How Often Should I Feed My Weed Plants Nutrients? (For Bigger Yields)
The truth of the matter is that if you didn’t fertilize your weed plants, they would still grow and probably produce some buds for you to smoke. On the other hand, if you do provide them with fertilizer, you will end up with a much larger yield (and stronger potency) when it’s time to harvest your plants. So, since you are growing marijuana anyway, why not maximize your yield and potency?
How often should you feed your weed plants? When you fertilize marijuana plants will depend on the soil being used, the variety of weed plant and your desire for bigger buds. Each grow will require different amounts of fertilizer however, there are some general rules of thumb to follow when providing weed plants nutrients.
I should also mention right away that sometimes it takes growing the same strain of weed plant a couple (maybe three) times to know when to add fertilizer. This shouldn’t be a problem, considering you probably have either multiple seeds or a mother plant to take clones from. I will teach you when you can plan to fertilize (and when not too) and what to look for so you have a good shot at maximizing your bud growth. Here we go!
When to Fertilize Marijuana at 3 Different Growth Stages
*If you are looking to purchase some excellent fertilizer for your weed check out this 3-pack of marijuana fertilizers to get your plants producing the way they should be.*
Seedlings
- Technically, your seedlings are part of the vegetative stage however, I feel because newly sprouted seeds are very fragile, they need a slightly different type of care (and possibly nutrients) than a plant that is full into the veg growth stage.
- As you can expect, a seedling might not do well if fertilized. The very young plant is just not strong enough yet to handle extra nutrients that come from a container.
- If you fertilize at the beginning of the weed plants life, chances are you will give the plant nutrient burn and kill it.
- From the point of your seed sprouting to at least 3 weeks later, do not fertilize. The young plant will get enough nutrients from the organic soil used and it just doesn’t need it, regardless of what type of grow medium you use.
Vegetative Growth Stage
The vegetative growth stage is the cycle of the weed plant before it starts to flower then bud. Here is why and when you should fertilize during this part of your plant’s life.
- Once the marijuana plant is at least 3 to 4 weeks old you can go ahead and give it some vegetative fertilizer. Make sure the nutrients you give are made specific to this growth phase.
- Follow the product’s recommended dosage and even give a little bit less than suggested.
- I would recommend fertilizing every 2nd to 3rd watering until about 1 week before you switch the lights to flower timing. This also gives your plants the signal that something is changing and flipping to flower stage goes that much smoother.
- You will have to make some sort of a judgement call on your own with how often you fertilize. If your plant’s look strong and healthy, then stick to what you are doing. If the leaves are curling or drooping, you could be over fertilizing and watering.
That’s about how easy it is. Fertilize every 2nd to 3rd time you water. If your plants are growing very well and look strong, try adding in an extra round of fertilizer once in a while. It will only help your plants grow bigger and stronger.
The vegetative growth phase for marijuana is extremely important. Getting the fertilizing right at this point means your plants will be big and strong enough to enable your plants to grow bigger better buds. That’s what it’s all about, right?
*Want BIG BUDS?, well of course you do, we all want big buds, that’s why we grow weed. Check out this BIG BUD FERTILIZER on Amazon*
Flowering (budding) Stage
This is where the magic happens. Once you are ready to flip the lighting over to flowering, it’s time to switch the fertilizer you are using. Make sure whatever you choose is specifically for growing bigger buds.
- I would recommend waiting a day or two after the lights have been switched down to 12/12 before starting with flowering nutrients. At this point, your plants have noticed something is changing and are slowly starting to react. Hit them with specialized fertilizer so they know what time it is. Time for big buds to start, that’s what time it is.
- For frequency, I would follow the same pattern as suggested above for the vegetative stage. Make sure to read the manufacturer’s recommended dosage and frequency and follow if it makes sense.
- Watch out for drooping leaves and branches and react accordingly with how much fertilizer and water you provide. If the plants seem stronger, you might want to try to add more dosage to see how it reacts – just so long as you are not exceeding the manufacturers recommended amounts.
When you feel your trichomes are getting close to being done, stop adding fertilizer. This is called flushing in the marijuana growing world. The smoke you get from a plant that has been flushed versus not is a lot nicer to smoke. It is smoother and not as harsh tasting.
Regarding when your trichomes are done, it probably warrants its own article. When I write one, I will link it here. What I can tell you quickly is the trichomes will start to get cloudy and that is your signal to use water only. You could cut down your plants at this point but if you let them keep growing, the trichomes will get darker and the high you will get will start to get heavier and stronger.
Some of my own personal fertilizers I use on my weed plants.
Up next we will look at some related questions.
Should I Feed My Plants Every Time I Water?
No, I would not recommend feeding your plants every time you water as you could cause what is called nutrient burn. This will stall your plants progress or worse, kill it! Above I have given you some basic rules to follow which you should find success with.
How Often to Feed Outdoor Weed Plants?
Everything I have told you above is based on feeding indoor plants. If your outdoor plants are in pots, then follow my guidelines laid out above. If your plants are planted in Mother Earth, you will have to consider what the drainage is like and what kind of soil the plants are in before feeding. It’s basically the same as indoors except now it is harder for you to check soil conditions versus if you had used a pot.
When Should I Start Giving My Coco Nutrients?
I will disclose that at the time of writing this article, I haven’t used Coco Coir yet to grow marijuana however, it is on my list of to do’s. I can tell you though, from my knowledge gained in marijuana forums that you can fertilize a bit more often if using this medium. The reason being is that the water and nutrients flow through much quicker and don’t sit around waiting to be absorbed like they would in regular organic soil.
This means fertilizing almost every watering is ok unless you notice the plants are not reacting favorably. I know some growers play around with using perlite and Coco mixed with soil to get the best mixture for their region. Depending on what your normal humidity and temperature is like, it will affect how long your soil medium stays wet, etc.
Can Miracle Gro Burn Plants?
Miracle Gro is a general plant fertilizer and some though needs to be taken before using it. I have an article on the subject that I will link to below. It is important to know that Miracle Gro is not made for growing marijuana. It will work as a fertilizer and cause growth and while it’s at it you might get some premature flowering happening. Just be aware and use it with caution.
Conclusion
Just a short conclusion I think is in order. The information provided in this article will help you have success in getting more yield with your marijuana plants. If anything, I want you to take away that fertilizing less is more, unless you have a good sense in how your plants are doing and know they can handle even more nutrients.
The quickest way to identify how the plants are doing is to see if the leaves are curling or drooping. That’s typically a sign that there is a problem. Discoloration is also another red flag so watch out for it.
Good luck!
Related Growing Marijuana World Articles
Should I Use Miracle Gro On My Weed?
What Size Pot for Growing Weed?
Why Are My Weed Plants Not Budding?
Ideal Temperature and Humidity for Grow Tents
When to Use Molasses on Pot Plants? (Also Why and How)