soil beforehand at around 30 minutes so it is soft and can readily absorb the nutrients.
Conclusion
The cannabis feeding schedule is an efficient and effective way of breeding and cultivating cannabis. It ensures the growth of healthy plants that will also help boost your investment and profit at the same time. Learning how to create your feed chart is vital to the overall success of your cannabis farm.
