We can monitor your crops and adjust the fertilizer and irrigation management to achieve the high quality plants that will be necessary in the challenging market ahead. We also provide horticultural advice for routine clients, including recipes for custom fertilizer programs for each growing operation.
For routine testing, media, plant tissue, input fertilizer solution and leachate solution samples are generally used. At least once each year it is recommended that a source water sample be tested to determine if the quality of the water has changed and how it might affect the fertilizer and spray programs. Cannabis plants can thrive or struggle depending on how you design your fertilization programs.
The sampling interval is somewhat determined by how fast the plants will complete a growing cycle. It is best to be able to sample the same group of plants twice and perhaps three times during their growing cycle.
The samples should be taken from the same “management zone” in order to reduce the possibility that different areas of the nursery are maintained differently. This is because this testing is a “cause and effect” type, so it helps to have multiple samples of the same crop to determine how the nursery management program is affecting the potting media and the plants.
Generally sampling intervals are 2, 4 and 6 weeks apart and most container nurseries are on a 2 or 4 week interval.
It is advisable to take samples from different aged crops and then follow them through their growing cycle. The subsequent data from each sampling is then presented on the same spreadsheet so comparisons with the previous tests are easily made. This gives a basic cross section of the nursery and will provide what is happening in different parts of the nursery. This is especially helpful when there are different fertilizer injectors being used in different areas of the nursery.
Having a firm understanding of what is going into your growing system and what is coming out of your system is one of the most powerful and practical, yet often overlooked tools that can be used to achieve a healthy harvest. With this knowledge you can diagnose, treat and understand plant health issues often days before plant symptoms arrive. You can also fine tune your water and nutrient management to be as economically and ecologically responsible as possible.
The number of samples and the tests that will be run on them determines the fees. Volume discounts are available. A report fee is waived for routine testing clients. Email or phone consultation is also provided without additional fees for routine clients.
Please fill out the form and include the following information with your sample:
424 Airport Boulevard
Watsonville CA 95076
(831) 722-7606
