The Best Store-Bought Fertilizer for Outdoor Cannabis Grow
Growing lush, healthy cannabis plants outdoors requires providing the right nutrients at the right time. With the long outdoor grow season, finding an effective store-bought fertilizer is crucial for supporting vigorous growth and maximum yields. This guide will compare the top ready-made fertilizer options for outdoor cannabis.

Outdoor marijuana plants have higher nutritional needs than indoor crops. The natural environment brings growth challenges like compacted or nutrient-poor soil, drought stress, pests, and diseases. Store-bought fertilizers provide a convenient way to deliver complete, balanced nutrition.

Key factors that make fertilizer important for outdoor cannabis include:

• Extended growth cycles needing a steady nutrient supply over months
• Larger root zones requiring nutrients that are accessible but won’t easily leach away
• Environmental stresses creating extra demand for nutrients
• The inability to precisely control growing conditions and nutrient delivery like indoors

Choosing the right commercial fertilizer tailored to the unique needs of cannabis prevents nutrient deficiencies that can limit yield and potency.

Comparing Types of Store-Bought Fertilizers

The top categories of ready-made fertilizers for outdoor marijuana growing include

All-Purpose Granular Fertilizers

Examples: Espoma Garden Tone, Jobe’s Organic Granular Fertilizer, Dr. Earth Flower Girl

Pros Simple to apply provide balanced nutrition release nutrients slowly

Cons Can leach away quickly outdoors. less customizable for cannabis-specific needs

Marijuana-Specific Liquid Nutrients

Examples: Advanced Nutrients, FoxFarm, General Hydroponics, Humboldt Nutrients

Pros: Tailored nutritional ratios for cannabis, control over nutrient levels, fast root uptake

Cons: Require mixing, more labor-intensive than granular options

Organic Dry Amendments

Examples: Down to Earth Bio-Live, Dr. Earth Dry Fertilizers, Espoma Organic Fertilizers

Pros: Release nutrition slowly, boost soil life, environmentally friendly

Cons: Slower to amend deficiencies, less precise nutrient levels

Compost and Manures

Examples: Homemade compost, chicken manure, cow manure, worm castings

Pros: Improve soil structure and nutrition, affordable, easy to source

Cons: Varying nutrient levels, slower release, odor issues with fresh manures

Tips for Picking the Best Fertilizer for Outdoor Cannabis

With many quality options available, keep these key tips in mind:

• Match nutrients to soil – Test soil to determine amendments needed, then select appropriate fertilizer.

• Consider labor requirements – Liquid fertilizers involve more frequent mixing/applications versus set-and-forget granular types.

• Factor in watering practices – Frequent deep watering allows fast-absorbing liquid nutrients, while less frequent irrigation favors granular options.

• Account for environmental stresses – Intense sun, high winds, pests, and drought create higher nutritional needs.

• Adjust formulations over time – Switch to bloom-boosting fertilizers as plants transition into flowering.

• Avoid excessive nitrogen – Too much N can inhibit flowering and reduce potency in mature plants.

Starting with a balanced all-purpose fertilizer and tweaking your regimen based on plant responses will provide sufficient nutrition without complications.

Recommended Store-Bought Fertilizers for Outdoor Cannabis

Here are some excellent well-rounded store-bought fertilizer options:

• FoxFarm Happy Frog Fruit and Flower Fertilizer – Balanced granular formula for growth through flowering.

• Dr. Earth Flower Girl Bud & Bloom Booster – Organic dry fertilizer to stimulate flowering and ripening.

• Advanced Nutrients Sensi Grow – Liquid marijuana-specific fertilizer for vigorous vegetative growth.

• Roots Organics Buddha Grow – Organic dry amendment for slow-release nutrition and microbiology.

• Down to Earth Bio-Live – Broad-spectrum organic dry fertilizer with balanced macronutrients.

• Espoma Tomato-Tone – Granular fertilizer ideal for vegetables and cannabis.

Finding the right balance of convenience, performance, and cost will provide steady nourishment to maximize your outdoor marijuana harvest.

