With more states legalizing the home grow and recreational use of cannabis every year, there are lots of folks trying their hand at cultivating this incredible crop for the first time. It isn’t a difficult crop, but knowing where to start is just as important with cannabis as it is for cucumbers.
We’ll help you get your cannabis cultivation footing by sharing a few Organic Mechanics products that will increase your chances of a great first grow. And even if you’re a seasoned cannabis grower, you’ll learn about a few of our products’ benefits that’ll convince you to give our stuff a try. We’ll also give you a quick explanation of the two categories of fertilizers used for cannabis growing and why fertilizer is not an optional product for this crop’s growth.
Biochar Blend and Cannabis
What if you could add something to your crop that would make your tomatoes more tomatoey, your basil more basily or your hot peppers tastier and hotter? That is exactly what our Biochar Blend does, and it does so by increasing a plant’s terpene content. Terpenes are plant compounds that give plants their characteristic fragrance and flavor. Even cannabis has terpenes that lend different strains their characteristic flavors. Terpenes also give cannabis its medicinal value, whether that’s for alleviating anxiety, inflammation, PTSD, or other issues. Using our biochar in growing media allows the plant to express itself at its highest level—whether that’s for flavor or effect.
Through testing and research, we’ve found that using our Biochar Blend at a rate of 10% in any potting soil will enhance your cannabis strain’s natural flavors and medicinal value. “Any amount of Biochar Blend is going to increase the terpene content, but in our research incorporating 10% by volume gives the biggest return on investment,” said Organic Mechanics’ Founder Mark Highland. “We did try 20% by volume but the amount of the increase was the same as the 10% incorporation rate.” And why use more if it’s not necessary?
A 10% Biochar Blend rate also increases cannabinoid content by as much as 20% when compared to the control crop at 0% Biochar Blend. Cannabinoids are compounds such as THC, CBD, CBN, and CBG that can have an effect on the body, such as alleviating pain and nausea, calming anxiety or creating a mind-altering effect. The different cannabinoids work together to create an “entourage effect,” i.e. they have a different/greater effect when used together than when used in isolation. Increasing the cannabinoid levels is another way to get the most out of your cannabis cultivation.
We have two products containing biochar that will enhance your crop’s terpene and cannabinoid levels. Our Biochar Blend soil amendment contains biochar along with compost, earthworm castings, bone char, kelp meal, alfalfa meal, and the minerals zeolite and azomite (azomite is technically known as Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate). Mix Biochar Blend with any potting soil at a 10% rate by volume for the most impact in raising your plant’s cannabinoid and terpene levels. Listen to our Founder Mark Highland explain biochar and it’s benefits in this VIDEO.
Our second product we’d recommend for growing cannabis is our 110 Blend Potting Soil. A level up on the standard 70% coir, 30% perlite blend, the 110 Blend eliminates the work of mixing by including our Biochar Blend in the mix! “You don’t even have to think about it, just open the bag and plant with it,” Mark said of the new product, which has two years of research and development behind it. “It’s easy to use and you’re getting a lot of benefit without any mixing. It’s definitely the potting soil we recommend for cannabis now.”
With many experienced growers winning cannabis competitions using the 110 Blend, think of this as your cheat code to award-winning grows! This is amazing potting soil, but still needs fertilizer to achieve greatness. We let each customer choose what fertilizer they want to add, that aligns with their personal preferences. Read on to learn more about fertilizer options and tips.
Frass, Fertilizer, and Other Additions for Cannabis
We also have several products that will work in conjunction with our biochar-containing items that’ll help you get a good first (or 50th!) grow.
