How to Use Root Stimulators to Maximize Cannabis Nutrient Intake
Allow me to take a minute to stimulate your mind before I teach you how to stimulate your roots. You may have heard the expression “feed the soil, not the plant”. It’s an old saying that is used in organic gardening and it’s helpful in understanding how to use root stimulators to maximize cannabis nutrient intake and plant health.
You see, the secret to growing healthy cannabis plants lies within their root systems. A strong and healthy root system allows the plant to absorb more nutrients in a more effective way, leading to faster growth and increased yields.
The Importance of Healthy Roots
Let me throw another old-school grower saying at you, “The deeper the roots, the greater the fruits”. Not to be confused with Tupac’s, “The blacker the berry the sweeter the juice” (also true though).
Healthy roots are an absolute must if you want to grow healthy plants. If the roots are in bad shape, they won’t be able to transport nutrients and water from the soil to the entire plant leading to deficiencies, yellow leaves, and nutrient lockout.
But the roots are responsible for more than just the transport of water and nutrients. They also help by storing energy for later use by holding onto important elements in the case of a drought or deficiency. Outdoor plants also need a strong root system to be firmly anchored to the ground in order to support external stressors like wind, rain, and animals but also to support heavy foliage and fruits.
So maintaining healthy roots is important for ensuring that your plants have a strong foundation for growth and optimal nutrient uptake.
What Are Root Stimulators?
Root stimulators are designed to promote root growth and development of both primary and secondary roots. They can be either synthetic or natural, but either way, they work the same by providing the necessary nutrients and/or beneficial microbes to support the growth of strong, healthy root systems.
Organic root stimulators can be especially helpful for cannabis plants because they encourage vigorous root development and nutrient intake with an end product that tastes better and has more terpene production.
At Organitek we offer two types of root stimulators with Amplify being our flagship product. Amplify is a diverse blend of highly concentrated and naturally occurring plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (microbes). The microbes in Amplify help increase the uptake of nutrients and water while also helping to protect your plants’ root zone from harmful pathogenic microbes.
We also offer Deep Roots, a powerful and effective blend of plant extracts, amino acids, and nutrients designed to achieve stronger, more efficient root networks. By encouraging root branching and the development of fine root hairs, Deep Roots works to increase nutrient uptake and promote growth for marijuana plants.
There are several ways that our products stimulate root growth in your cannabis plants with the 4 most important ones being.
- Increased oxygen in the root zone ensuring that your growing medium is well-aerated.
- Microorganisms in the form of beneficial microbes that improve nutrient absorption.
- Beneficial fungi that form a symbiotic relationship with the roots thereby increasing nutrient and water uptake.
- Increase of good bacteria that improve nutrient availability and protect your plants from pathogens.
Is a Root Stimulator the Same as a Rooting Hormone?
So this is a question that I get often and there seems to be some confusion regarding the difference between a root stimulator and a rooting hormone. They are quite different and need to be used differently or your plant will suffer greatly.
Rooting hormones encourage the formation of roots on cannabis cuttings, whereas root stimulators promote root growth and development in established plants that already have reached a later stage in the growth cycle.
How About Root Stimulators vs Fertilizers
While root stimulators and fertilizers both provide essential nutrients for plant growth, they differ vastly in why they are used by growers and how the plant uses them.
Fertilizers supply nutrients directly to the plant in the form of micro- and macronutrients like Nitrogen, Potassium, Phosphorus, Zinc, etc. Root stimulators, on the other hand, focus on promoting root development and improved uptake of the nutrients supplied by the fertilizer.
We recommend that you use both fertilizers and root stimulators in your cannabis garden if you want the best end product.
When to Use Root Stimulators for Cannabis Plants
Whether you are a beginner or advanced gardener the microbes in Amplify are capable of delivering significant benefits to your garden at all stages of the plant life cycle. It can be used from week 1 in the clone stage all the way through your final flush and it can be started at any point during the cycle.
In the growth phase, root development is crucial because during the vegetative stage, your plants need to develop a strong root system that supports quick plant growth.
During the flowering phase, a healthy root system is important to ensure that your cannabis plants can efficiently absorb the necessary nutrients for bud production and overall health while supporting the heavy flowers.
Homemade Root Stimulators: Advantages and Disadvantages
Some growers prefer to make their own root stimulators because they prefer to have a completely natural product that they control from start to finish. DYI root stimulators are cost-effective, natural and organic with minimal risk of chemical residue in your plants and customizable since you can use a variety of organic matter in the recipe.
Homemade root stimulators can be made from a variety of natural ingredients with the most popular ones being willow water, seaweed extract, and compost tea.
The disadvantage is that the results often vary from concoction to concoction so they usually provide inconsistent results. Also, the shorter shelf-life of homemade products forces you to make more quite often which is very time-consuming.
