Growing Cannabis Organically

Free the tree content
Organic Growing – Everything you need to grow cannabis organically thumbnail

A guide to help you make your own organic soils, nutrient supplements and more

Hey there and welcome (back) to Free the Tree ! 
In this article we are going to go over what you will need to grow cannabis organically. From soil mixes to teas and foliar sprays, passing by disease and pest control to watering schedules and fermentations, super exiting stuff!

 

Before we get into all that we want to thank our fellow grower Loudigity0 for sharing this content, don’t hesitate to give him a shout-out on his Instagram account, he’s got some noiiice pictures and shares some great tips (you can also check us out @freethetreeorg)

 

Now let’s get into it 🙂 as always, here’s a table of content if you want to get straight to a specific section

Growing Cannabis Organically - Table of content

Organic soils

Teas, Sprays & Fermentation

Disease and Pest Control

Composting

Organic Watering Schedules

Sidenote : An article than can be useful to have while reviewing this one is the overview of organic nutrients where you will find the description of many nutrients used here

Organic Soils

In this section we are going to cover different organic soil mixes that you can make or purchase.

We will cover :

Clackamas Coots’ Soil Mix

Soil mix :

  • 1 part premium worm castings
  • 1 part sphagnum peat moss
  • 1 part aeration – pumice

Per cubic foot of soil mix add:

  • 1⁄2 to 1 cup neem and karanja cake
  • 1 cup kelp meal
  • 1 cup malted barley flour
  • 1⁄2 cup gypsum
Apply Red Wigglers at beginning. Apply mulch layer to top of barley straw and cover crop blend

Build-A-Soil Soil Mix

Soil mix :

  • 1 part compost or 1⁄2 compost & 1⁄2 castings
  • 1 part sphagnum peat moss
  • 1 part aeration (any of pumice, rice hulls, perlite, etc.)

Per cubic foot of soil mix add:

  • 1⁄2 cup kelp meal
  • 1⁄2 cup crustacean meal
  • 1⁄2 cup neem and karanja cake
  • 2 cups basalt
  • 1 cup gypsum
  • 1 cup oyster shell flour
  • 1⁄2 cup fish bone meal
  • 1⁄2 cup malted barley flour

KIS Organics Soil Mix

Soil mix :

  • 17% high quality compost or castings
  • 50% sphagnum peat moss
  • 33% aeration

Per cubic foot of soil mix add:

  • 1⁄2 cup kelp meal
  • 1⁄2 cup neem and karanja cake
  • 1⁄2 cup crustacean meal
  • 4 cups mineral mix : 1 part glacial rock dust, 1 part gypsum, 1 part basalt, 1 part oyster shell flou

Kyle’s Soil Mix

Soil mix :

  • 1 part compost : Leaf, horse compost and castings
  • 1 part sphagnum peat moss
  • 1 part aeration : Pumice, rice hulls, buckwheat

Per cubic foot of soil mix add:

  • 1 cup neem and karanja cake
  • 1 cup kelp meal
  • 1 cup crustacean meal
  • 1 cup glacial rock dust
  • 1 cup gypsum
  • 1 cup oyster shell flour
  • 1 cup basalt

Brownguy420 Soil Mix

Soil mix :

  • 20% castings
  • 20% forest humus
  • 30% sphagnum peat moss
  • 30% aeration (any of pumice, rice hulls, perlite, etc.)

Per cubic foot of soil mix add:

  • 1 cup neem and karanja cake
  • 1 cup kelp meal
  • 1 cup crab meal
  • 4.5 cups glacial rock dust
  • 1⁄2 cup gypsum

Can't find your answer?

Send us your question

CONTACT GROWERS
Can't find your answer?

Contribute to our knowledge base

Submit articles, videos or tips to enrich our library

Make a contribution
Contribute to our knowledge base

Organic Teas and Foliar Sprays

In this section we are going to cover different organic teas and foliar sprays you can make when needed.

