By Adam Parsons Reviewed by: Mr José


What is guano?

Bats are very social creatures. These adorable little mammals form large colonies that share the same cave for generation after generation. Over the centuries, dunes of excrement build up on the floor of the roost cave, becoming compost. What results is guano, called “wanu” by the ancient South American Quechuans.

Guano is a plant superfood that is rich in the three essential plant nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Nitrogen ensures vigorous and verdant growth during the vegetative cycle. Phosphorus supports healthy flowering and root growth. Potassium ensures sturdy trunks and branches. Guano also contains a complete range of micronutrients for overall healthy plant development.

The diet of the particular bat species can alter the nutrient profile of the guano. Insect-eating bats produce a guano that has a high nitrogen content. This makes it ideal for fertilising during the vegetative phase. Fruit-eating bats produce a guano that has a high phosphorus content. This is best for use during the flowering phase when cannabis has a higher demand for phosphorus.

Brands offer nutritional products designed for specific stages of the growing cycle. For example, some companies offer powdered products with an NPK value of 8-1-1 or 7-3-1. These formulas contain higher levels of nitrogen, which helps to fuel leafy growth during the vegetative phase. Other products are focused on feeding plants during the flowering phase. These formulas typically contain NPK values of 0-10-0 and 0-12-0, as cannabis plants require higher levels of phosphorus to form healthier and bigger buds. 

RQS Bat Guano: A Natural Source of Phosphorus

Bat guano fertiliser is a natural source of phosphorus and organic matter that feeds flowering plants and the soil simultaneously. The nutrient profile of this product varies slightly from batch to batch, but every 500g pouch contains a minimum NPK value of 1:10:1. This quantity of key macronutrients helps flowering cannabis plants to thrive by boosting their rate of development, optimising flower formation, and facilitating photosynthesis.

What Macronutrients Are Found in Bat Guano?

Cannabis plants require access to an array of nutrients to reach their full potential. Aside from macronutrients, they also depend on several micronutrients to survive and thrive. Although they need these substances in smaller amounts, they are no less important. Micronutrients enable cannabis plants to carry out important physiological functions, from cell wall building to photosynthesis. Explore the benefits of some of the micronutrients found in bat guano:

Boron (B)

This element contributes toward cell wall formation, the integrity of cell membranes, and the movement of sugars to the growing parts of plants.

Calcium (Ca)

As an essential plant element, calcium plays a key structural role by assisting in the development of cell walls and membranes. The element also plays a role in the response to biotic stress caused by pathogenic viruses, bacteria, and fungi.

Iron (Fe)

Iron contributes toward the production of chlorophyll, the green pigment involved in the conversion of light to sugar.

Manganese (Mn)

This brittle metal plays a role in several biological systems in plants, including photosynthesis, nitrogen use, respiration, and root cell health.

Sulphur (S) and zinc (Zn)

These key micronutrients play a vital role in protein building, as well as the creation and activation of important enzymes.

Magnesium (Mg)

Magnesium sits at the heart of the chlorophyll molecule. Without this metal, plants wouldn’t have the machinery to conduct photosynthesis.

Guano is ideal as an organic soil amendment, either dug-in around the plant or watered-in as a tea. It makes an ideal backbone to any soil recipe, and has the unique characteristic of never burning plants, unlike most nutrients. Fruits and vegetables grown with guano are more flavoursome and resistant to disease. It is the same with cannabis. Guano will “mango” or sweeten the bouquet and flavour of buds when dry.

How quickly does bat guano work?

Bat guano doesn’t work instantly. As it’s a natural source of phosphorus and rich in organic matter, soil microbes must first break down this substance to make phosphorus molecules available to plant roots. After adding bat guano fertiliser to your soil, it takes around two weeks for bacteria and fungi to do their thing and strip it down.

However, this slow-release mechanism benefits plants in more ways than one. By feeding the soil, you’ll improve the quality of the microbial life within, which has a knock-on effect on plant health. Second, a slow but steady flow of phosphorus feeds plants in a balanced way over time, erasing the risk of nutrient burn and toxicity.

If you’re seeing signs of phosphorus deficiency, you’ll want to get your plants fed as fast as possible. Thankfully, you can apply enzymes alongside bat guano as a catalyst to speed up the process. Liquid enzyme formulas will quicken the release and allow your deprived plants quicker access to this vital nutrient.

How to use guano:

1. As an organic soil mix with bone meal and chicken manure

Use guano as part of an organic soil mix from the start. Along with bone meal, chicken manure, feather meal, and rock dust, guano provides a broad spectrum of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals for the cannabis plant. Try this recipe for bountiful cannabis growth.

