Cannabis plants are a highly water-demanding crop that requires the correct amount of nutrients at the right time to achieve optimal growth and healthy produce. These nutrients include phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, calcium and magnesium.
These nutrients are critical for plant development and metabolism as well as survival against biotic and abiotic stresses. They also play an important role in the synthesis of vitamins, enzymes, proteins and chlorophyll.
Light
When growing cannabis, there are several important environmental factors that impact plant growth and development. These include temperature, humidity, and light. These factors are critical for successful indoor cultivation. They also have a huge impact on final product quality.
Cannabis is a photosensitive plant that responds to different wavelengths of light differently, depending on the stage of its growth cycle. These differences can impact the yield of cannabis if they are not correctly addressed.
The amount of light that cannabis receives is also a major factor in the production of cannabinoids and other compounds. The light spectrum and its intensity affects photosynthesis, which is the process of converting carbon dioxide into oxygen, a process that can take a significant amount of energy to achieve.
As a result, the right light schedule and the correct light spectrum are essential for achieving optimal results when growing cannabis indoors. The correct lighting cycle for a specific grow recipe is based on environmental conditions, the species of your crop, and the type of irrigation you choose.
For cannabis, it is generally best to use a short day/long night cycle to ensure the plants go into bloom. This is because the plants have two types of receptors that give them signals that determine whether they will continue to produce vegetation or go into bloom.
It is also important to consider the amount of blue and red wavelengths in the light that you are providing your plants. These wavelengths have been shown to increase flower size and reduce leaf wilt. They also suppress plant stretch, which can help keep the plants compact and longer stems while allowing more airflow through the canopy.
This can all contribute to higher plant yields and more trichomes. However, a greater proportion of red photons can also negatively impact quality, as they have been shown to suppress ethylene production and inhibit anthocyanin pigments (pigments that give flowers their color).
This study evaluated six different LED light spectra and an HPS lamp as a control, to see how they affected C. sativa morphology, growth traits, and key secondary metabolite production: cannabinoids and terpenes. The results showed that a combination of five LED spectra and a high-pressure sodium (HPS) light treatment impacted the inflorescence and plant morphology, secondary metabolite profiles, and energy efficiency of the plants.
Temperature
Temperature is one of the most important factors that impact the growth of your cannabis plants. It directly affects their ability to grow and photosynthesize, as well as their vulnerability to disease and pests.
The ideal temperature range for vegetative and flowering stages is between 76 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 65 to 68 degrees at night. In addition to temperature, humidity levels are also important for healthy cannabis growth.
When the air is too humid, cannabis plants struggle to uptake essential nutrients that are needed for optimum development. This leads to nutrient burn and can lead to plant death if not dealt with correctly.
Similarly, too cold temperatures can stunt the growth of your cannabis plants and cause them to lose vigor. This can lead to the development of drooping or cupping leaves and yellowing flowers. In extreme cases, even a hard freeze can kill the plant, which is why it is critical to keep the right temperature for your cannabis plants at all times.
Another factor that can negatively impact your cannabis plants is the type of light that they are exposed to. Some types of lights tend to give off too much heat and can be harmful for your cannabis plants.
The best way to determine your optimal grow room temperature is to use a thermometer. The best thermometers for marijuana cultivation will have the capability to measure both air and soil temperatures.
While cannabis can be grown in a variety of different temperatures, the most suitable for growing indoors is between 68 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 65 degrees at night. This is ideal for all stages of your cannabis plants’ life cycle, including the seedling, vegetative and flowering stage.
As with any aspect of growing cannabis, the best temperature for your grow room will depend on a variety of factors. It can also be intertwined with other aspects of your grow, such as relative humidity (RH), vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and carbon dioxide concentrations.
Humidity
Humidity is a key factor in cannabis growth because it affects the rate of water transpiration from the leaves. Plants prefer higher humidity when they are seedlings or young cuttings and lower humidity when they are mature.
It is important to monitor and control your cannabis’ humidity throughout its life cycle, because too low or too high can lead to problems such as mold, bud rot, and nutrient burn. A good way to measure your humidity is to keep a weather log, recording daily temperatures and relative humidity.
When humidity is too low, plants may start to drink more water from their roots than they can use. This can lead to nutrient burn, which is when the leaves of the plant begin to turn yellow or brown.
Too low of a humidity level can also affect how much nutrients your plants can take in from the soil. When the moisture level is too low, there is not enough oxygen available at the roots to allow the plant to respire. This can also cause the stomata to close, restricting the flow of water and nutrients.
During the vegetative phase, plants thrive in temperatures around 70 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity levels around 70 percent. This is because this is the point where the root system begins to grow and expand, retaining moisture as the plant grows.
At the flowering stage, optimum humidity is 50-60 percent and temperatures around 75 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the point where buds start to form and resin production takes place.
Many growers choose to dehumidify their grow rooms during the final weeks before harvesting, lowering the relative humidity to 40-45%. This can help prevent bud rot and increase the amount of resin produced by your buds.
In addition to helping prevent mold and bud rot, a low relative humidity can actually stress the plants in the right way to increase resin production and the amount of trichomes/glitter that are found on the buds. This can make your buds extra potent with more sparkle and quality than they would otherwise be.
Water
Water is essential for cannabis growth, but ensuring the right amount is delivered to your plants can make all the difference in how quickly and efficiently they grow. It also plays a vital role in keeping the plant healthy, and producing a high yield of potent buds.
Cannabis grows in a range of environments and requires different amounts of water, depending on the type of soil used and the specific end use of the plant. Moreover, the crop’s life stage and crop management techniques affect the quantity of water needed by the plant, said Mike Campbell, senior research manager at Oregon State University.
The impact of irrigation on cannabis is often overlooked, but it can be just as important as the type and quality of nutrients used to nourish the plants. Using the wrong types of water can cause your plant to miss out on essential nutrients, and it can even stunt the growth of your crop.
There are several methods for ensuring water is supplied to your crops in an efficient and consistent manner. One of the most effective is drip irrigation. Drip irrigation systems automatically deliver a low-pressure stream of water and fertilizer to your plants’ root zones, delivering just the right amount of moisture at just the right time.
Drip irrigation can help you water your cannabis crop without the worry of overwatering and can be a very cost-effective way to get your weed growing smoothly, especially when paired with automatic fertigation. It’s also an excellent way to maintain optimal nutrient levels, and it’s a very dependable method that doesn’t require you to lift a finger or even leave your house.
If you’re using tap water, it’s a good idea to invest in a reverse osmosis filter, as this will remove chlorine and other contaminants that can hurt the health of your marijuana plants. Alternatively, you can collect rainwater or other water sources from your area, but it’s a good idea to test the purity of these water sources before using them on your crop.
The type of nutrient mix you put into your cannabis water is also important for how well it will work, as some nutrients need to be acidic to be absorbed by the plant, while others are alkaline. In general, you’ll want to try and stick to a pH level of between 5 and 8. This is because most cannabis plants have a limited pH range where they can take in nutrients, so if the water has a pH that’s too high or too low, it will negatively impact their ability to absorb those nutrients.
