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Want to grow bigger buds and larger cannabis plants? What are the best nutrients for outdoor grow? Want to grow amazing outdoor weed?

Before you get too excited and buy cannabis clones or seeds for your outdoor grow, let's discuss the proper nutrients needed for a successful crop.

Our cannabis nutrient guide covers the basics of nutrient needs, how to make your own fertilizer, and which nutrient brands to use for your outdoor cannabis garden.

Selecting the right type of nutrients for your garden can help give you bigger, better, and more flavorful buds. Growing cannabis indoors and outdoors can be a highly enjoyable and profitable venture with the correct nutrients. The cannabis plant will flourish from giving it the right nutrients for outdoor plant growth.

Getting Started with Healthy Plants

Growing the best cannabis outdoors starts with carefully choose a location that gets plenty of sunlight, your plant's main energy source.

In addition, research your particular climate to determine the cultivation practices you must use to help your plants thrive. Cannabis Training University recommends using organic nutrients whenever possible for growing weed. Your plants will appreciate it!

Using high-quality organic nutrients and fertilizer plus well-aerated soil will help you grow the best cannabis. Choosing the right organic nutrients can significantly improve the flavor, aroma, trichome content, and bud size and density of your cannabis plants. 

Homemade Fertilizers For Outdoor Grow

Making your own fertilizer for your outdoor garden can save you money and improve your yields. If you're making your own cannabis nutrient mix, consider the most important macronutrients for the plants: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K).

In addition, your plants also need a variety of micronutrients including calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, copper, manganese, cobalt, and many more to thrive. Using the right fertilizer when growing cannabis is essential for any weed grower and plants.  

Macronutrient Sources

  • Nitrogen: Nitrogen, an important nutrient especially during the vegetative phase, can be sourced from a variety of organic sources including worm castings, animal manure, bat guano, or crustaceous meal. A nitrogen deficiency can be a nightmare for growing cannabis. 
  • Phosphorus: If you're looking to add phosphorus to your nutrient mix, boiled banana peels, chicken manure, bone and fish meals, and rock dust are an excellent source of phosphorus.
  • Potassium: If you want to add potassium to the mix, bat guano, fish meal, wood ash, banana peel, kelp, and compost are all excellent potassium sources.

Micronutrient Source for Marijuana Plants

Micronutrients may only be available in trace amounts but they still are an important part of your cannabis plants growth.

  • Calcium: Calcium can be found in sources like chalk, clay, limestone, and gypsum.
  • Magnesium: Magnesium sources include dolomites and epsom salts.

Top Nutrients for Outdoor Cannabis Gardens

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Cannabis growers have many nutrient brands to choose from, which can make deciding on a single one quite difficult. 

In addition, each nutrient company makes a range of nutrients for different purposes. Since cannabis plants require different nutrient levels for their vegetative and flowering stage, nutrient companies create different formulas for each stage.

Generally, all cannabis nutrients are meant to improve the health and growth of your plant. However, there are a few key differences between the different nutrient solutions out there. Here's what to look for in your nutrients for cannabis plants:

  • Nutrient ratio: Every company has a slightly different ratio of the plant's most critical macronutrients for each stage of growth.
  • Growing medium: For outdoor gardens, you'll be choosing nutrients meant for soil not hydroponic gardens, which are common for indoor grows. Make sure you're getting the right one to avoid any confusion down the line.
  • Ingredients: There are many sources of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and other important micronutrients. These ingredients can range from synthetic to organic nutrients. It's important to consider the types of nutrient sources used. While different brands can have the same level of nutrients, they may differ in where those nutrients come from. Make sure to keep these in mind when choosing cannabis nutrients for your plants. 

A note on supplements: Now, it can get quite confusing if you factor in the different types of nutrients supplements available.

Unlike the complete nutrient solutions, supplements contain only a fraction of the required NPK ratios to let you either fix a nutrient deficiency or enhance a certain aspect of your growth including size, resin content, and potency.

Ideally, you want to use supplements made from the same brand as your nutrients. In addition, only use supplements if absolutely needed. Feeding your marijuana plants too much nutrients can cause nutrient burn or other damaging interactions.

If you're in the market for a reliable nutrient solution, consider these nutrient brands for your outdoor cannabis garden:

1. General Hydroponics

For your outdoor garden that uses soil, the General Hydroponics Flora Series Nutrient Trio and CaliMagic pack is a great choice. Meant for soil or coco grows, these nutrients can help improve the flavor of your flower, foliage growth, root growth, and more.

The CaliMagic supplement is a calcium and magnesium blend that can prevent nutrient deficiencies for fast growing outdoor plants. They can also provide the potassium your cannabis plants need if they start to have yellow leaves.

2. Fox Farm

Fox Farm’s Nutrient Trio for soil is a super concentrated nutrient solution where a little goes a long way. Use the Grow Big and Tiger Bloom solutions to give your plans all the macronutrients they need.

