There is a great deal to understand about the role that the soil plays in a marijuana crop’s development. Some of the key areas of concern include the Phosphorus cycle, the Rhizosphere and Enzymes. This article takes a closer look at these important elements and discusses how you can best prepare your soil to support cannabis cultivation.
Fertilization
During the vegetative stage, cannabis cultivators use fertilizers with high concentrations of nitrogen and potassium. These compounds are needed to help the plant build its structure and grow healthy buds.
Nitrogen is part of the amino acids, which act as building blocks for proteins in a plant. Potassium, on the other hand, plays an important role in opening the stomas of a plant. It also helps in photosynthesis.
As the plant grows, it needs more phosphorus and less nitrogen. However, too much phosphorus can cause deficiencies. In addition, too much phosphorus can block the roots.
Another way of giving plants the nutrients they need is to feed them with liquid nutrients. These products can be sprayed on the plants, pushed through hoses or drip lines, or mixed with water.
Fertilizers for growing plants can be organic or inorganic. Organic ones are made from natural sources such as compost. They are more environmentally friendly, but they also often have more chemical compounds. This leads to more intense flavors and aromas.
If you decide to go organic, you can buy soil mixes that contain a mix of organic and mineral nutrients. You can even purchase organic potting soils for growing cannabis. But these are usually a bit more expensive than mineral fertilizers.
Bio-fertilizers are also a good option. They can provide your plants with the nutrients they need, but they can also help clean the root system. They can contain high levels of phyto-hormones, which accelerate the growth of the root system.
One of the best ways to make sure your plants are getting the nutrients they need is to create a feeding schedule. The schedule will indicate when to water the plants, and how much of each nutrient they need at each watering.
Germination
If you are a cannabis grower, you might be interested in how soil biology affects your plants. Soil microbes can boost your plants’ health. They break down organic material and can help your plants absorb nutrients. In addition, microbial activity can help increase the quality of your harvest.
Seeds and their roots are home to a diverse collection of symbiotic fungi and bacteria. These organisms are key in the food chain and have complex relationships with their hosts. As part of a natural plant signaling process, these microbes can protect your seeds.
The microbial community of Cannabis plants is constantly changing. It is thought that endophytes can influence a number of factors including the plant’s response to stress. However, the biological effects of these organisms are still unknown.
To determine the presence and role of soil microbes in cannabis cultivation, researchers investigated seed-borne endophytes in 15 accessions of cannabis grown in different locations in Canada. Using sterile Petri plates, they germinated the seeds.
Bacilli were found to be the dominant species. Among the Bacilli, Paenibacillus mobilis was identified as a phosphate-solubilizing bacteria. Also, a bacterium with antibiotic activity against Penicillium was identified.
Another important aspect of microbial inheritance occurs through microbial colonization of internal seed tissues. This process is termed as seed-to-seedling vertical transmission. During this process, the bacterial species in the seed coat can be transferred down to developing seedlings.
Throughout the study, seed-borne endophytes were found to be present in all 15 Cannabis accessions. Furthermore, the endophytes created clear halos around their cultures.
The research also discovered that the microbial communities of plants correlate with the cannabinoid concentration. When these microbes interact with plant tissues, they can alter the hormonal signaling process.
Phosphorus cycle
Phosphorus is a critical element that cannabis plants need to survive. This essential nutrient promotes photosynthesis, cell division, metabolic processes, and root development. It also plays a crucial role in energy storage.
The need for phosphorus during cannabis cultivation is particularly acute during flowering. Phosphorus is important for the formation of large, healthy buds. In order to get the best yield, growers need to make sure their cannabis plants are supplied with the right nutrients.
Nutrient deficiencies develop quickly in cannabis plants. If not treated, they can result in damage and early death. They can manifest as wilting, yellow or purple leaves, and uneven spotting patterns. Older leaves may appear chlorotic.
The symptoms of nutrient deficiency can start on lower leaves and progress to the stem and older leaves. If left untreated, they can lead to stunted growth, lower quality flowers, and reduced yield.
