Growing Better Cannabis in 2023

Every seasoned cannabis grower has their own tips and tricks for growing high-quality bud. After all, there’s no better way to learn than trial and error. Experience ranks high (no pun intended) on the list of tips for growing top-tier cannabis. However, even seasoned growers can experience their share of ups and downs. If you’re looking to grow better cannabis in 2023, we’ve collected the newest research and consulted with some of the best cannabis growers to compile a list of tips to ensure your next crop will be a dank success.

Understanding Nutrients

What we put into our body as fuel certainly predicts what we will get out of it. The same rule applies to our green friend, too. Feeding your crop properly ensures flavorful and clean cannabis. Any type of nutrient deficiency is cause for concern, but if you are aware of how to spot them right away, you can quickly course-correct and fix the problem.

For proper metabolic function, all nutrients must be present. Using premixed nutrient systems and following feed schedules helps to avoid these deficiencies in hydroponic settings, but calcium and magnesium deficiencies can still arise. Outdoor plants and organic living soil systems that do not receive added nutrition find themselves susceptible to deficiencies more often due to their additional variables in nutrient delivery.

Immobile vs. Mobile Nutrients

Did you know that nutrients can be either immobile or mobile? Just as the name states, mobile nutrients are able to move around the cannabis plant.

Immobile nutrients are used by cannabis in such a way that their movement throughout the plant is prevented. Some examples of immobile nutrients are Boron, Calcium, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, and Sulfur. When one of these nutrients is deficient, the plant cannot transport them from older leaves, leaving deficiency symptoms to show up as deformed leaves where there should be beautiful new flower growth. Extreme deficiency presents itself with growth dying back, such as when calcium deficiency arises.

Mobile nutrient deficiencies present themselves in older leaves from which the nutrients are being removed. Cannabis plants typically move mobile nutrients from old growth to the top of the canopy for maximum efficiency. Some examples of mobile nutrients include nickel, potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen, and magnesium.

pH for Cannabis

Outdoor growers typically test their soil to know what they’re working with. If you find yourself needing to adjust the pH of your soil before planning your seeds, consider powdered sulfur for soil that’s too alkaline. If your soil is too acidic, lime is your best bet. It can take a few months of adding nutrients for your soil to adapt. We recommend consulting with someone familiar with local soil, such as a local nursery or agricultural extension agent.

What if your soil is off when cannabis is already in the ground? Adjust the irrigation water using a pH Up mixture to raise alkalinity. If you need to increase acidity, use a pH Down mixture. Next, monitor your runoff and make any necessary accommodations until you get your soil to its optimal pH level. Only fix your pH after soluble fertilizers have been added since this notoriously affects pH levels.

Use Quality Meters to Test your Cannabis

Two small investments for your cannabis crop that yield high dividends are a good-quality pH meter and a TDS meter. They work well together to ensure your plants stay healthy and vibrant during the growing process. As we discussed, the pH meter will alert you to the soil chemistry and if it is optimal for good nutrient uptake. The TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter tells growers in ppm if there are too many or too few nutrients in the root zone. If you find yourself with low TDS levels, there is an overall lack of nutrients, requiring you to adjust the strength and frequency of delivery of the nutrient solution. It’s worth remembering that the only way to measure the individual nutrient levels on site is by using chemical test kits.

pH and TDS meters should also be utilized by Hydroponic growers, requiring testing in the root zone. Some growers consider this a painful process- therefore, use a meter that has probes you can insert into your grow medium for a quick measurement. Testing the nutrients once a week is a good rule of thumb, and if you need to change nutrients, always rinse your roots to avoid contamination.

Check Your Roots

Always check your roots when looking for nutrient deficiencies and symptoms. Healthy roots are always white and firm. If you notice your roots are brown, blackened, stringy, or mushy, that is cause for concern and should alert you that there is a problem with your plant.

Stringy and blackened roots usually signal highly excessive nutrient delivery. Notice any burned-looking roots? Sadly, you’ll need to remove and destroy all of the afflicted plants.

Learn From Your Grow Mistakes

By learning how to ensure your cannabis crop receives proper nutrients and how to diagnose a nutrient deficiency early on, you are well on your way to growing your best bud in 2023. Even if a major problem presents itself this year, our best teacher is learned experience- a failed crop presents us with an opportunity to grow our best but yet.