We will cover:

Kelp/Alfalfa Tea

Recipe #1

  • 5 gallons dechlorinated water
  • 1⁄2 cup alfalfa meal
  • 1⁄4 cup kelp meal
  • Aerate 24-36 hours

Recipe #2

  • 1 gallon dechlorinated water
  • 2 tbsp alfalfa meal
  • 1 tbsp kelp meal
  • 3 tbs castings
  • 1 tsp unsulphured molasses
  • Aerate 24-36 hours

Recipe #3

  • 5 gallons dechlorinated water
  • 1 cup alfalfa meal
  • 1⁄2 cup kelp meal
  • 2 cups castings
  • 2 tbsp unsulphured molasses
  • Aerate 24-36 hours

Recipe #4

  • 5 gallons dechlorinated water
  • 1 cup alfalfa meal
  • 1⁄2 kelp meal
  • Aerate for 24-36 hours

Recipe #5

  • 4 gallons dechlorinated water
  • 1 cup alfalfa meal
  • 1⁄2 cup kelp meal
  • Aerate 24-36 hours : Add 1⁄2 cup aloe juice, a 1⁄2 cup coconut water, and 5oz of fulvic acid at end of brewing
  •  

Foliar Alfalfa Tea

Start with the following dry mix :

  • 1⁄3 cup alfalfa meal
  • 1⁄3 cup castings
  • 1⁄3 cup kelp meal
  • 1 tsp rock dust

Add 1 tsp dry mix into 1⁄2 gallon (2L) dechlorinated water and add:

  • 1⁄2 tsp fulvic
  • 1⁄2 tsp unsulphured molasses

After that aerate for 24 hours, strain it and it’s good to go!

Vegetation Tea

Recipe #1

  • 5 gallons dechlorinated water
  • 1 cup castings
  • 1⁄4 cup kelp meal
  • 1⁄4 cup fish hydrolysate
  • 2 tbsp unsulphured molasses
  • 1 tbsp soft rock phosphate
  • 1⁄2 tsp humic acid
  • Aerate 24-36 hours

Recipe #2

  • 5 gallons dechlorinated water

Dry mix with:

  • 1⁄3 cup castings
  • 1⁄3 cup seabird guano
  • 1⁄3 cup bat guano
  • 5 tbsp liquid seaweed
  • 5 tbsp unsulphured molasses

Mix at 1 cup to 5 gallons of dechlorinated water

Aerate 24-36 hours and it’s good to go!

Ultimate Compost Tea

  • 5 gallons dechlorinated water
  • 1⁄4 cup castings
  • 1⁄4 cup fungally dominant compost
  • 1⁄4 cup garden soil
  • 1⁄4 cup forest soil
  • 3 tbsp rock dust
  • 1.5 oz unsulphured molasses
  • 1 oz kelp meal
  • 1 oz humic acid
  • 1 oz fish hydrolysate
  • Aerate 24-36 hours

Malted Barley Teas

Recipe #1

  • 1 gallon dechlorinated water
  • 3 tbsp malted barley flour
  • 1 tbsp fulvic acid
  • 1 tbsp humic acid
  • Aerate 8-12 hours

Recipe #2

  • 5 gallons dechlorinated water
  • 2 cups malted barley flour
  • 2 tbsp fulvic acid
  • 2 tbsp humic acid
  • Aerate 8-12 hours

Recipe #3

  • 5 gallons dechlorinated water
  • Soak 1-2 cups barley seeds in water for 8 hours. Drain and rinse seeds. Germinate
  • via sprouting tray or “jar method”. Rinse in Am and PM until tap roots are as long as seeds (~2-
  • 3 days)
  • Puree in blender and add to 5 gallons dechlorinated water
  •  

Recipe #4

  • 3 gallons dechlorinated water
  • 2 cups malted barley flour
  • 1 cup kelp meal
  • Aerate 24 hours
  • Strain and add:
  • 1 tsp aloe flakes
  • 1 tsp coconut water
  • 1⁄2 tsp fulvic acid

Elaine Ingham’s Teas

Recipe #1

  • 25 gallons dechlorinated water
  • 5 lbs compost
  • 1⁄2 cup kelp meal
  • 1 cup steel cut oats
  • 2 tbsp humic acid
  • 2 tbsp fish hydrolysate
  • Aerate 24-36 hours

Recipe #2

  • 5 gallons water
  • 1 lb compost
  • 25ml kelp meal
  • 50ml steel cut oats
  • 6ml humic acid
  • 6ml fish hydrolysate
  • Aerate 24-36 hours

Flower Tea

  • 5 gallons dechlorinated water

Dry mix composed of:

  • 2⁄3 cup seabird guano
  • 2⁄3 cup bat guano
  • 2⁄3 cup castings
  • 5 tbsp liquid seaweed
  • 5 tbsp unsulphured molasses

Then

  • Mix at 2 cups to 5 gallons dechlorinated water
  • Aerate 24-36 hours

Aloe Flakes Spray

  • 1 gallon dechlorinated water
  • 1⁄8 tsp aloe flakes
  • Blend with fork and glass of dechlorinated water before adding to mixture.
    Upon adding to mixture, let sit for ~10 minutes to fully integrate into reservoir.