Nutrient deficiencies can be prevented by providing the right amount of organic nutrients. Generally, nutrient manufacturers provide detailed feeding charts to help you meet the plant’s nutritional needs. A good rule of thumb is to begin by giving 25% of the recommended dose. Increase the dose to a full dose gradually.
When plants are lacking nitrogen, they become more susceptible to a reduced photosynthesis capacity. Nitrogen helps to produce chlorophyll, which gives plants green color. But if it is supplied at too low a dose, it can reduce photosynthesis.
Potassium deficits can affect the health of the plant and result in weak, thin, stretched plants. Plants lacking potassium may exhibit brown spots or yellow edges on lower leaves, as well as weak, pale stems and low-energy plants.
Developing better responses to mineral nutrients is a major step toward more effective cultivation of cannabis. Future studies should examine inflorescence and vegetative growth responses, and incorporate more quality parameters.
Enzymes
Adding enzymes to your cannabis cultivation can improve your plant’s performance. Enzymes are protein molecules that act as catalysts for natural chemical reactions in the soil. These enzymes have numerous benefits, most notably that they increase the rate at which nutrients are assimilated. In addition, they help remove excess salts that may be running to waste in your growing medium.
They can also improve the quality of your harvest. Among their many functions, enzymes are capable of decomposing dead roots, making them into a food source for your plant’s root system.
Enzymes also prevent pathogens from gaining access to the plant. When you apply a solution with enzymes, it acts as an organic fertilizer. This is the simplest form of fertilizer you can provide to your cannabis plants.
Using enzymes is one of the most important steps you can take when attempting to grow your own marijuana. It’s a good idea to add them to your crop while it’s still in the growing phase. You don’t want to use them when the plant is nearing its harvest.
Some of the most common plant enzymes include xylanase, cellulase, and amylase. Their uses range from accelerating nutrient assimilation processes to assisting in the breakdown of dead root matter.
While there’s no concrete evidence that cannabis has the capacity to produce its own enzymes, you can increase the odds of this happening with the right mixture of nutrients. Soil with high microbial content will have a better chance of producing the microbes that make these proteins.
The best time to apply enzymes in your cannabis cultivation is during the flowering stage. You don’t want to overwhelm the plant with extra fertilizer, as this will only encourage it to pull more from its internal reserves.
Rhizosphere
The rhizosphere, a layer of soil around the root, is a living ecosystem. In this environment, microbes and plants interact in mutually beneficial ways. These microbes have been found to improve the plant’s nutrient uptake, enhance stress tolerance, and improve root development.
Microbial activities are also responsible for repelling pathogenic microbes. This can boost the quality of a harvest and enhance the overall plant’s health. Boosting the microbiome in the rhizosphere can help cannabis growers build a healthy ecosystem for their crops.
There are various methods for cannabis growers to increase the microbial activity in their soil. One method involves adding a biological fertilizer. A biological fertilizer introduces beneficial bacteria, fungi, and algae to the rhizosphere. These bacteria and fungi act as growth promoters, providing essential nutrients to cannabis plants.
Other methods are using plant biostimulants. They are advanced fermentation techniques that reduce the need for synthetic inputs for outdoor cannabis cultivation. Plant biostimulants work in any irrigation system.
Rhizosphere biology is also being studied to improve drought tolerance and plant yields. Researchers are also exploring how the microbiota of a plant affects secondary metabolites production.
Microbes can be manipulated through high throughput sequencing technologies. Manipulating the microbiota in the rhizosphere may help cannabis growers maximize the harvest and balance the amount of cannabinoids produced.
Research has shown that microbial inoculation of Cannabis in soilless growing systems increased flower weight by 15%. Bacillus species inoculation also improved Cannabis root development and total flower weight.
The rhizosphere is the most active interface on Earth. It is composed of bacteria, fungi, nematodes, and fungi. Each group has its own genetic makeup. Therefore, it is important to be selective in choosing the microbes that enter the rhizosphere.