Insect Frass Fertilizer (3-2-2). Consider this product to be a fertilizer for your soil fungi, as it feeds the naturally occurring soil microbiome. “We want the benefits of fungi in our soils,” Mark explained, “because they help protect our plants and also provide nutrients for them.” For the Organic Mechanics’ Insect Frass, we blend three different types of frass—from crickets, superworms, and black soldier fly larvae—because each one adds a different benefit to the soil. New frass users, take note: Frass will cause the surface of the potting soil to “fuzz over.” This is simply the fungi coming to life and growing immediately. We recommend mixing the frass with the potting soil and letting it sit for two weeks before planting.
Fuhgeddaboudit! Root Zone Feeder Packs (4-2-2). This is the simplest form of fertilizer we offer. Each individual packet contains a dose of 4-2-2 fertilizer along with a dose of mycorrhizae, some biochar, azomite and oyster shell powder for calcium and micronutrients. Throw one packet into a planting hole, sprinkle a little soil on top, and plant your plant. It’s a great accompaniment when using our 110 Blend. Mark explains how it works in this VIDEO.
Pure Rice Hulls. We recommend these 100% American-grown rice hulls for both in your potting soil and on its surface. Adding rice hulls to the growing media will help increase its porosity and drainage. Sprinkling a half-inch of them on top of the soil will help keep down those pesky gnats that sometimes appear when growing potted plants. Watch Mark explain all that rice hulls can do for your plants HERE.
Cocodelphia. This 100% coconut coir product is an excellent addition to potting soils for cannabis production. Coir has a ton of benefits specifically for cannabis, such as its very-close-to-neutral pH, its high cation exchange rate, and practically inert organic chemistry. Our Cocodelphia is triple-washed to remove salts so it is ready to add to your growing media right out of the bag. Read more about its benefits and how to use it in our BLOG POST all about the topic.
Fertilizer Tips for First-Timers
As veteran growers know, cannabis is a hungry crop. It needs fertilizer from the first week of growth onward. If your seedlings or transplants are starting to yellow, giving it some fertilizer will help your plants green up quickly.
Now the question is, what kind of fertilizer? You have at least three decisions to make:
- Organic or conventional fertilizer? That is your personal choice, so go with what feels right for you. We recommend organic, OMRI-listed fertilizers.
- Granular or liquid fertilizer? Liquid fertilizers are available to your plants immediately and you’ll see the effects within a day or two of application. Granular fertilizers must break down first to become available to your plants. It’ll take up to two weeks for the plants to start accessing that nutrition.
- Fertilizer for vegetative growth or reproductive (flowering) growth? The endgame for a cannabis crop is the flower. You will need to use a fertilizer that will promote flowering in order to get a harvest from your plant. The rule of thumb is that you’ll be growing your cannabis crop from starter plant to harvest for an average of 12 weeks, but there is some variation there. The question is, for how long will you be growing your cannabis plant in a vegetative state before flipping the switch to initiate flower growth? The online forums are full of debate on the topic, and it’s really up to you how you proceed with your fertilizer scheduling.
Head to the Hydro Store
Our best piece of advice is that the local hydroponic stores. These stores are usually staffed with folks who are incredibly well-versed on all things cannabis. In states where home grow is now legal, they are happy to give advice suited to your particular needs. When you visit your local hydro store, tell them you’re a first-time grower, say you heard about the new 110 Blend from Organic Mechanics and ask if they have a flower fertilizer to complement the vegetative Insect Frass Fertilizer. Be ready with answers to their questions about organic vs. conventional and liquid vs. granular. And then follow their suggested fertilizer’s package directions to the letter.
If the hydro store doesn’t stock our 110 Blend, tell them all the good things you’ve heard about it and ask for them to order it in for you and others. Meanwhile, we’ll give you the discount code “110BLEND” for 20% off the 110 Blend in May 2024 on our ONLINE STORE!
Now that you have the basics down, it’s time to Grow Like a Boss!
*Please note that Organic Mechanics is not responsible for the use of our products in states where growing and using cannabis is prohibited. Requesting information, or purchasing any of our products, implies that you intend to use it in a lawful manner. Organic Mechanics disclaims all liabilities.
