If you’re visited your local hydro shop recently, you’ve probably seen bottles of Sensi Cal Mag Xtra® lining the shelves.
But do you know how you’d use this product to begin with?
Most people will tell you it’s their go-to solution for fixing cannabis plant deficiencies.
And it’s true…
Sensi Cal Mag Xtra is one of the most versatile products on the market today… And can act as a swiss army knife for growers who want to correct nutrient deficiencies that arise in multiple scenarios.
However, because it doesn’t appear in Advanced Nutrients feed charts, many growers often wonder exactly how and when to use it.
In this article, we’ll discuss the in’s and out’s of when to use the popular Sensi Cal Mag Xtra.
But first . . .
What Do We Mean By Cannabis Plant Deficiencies?
When a plant isn’t uptaking the proper ratio of nutrients, evidence of a deficiency becomes visible. And it manifests as the common cannabis leaf problems you’ve probably seen cripple your crops.
Maybe you’ve walked into your grow room, hoping to be greeted by a lush canopy of vibrant, green plants…
Only to be sorely disappointed by the sight of…
- Cannabis leaves turning yellow
- Brown spots on cannabis leaves (necrosis)
- Purpling stems
- Cannabis curling up
If you have, you wouldn’t be the first.
They’re grow room problems even the most experienced growers run into every now and then.
And it’s why they use Sensi Cal Mag Xtra to help their plants recover.
But like we said, this isn’t just a great product for one particular situation.
In fact, you’ll quickly discover the…
6 Times You’ll Be Glad You’ve Got Sensi Cal Mag Xtra® On Hand
So let’s get straight to it.
Here’s exactly how to use Sensi Cal Mag Xtra to support potent, healthy cannabis plants.
1. Use Our pH Perfect® Line… But You’re Still Seeing Cannabis Deficiencies
If you use a full-spectrum, high-quality base nutrient system like our pH Perfect® line, you’re already feeding your plants the cannabis micronutrients they need to thrive.
Because of this, you probably won’t need to use a product like Sensi Cal Mag Xtra to augment those extra micro-elements.
Instead, you’ll want to understand why your nutrients aren’t making it into your plants in the first place…
And THEN use Sensi Cal Mag Xtra as a critical part of your recovery plan.
For example, if you grow in hydroponics, you may stumble into issues like pythium, or root rot.
And when this unfortunate situation presents itself, your plants won’t be shy about showing off the damage.
Root rot prevents nutrient uptake in the plant, causing the signs and symptoms of those unsightly cannabis leaf problems you’ve tried so hard to avoid.
So the first thing you want to do here is deal with the pythium.
And by learning how to fix common root problems, you’ll prevent the nutrient deficiencies from resurfacing as your crop cycle continues.
Once you’ve addressed the underlying issue, you’ll add Sensi Cal Mag Xtra into the equation to help your plants recover.
2. You Grow in a Soilless or Coco Medium
Growing in coco coir or another soilless medium can be a great option for cannabis growers.
However…
Coco is known for locking out cannabis micronutrients like calcium, magnesium, and iron…
And your plants may end up suffering from a buildup in the medium.
In other words, your coco is leeching your micro-elements, preventing the plants from uptaking the nutrients they so desperately need to fulfill their potential.
If this is the case, it’s important that you flush before you bring Sensi Cal Mag Xtra into the picture. After you’ve flushed, our Cal-Mag additive will assist your plants in the recovery process.
3. Your Base Nutrients Lack A Robust Range of Micronutrients
Of course, many generic base nutrients don’t feature the specific ratios of cannabis micronutrients that your plants require for optimal growth.
So if you’ve already bought a base nutrient that wasn’t intended for cannabis, you’re going to want to add Sensi Cal Mag Xtra into your feeding program as a part of the augmentation process.
This way, you can compensate for what your base nutrient lacks, and assist your plants in uptaking all the micronutrients they need to thrive.
4. You’re Using Hot or Charged Soils
If you’re using hot or charged soils, adding Sensi Cal Mag Xtra can make all the difference in the quality of your grow.
First things first though…
When we talk about hot or charged soils, we aren’t talking about grow shop solutions consisting of between three and five weeks of built-in nutrients.
We’re talking about the all-purpose potting mixes you’ll discover at your local hardware stores or garden centers, which typically have nutrient charges that can last up to six months!
Now, as new growers enter our community, it only makes sense that they’d go to the same store they’ve always gone to buy soil.
But a nutrient charge that lasts half a year?
That can be difficult to work with… And can lead to many of the cannabis leaf problems growers typically see from insufficient nutrient uptake.
IF you’ve already started working with one of these generic potting mixes, it’s not always safe to pull the plant out and transfer it to a medium more suitable for cannabis.
So in this scenario, the best option is to work with the situation you’ve got on hand.
Sensi Cal Mag Xtra is like a secret weapon for rounding off the low grade nutrients built into that soil, so you’ve still got a chance to cultivate the satisfying yields you’re after
5. You’re Ready to Optimize Your Vegetative Stage
Here at Advanced Nutrients, one of our favorite ways to use Sensi Cal Mag Xtra is as a foliar spray.
And this is especially true during the vegetative cycle, when your young plants undergo many abiotic (environmental stressors) as they begin to mature.
Here are some common examples of times when your plants might get stressed:
- A young clone, raised in a delicate cloning environment, makes its first entry into a regular grow room
- You’re changing light sources to promote more vigorous vegetative growth
- You’re transplanting your young plants into bigger pots as they grow
During these crucial periods, your plants can use all they help they get to recover from stress, so they can focus their energy on the critical functions that support their maturation.
Otherwise, they may lag a bit in their maturation.
By using Sensi Cal Mag Xtra as a foliar spray, you can help your plants recover from stress much sooner. And not only will you save time, you’ll also save money and electricity.
6. You’re Using Low EC or PPM Water
Finally, the last scenario in which you may find yourself in need of Sensi Cal Mag Xtra is if you’re using low EC or PPM water.
Now sometimes this can mean distilled water, but most of the time we’re referring to reverse osmosis water.
And here’s the thing…
Zero or extremely low PPM sources offer you a major advantage:
They give you complete control of what’s in your water.
So unlike with well water or municipal sources, you typically don’t have to worry about heavy metals or undesirable minerals sneaking into your crop.
However, there’s a flipside to that coin too.
Once all the minerals are stripped away, your water source no longer has a pH buffer.
Now, if you use our pH® Perfect base nutrients, which are designed to assist with issues like this one, you won’t have anything to worry about.
But if you’re relying on a more generic salt-type base nutrient system, then this can become an issue.
Here’s the fix:
Add 0.2 EC of the Sensi Cal Mag Xtra before adding your base nutrient to the mix. This alone can help you avoid the pH swings that lead to common cannabis plant deficiencies.
Sensi Cal Mag Xtra is the Swiss-Army Knife For Cannabis Grows
As you can see, this popular additive can come to the rescue for your crops in multiple different scenarios.
So we always recommend having a bottle on hand to prevent nutrient deficiencies…
And to support a robust garden of happy, thriving plants.
And remember, if you still have questions on how to use Sensi Cal Mag Xtra we’re here to help! You can contact our grower support team 24 hours a day, Monday to Friday. Just call 1-800-640-9605 or email support@advancednutrients.com.