The Big Bloom contains many micronutrients and compounds that can help your plant absorb nutrients and improve their root health. Just remember, give your weed plants about half or less of the recommended nutrient strength and build up to your desired level. Cannabis plant roots love Fox Farm organic nutrients. 

3. Dyna-Gro

If you're on a budget but still want to grow incredible outdoor plants, Dyna-Gro offers a liquid grow and liquid bloom solution that contains essential trace elements for your plants. The liquid grow is meant for the vegetative stage while the bloom solution is meant for the flowering stage.

If you're a beginner looking to try out different nutrient solutions, give Dyna-Gro a shot. They're easy to use and an affordable way to jumpstart your outdoor grow and grow cannabis plants.

4. Advanced Nutrients

Advanced Nutrients offers a two-part set through their pH Perfect Sensi Grow and Bloom A&B. If your pH fluctuates, this base nutrient formula can help save you time and money.

This product can cut down on the time spent testing for the perfect PH range. Use this nutrient pack to give your plants an excellent vegetative phase for strong stems, healthy leaves, and fast cannabis plant growth. Advanced Nutrients has been a leader in cannabis growing products for many years and been a favorite of many.

5. Botanicare

Botanicare’s Grow and Bloom nutrients are organic and can be used in your soil medium. The Grow formula is derived from fish meal, composted seabird guano, rock phosphates, kelp, potassium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, and calcium carbonate. The Bloom formula is perfect for the final stage of your soil-based plants.

Experimentation Is Key With Best Nutrients for Outdoor Grow

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Nowadays, there are so many pre-made nutrient solutions out there and it's never been easier to make your own organic nutrients at home.

With that said, it's important to do your own research on your particular climate and nutrient needs. There are many factors that influence the efficacy of your cannabis plant nutrients. Try out a few different nutrient types before you settle on your favorite.

We have found blood meal to be great for growing weed outdoors. Vegetative growth for outdoor cannabis plants often does best with a variety of organic ingredients and probiotics for healthy soil full of life for your plants.

The best nutrients for outdoor grow are often organic and probiotic. Organic nutrients for your cannabis plant can make a tremendous difference in the outcome. Growing cannabis with proper root growth and producing healthy plants without nutrient deficiencies is the goal.

Outdoor Cannabis Cultivation Nutrient FAQ's

What type of nutrients do cannabis plants need for outdoor growing?

Cannabis plants need a balanced diet of NPK and micronutrients like calcium, magnesium, iron, and sulfur.

Should I use organic or synthetic nutrients for outdoor cannabis?

The two can work. Slow-acting organic nutrients increase soil quality and are environmentally beneficial. Synthetic nutrients function quickly but can pile up in soil and harm the ecosystem if misused.

How often should I feed nutrients to outdoor cannabis plants?

Plant growth stage and nutrient type determine nutrient application frequency. Feed every other watering or per nutrition instructions. Both underfeeding and overfeeding are dangerous.

Can I use the same nutrients for both the vegetative and flowering stages?

Some nutrients are good for all growth stages, however it's recommended to utilize stage-specific items. Flowering plants need phosphorus and potassium, whereas vegetables need nitrogen.

What are the signs of nutrient deficiencies in outdoor cannabis plants?

Nitrogen deficit causes yellowing or browning leaves, phosphorus insufficiency slows growth, and potassium deficiency curls leaf tips. Each deficit has symptoms.

How do I correct nutrient imbalances in outdoor cannabis plants?

First, accurately diagnose the issue. Adjust your pH or feeding schedule. Simple water cleansing can remove surplus nutrients from soil.

Can compost and manure be used as nutrients for outdoor cannabis?

Absolutely. Organic cannabis nutrients include compost and well-rotted manure. They boost soil health and release nutrients slowly.

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What are the risks of over-fertilizing outdoor cannabis plants?

Over-fertilization, or nutrient burn, damages roots, locks out nutrients, and lowers plant health and productivity. Maintaining a balanced nutrient schedule and monitoring plant responses is essential.

Master Marijuana Growing at Cannabis Training University

Interested in learning more about the cannabis cultivation process? Whether you're a complete beginner or a seasoned grower who wants to learn more about the industry, Cannabis Training University provides a complete curriculum for growers of all skill levels.

Learn how to save money by making your own organic nutrients solution to reap big yields. See the difference in size, resin content, flavor, and aroma when you use the best nutrients in your outdoor garden.

Learn how to make sure your cannabis plants thrive as they should and save time and money on your grow with online training from CTU.

To learn how to grow weed indoors, outdoors, or in a greenhouse, enroll at the premier marijuana school today. Learn more about the best nutrients for outdoor grow at CTU!

Luis Cordova
Luis Cordova

Luis Cordova is a distinguished author, and renowned expert in cannabis cultivation, who possesses a Master's degree in Plant Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Science. As a valued contributor to highly esteemed publications such as Cannabis Training University and Maximum Yield Magazine, Luis has emerged as a trusted source of guidance and knowledge in the cannabis industry. Having written thousands of informative articles, Luis is widely recognized for his comprehensive expertise on cultivating cannabis, both indoors and outdoors.

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