PH is a classificatory schedule that describes acidity or alcalinity of an element. Plants require a perfect pH value for a proper absortion, during its life cycle. In this post we will talk about relationship between substrate's pH (or water), and marijuana plant's evolution indoors or outdoors. We specially recommend this post to all those less experienced growers, and also those who want to improve their plants health, and in an indirect form yielding.
Marijuana pH values
Marijuana plants develope quick in pH 5,5-7 substrate's value (depending if it's hydroponics, coco or soil). Those substrates (or nutrient solution) with higher pH values, or lower, may cause a slower development derived from extra work made by plants, that would have to change that pH into the proper one to absorb. This "lost" time transforming the pH value to be able to uptake nutrients goes against growers, that will see how their plants grow and flower with less intensity compared with what would happen if feeded with a correct pH value. We could say that if we give plants their food with a correct pH, they could be ready to absorb it at the moment, and won't spend any effort to transform it.
Perfect pH value for marijuana during growing phase
Marijuana plants have 3 different cycles clearly differenced:
- Vegetative phase (growing phase).
- Flowering phase (budding phase).
- Period between both (time taken between growing phase and blooming phase used to adapt to its new cycle)
If we would like our plants to have its maximal potential it is so important to start in a substrate with a pH value close to 6,5. At the same time, it is also important to control pH of the nutrient solution (used to feed the plants), because substrate's pH will be modified by it during future feedings changing substrate's pH to the nutrient solution's one.
Said that, we should emphasize nutritional requirement of plants during vegetative phase. Basically, during the whole cycle a plant consumes Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium besides other elements like Calcium, Magnesium and other micro-nutrients. If we pay specially atention to most demanded nutrients during vegetative phase we will notice that our plant most demanded feedings are Nitrogen (compared with needings of Phosphorus or Potassium). That's why it is very important that a grower uses a pH value between 5,8 and 6 during this phase (bit more acid than later on). This pH allows our marijuana plants to quickly uptake all nutrients from substrate and faster assimilate what added to nutrient solution.
Recommended pH value for marijuana during Flowering phase
As we explained before, during vegetative phase, plants like a pH closer to 6 to absorb nutrients quickly. Arrived to flowering phase (when requirements vary) we should adjust pH value to new circunstances to, the same way it happens during growing phase, plants absorb faster the nutrients given.
While during growing phase plants need more Nitrogen to enhance a healthy and vigorous grow, during flowering phase ( moment when all plant's energy is sent to form and fill flowers) marijuana needs higher values from Phosphorus and Potassium. Knowers of these situation, it would be fundamental to adapt nutrient solution's pH value to those elements needings. In this case, recommended pH value for a quick uptake during flowering is between 6,0 and 6,2. In this interval pH absortion for Phosphorus and Potassium will be maximized, so it will be easy for the plants to assimilate them, translating in faster evolution and bigger yields.
Element's schedule absortion depending on pH value
In the schedule showed you could see the evolution in the absortion of the different elements depending on pH value used:
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