So, you were told you should be fertilizing with CANNA nutrients. Why? And what does that mean? CANNA is the industry leader in quality fertilizers. They are always on the cutting edge of research and development and share their knowledge and discoveries with curious gardeners looking to better their abilities.

Custom Cadillac Nutrients

While other companies make fertilizers that are compatible with several different mediums, CANNA takes it many steps further. They make substrate-specific fertilizers, to maximize the health and yield of every crop. What I mean by that is, if you want to grow in Soil, Coco, Rockwool, Soil-less, Recirculating Hydro Systems (you get where I’m going) they have a specific fertilizer line. CANNA’s specific fertilizers (in tandem with a good climate) produce some of the best-looking and tasting plants I have ever consumed. But don’t just take my word for it—try CANNA for yourself!

So, how do you garden? Or how would you like to, knowing there’s a way to maximize any system? Let’s go over CANNA’s different fertilizer lines and intended use and figure that out!

Canna CoCo

CANNA’s Coco A & B fertilizer line (a personal favorite of mine) is designed for the gardener growing in Coco mediums. This unique two-part fertilizer is comprised of Coco A and Coco B used in both grow and bloom stages of the plant, making it incredibly easy to use for gardeners at all levels. Performing best with CANNA Coco plant medium, any high-quality washed and buffered Coco medium, such as Botanicare’s CocoGro will produce exceptional results. Its high stability in reservoirs also makes it attractive in drip irrigation systems. Make sure the electrical conductivity (EC) of your Coco medium doesn’t get too high but be prepared to feed with every watering.

CANNA’s pioneering research into Coco and Coco-specific fertilizers also led them to create a more advanced fertilizer and matching substrate. CANNA CoGR is a substrate designed for the expert Coco gardener looking to maximize yield and performance. Comprised of a two-part COGr Vega, a two-part COGr Flores, specific COGr Boards as the growing medium, and a COGr Buffer Agent to buffer the medium this line is intended to push the limits of Coco gardening to its maximum potential.

Canna Bio/Soil

CANNA’s BioCANNA line is designed for the gardener using good old-fashioned tried and true soil. Not only easy to use but also certified for organic gardening BioCANNA is the ideal soil fertilizer. The BioCANNA line consists of a one-part BioVega and a one-part BioFlores. While BioCANNA is intended to be used with CANNA’s Bio Terra Plus potting soil, due to moratoriums from US customs this soil cannot be imported currently. It is, however, compatible with any high-quality potting soil. There are many types and brands of soil available, some of my personal favorites are Happy Frog and Ocean Forest, both from Fox Farm, and Roots Original from Aurora Innovations. I’ve found BioCANNA works best when fertilizing with every other watering and supplementing with beneficial soil microbes, such as Real Growers Recharge.

Canna Terra

CANNA’s Terra fertilizer line is the perfect choice for gardeners favoring soil-less planting mixes. Specifically designed to work well with non-fertilized or pre-fertilized soil-less mixes Terra gets the job done. CANNA recognized the popularity of peat-based potting mixes and saw the need to formulate a specific fertilizer to match. The Terra line consists of a one-part Terra Vega, and a one-part Terra Flores. Designed to perform best with CANNA’s Terra Professional Plus potting mix; however, this line works well with any peat-based planting mix, including Sunshine #4 and, my favorite, PRO-MIX HP.  Highly stable in reservoirs this nutrient performs very well, from the hobby gardener who hand-waters to the greenhouse master gardener who irrigates.

Canna Substrate

CANNA Substra has been developed specifically for the gardener favoring an inert medium where runoff water drains away. There are many types of medium you could use with Substra though my favorite by far is Grodan Rockwool. Be sure to pick the right medium for your style, choose something that doesn’t interact with the nutrient solution (is inert) and remember; the faster the medium dries out, the sooner you have to feed again. This unique line consists of a two-part Substra Vega in addition to a two-part Substra Flores. Unlike many other fertilizer lines, there is a soft water version and hard water version, depending on the EC of your input water. The use of a Cal-Mag supplement is not needed with CANNA Substra, either you already have it with the (hard) water you’re using, or it’s built into the soft water version. If you are dealing with very hard water, I suggest using a reverse osmosis filter to strip unwanted mineral content that could interact with the nutrient solution.

