Bulls wrote:Good Morning GrowRoom420.
I keep hearing and people asking what kind of nutrients to use in flower. But do you really need them?
Overdoing it with nutrients and grow boosters is one of the most often made mistakes when cultivating cannabis. Learn how to use nutrients and grow boosters properly and why “less” is often more when you want to grow cannabis successfully.
If you are a cannabis grower who visits grow supply stores in person, or via the internet, you probably know just how many growing products exist out there. The sheer number of options can be overwhelming. Many companies feature a wide selection, from basic nutrients and fertilisers to grow boosters, bud enhancers and additives galore - not to mention the many other plant-enhancing supplements you could possibly imagine.
Quite often, the grower isn’t just advised to purchase a product or two for their operation. Instead, many of these companies recommend buying a lot of merchandise to make it seem like you can’t go another day without the latest (and most expensive) trend in cannabis plant care.
From that point of view, you can’t really blame growers when they fall for the hype and then, despite their best intentions, literally end up loving their plants to death! Frequent overfeeding and the administration of too many nutrients can cause more problems than they solve - an issue many new cultivators fall victim to.
Growth Problems from excess nutrients and improper nutrient balance
Considering that nutrient products are highly concentrated and that young plants are especially susceptible to incoming materials, it doesn’t take much to create a harmful imbalance and destroy your crop. Such excessive nutrients can cause all sorts of problems, including root and nutrient burn. When this happens, the roots or the leaves of your plant appear “burnt,” sustaining yellow and black discolourations.
Instances like these may urge you to go out and buy another product to fix the problem, but resist this desire! If your plants are suffering from root burn or nutrient burn, the first thing you should do is stop giving them anything and flush the plants.
Less is always Better!
Some less experienced growers think that cannabis requires some extraordinary skills, as well as a ton of different products. This is a common misconception that could not be further from the truth. Overdoing it, whether this means overwatering or packing your plants with unnecessary additives is a seemingly small mistake with giant repercussions. The good thing is, these slip-ups can easily be avoided!
A seasoned grower will inform you that some basic nutrients, the right amount of light and proper watering is (mostly) all it takes for a successful cultivation cycle. Even if some manufacturers claim their products “enhance” the flavour of your yield or make similar unsubstantiated claims, they often encourage the exact opposite effects.
The best case scenario when using certain unhelpful products will result in harsh or bitter tasting weed. The worst case scenario? Your entire crop starts shutting down plant by plant. If you really want to grow cannabis to achieve the most flavour and potency, you should keep things as simple and natural as possible.
When do you need special cannabis nutrients?
There are a few select cases where your plants may benefit from additional nutrients. NPK contained in potting soil doesn’t always last throughout the duration of a grow, but only for several weeks. While this will give your plants a good start, it may not be enough to achieve the kind of yields you are hoping for.
In such cases, you may want to consider administering nutrients after several weeks when the nutrients in the soil are mostly depleted. Once your plants have almost reached maturity, extra nutrients may give your crop a much-needed final kick during the flowering phase.
Some growers prefer to use unfertilised potting mix. This involves feeding your plants nutrients as soon as they are out of the seedling stage. This method allows experienced cultivators to regain more control over their crop, a helpful tactic to raise plants under unique growing conditions.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE RIGHT BALANCE
When feeding nutrients to your cannabis plants, it's all about maintaining balance. More seasoned cultivators use their years of experience to “read” their plants, assessing what amount of nutrients to give. While this may sound complicated to novices, it is a skill that can be learned over multiple grow cycles, just by using your common sense.
So guys just keep it simple, don't go changing your nutrients halfway through the grow, only because someone told you "that's better". Less nutrients, easier to diagnose a problem and solve it. And most importantly - Don't be afraid to ask. That's why we're here to help!
was thinking about just topping off the entire time but I don't know if that's a good idea 
there's mixed opinions on how often to change out the res water
I think I'm just making it way more complicated than it needs to be 
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