Horticulture

Cannabis Cultivation: Using Compost Tea as a Liquid Fertilizer

Written by Bethan Jenkins

Do you grow your own cannabis?

If so, you know that various factors may influence the quality of your yields, such as lighting, nutrients, temperature, water and CO2. Let’s not forget about the soil, too.

Adding fertilizer to the soil will ensure your cannabis plants get the goodness they need to flourish. In addition to using alternative fertilizers, it’s a good idea to incorporate compost tea into your liquid fertilization routine.

What is compost tea for cannabis?

Studies have shown how aerated compost tea (ACT) can be used to enhance organic plant cultivation. [1] Put simply, compost tea is what you can expect to get if a porous bag containing compost is saturated in a bucket of water for a certain length of time. Nutrients from the compost will seep into the water, thus producing a natural liquid fertilizer for cannabis.

Using Compost Tea to Grow Organic Cannabis at Home

A fairly recent approach to cannabis cultivation, compost tea for cannabis will help populate important groups of bacteria, nematodes and protozoa. The “tea” solution is crammed with soluble nutrients and microorganisms, not to mention beneficial fungal colonies.

Combined, these microorganisms promote better plant nutrition. They can fight, inhibit and consume diseases, as well as destroy any pollutants and toxic materials that may otherwise cause the plant roots to decompose. [2]

Doing it yourself is simple. To accomplish the task, soak the compost in aerated water to maximize nutrient intake for your cannabis plants.

The Goal of Using Compost Tea for Cannabis

The main aim of using compost tea for cannabis is to promote plant growth and overall yields. By brewing your own liquid fertilizer, you can protect the plant from pests and pathogens. Filled with microorganisms, compost tea can even be sprayed on the cannabis leaves to make them stronger, bigger and more resilient!

Reaping the Rewards of Using Compost Tea for Cannabis

You may consider using a tool like The Original Compost Tea Calculator® to amplify nutrient uptake and recharge the old soil. Doing this will also increase the water holding capacity of soils. Keep in mind that compost tea is not a complete replacement for soil additives. It will, however, compliment other nutrients beautifully.

References

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26361474

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5610682/

About the author

Bethan Jenkins

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