When planting outdoors, it’s highly probable that there will be problems that may leave plants in a less than perfect state. Even the best cocktail of nutrient and trace chemicals can still allow a nutrient deficiency. Grasshoppers may rear their ugly green heads or the nutrient will attract unsavory company, leading to an infestation that must be dealt with.

There are many variables to growing outdoors, but the most common of nutrient deficiencies will be encountered during the green foliage growth period. Lack of nitrogen is the most common deficiency. A large green leafy plant requires a very high level of nitrogen to achieve its full glory. The first sign is a gradual creep of yellow among the lowest and therefore leaves of the plant. If this happens, be sure to add a full ration of nitrogen to the next watering session. The yellow creep can be cured in only a few days if it hasn’t progressed to a point at which the tips of the leaves are curling and black or brown. At that point, it’s a permanent situation that can’t be remedied. It will be necessary to increase the amount of nitrogen so it doesn’t damage any newer leaves that would be higher on the plant. Some other symptoms of a nitrogen deficiency include red stems, smaller new leaves and slow growth.

A phosphorus deficiency rears its head by slow and stunted growth. The newer leaves of the plant will be smaller and a darker green than usual. As with nitrogen deficiency, a red color appears on the stems. The leaves may also develop a nasty red or purple color in the veins on the underside of the leaf. If phosphorous isn’t added, the older leaves will start to die. The affected leaves won’t be healed, but the progression of the damage will be stopped. The leaves will lighten in color to the beautiful green and the growth rate will pick up.

A potassium deficiency is often a tricky one to diagnose. Most of the time a potassium deficient plant will be tall and healthy looking, though they may be slightly phototropic in appearance. The indicators are the phototropic appearance and browning of the ends of the oldest leaves. A phototropic plant is one who expends all of its energy to reach a feeble light source, thus the tall spindly look they have. Recovery from a potassium deficiency is usually slow and is measured in weeks. The leaves that have been browned already usually die off. The leaves will have brown spots on them, particularly along the prominent center vein. As with most deficiencies of a serious nature, the stems and underside veins have a reddish or purple hue to them. The most common source of potassium is wood ash; so if last year the crop had a potassium deficiency, add a cup of wood ash this year to the nutrient or growing medium.

There are also deficiencies to be had with the elements iron, manganese, boron, molybdenum, zinc and copper. Because most outdoor growing mediums tend to be natural in source, nature has already included the other trace elements required for most of their life. However, adding trace elements two or three times in the life of the plant is always a good idea. If the plants don’t require them, they simply won’t take them up.

For those of growers in the country and planting in the backyard, the easiest way to keep pests and animals away from the plants is to plant geraniums around them. The common geranium secretes a substance that acts as an all-around pest repellent. This is its natural way to combat predators and has been working great for a lot longer than humans have been growing grass, so take note. Both animals and pests will shy away from your crop.

Whatever growing medium that will be used will eventually attract a pest, then many pests. This infestation of the growing medium can be tricky to get rid of. If the little critters are in the topmost inch or so of the growing medium, that medium will have to be replaced. Be gentle with the root system and deluge the area with a good garden-safe insecticide after removal of the top inch. It’s important to replace the growing medium with a chemically-inert medium. Test and alter the pH of the medium as required to hit a neutral value of seven. The growing medium will eventually adjust itself to the pH levels the plant is accustomed to over a space of about a week.

Growing outdoors is an easy and productive means to reduce or even replace the costs incurred by our green friend over the winter. With the right knowledge this year’s crop should thrive.

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What’s pH? This is a question that usually makes new growers scratch their heads and reach for the pipe. The term pH refers to the level of alkalinity or acidity of a liquid substance. The pH scale starts at 0 and rises to 14. A value of 7.0 is considered neutral, with values over 7.0 being alkaline and values below 7.0 being acidic. The liquid is the nutrient solution being used to grow a healthy cannabis plant.