As an organic soil mix with bone meal and chicken manure

2. Watered-in as a tea

Probably the most convenient way of adding guano to your garden. Here’s a recipe:

  • Use 1 tablespoon of guano per litre of water
  • Use warm water, not hot! You will kill the microorganisms
  • Stir the water as you add the guano
  • Leave to rest overnight
  • Use once per week to guarantee lush growth
  • Try to use chlorine-free water for this recipe. You can either use distilled water or simply boil some tap water for 15 minutes and then allow it to cool. You can also make a bat guano tea bag to help the nutrients leach out into the solution. Wrap your bat guano in a ball of cheesecloth and seal with an elastic band. Use a stick to keep it pinned down to the bottom of the container overnight.
Watered-in as a tea

3. Applied directly as a soil amendment

Add guano to the soil for a boost in plant performance. Here’s how:

  • Dig it in (under the mulch) so that it activates properly
  • It will dry, clump, and not work as effectively if only sprinkled on the surface
  • Water-in well
Applied directly as a soil amendment

4. Apply as a compost tea

You can use bat guano to make a more nutritionally charged compost tea. To make this nourishing elixir, you’ll need:

  • Large bucket
  • Air stone
  • 5 litres non-chlorinated water
  • 65g fully finished compost
  • 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
  • 5 tablespoons bat guano
Apply as a compost tea

Add all of the ingredients into the bucket and stir thoroughly. Turn on the air stone and let it aerate the solution for 48 hours. During this time, aerobic beneficial microbes will colonise the sugars in the nutrient-rich mixture. Dilute 1 part compost tea to 10 parts water and apply it as a foliar spray or soil drench to supercharge the soil food web and enhance flower production.

Why is guano good for cannabis?

The savvy contemporary cannabis consumer is learning to demand high-quality, organic marijuana. Guano is one way of achieving world-class quality when growing organically indoors or outdoors.

The benefits of guano for plant growth are numerous:

  • It improves soil texture. If the soil is too loose, guano will bind it better and increase water retention. If the soil is too dense, guano will loosen the texture and let water penetrate more efficiently.
  • Bioremediation. Guano can help flush toxic elements from the soil while protecting the roots microbially and continuing to feed the affected plant.
  • It encourages healthy decomposition of exhausted material. Adding guano to compost speeds up the composting process and improves friability.
  • It is a slow-release fertiliser. Guano will provide nutrients for most of the life of your plant.
  • It is a pH-adjuster, buffering the pH of the root system.
  • It controls nematodes and is a natural fungicide against chitin (from insect shells).
  • It keeps soil friable and acts as a soil conditioner. Guano adds beneficial enzymes and microflora for continuous soil health.
  • When combined with other additives like worm castings and various meals, guano helps create thriving colonies of root fauna.
  • Used as a dilute spray, guano can help provide plants with fungal protection.
  • Creates a bold and long-lasting terpene profile during the flowering phase.

  • High phosphorus levels induce heavy flowering and thicker branches that support the weight of heavy buds.
  • Valuable micronutrients and organic matter benefit cannabis plants and the soil throughout the entire growing cycle.
  • Because different bat guano fertilisers possess varying NPK values, growers can mix different products to create unique macronutrient ratios.

Things To Avoid When Using Bat Guano

While bat guano works wonders to boost soil health and enhance flowering, you need to keep the following points in mind when using bat guano for weed:

  • Bat guano can damage lung health and cause diseases such as histoplasmosis in those with compromised immune systems. Always wear a mask when mixing it into water.
  • Use your bat guano preparations immediately. Leaving them to sit will lead to the growth of bad bacteria.
  • Keep your bat guano powder out of direct sunlight and off cold floors.

Guano has a long history

Guano has a long and interesting history as one of the most prized fertilisers in the world. Since well before the arrival of Europeans, guano was a revered fertiliser by the Incas and older South American cultures. It was so important that Incan rulers divided the guano-bearing islands among the provinces. How much could be mined and when were strictly regulated.

Between 1806 and 1841, guano caused astonishment and trepidation in European and new-American farmers. This horticultural curiosity caused such huge and healthy plant growth that it was feared the soil may be depleted irreparably. Within a few years though, it was in great demand by every farmer in the world.

Two million tonnes were imported by Britain from 1840 onwards, and the government of the United States made it a matter of agricultural necessity. During his tenure, President Fillmore said “Guano has become so desirable an article to agricultural interests in the US that it is the duty of the Government to employ all means properly in its power for the purpose of causing this article to be imported into the country at a reasonable price".

Massive fortunes have been won and lost over the centuries from guano mines. In the mid to late-nineteenth century, it caused a mania not unlike the California gold rush. Over a forty-year period, Peru exported over twenty million tonnes of guano around the world for a profit of two billion dollars.

Rich in essential macro and micronutrients, bat guano is an organic superfood that will delight the contemporary cannabis grower. For naturally flourishing plants, guano is an unbeatable addition to any organic grow, both indoors or outdoors.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: