Soil, Nutrients, and Pest Management
One of the main reason I grow my own cannabis is because it allows me control over what is used during the growing cycle. My first priorities are pesticide free and organically grown cannabis, I also want it to be the best tasting and smooth vaping.
I’ve always grown in soil and have never tried hydroponics. I have nothing against hydroponically grown cannabis and make no claim about which style is better. I just settled on soil growing in the beginning and stayed with it.
Over the years I’ve tried several well known bottled fertilzer brands and have had good success in growing cannabis. However, bottled nutrients can be expensive and require multiple bottles of nutients and additives for the different stages of the plants growth from seedling through harvest.
The liquid contents of the bottles are very low on the pH scale and require using some type of pH adjuster to raise the pH of the mixed fertilizer. It’s a complicated process and, sometimes, mistakes are made. Problems maintaining the proper pH range (6.2-6.8 in soil) could result in what is referred to as “lock out” with the plant unable to access nutrients it needs to grow.
I wanted a fertilizing process that was capable of growing the best possible cannabis. A process that was uncomplicated and effective. I tried a couple of different organic soil recipes before settling on my current recipe.
I make my own soil mix with Promix and earth worm castings that I ammend with organic Gaia Green fertilizer. Technically it’s not soil unless I added compost to the mix, so, maybe it would be a soiless ammended mix. Either way, it works really well, is simple, and cost effective.
Gaia Green 4-4-4 and 2-8-4, Alaska Fish Fertilizer, Recharge, Fox Farms Organic Cal-Mag, Organic Earth Worm Castings, and ProMix HP.
I spread a 107 liter bale of ProMix out over a 10 x 12 tarp on the floor and mix in 20 liters of earthworm castings with the Promix. I mix that well and then sprinkle 5 cups of Gaia Green 4-4-4 and 2 cups Gaia Green 2-8-4 on top and then mix that well.
I use this mix from seedling through harvest and have excellent results. Once all mixed, it will fill thirteen 5 gallon cloth pots.
I use Alaska Fish Fertilizer and Recharge Microbial Superpack 2-3 times in vegetation and early flower.
I also top dress the plant containers with Gaia Green Bloom 2-8-4 when I first flip to flower, once again at three weeks flower and the final time at 6 weeks flower. I top dress with one tablespoon of Gaia Green per gallon of the container size. For instance, I use 1/3 of a cup to top dress a 5 gallon cloth pot.
I water in Fox Farms Organic Cal-Mag once a week and that’s it, water only other than that, as needed. I’m on a well and have chemical free water that is 7.4 pH.
The general rule when growing organically in containers, was that you had to use 7 gallon containers or bigger to create a sufficient soil food web to create living soil. I grow in 5 gallon cloth pots and I have experimented with growing in 7 gallon containers and also a 4’ x 4’ bed. I haven’t noticed any difference bewteen cannabis that was grown in any of these container sizes. The 5 gallon cloth pots work well and are easy to manage. I can put nine 5 gallon containers in a 5 x 5 tent with room to spare.
My secret weapons for growing the best cannabis.
A real boost when plants are in vegetation and the early stage of stretch during flower.
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM)
Having an effective, non-toxic IPM program is another extermely important tool for growing cannabis indoors. Spider mites, thrips, and fungus gnats are common insect problems that need to be managed when growing high quality cannabls.
I rely on the insecticide and fungicide PureCrop 1 to deal with the occasinal bug outbreaks I have had over the past years. PureCrop 1 is very effective at wiping out any soft bodied insect it comes in contact with. It also acts as a biostimulant, doesn’t leave a toxic or oily residue, and is not harmful to people or pets. I wear gloves and a respirator out of caution but have never had any negative reactions when using it for IPM practices.
PureCrop 1
I also use predatory insects as part of my IPM strategy.
Cucumeris, Anystis, and H Miles predatory mites.
I use predatory mites as a preventive and will also use them for an active breakout. Between PureCrop 1 and predatory mites I have been able to keep a bug free garden and knock down the problems I have had.
A recent bout with Broad mites was knocked down by spraying PureCrop 1 at 2 tablespoons a gallon for 5 days, when plants were in the vegetation stage, and was able to save the infected plants. I added Anystis mites after that to patrol and do clean up. I have also had success at eliminating one outbreak of spider mites and two outbreaks of thrips with this IPM stategy.
My IPM program is non-toxic and effective.
