By Nickolaus J. Sanchez
At this point the total environment of your indoor garden is just about complete. The lights are up, the air is flowing, and the water and soil are balanced. It’s almost time for your girls to move in, but first you must purchase nutrients and have basic knowledge about them to keep your plants healthy. I understand this can be an overwhelming experience when you first start growing. What do you feed them? When do you feed them? How do you feed them? And what in the world is N-P-K? For the novice grower, these are all very common questions with fairly simple answers. So follow me down the rabbit hole and let’s clear up this “smoky” subject.
First, when shopping for nutrients I advise you not to base your decision on the brand name or image. Sometimes nutrient companies advertise like candy companies do with children. They like to use bright, colorful, and artistic designs to draw you in. Although some of these brands may have potential, it’s best to be a label reader and find out what’s in the product before using it.
There are sixteen elements known to be essential for plant nutrition. Of the sixteen, thirteen are mineral elements (found in soil) and the other three are non-mineral. The mineral elements are separated into two groups; six macronutrients and seven micronutrients. Macronutrients are needed in large quantities and micronutrients are the opposite. Don’t worry, as beginners we will only be taking on the six macronutrients commonly found in basic pre-made nutrient products.
Macronutrients Macronutrients can be split into a primary and secondary group. The primary group is nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Secondary nutrients are calcium, magnesium, and sulfur. All products have a nutrient analysis that will tell you everything you need to know about the product; what is in it, how much is in it (percentage), and what it’s derived from. Primary nutrient weight is usually printed in big numbers on the front of the product with nitrogen first, phosphorus second, and potassium last; also known as N-P-K. The secondary nutrients’ rate can be found on the back the analysis table.
N: NITROGEN Nitrogen is key for the development of the plants chlorophylls (green), which is a crucial component to photosynthesis. A good source of nitrogen will encourage strong green foliage, root absorption, and an overall healthy and vigorous plant development. The nitrogen ratio is typically raised during the vegetative stage considering the plants are mainly focused on growth at this time. For example you will want to feed with an N-P-K ratio around 3-1-2. A nitrogen toxicity would usually result in abnormally dark green foliage color and/or leaf tip burn (tan/brown color). On the other hand a deficient plant would stunt in growth and contain little chlorophyll having a light green or yellow leaf color starting from the bottom up. It’s important to note that seedlings and clones are like babies, so it’s best to give them a light feed of nitrogen.
P: PHOSPHORUS Like nitrogen, phosphorus is essential for photosynthesis and root development. However, instead of promoting healthy leaves, phosphorus encourages thick, juicy buds. It’s best to increase your phosphorus feeding and lower your nitrogen feeding during the flowering stage. Just keep in mind both are still needed throughout the plant’s entire life cycle. An overdose of phosphorus could result in very dark foliage and stunted growth. Malnourishment of phosphorus results in slow plant growth, brown leaf edges and some leaf curling. Also, because phosphorus assists nitrogen uptake, deficiencies can be similar.
K: POTASSIUM Potassium is also important for photosynthesis, the creation of proteins and carbohydrates, and overall plant health. So an imbalance of potassium will increase your risk of disease and/or pest infestation. It’s also critical for the plant’s metabolism during the flowering stage. Like phosphorus, it’s best you increase your potassium levels a little during the flowering stage. An N-P-K ratio for this stage in the plants’ life would be around 1-4-5. Symptoms of too much potassium are hard to see but the excess potassium in the soil will cause an imbalance of other nutrients like calcium and magnesium. Starving your plant of potassium could result in small lanky flowers, poor root development, wilted leaves, and a generally unhealthy plant.
CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM AND SULFUR Although secondary nutrients are not absorbed by the plant as much, they are still vital for a strong and robust plant and are necessary through its entire life cycle. Calcium is important for cell wall structure and assistance in transportation of other nutrients. A lack of calcium can be seen from a “clawing” effect of the leaves (tips curl down). Magnesium plays a major role in chlorophyll production and activation of enzymes for growth. Deficiencies could cause a stunt in growth and yellowing between the veins starting with the lower foliage, like a nitrogen deficiency. Lastly, sulfur is much like magnesium because it promotes enzyme and chlorophyll development. The big difference is sulfur deficiencies will start from the top foliage rather than the bottom. Bear in mind, not all companies combine secondary with primary nutrients so you may have to purchase them separately.
For the amateur grower, I suggest purchasing your nutrients in a pre-made liquid brew form. Although this is a more expensive route, it’s a little more user friendly. Directions on how to use the product should be on the bottle. Also, to reduce the chance of burning your plant and a hole in your wallet, I recommend doing one of two things: 1) apply only half the strength of what the bottle states every time you water or 2) feed your plant a full dose, every other time you water. For example, if the bottle states to use 1tsp of brew per gallon of water, either use 1/2 tsp every time you water or 1tsp every other time you water. However, all strains are different and some may need more or less then my recommendation. Eventually you will become in tune with your girls and create your own feeding schedule for each specific strain. Now that you know the what, when, why, and how of feeding, it’s time for you to get those hands dirty and plant some herb!