Using Liquid Nutrient Systems for Large-Scale Outdoor Grows

While granular fertilizers are simpler for most small-scale outdoor grows, liquid nutrients offer convenience and control for large commercial operations.

Many marijuana-specific liquid systems like Advanced Nutrients, General Hydroponics Flora Series, FoxFarm, and Humboldt Nutrients work excellent outdoors.

Benefits of liquid nutrients include:

• Ability to precisely adjust formulations for each growth stage
• Complete control over nutrient levels
• Rapid uptake through roots and leaves
• Customizable delivery via irrigation systems
• Options for foliar feeding to quickly correct deficiencies

With liquid systems, use meters to monitor pH and EC of feed solutions. Start at lower doses and increase gradually based on plant responses to prevent burning.

Timing Fertilizer Applications for Optimal Results

Properly timing fertilizer applications prevents wasting nutrients and avoids plant damage:

• Amend native soil 1-2 weeks before planting with a balanced slow-release granular fertilizer.

• Begin light liquid fertilizer feeds after sprouts/transplants establish roots and show initial vigorous growth.

• Maintain fertilizer applications every 1-2 weeks early in the season as plants actively vegetate.

• Transition to bloom-boosting formulations once pistils emerge.

• Taper off fertilizer in later flowering since maturing plants need less.

• Stop fertilizing 1-2 weeks before planned harvest date to allow proper flushing.

Always water fertilizers into the soil promptly to minimize leaf burning. Liquid feeds directly to the soil are ideal.

Fertilizing Container-Grown Cannabis Outdoors

For marijuana grown in containers outdoors, store-bought fertilizers provide steady nutrition through the long season.

Use soilless potting mixes like FoxFarm Happy Frog or Roots Organics that offer light base nutrition.

Add slow-release granular fertilizer like Dr. Earth Life or Espoma Plant-tone at planting.

Feed with half-strength liquid fertilizer every 1-2 weeks to maintain optimal nutrition over months of growth.

Increase bloom booster doses once flowering initiates.

Flush pots thoroughly with plain water 2 weeks before harvest.

Vigilant fertilization prevents containers from becoming nutritionally depleted over time. Monitor for any deficiency signs.

Enhancing Native Soil for In-Ground Plants

For in-ground planting, enhancing native soil quality sets up plants for success:

• Send soil samples to a lab 2-3 months pre-planting to allow time for amending based on results.

• Address issues like extreme pH, poor drainage, or lack of nutrients/organic matter.

• Spread balanced all-purpose organic fertilizer over planting beds and till into the top 6 inches of soil.

• Continue supplementing with liquid feeds to quickly correct deficiencies as they emerge.

With poor soil, grow in raised beds with imported quality topsoil boosted with amendments.

An Example Outdoor Cannabis Fertilizer Schedule

Here is one effective sample outdoor feeding schedule using store-bought nutrients:

• 2 weeks pre-planting – Spread 1 lb per 10 sq ft balanced organic granular fertilizer and till into soil

• Transplanting – Mix compost into planting holes

• Vegetative stage – 1⁄2 strength liquid grow fertilizer every 2 weeks

• Early flowering – Transition to 1⁄2 strength bloom fertilizer

• Mid-flowering – Increase bloom booster to 3⁄4 strength

• Late flowering – Reduce to 1⁄4 strength bloom fertilizer

• 2 weeks pre-harvest – Flush soil by watering thoroughly with plain water

Always adjust quantities and timing based on plant vigor, soil needs, and environmental factors. More stressful conditions create higher fertilizer demand.

The Key Takeaway

Choosing the right store-bought fertilizers for your specific growing conditions, watering practices, and soil characteristics is vital for a rewarding outdoor cannabis harvest. With so many excellent ready-made options available, you can easily create a custom nutrient program to maximize the genetic potential of your marijuana strain. Pay close attention to plant signals and adapt your fertilizer accordingly.Providing marijuana plants with a balanced feeding schedule tailored to their growth stage and environment is crucial to ensuring vigorous vegetative growth and abundant flowering outdoors. With the right store-bought fertilizer, you can conveniently nourish your outdoor cannabis crop to yield its highest quality and quantity.