The nutrient solution is basically a cocktail of various chemicals. These chemicals can react to each other in a process called covalent bonding and form new chemicals that the plant can’t effectively use. This process of covalent bonding is largely dependent on the pH of the solution the chemicals are suspended in, in this case water. With the chemicals being used in the average hydroponic solution, a chemist would say that the optimum pH would be 7.0, which is neutral. In keeping the solution neutral, covalent bonding of the constituent parts of the solution will be kept to a minimum.

However, since cannabis plants like a different pH level for optimum growth, it’s okay to lower the pH and take the slight loss of nutrient value. Fast growing, leafy plants generally like a lower pH in the range of 5.2 to 5.9. Fortunately, a lower pH will bond fewer nutrients than a higher pH will. If the pH value goes beyond the optimum range of 5.2 to 5.9, undesirable levels of nutritional deficiency and toxicity will occur, both of which can seriously impede plant growth. Be vigilant.

In researching the various hydroponic methods in use, most of the growing media like rockwool, pea gravel and sand is relatively inert. That means the growing medium won’t react with the nutrients in the solution. For those methods that use inert media, a pH of 5.2 is recommended for optimal elemental uptake. It is at this pH level that the roots will assimilate the nutrients in the solution most efficiently. If the root has to work less to assimilate the required nutrients, the rest of the plant will benefit.

Measuring and Adjusting pH

Measuring pH is relatively easy and there are quite a few choices in terms of methods. The most inexpensive and low-tech method for measuring just requires purchasing a pH kit and taking a sample from the nutrient solution. After following the directions, use the color chart to determine the pH of the solution.

This low-tech solution poses some obvious limitations, not the least of which is the difficulty in deciding which color is closest if you’ve been into the fruits of your previous harvest. The kits typically sell for $5 to $10.

If the pH isn’t the appropriate level for your plant, knowing what chemical to add to the nutrient solution and when is paramount to success as a grower. When the pH level is alkaline, meaning the pH level is above seven, it can be lowered with saltpeter, sulfuric acid or phosphorous.  When the pH value is too low, it can be raised with calcium carbonate, lime or potash. Most fertilizers cause a pH change in the nutrient solution. Adding fertilizer to the nutrient solution almost always results in a more acidic pH, so adjust accordingly.

Proper Handling

Handling all of these chemicals safely is important. As a general rule, never use metal. Instead opt for glass or plastic or the nutrients will react with the elements in the metal and mess up the nutrient ratios. Never add the acid to the vat of nutrient. Fill a small glass container with the nutrient to be balanced and add a few drops of the necessary chemical. Stir it in well and add small amounts at a time to the large vat of nutrient until the proper pH balance is achieved.

As time goes on, the amount of salts produced by the breakdown of fertilizers in the medium causes it to become increasingly acidic. Eventually, the concentration of these salts in the medium will stunt the plant and cause browning out of the foliage. As the plant gets older, its roots become less effective in bringing food to the leaves. To avoid the accumulation of these salts in the medium and to ensure that the plant is getting all of the food it needs, be sure to flush the system with clean, pH-balanced water every couple of weeks. Do this in lieu of that cycle’s feeding.

There’s always been a big debate over when to adjust your pH – before and after you add nutrients to the water, or just after. The truth is, growers can do both. The reasoning for doing both is that water is rarely dead on neutral. It’s either acidic or alkaline, depending on the region. Render the water neutral first by bringing it to a pH of 7.0. Then add the nutrients to that chemically-neutral solution and adjust to the desired range within 5.2 to 5.9 pH.

Because there are so many factors that go into the delicate art of cultivating cannabis, learning how to properly measure and adjust the pH balance on nutrient solutions will have a clear effect on the appearance, potency and health of cannabis plants. Practicing and perfecting this step will be what makes a grower’s crop stand out from the crowd.

TELL US, have you taken pH into consideration when growing cannabis plants?

The post What’s pH? Understanding and Measuring pH in Your Grow Room appeared first on Cannabis Now.