The Marijuana Fertilizers Market Place
Marijuana fertilizers marketing is exploding. So much product to look at. So many freaking questions go unanswered. What do I choose to fertilize my weed plants with? Should I even use manufactured fertilizers? How much is this going to cost? Why on God’s green earth do I have to mix six different types of marijuana fertilizers together to get one final solution? How come I have to watch parts per million and can’t measure it? All of a sudden I can’t read pH levels after mixing fertilizers? Why does one cannabis strain grow best using just half the recommended amount of fertilizer? What claims do I believe? Do I have to try each and every fertilizer to see if their claims are true? Do I have to take a three year college course to get the facts about marijuana fertilizers? What the hell are metal alloys like mercury and poison arsenic doing in the fertilizers? Why are large Licensed Marijuana Producers using harsh chemical sprays and hiding the fact? How come no dispensary in Canada will properly list ingredients in marijuana products?
The Association of American Plant Food Control Officials has a great website letting you view metal analyses of a specific company’s product. The metal content analysis information is astonishing. The Organic Materials Review Institute is a great website to learn which products are appropriate for organic operations.
Vancouver Grow
Vancouver Grow expo
I recently visited the Vancouver Grow Event in September 2016. Many of the vendors were fertilizer sales people. Each and every vendor gave away product. I tried four different types of fertilizers over a three month period. I threw them all away. Each product had severe issues. Some are more concentrated than others. One fertilizer turned the water solution so acidic there was no way to neutralize it. One fertilizer made my water solution so black my marijuana pH testing solution would not work. I could not get green or red or orange readings, only black.
So I bought a PH meter for $100 and it broke the first day. My next pH meter cost $140. It does not stay calibrated properly. Watch out for pH up and down chemicals. If you mix them heat is created. I’m presently trying out pH Perfect products from Advanced Nutrients for the vegetative and flowering periods. The company does not tell you the chemical composition of the pH perfect technology. You only learn it makes perfect pH levels for growing marijuana. So far so good on my OG plants. I’ll learn more when my weed is cured and tested.
Bold Claims
Claims of bigger stalks, bigger yields or shorter flowering time lead to a ton of questions. Is a 5% increase really measurable? Does shorter flower time reduce THC potency potential? Does my plant get a chance to develop proper roots systems? Am I shocking the plant by creating unnatural flowering speed? I’m not about finishing fast or big yields. Back in 1980’s, myself and fellow growers never used marijuana fertilizers. Some of the best BC Bud was produced through simple organics. Yes there is more potency these days using retail fertilizer products. But at what price are the marijuana plants paying? What price is our personal health paying?
Science is the key to knowledge. Experience helps the grower collect facts. Analyzing marijuana leaves can help you troubleshoot fertilizer problems within hours. If you use way to much fertilizer your leaf tips will burn quickly. Are your leaves starting to curl upwards or downwards, are you getting brown spots, are the fertilizers too intense for the plant roots? A highly concentrated non-toxic vitamin solution of Superthrive can help root systems recover. I’m all about growing the best marijuana genetics as naturally healthy as possible.
