What Are The Best Cannabis Fertilisers?

There is much to consider when determining the best fertilisers for your cannabis growing project. Similar to other plants, cannabis requires essential nutrients to flourish. These key macronutrients are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K)—collectively referred to as NPK. There are many different products out there that contain a blend of macro and micronutrients, stimulating growth in a variety of manners. With so many options available, it’s important to find out which is best suited for your operation.

What are fertilisers and why are they important for cannabis?

When growing your own cannabis, you want to be sure you end up with healthy, productive plants. Nothing is more annoying than spending a lot of time growing and caring for plants that don’t live up to your expectations.

In the context of cannabis, fertilisers are nutrient-rich mixes used to positively influence the growth, production, flavour, and potency of your plants. But not all fertilisers are the same, and they're not all created equal. In addition to fertiliser, it's very important that the soil itself is high-quality to allow all the nutrients to be properly absorbed.

Organic vs chemical fertilisers

Opinions are very much divided on whether synthetic or organic fertilisers are better. In all honesty, there is no clear answer to this. It really depends on each individual situation. What kind of cannabis plants are you looking to grow—photoperiod or autoflowering? What about volume and potency? There are so many things to take into consideration.

Some growers use a mixture of chemical and organic nutrients, while others stick to one or the other. A good way to get a clear view of what is best suited to your cultivation goals is to go through all the advantages and disadvantages of the chemical and organic nutrients out there. You can find more information about the different types of fertilisers here.

Ready-to-use vs homemade fertilisers

Using a bottled, ready-to-use fertiliser is very convenient and straightforward. However, using a homemade fertiliser has many benefits too.

Ready-to-use fertilisers make life so much easier. There is a lot of information at hand about how these bottled fertilisers work, so do some research to get a better idea of what to expect. The available options are tremendous, though, which might leave you feeling a bit lost. Many products also turn out to be quite expensive, which is one of the things that makes homemade fertilisers so attractive.

Even if you find a bottled fertiliser that is recommended precisely for the kind of cannabis you want to grow, there is still no guarantee of good results. If you have specific goals in mind, making your own fertiliser will give you greater control over how your plants grow.

Creating the perfect concoction is much easier than you think, often turning out to be much cheaper than ready-to-use fertilisers. Moreover, you will be able to remain discreet about your operations as you won’t need to buy fertiliser from a store.

The best ready-to-use fertilisers

Not sure you have enough insight to create homemade fertiliser, or simply looking for convenience? Check out some of the best ready-to-use fertilisers below.

MONSTER BUD MIX ORGANIC FERTILISER

Zamnesia and Bionova have teamed up to create Monster Bud Mix. This is a powerful organic fertiliser that contains absolutely no animal ingredients. The all-in-one mix is sufficient to get 1–2 plants through the whole growing cycle, containing all the nutrients needed for each stage.

MONSTER BUD BOOST PACK

Those looking to make the most of their home-grow projects will want to check out Monster Bud Boost Pack. This potent three-pack of liquid fertilisers is a highly effective combination of nutrients that works in tandem with Monster Bud Mix to optimise your plants' potential throughout every phase. Each liquid fertiliser is packed with micronutrients that stimulate various aspects of their development, with the aim of providing bountiful, big, and flavourful buds come harvest. With an easy to follow schedule, Monster Bud Boost Pack allows your plants to flourish and be the best they can possibly be.

PLAGRON STARTER SET

Perfect for first-time growers, the Plagron Starter Set contains all the nutrients your plant needs for healthy development. This organic fertiliser set comes with three specific nutrient blends to take one plant from seed to harvest. Power Roots stimulates healthy rooting, Terra Grow helps with the growing phase, and Terra Bloom caters to the flowering phase.

The best homemade fertilisers for cannabis

A very cost-efficient way to give your plants the right nutrients is to create your own fertiliser. Taking matters into your own hands, check out all the possibilities below to decide which type of mixture best meets your needs.

COMPOST OR COMPOST TEA

Although not officially a fertiliser, compost definitely contributes to plant nutrition. Macro and micronutrients are present in compost, but there’s not enough macronutrients to classify it as a fertiliser. However, robust growth depends on the quality of the soil just as much as it depends on nutrients. This is exactly where compost comes in.

Stimulating airflow and water in the soil, compost improves cation exchange capacity (CEC). Along with the added microbes, this improves the overall quality of the soil structure, causing the present nutrients to be more easily accessible to the plants. Read all about how you can make your own compost here, while the benefits of compost tea as a natural nutrient booster can be found here.

