Why Modern Cannabis Plants Need More Nutrition
Cannabis cultivation has changed dramatically in recent years. Advanced growing techniques—like LED lighting, high-performance genetics, and CO₂ enrichment—are pushing plants to grow faster, bigger, and produce more resin than ever before. While these innovations are great for yield and quality, they also come with a crucial challenge: modern cannabis plants need more nutrients to keep up with their accelerated growth.
Many growers still rely on traditional feeding programmes, assuming that what worked a decade ago will continue to give the best results today, but if you’ve ended up here, you’re not one of them. So, what nutrients do cannabis plants need in today’s high-tech growing environments? How do LEDs, new genetics, and advanced techniques change feeding schedules?
In this article, we’ll break down the science behind cannabis nutrition in 2025 and show you how to maximize growth, potency, and yield with the right nutrient strategy.
How Cannabis Cultivation Has Evolved: Bigger Yields, Higher Demands
Over the past decade, cannabis cultivation has become more efficient and productive. But with bigger plants come higher nutrient demands. Let’s look at the key changes shaping the way we feed cannabis today.
The Shift to LED Lighting
For years, growers relied on high-pressure sodium (HPS) lights to fuel cannabis growth. While effective, these lights produced a lot of heat and encouraged stretchier, leafier growth. Now, full-spectrum LEDs are the industry standard—and they’re changing how plants absorb nutrients.
• LEDs increase photosynthesis efficiency, which speeds up nutrient uptake.
• Plants under LEDs need more calcium and magnesium to support faster growth.
• Lower heat levels affect water and nutrient evaporation rates, requiring adjustments to feeding schedules.
CO₂ Enrichment & High-Yield Strains
Modern growers are also using CO₂ supplementation to boost photosynthesis and increase yields. However, faster-growing plants need more nutrients to sustain their development.
• CO₂ increases plant metabolism, which raises demand for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
• New high-performance cannabis strains grow bigger and denser, meaning they extract more nutrients from the soil or hydroponic solution.
Hydroponics & Precision Feeding
Many experienced growers are switching from soil-based grows to hydroponics, aeroponics, or coco coir. These methods give greater control over nutrient delivery but also require precise adjustments to avoid deficiencies.
• Hydroponic cannabis relies entirely on nutrient solutions, making it crucial to provide the right balance.
• Fluctuations in pH and EC levels can impact nutrient absorption.
• Feeding schedules must adapt to strain genetics, lighting conditions, and growth stage.
Understanding Cannabis Plant Nutrients: The Science of Feeding a Supercharged Crop
To grow strong, healthy cannabis plants, you need to provide the right balance of macronutrients and micronutrients. But with today’s faster-growing, higher-yield plants, traditional feeding schedules may no longer be sufficient.
Essential Macronutrients for Cannabis Growth
Cannabis plants rely on three primary macronutrients, also known as N-P-K:
• Nitrogen (N) – Supports leaf and stem growth. Plants under high-intensity LEDs may need higher nitrogen levels during early growth.
• Phosphorus (P) – Essential for root development, flower formation, and terpene synthesis.
• Potassium (K) – Regulates water uptake, enzyme activity, sugar transport, and stress resistance. With CO₂ enrichment, potassium uptake needs to be optimized to sustain rapid growth. New high-yield strains require more potassium to develop dense buds.
Key Micronutrients and Their Role
While macronutrients get most of the attention, micronutrients also play a vital role in modern cannabis nutrition.
• Calcium & Magnesium – Crucial for cell wall strength and photosynthesis. LED-grown plants tend to need higher amounts due to the unique spectrum of light.
• Iron & Zinc – Help with enzyme production and chlorophyll formation. Deficiencies can lead to yellowing leaves and slow growth.
• Silica – Improves cell structure and disease resistance. Many professional growers now add silica supplements to enhance plant strength.
Nutrient Absorption: Why New Techniques Require Adjustments
The way cannabis absorbs nutrients has changed with new technology and growing methods. Factors like LED lighting, hydroponic systems, and high-yield strains require precise adjustments in feeding schedules:
✅ Higher light intensity = faster metabolism → More nutrients needed
✅ Bigger, denser flowers = higher phosphorus & potassium demand
✅ Hydroponic grows = direct nutrient control → No soil buffering
Key takeaway: Modern cannabis cultivation is pushing plants to their limits. To maximize yield and potency, growers need to adjust nutrient levels accordingly.
The Impact of New Growing Techniques on Nutrient Needs
Advancements in cannabis cultivation have changed how plants process and absorb nutrients. Let’s look at three major factors affecting cannabis plant nutrition in 2025.
How LED Lighting Affects Nutrient Uptake
LEDs have replaced HPS and metal halide lamps in many professional grow operations. While they offer energy efficiency and better light spectra, they also require nutrient adjustments:
• Higher photosynthetic efficiency → Plants grow faster and need more calcium & magnesium.
• Lower heat output → Less water evaporation means nutrient concentrations must be fine-tuned.
• More UV and blue light → Increases terpene and cannabinoid production but requires precise phosphorus and potassium levels.
Tip: If switching from HPS to LEDs, consider boosting CalMag supplementation to prevent deficiencies. Also, adding a product with high concentrations of PK is essential to enhance flowering and terpene production, which is why the combination of Bloombastic in the first weeks of flowering and switching to Rokzbastic in the last weeks gives such good results in LED crops.
