PK Booster-The Secret To Dank Buds You’ll Be Proud Of

What Are PK Boosters?

Just like with anything, gardening and cannabis gardening have different terms that you should know. One of those terms is PK Booster (AKA “bloom boosters”-because they help with the flowering cycle) PK boosters are plant nutrients and additives containing mostly Potassium (“K”) and Phosphorus. (” P”) that are essential for assuring a healthy crop.

PK Booster isn’t a brand, it is simply a generic term for extra phosphorus and potassium nutrients that are added to soil to primarily help with flowering plants. It’s different from a general or base nutrient supplement in that a bloom booster, at most, only contains only trace elements of essential micro and macronutrients.

Plant Magic is an example of a base nutrient plant fertiliser.

To be a PK booster all it has to do is is contain phosphorus and potassium nutrients to the growing medium. PK booster is used in both soil and hydroponic gardening and comes in the form of synthetic fertilizer, organic fertilizer, and DIY fertilizer.

Potassium and Phosphorus’ Function

• Phosphorus’s primary function is to maximize the overall quality of flowers and fruits to make them larger, weigh more, and have more potency. Some of the other tasks of Phosphorus are that it helps with seed development, photosynthesis, and promotes the chemical change that cannabis plants undergo
• Potassium’s primary purpose is to help with the overall growth of your cannabis plants. Potassium is responsible for assisting plants in growing healthy roots and making plant stems and branches thicker when flowering. Additionally, potassium additives help cannabis maximize terpene production.

Why Use A PK Booster?

Use a PK Booster For Buds Like This!

There are several reasons for using a PK booster during the flowering phase. One of the main reasons is that it helps speed up the plant flowering stage growth. By adding a bloom boost to the soil, you will be able to improve your overall flower quality, flower size, and increase THC potency.

PK plant nutrients work by fooling your cannabis plants into feeling that it is time to start flowering. As the name implies, added PK would give your plants a “boost” or quicker start into growing cannabis buds. Bud development starting earlier means that the buds will have a longer time to grow and develop. And, when your plants have a longer time to grow your harvest yield will be maximized.

When Should A PK Boost Be Added

PK additives should be applied to healthy plants during the first week for flowering.

Other Uses For PK Booster

PK boosters can be used not only to help promote healthy flowering but can also be used if your plants have a PK deficiency you should apply a bloom booster when you first recognized that you have a phosphorus or potassium deficiency. The following are the signs that are commonly associated with a PK deficiency:

What Are Common Signals That You May Have Either A Phosphorus or Potassium Problem?

The most common symptoms of phosphorus deficiency are the following:

Phosphorus Deficiency

Deficiency signs will most likely first appear on the lowest leaves of a cannabis plant.

The first signals of this deficiency are the following:

• The branches will turn a vibrant red. (Bright red stems alone do not indicate that you have a problem.)
• Leaves will darken and change into a dark blue, dark green, or a grey-like color.
• Leaves may look shiny.

If ignored, the following will happen to your plants.

• Leaves will start getting purple, brown, or bronze spots.
• Leave will thicken and feel stiff and dry.

Potassium Deficiency

First of all, those who grow hydroponically will likely not have to worry about your plants having a potassium deficiency, which the symptoms, like a phosphorus deficiency, show up on plant leaves. The symptoms are the following:

• Yellow or brown colors leaf tips that will curl up and look as if they are burnt
• The plant may seem abnormally taller than the other plants, which is known as stretching. Stretching is bad because it will make a plant’s stems weaker.
• Start seeing brownish dead spots on the leaves.
• If left untreated, the spots will turn white.
• The stems may turn red.

At the final stages of potassium deficiency, the leaves will be smaller, and you may be too late to save your cannabis plant. So, as soon as you find a problem may be present, you need to deal with the situation.

DIY PK Booster

It is quite easy to make your own “DIY” Phosphorus and Potassium booster. A straightforward way to add potassium to your soil is to add banana peels to your mulch pile. Also, you can lightly spread wood ash (light amount-too much can burn plants)into the soil.

This is not technically DIY; Greensand works well as a source of organic potassium and is available at nurseries and Amazon.

Natural PK Booster

To help increase phosphorus levels you can add chicken or fish bones into the soil. All you need to do is chop up the bones in a sturdy blender and mix them into the soil. If you do not want to go through all the trouble of grinding up bones, you should buy bone meal powder.

Recommended Synthetic or Organic PK Booster

The following section concerns commercially made PK fertilizer. This list will not explore the most highly rated boosters on Amazon.

Synthetic boosters are man-made and are derived from petroleum products. Potassium sulfate is one example of synthetic fertilizer. Organic fertilizer is made from a natural material, whose primary substance is a natural substance. You can also purchase organic fertilizer from various companies.

Synthetic

There are numerous types of synthetic fertilizers available. One of the most highly rated and best reviewed is Flower Fuel. Flower fuel contains over 40 ingredients. A container will also last a long time because all you have to do to use it is to add 1/4 tsp to a gallon of water.

Organic

Jobe’s Organics 9626 Bulb Granular Fertilizer is made from a mixture of chicken bones, manure, and sulfate of potash. It is simple to use as all you have to do is stir-in 1 and a 1/2 cups for every 10′ (transplanted plants) or 4′ (seedlings) of soil area for your nutrient solution.

Another highly rated one is BAC PK Booster. Based upon reviews alone. This could be the best on the market.

You may also want to take a look at Canna PK

Final Thoughts

I would recommend that PK booster be used every time for cannabis and not just if you have a P or K deficiency. The choice is yours concerning synthetic or natural boosters. Personally, I don’t have any problem with using store-bought, synthetic fertilizer. If you are into organic gardening there are several PK organic booster options, and Jobe’s Organics 9626, is among the most highly rated on Amazon. Except for adding too much of either nutrient, there is no downside to using PK nutrient additives. So, be sure to follow the directions, and PK booster can be your ticket to healthy flowers and cannabis buds that will be the envy of your friends.

FAQ

What Is a PK Booster?
A PK booster (AKA “Bloom Booster”) is an organic or synthetic fertilizer designed to be used during a plant’s flowering growth state. A true PK booster only contains phosphorus and potassium. On the other hand, a base nutrient fertilizer contains all the micro and macronutrients useful for all plant growth stages. The PK Booster works by activating a change in a plant that “boosts” the plant into the flowering stage quicker, which results in a plant having more time for flower growth. And more time for flowering means bigger and better flowers and fruit.

Are PK Boosters necessary?
No, they aren’t. The PK Booster (AKA “Bloom Booster”) is specifically designed for plant growth’s flowering/fruit stage. Boosters only contain potassium and phosphorus. You will first need a base nutrient fertilizer containing all the nutrients needed for all the plant growth stages for best results. However, even though a PK booster may not be necessary, a booster can help your buds reach their full potential and more when used correctly. But, if misused, a booster can result in overfertilization.

What is the best PK booster?

“Best” is subjective as the best product is what suits your particular needs, which is especially true with PK Boosters. For example, an organic cannabis grower may feel that a non-organic bloom booster is a sacrilege. As a result, this question can only attempt to steer you in the right direction on DIY, organic, and synthetic boosters. 

For a DIY solution, add banana peels (“potassium source”) and bone meal. (“Phosphorus source”). One that is highly used in the cannabis community is Flower Fuel, from Element Nutrients. Finally, canna PK 13/14 is a highly rated synthetic PK booster.