Why do we need to use EC3.0 for the most efficient cannabis cultivation?
Imagine an airplane needs airplane fuel, or an F-1 car needs F-1 grade fuel to run at its 'maximum efficiency'. And the term 'maximum efficiency' is very important in cannabis cultivation because cannabis is akin to an F-1 car in the world of plants.
If comparing the appropriate light intensity for each type, it could be arranged approximately like this:
1. Low level: lettuce, various seedlings
2. Medium level: such as foliage plants, basil
3. High level: flowering plants, various fruit plants such as strawberries, roses
4. Very high level: cannabis, sugarcane
You will see that each type of plant has different needs, divided into clear levels.
Plants that use a lot of energy will require more and more appropriate fertilizer. (Try to imagine if we put unsuitable oil in a motorcycle, the result might just be a stalled engine. But if the wrong type of oil is in a powerful car like an F-1 during a race, the damage is obviously much more significant. The same goes for cannabis).
If during the flowering stage, we grow in a very good environment, with 1200-1800PPFD+ light, supply 1200PPM+ CO2, appropriate DLI, good air circulation, and suitable temperature of 22-25 degrees Celsius, then this is already the F-1 level specifications for plants. What's left is the fertilizer. At this point, if the fertilizer is not good, the plant will quickly show signs of deficiency or excess. And if the fertilizer is good, the plant will grow quickly and be very healthy.
There's a difference between rapid and healthy growth, and what's called 'stretching' in plants. Stretching might occur due to low light or the plant receiving hormones like Gibberellin, which cause the branches and stems to elongate more than usual (this doesn't benefit cannabis cultivation much, but it's beneficial for those who grow vegetables like water spinach, long beans, or grapes).
So, why is EC3.0 important for cannabis? Normally, general fertilizers will only support up to EC2.5, beyond which we start to see burn symptoms on our leaves. That does not mean cannabis can only tolerate up to EC2.5, but rather it's a result of the fertilizer not having the appropriate NPK ratio and various other components. This can cause the plant to receive an excess or deficiency of certain nutrients. Often, leaf tips will burn because of too much nitrogen or N, which usually comes from a single source like ammonium or nitrate that are cheap. If plants receive too much ammonium or nitrate, it can cause leaf burn.
King Whale, we have designed the fertilizer very well. The nitrogen or N in King Whale comes from three types of nitrogen combined: 1. Calcium nitrate, 2. Potassium nitrate, and 3. Sodium nitrate. All three types have very low amounts of ammonium nitrate. This is just one small part that allows King Whale fertilizer to support cultivation at EC3.0 without any problems. The plants will grow and absorb nutrients to the fullest, in a way that you have never seen before, for sure.
And it's not just that. In our experimental grow room, we tested up to an EC level of 4.5, providing fertilizer every day. The plant showed only a slight sign of leaf burn (under 1000 PPFD light), but the quality of the flowers, the density, the trichomes, and the scent were extremely substantial.
The recommended fertilizer formula is to use the 3-part Core, Grow, Bloom in equal proportions of 1:1:1. If you use about 1.1 grams each per 1 liter of water, you'll get EC3.0 exactly. And I would supplement with Aurora (PK) about 0.25-0.5 grams to get an EC of about 3.5. This formula will automatically give a pH of 5.5-6.3 and stay consistent for several months (I'll talk about pH another time).
The phrase 'maximum efficiency' implies that if we can achieve this, we won't need to use any supplementary fertilizers to stimulate root growth, trichomes, or scent whatsoever. The plant will be able to produce to its full potential as per its strain. I guarantee that using good fertilizer will make your cultivation process enjoyable.