CO₂ Enrichment and Increased Nutrient Demands
Many experienced growers use CO₂ supplementation to accelerate growth and increase yields. But CO₂-enriched plants consume nutrients faster, leading to increased demand for N-P-K and micronutrients.
• Without enough phosphorus and potassium, CO₂ benefits are wasted.
• CO₂-rich environments require precise pH and EC control for optimal absorption.
• Overfeeding without proper CO₂ levels can lead to nutrient lockout.
Key takeaway: If using CO₂, adjust nutrient concentrations to match accelerated plant metabolism.
Modern Cannabis Genetics: Higher Yields, Higher Feeding Requirements
Cannabis breeding has transformed the industry, creating strains that grow bigger, faster, and more potent. These new genetics demand more nutrients:
• High-yield strains extract more nutrients from the growing medium → Adjust feeding schedules accordingly.
• Some strains have different nutrient preferences → Sativa-leaning strains often require higher nitrogen, while indica-dominant strains need more phosphorus and potassium.
• More resin production = higher demand for magnesium and sulfur to support terpene synthesis.
Key takeaway: Feed based on strain genetics, not just a generic nutrient schedule.
When to Stop Feeding a Cannabis Plant: Adjusting the Nutrient Regime for Maximum Quality
For years, growers believed that flushing—giving plants only water in the final 1–2 weeks—was necessary to improve taste and burn quality. However, recent research suggests that flushing is a myth and that the real key to smooth, flavorful buds lies in proper drying and curing, not starving the plant at the end of its life cycle.
The Truth About Flushing: Why It Doesn’t Improve Taste
Traditional flushing methods assume that excess nutrients in the plant cause a harsh, chemical taste, but here’s why that’s not true:
• Nutrients don’t “wash out” – Once absorbed, they’re used in cellular processes, not stored as raw chemicals.
• Flushing weakens final maturation – Late-stage phosphorus and potassium are critical for terpene and resin production.
• Bad taste comes from improper curing – Harshness is caused by chlorophyll breakdown, not nutrients, which is why curing properly removes undesirable flavors.
What Actually Matters: Nutrient Adjustments & Curing
Instead of flushing, growers should focus on fine-tuning their late-flower feeding strategy and ensuring a proper post-harvest process.
1. How to Adjust Nutrition in Late Flower:
• Reduce nitrogen gradually, but don’t remove it completely—plants still use small amounts for enzyme function and cannabinoid synthesis.
• Keep phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) levels steady to support bud swelling, terpene production, and resin quality.
• Provide beneficial additives like sugars, amino acids, and enzymes to enhance final maturation.
• Monitor electrical conductivity (EC) levels to avoid nutrient buildup rather than abruptly cutting off feeding.
2. What Really Affects Flavor & Smoothness:
• Harvesting at peak ripeness—cutting too early or late impacts cannabinoid and terpene profiles more than nutrient feeding schedules.
• Slow drying (10-14 days at 60-70°F-15-20ºC with 55-65% RH and recurrent ventilation) to preserve terpenes and avoid harshness.
• Proper curing (4 weeks minimum up to 8) to allow chlorophyll and plant byproducts to break down naturally.
Key Takeaway: Instead of starving plants at the end, fine-tune their final nutrient intake and focus on curing properly. That’s the real secret to smooth, flavorful, top-quality buds.
Optimal Feeding for Flowering and Maturation: Atami Recommendations
To get the best results from your cannabis plants in 2025, you need an optimized nutrient plan throughout the entire lifecycle, including the final flowering and maturation stages.
At Atami, we offer high-performance fertilizers designed to support every stage of cannabis cultivation:
• For healthy, fast and vigorous growth you need fertilisers that provide the necessary macro and micronutrients. With B’cuzz’s concentrated mineral base fertilisers, your plants will receive the nutrients they need to thrive.
• To support plant health and resistance, many growers choose to add silicon. Silic Boost is a highly concentrated silicon supplement, directly assimilated by plants and very stable.
• If you grow indoors and with LED lighting, adding a calcium and magnesium supplement is a very good idea. If you grow on coco fibre, take a look at ATA CALMAG, which also contains iron, and if you grow in soil or organic VGN CALMAG is ideal for you: it is certified organic and contains no nitrogen!
• For explosive flowering: Bloombastic and Rokzbastic – Enhances phosphorus and potassium uptake, ensuring dense, resinous flowers.
• For terpene and resin development: ATA NRG Flavor – Enriches sugar levels and aromatic compounds, improving flavor and potency in the final stages.
Don’t let your plants run out of nutrients! If you want a complete feeding regime without getting too complicated, follow our growing guides. You’ll get maximum results in terms of yield and flavour, without thinking too much!
Conclusion: The Future of Cannabis Nutrition in 2025 and Beyond
Cannabis cultivation is evolving fast. New lighting, CO₂ enrichment, and advanced genetics are producing bigger, more resin-rich plants—but with these innovations comes a higher demand for precise nutrition.
Final Takeaways for Growers:
• Modern cannabis grows faster, bigger, and denser → Nutrients must keep up.
• LED lighting and CO₂ require adjustments to calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus levels.
• New genetics have unique feeding requirements → Strain-specific nutrition is key.
• Knowing how to fine-tune their late nutrient strategy and a correct curing process improves quality, flavor, and potency.
To maximise yield, the desired effects and quality, it is important that you keep informed and adapt your feeding strategies. At Atami, we offer you information and solutions tailored to the modern cultivation of cannabis.
Are you ready to take your cultivation to the next level? Try Atami nutrients and you will see the difference in your next harvest. Happy growing!
