With so many states legalizing marijuana both recreationally and medicinally, we’re learning more about growing cannabis than ever before. From the professional-grade growers down to first time home growers, the technology and techniques for growing weed have become incredibly sophisticated. But all these advances mean it can be very difficult to start your first grow operation, as you sort through mountains of technical manuals and message boards. We’ll cover a couple of basics to get you started, and we’ll show you the absolute best hydroponic nutrients and best hydroponic fertilizer around!

Getting started

Before you get started with your first grow operation about best hydroponic nutrients and best hydroponic fertilizer, you’ll need to choose whether you’re going with a more traditional medium (like dirt), or a hydroponics system. Hydroponics is a very popular choice for indoor grow operations since they’re easily self-contained and highly customizable. Today we’ll be looking at what nutrients are best for your hydroponics, but some of these nutrients can actually be used for both styles of growing. 

Nutrients

In short, Best hydroponic nutrients cannabis plants need three main things to thrive: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), and Potassium (K), or NPK for short. Cannabis plants will thrive or suffer based on the NPK ratio and pH level of the medium they’re grown in. These essential nutrients also include iron, sulfur, magnesium, calcium, and more. If you want your cannabis plants to grow big and give you plenty of healthy, potent buds, you’ll need to know your strain’s nutritional needs and pick the best hydroponic nutrients to meet those needs. 

General Hydroponics Flora Nutrients - $39.93

Best nutrient system Perfect for growing weed Great for plant health

This three-part nutrients system is one of the absolute best hydroponic nutrients around. Containing highly purified concentrates to ensure the best solubility, this system has all the nutrients your plants need (weed and otherwise). The pH is baTiger Bloomlanced to simplify the use of this awesome nutrient system, so your plants will grow bigger and healthier than ever before. Make sure to dilute the solution before adding to your hydroponics so the nutrients don’t fall out of suspension.

Advanced Nutrients Hydroponic Nutrients - $44.99

Use for hydroponics or soil High-quality nutrients Encourages plant growth

Advanced Nutrients has made growing weed a breeze with this all-inclusive plant nutrient system. The high quality, full-spectrum nutrients are bonded to special carrier molecules, which basically means that your plants will be able to the maximum amount of nutrients possible. These nutrients are some of the best around, encouraging plant growth from the vegetative stage right up to harvesting. These are also great nutrients for weed being grown in the ground!

Fox Farm Liquid Nutrients - $34

Complete hydroponics nutrients Plants grow bigger Contains advanced nutrients

These three nutrient mixes are a powerful tag team when it comes to growing cannabis. The Grow Big nutrients, unsurprisingly, encourage your plants to grow big. Tiger Bloom is a phosphorus-laden fertilizer that encourages more bud growth, and Big Bloom is an ideal nutrient for any flowering plant. The Tiger Bloom/Big Bloom combination is one of the best ways to ensure you get a huge harvest from your plants.

Humboldt’s Secret Hydroponic Nutrients - $39.97

Best base nutrients Helps plants grow Maintains healthy NPK ratio

These base best hydroponic fertilizer nutrients are the best way to make sure your cannabis plants are satisfied with their nutrients. This two-part system, perfect for any growth medium, offers everything your plants need to grow strong and healthy. You may need to couple this with a pH buffer or other nutrients, depending on your exact grow setup and cannabis strain, but this is a perfect place to start for hydroponics.

Prescription Blend Complete Nutrient Kit - $79.99

Professional level nutrients Customizable for your plants’ needs Sustainable ingredients

Prescription Blend offers these advanced nutrients for growers who really want to dig in and give their plants the most specifically tailored nutrients possible. They’ve simplified a professional grow operation’s best hydroponic nutrients into a simple to use kit. Best of all, from the nutrients themselves to what they’re packaged and shipped in, everything is sourced sustainably.

Blue Planet Elite Series Nutrients - $44.95

Best for beginners Has essential nutrients for weed Great for any grow medium

If you want to grow your own cannabis but want to keep it simple, these are the best hydroponic nutrients for you. They’re ideal for hydroponics as well as other grow mediums. Growing weed just doesn’t get easier than this nutrient system. It’s effectively color coded and comes with simple-to-use instructions.

DaKine 420 Hydroponic Fertilizer Starter Kit - $45

Convenient starter kit Great nutrient content Designed for cannabis

This starter kit has all the best hydroponic nutrients for growing cannabis in one convenient package. The Base phase will make sure your plants have all the best hydroponic fertilizer needed for starting off right, the Grow phase will keep your plant healthy as it continues to grow, then the finishing nutrients in Bloom will ensure you get the highest yield possible. Your cannabis will thank you when you plant it with this nutrient system.

General Hydroponics Maxi Advanced Nutrients - $59.99

Best value nutrient system pH buffered for ease of use Designed for hydroponics

General Hydroponics offers another incredible best hydroponic nutrients nutrient system for your plants, helping them grow to their absolute maximum potential. These nutrients can be used alone or in tandem, depending on your grow operation needs. You can’t go wrong with this nutrient!

ENVY Hydroponic Nutrients - $56.95

Chelated for absorption  Great for simple grow operations Improves plant health

This is another of our favorites when it comes to simplifying a grow operation. With just two-parts, it’s very easy and straightforward to use and doesn’t have the complicated feeding schedule of some hydroponics nutrient systems. This nutrient is also chelated, which means it can be absorbed by your plants better than any other nutrient!

Fox Farm Bush Doctor Boomerang Hydrofarm Fertilizer - $60.37

Helps stressed plants Can save a bad grow Simple to use

So what if you’ve tried it out, and your plants aren’t looking the best. They won’t grow the way you want, they aren’t appearing to be in the best health - it just isn’t going well. Try this special microbial fertilizer to repair and restore damaged root systems and stressed plants. Just add it to your hydroponics and let the specially designed nutrient go to work encouraging new root growth and vegetative growth.

Conclusion

Whether your cannabis is in your backyard or that one closet nobody ever looks in, a home grow can be both fun and rewarding when it goes well. Always read up on your particular cannabis plant and its needs before changing the chemistry in its growing medium. These awesome nutrients will help you grow the biggest and best plants you’ve ever seen!

Author bio:

Nick Branson is a writer and longtime smoker with a passion for science and education. His hope is to destigmatize the use of marijuana, both medicinally and recreationally.