Epsom Salt Solution

Foliar spray

  • 1 tbsp per gallon dechlorinated water
  • Spray every 2 weeks

Root Soak

  • 2 tbsp per gallon of dechlorinated water
  • Use once per month

Nutrients provided:

This solution is a good way to provide magnesium and/or sulphur

Grass Clippings Tea

  • Fill container 2⁄3 up with fresh grass clippings and cover with dechlorinated water then let sit for 72 hours
  • Stir at least once per day, more often will produce better results
  • Strain into a new container

Foliar spray

  • Dilute at 1:6 ratio with dechlorinated water High nitrogen values associated with this tea

Root Soak

  • Dilute at 1:4 ratio with dechlorinated water

Nutrients provided:

This solution is a good way to provide nitrogen

Harvard Fungal Compost Tea

  • 15 gallons dechlorinated water
  • 4 lbs fungally dominated compost
  • 4 oz kelp flour
  • 4 oz humic acid
  • 1⁄2 cap vegetable oil
  • 1⁄2 cup ground oatmeal
  • Aerate 24-36 hours

Harvard Fungal Compost Tea - Version 2

  • 5 gallons dechlorinated water
  • 2 lbs fungally dominant compost
  • 1 oz kelp flour
  • 2 oz humic acid
  • 2 tsp yucca extract
  • 2 tbsp ground oatmeal
  • Aerate 24-36 hours

Contribute to the shared knowledge base

Share your personal tips, experiences, videos to help the community

MAKE A CONTRIBUTION
Contribute to the shared knowledge base

Balanced Tea

Recipe #1

  • 5 gallons dechlorinated water
  • 1 lb compost
  • 1 lb fungally dominant compost
  • 1.6 oz humic acid
  • 1 oz kelp flour
  • 1 oz unsulphured molasses
  • Aerate 24-36 hours

Recipe #2

  • 5 gallons dechlorinated water
  • 1 lb castings
  • 1 lb fungally dominant compost
  • 1 tbsp steel cut oats
  • 1 tbsp insect frass
  • 1 oz unsulphured molasses
  • 1 tbsp kelp flour
  • 1 tbsp alfalfa meal
  • 2 tsp yucca extract
  • 2 oz malted barley flour
  • Aerate 24-36 hours

Bokashi Pro-Gro Tea

  •  1 gallon dechlorinated water
  • 1⁄4 cup Bokashi Pro-Gro
  • 2 tbsp unsulphured molasses
  • Mix well and leave partly covered for 36-72 hours (until mild brewing aroma can be detected)

For soil soaking, water every 2 weeks.

For foliar feeding, dilute at 1:1 with dechlorinated water and spray every 2 weeks during the vegetation stage

Microbe Organics Nutrient Cycling Tea

  • 5 gallons dechlorinated water
  • 2 cups castings or compost (2.38% max volume)
  • 3 oz unsulphured molasses (0.75% max volume)
  • 1⁄4 cup kelp meal (0.25% max volume)
  • 1 tbsp fish hydrolysate (0.063% max volume)
  • 1 tbsp soft rock phosphate (0.063% max volume)
  • Aerate 24-36 hours covered for 36-72 hours (until mild brewing aroma can be detected)

You can also add 

  • 1 tbsp pyrophyllite clay powder (0.063% max volume)
  • 1⁄4 cup alfalfa meal (0.25% max volume)
  • 1 tsp sphagnum peat moss

Microbe Organics Fungal Tea

  • 5 gallons dechlorinated water
  • 2 cups fungally dominant compost or castings (2.38% max volume)
  • 3 tbsp unsulphured molasses (0.25% max volume)
  • 1⁄4 cup kelp meal (0.25% max volume)
  • 2.5 tbsp fish hydrolysate (0.19% max volume)
  • 1 tbsp soft rock phosphate (0.063% max volume)
  • Aerate 18-24 hours
You can also add
  • 1 tbsp partially decomposed forest litter (0.063% max volume)
  • 1 tbsp local unmanipulated soil (0.063% max volume)

Insect Frass Tea

  • 1 gallon dechlorinated water
  • 2 tbsp insect frass
  • 0.5 oz soluble kelp
  • 1 oz humic acids
  • Aerate 24-36 hours

All Fish Tea

  • 5 gallons dechlorinated water
  • 2 cups fish compost (cultured)
  • 1⁄4 cup fish hydrolysate
  • 1⁄4 cup fish bone meal
  • Aerate 24-36 hours

Can't find what you are looking for?

Tell us how we can help out

Make a request
Can't find what you are looking for?

Can't find your answer?

Send us your question

CONTACT GROWERS
Can't find your answer?

Disease and Pest Control

Now let that we’ve gone over some soils and teas let’s get into organic ways of treating diseases and pests on you cannabis plants.

Neem/Karanja Oil Spray

  • 1 oz oil per gallon of water
  • 1.5g per 1 oz oil to emulsify
  • 1⁄4 cup 200x aloe flakes per gallon to emulsify
  • 5-10 drops essential oils(cinnamon, rosemary, eucalyptus, lemon balm, etc.) per gallon
  • Spray on all surfaces of plant

 

Targeted pests:

Targets and repels harmful insects such as mites, aphids, whiteflies, nematodes, mealybugs, cabbage worms, gnats, moths, cockroaches, flies, termites, mosquitoes, and scale.

Grower note : I (plant lover) have tried this on spidermites without Karanja as i was not able to get my hands on some and it was effective on adults

Neem/Karanja Soil Drench

  • 1 cup karanja cake – 1 cup neem cake
  • Soak in water for 24 hours
  • Add 1⁄8 tbsp 200x aloe flakes per gallon
  • Strain and top dress, then soil drench

 

Targeted pests :

Helps combat and prevent harmful insects such as mites, aphids, whiteflies, nematodes, mealybugs, cabbage worms, gnats, moths, cockroaches, flies, termites, mosquitoes, and scale.

Mint Spray

  • 1 cup tightly packed mint leaves
  • Blend with water
  • Enough to have smooth consistency
  • Add paste to 1 gallon water and soak for no more than 24 hours
  • Strain mixture
  • Add 2 gallons water and 1⁄4 tsp 200x aloe flakes

Targeted pests :

Helps combat and repels harmful insects such as aphids, spiders and most common garden pests.

Immuboost

  • 1 part oregano
  • 1 part turmeric
  • 1 part guava

Ferment these 3 independently

  • Put in container and fill with beer or wine until covered
  • Leave for 12-24 hours
  • Add 1⁄3 part sugar (1L oregano, turmeric and guava = 1/3kg sugar)
  • Ferment for 7-10 day (the longer the better)
  • Add alcohol to arrest fermentation process : Use at least 40% alcohol (80 proof) and use equal parts (1 part mix to 1 part alcohol)
  • Leave for 10 days which will allow extraction process to take place
  • Strain fluid and combine all 3 together
  • Mix at rate of 1 tbsp per gallon
  • Soil drench or foliar spray

This mix promotes global plant health

Ginger-Garlic Extract

  • 1 part ginger
  • 1 part garlic

Ferment these 2 independently

  • Put in container and fill with beer or wine till covered
  • Leave for 12-24 hours
  • Add 1⁄3 part sugar (1L ginger/garlic = 1⁄3 kg sugar)
  • Ferment for 7-10 day (the longer the better)
  • Add alcohol to arrest fermentation process : Use at least 40% alcohol (80 proof) and use equal parts (1 part mix to 1 part alcohol)
  • Leave for 10 days which will allow extraction process to take place
  • Strain fluid and combine both together
  • Mix at rate of 1 tbsp per gallon
  • Soil drench or foliar spray

This mix extract is an Insecticide,  Antibiotic and a preventative application

Compare cannabis products & prices

Make the best choice

CHECK IT OUT
Compare cannabis products & prices

A problem growing your plant ?