Canna Aqua

CANNA Aqua is for the gardener using an inert medium that recirculates the nutrient solution. Sound like another language? Let me elaborate. These are systems like Ebb and Flow (Flood and Drain), Deep Water Culture (DWC), and Aeroponics just to name a few. To learn more about the variety of hydroponic systems, check out our article on hydroponics. Extremely fast-draining mediums like Clay Pebbles, Rocks, or Growstones are the ideal choice for these recirculating systems. These particular growing methods favor reverse osmosis water and require more attention and adjustment to pH and EC values than other methods. Given the nature of these systems diseases and problems can spread quickly and unnoticed. Don’t let that dissuade you though; despite its drawbacks, recirculating systems can boast incredibly fast-growing plants and large yields when compared to other methods.

Hacking the Code

Now that we’ve gone over the different fertilizer lines CANNA has developed and their intended grow mediums and irrigation techniques, let me highlight a few keynotes.

Fertilizing with CANNA nutrients properly is key to success and maximizing the health and yield of your crops. Using CANNA nutrients with the incorrect medium or growing method leads to poorer yields, nutrient lockout, diseases, slow or stunted growth, and if left uncorrected can ultimately result in the death of your crop.

Some of the more common mistakes growers make using CANNA nutrients involve the incorrect use of BioCANNA products. Remember that BioCANNA is a fertilizer line specifically developed for use in soil. This fertilizer is not intended for use in Coco, and nutrient lockup almost always becomes an issue. A Reddit user posted a thread probing this issue and CANNA was quick to answer and elaborate.

“Just learned that the BioCANNA line is NOT meant for Coco coir. Wish I would [have] learned that when I was asking the guy at the shop and he assured me it would. Organics is not meant for Coco. Here is the letter I received.

Thanks for the question. I am sorry but I cannot help you. Coco, as indicated in our literature, does not work with organic fertilizers. To begin, it is itself not certified Organic. Then organics require the correct kind and number of Exchange Sites to break down, along with the ability to remain in situ for a few days. Coco Exchange sites lock onto individual ions once released but then, due to the delay, come off the coco particle as it degrades and takes the ion out of the mix. Then there is a pH issue that also changes these variables. Additionally, if this were an acceptable medium for organic growing, the additional use of the marine and fish products is going to both overheat the medium and detrimentally change the ratio of many elements. This is partially evident in the Calcium deficiency (leaf rolling) you indicate, just as 1 example. The best option for organics remains our TPP or a well-designed, properly adjusted potting soil derived from peat, or mineral soil adjusted in your garden. Sorry I could not give you a better solution.

Good Luck,

CANNA Research North America”

Am I Doing This Right?

To get the most out of this enhancing product (while making sure your money spent on the product isn’t going to waste), make sure you are applying it as directed. Visit the CANNA gardening Grow Guide page to calculate how often to feed your plants your CANNA products. The page conveniently offers a calculation tool that will take the guesswork out of application methods. It calculates your feeding schedule using the following metrics:

• Type of CANNA product being used
• The size of your tank or grow space
• The type of water being used and its hardness value
• How heavy of a feeding schedule you are on

The calculator will output your recommended dosages in either mL or teaspoons, depending on preference. The guidelines offered based on the site's calculations are thorough and informative. As with all growing advice and recommendations, there are variables to be considered with each grow. CANNA’s disclaimer at the boom of their recommended use guidelines puts it best:

“The guidelines in the table aren‘t an iron-clad law but can help novice growers to develop a sophisticated fertilization strategy. The optimum fertilization strategy is further determined by factors such as temperature, humidity, plant species, root volume, moisture percentage in substrate, water dosage strategy, etc.”

The More You Know, the Better You Grow

Scientists working for CANNA have developed quality fertilizers designed to interact with substrates and systems in proprietary ways to provide the best outcomes possible for your crops. Trust in their research, and use CANNA products in their intended methods. Don’t listen to your friend who swears his stuff is the best around. Listen to science and research and you will discover why CANNA is the preferred nutrient choice for many, from the novice to the professional.