Is Rich Organic Soil Enough To Grow Superior Marijuana?
Microbial Madness: Here are marijuana roots inoculated with beneficial bacteria and fungi. Spectacular!
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All sorts of nutrients can super-charge your marijuana and make it grow bigger than soil alone.
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Using nutrient suplements can grow bigger marijuana crops than nature alone. 
A divide exists today in the outdoor cannabis world over the usage of man-made nutrient compounds versus standalone soil mixtures. The root of the problem seems to be a backlash over the plethora of products available on the open market, and I think it comes from the misguided perception that the breakdown of individual compounds for growing is a marketing gimmick. Some advanced growers make the mistake of over-simplifying the facts, concluding that its all a marketing ploy and that rich soil already has everything in it that a plant needs. But I think this is a decidedly short-sighted perception. And here is why…
I recently had this lively debate with a Master outdoor grower about whether or not you need anything other than rich, organic soil for marijuana to grow and thrive and reach its full potential. This particular individual seemed to be convinced that you do not In theory this is correct. But I think there are caveats and important distinctions to be made. Saying that soil use alone is adequate for growing cannabis, is like saying a horse and carriage is all you need to get around. True, but I will use a Ferrari, thank you very much, to get the job done faster and more efficiently if given the opportunity.
The main concept to consider is “bio availability.” Essential compounds mean nothing to your plants if they are not bio available for uptake and utilization during the finite life cycle of a short day dichotomous plant. The existing soil may be rich in all the elements the plant needs, but the plant has to break these compounds down before it can use them.
When these compounds have already been synthesized and are in their most readily available form, such as in chemical fertilizers, the plant absorbs them immediately and does not waste time or energy making them bio available. This is very advantageous to the grower when the growing cycle is finite and when trying to maximize crop turnaround times. Find the proper feeding schedule -- in the proper proportions -- and the plant can absorb and utilize incredible amounts of nutrients --- far more than in nature -- producing a staggering amount of bio mass, flowers and medicinal compounds within a designated time frame.
No matter how cynical one might be about synthetic nutrient compounds and their usefulness for growing medical marijuana, it is a thriving, multi-billion dollar industry built on results. The less the plant has to do in order to grow, the faster and more vigorous it develops. That's why I use the whole arsenal of fulvic or humic acid, enzymes, sugars, NPK, naturally occurring hormones, surfactants, and beneficial bacteria and fungi.
Relying fully on nature and not taking advantage of what technology has to offer in order to maximize yields and overall quality of my meds seems a non-starter to me. Why trot when you can race?
Check out Brown Dirt Warriors cult film on growing, Prohibition, here.
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Wednesday, 07 September 2011