We help you with a free diagnostic

Contact a grower
A problem growing your plant ?

Composting

So in the previous sections compost is mentioned a couple times, here are a couple ways to go about making your own compost for cannabis plants.

Vermicomposting

This technique will need time and some space, hard to be done in a city area..

  • 1 yard organic barley straw
  • 12lbs rock dust
  • 2 cuft roughly chopped comfrey
  • 5 cuft pumice (1⁄4” size)

Mix and allow the compost to become thermophilic, when entering back into mesophilic stage add:

  • 3 lbs kelp meal
  • 3 lbs neem cake
  • 1lb alfalfa meal
  • 1 cuft chopped comfrey leaves
  • 1 cuft chopped mint leaves
  • 3 lbs organic fish meal
  • 3 lbs crustacean meal
  • 10-12 lbs red wigglers

Mix and cover with barley straw, 1 year later there will be ~25-28 lbs of worms and lots of castings

 

Fungal Dominant Compost

  • Take a portion of compost and moisten (Not dripping wet)
  • Put in light resistant container
  • Grind up some simple proteins (oatmeal, steel cut oats, bran flour, soybean meal, etc.)
  • Mix in with moist compost
  • Cover partially with lid
  • Store in warm and dark area
  • After approximately 3 days you will begin seeing fungal mycelia
  • Once mycelia appear, compost is ready to be used.
  • Mycelia will die off if compost dries out, process must be started again

Organic Cannabis Watering Schedules

Coming soon

Want updates on new articles, strains and deals ?

Folks we’ll be adding the watering schedules within the next couple days. Let us know how these mixes work for you or if you have your own so that it can be shared with the community !

Until next time, be safe and grow easy

About the author

plant-lover

plant-lover

Plant Lover is Free the Tree's founder and a passionate grower of plants. Mostly from the city, I work on my computer all day so about 4 years ago, on my off time, I started growing to have some more green in my life. I never imagined I would fall in love with botany and discover so much about this plant. Since then I keep learning everyday, meeting new awesome people of our community and which keeps me growing constantly You can always get in touch with me on our Instagram!

RELATED ARTICLES

Articles
A Crash Course on Hemp Flower Lingo
Guides
Autoflowering seeds Guide - What to look out for
Guides
Calcium deficiency - What are the signs? What to do?
Articles
Cannabis - Learn about this plant like none other
Guides
Cannabis Balance Issues during the Vegetative Stage
Articles
Cannabis Nutrients - Macro and Micro Nutrients
Guides
Cannabis Organic Nutrients - How to get rid of Chemical Nutrients
Guides
Companion planting - Which plants to grow with Cannabis
Guides, video
DIY | Making an Automatic Drip Watering System Easy and Cheap
Guides
DIY | Making your SCROG Screen (or Net)
Articles
Ecological benefits of Cannabis - How can Cannabis help ?
Guides
Foliar Feeding - Tips to get the most out of your Spray
Guides
Growth Supplements | What additives are available? Are they good for your plant?
Articles
History of Cannabis - A plant that has grown with Man Kind
Guides
How to make Home Made Hash
Guides, video
How to Make your own Cannabutter (aka Marrakech Butter)
Guides
How to measure the pH level of your watering mix
Guides
How to set up an Indoor Grow Room
Guides
How to Transplant Cannabis successfully - Step by step guide
Guides
How to water your Marijuana plant
Guides
How-to Guide: Germinating Marijuana Seeds
Guides, video
How-To Guide: How to clone Cannabis
Articles, Guides
How-to | Indoor growing "How-to" and DIY Guides
Guides
Humidity and Cannabis - What Humidity Level in the Grow Room
Guides
Light Intensity for Cannabis - Everything you Need to Know
Articles
Male Cannabis plant - How & when to identify the sex, pollen sacs, lifecycle and more
Guides
Marijuana Photo-periods | What are they? How is it important?
Guides
Marijuana Strains : What are the different Strains and Their Characteristics
Guides
Mobile and Immobile Marijuana Nutrients
Guides
Mother Plant Guide - What is it? How to make one?

Contribute to the shared knowledge base

Share your personal tips, experiences, videos to help the community

MAKE A CONTRIBUTION
Contribute to the shared knowledge base