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How Enzymes Help Cannabis Plants Survive And Thrive
Your cannabis plants would perform and provide much less if it wasn't for the action of enzymes. We take a look at what they do and how they benefit your cannabis.
Cannabis growing is an entire world. There are endless numbers of strains to grow and many different ways to grow them. As growers dig deeper into this fascinating domain, they will start to uncover rather unconventional yet effective methods of growing the herb. Many growers are moving away from chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilisers and are starting to embrace more natural means of cultivating cannabis.
Maintaining soil health and building microbial communities is gaining traction within the growing world, resulting in potent, natural, and organic buds. Soil microbes are essential when it comes to plant health; these tiny critters use enzymes to make nutrients available to plants. These enzymes break down organic matter into much smaller molecules that are capable of being absorbed through plant cell walls. Plants obtain the vast majority of essential nutrients from the soil and would go hungry very quickly if it wasn’t for microbes and their enzymatic excretions.
WHAT ARE ENZYMES?
Enzymes are proteins found all throughout nature. They are created by living organisms with the purpose of catalyzing biochemical reactions which involve breaking down larger molecules into smaller ones. These reactions help to break down molecules far faster than they would occur otherwise.
These proteins have complex 3D shapes and feature areas called active sites. The substrate, or molecule that enzymes break down fit into this active site which is where the chemical reaction takes place. Only specific enzymes are capable of breaking down specific substrates, as the substrate fits into the active site much like a key fits into a lock. Factors such as temperature and pH can all affect enzyme action.
Enzymes in the human body include those present in the saliva that help to break down complex carbohydrates into simple sugars such as glucose that are used up more efficiently by the body. Enzymes work similarly within the soil where they break down organic matter into smaller molecules that are more bioavailable to plants.
The microorganisms in the soil secrete enzymes to help them break down large molecules faster and more efficiently. The presence of these tiny critters in your garden cannot be overstated.
A NATURAL GROWING HACK
Enzymes can be used in many different growing methods from soil to hydroponics and aeroponics. The presence of enzymes in the soil is essential to processing nutrients such as nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon into a form that your cannabis plants can use. The more organic matter within the soil, the more microorganisms are present. And more microorganisms means more enzymes.
When growing outdoors in soil that has seen good amounts of healthy compost, chances are that the medium is booming with microorganisms and enzymatic activity. However, when growing indoors in soil or other systems, their numbers may be far less. But fear not, you can still benefit from the power of enzymes. Some growers choose to add these proteins directly into their growing medium, whereas others choose to encourage the growth of microorganisms which will secrete enzymes for them.
Introducing microorganisms such as mycorrhizae fungi, which can be found in plant supplements, into the soil will make nutrients far more accessible to your crop, resulting in faster growth and improved yields.