COFFEE GROUNDS

A nice proportion of mineral elements with high levels of nitrogen can be found in coffee grounds. This makes it a great slow-release nitrogen source for your plants. Other effects include its ability to repel parasites while masking the distinct cannabis odour. Moreover, this organic option is available in abundance, as coffee waste is produced all the time. This means you will be recycling while growing naturally.#

MANURE OR URINE

It’s a known fact that plants, flowers, and many types of fungi grow wherever animals defecate and urinate. That’s why it still remains one of the most important agricultural components all over the world. Manure is a great source of slow-release NPK, and you can find many manure recipes with ingredients derived from different animals. It really depends on your region; local farmers will know best.

Animals like sheep, goats, cows, chickens, rabbits, and horses can be found in most regions. The suitability of different types of manure from these animals, however, depends on what you are trying to grow. While some are more suitable for composting and worm production, others are more suitable for fermentation:

• Sheep: Can be very rich in nutrients through fermentation
• Goat: Even stronger version of sheep’s manure
• Cow: Moderately rich, but abundantly available
• Chicken: Also very rich, but needs dilution due to super strong NPK
• Rabbit: Very rich for composting and worm production
• Horse: Extremely suitable for potted plants and flowers

Urine is a fantastic nitrogen booster, from animals or even humans as long as it’s diluted with water. At a ratio of 10:1 water to urine, you can ensure it doesn’t turn into harmful ammonia. Thorough research is needed if you want to use manure or urine, as it can be quite tricky to work with. It’s a challenge to find a balance with the base soil, and, if not prepared properly, harmful pathogens will be produced. Again, talk to local farmers about what works.

COCONUT WATER

Known to be healthy for humans, coconut water is also an ideal growth stimulator for cannabis plants. Especially for larger marijuana plants, coconut water can have a great enhancing effect on clone development and root growth. It’s full of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and cytokines, which makes it a rich all-natural fertiliser.

FERMENTED PLANT JUICE (FPJ)

Korean Natural Farming is known for using FPJ, as this holistic approach avoids chemicals by involving indigenous microorganisms. Plants are broken down and converted into absorbable nutrients derived from beneficial bacteria, which makes this a completely natural and organic method to create very high-quality soil.

FPJ can be harvested from the young parts of plants because they are very nutritionally dense. Many common plants, herbs, and weeds can be turned into FPJ, such as:

• Aloe vera
• Comfrey
• Horsetail
• Yarrow
• Stinging nettle
• Mugwort
• Lambsquarters
• Thistle

Bacteria is what puts the metabolic fermentation process into motion. Transforming big molecules into smaller ones and withdrawing their energy, bacteria simply extracts all the nutrition found in the plants. These beings feed on sugar, transforming the energy into alcohol. Finally, you will end up with a thick, nutrient-rich liquid containing many of the minerals needed to make plants grow.

You can also make FPJ from fruits:

• Cantaloupe melons
• Apricots
• Sweet peppers
• Berries
• Tomatoes

It’s very easy to make FPJ just by chopping up the fruits or plants into very small pieces and mashing them in a jar with an equal amount of brown sugar. To make sure no essential bacteria is lost, don’t wash the fruits or plants before cutting them. After 7–14 weeks of being stored in a dark and cool place, the mixture can be filtered and stored in a bottle in the fridge. Your FPJ is ready to be watered or sprayed onto your plants after adding 4 tablespoons of the mixture to 3.5 litres of water.

RECYCLED ORGANIC LIVING SOIL (ROLS)

A low-cost and quick way to fertilise your plants while using less water is recycled organic living soil (ROLS). Known for naturally decreasing the chances of plant disease, it is very easy to make yourself.

Unlock the full potential of your cannabis plants

In the quest for healthier cannabis plants and superior yields, choosing the right fertiliser is vital. This article serves as a general overview of ready-to-use plant nutrients and organic, homemade fertilisers. Both have their pros and cons, and which one you choose will depend on your growing style, skill, and preferences. Be sure to check out more of our growing articles for an in-depth look at cannabis fertilisation and other grow tips to maximise the health of your plants and, subsequently, the quality and size of your yields.

Adam Parsons

Professional cannabis journalist, copywriter, and author Adam Parsons is a long-time staff member of Zamnesia. Tasked with covering a wide range of topics from CBD to psychedelics and everything in between, Adam creates blog posts, guides, and explores an ever-growing range of products.

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