What is the best and easiest growing method for starters?

The easiest growing method for inexperienced growers is the CANNA TERRA line. Growing in potting mix (TERRA) is easier than growing in other substrates because you don't have to be very precise in order to get wonderful yield.

What is a substrate?

A substrate is a medium in which roots of plants can grow and which enables the plant to stand up.

Why do I have to use a different nutrient for both the growing period and for the flowering period?

a. The plant needs different proportions of nutrient elements in these different stages of development.

b. The plants acidifies the root environment when it starts to flower. This means the root environment needs different elements.

How do I know when to start giving my plant the flowering nutrient?

As soon as the first signs of flowers appear.

What does A & B mean?

A & B together are the nutrients a plant needs. They are separated into a bottle of A and one of B to make the solutions as concentrated as possible. Always use A and B in equal amounts.

Why are A & B not available in 1 bottle?

If A & B would be together in one bottle much more volume would be needed to dissolve the nutrients. Never mix concentrated A and B together since insoluble nutrients (gypsum) will be formed.

What is the biggest difference between chemical nutrients and biological ORGANIC nutrients?

The biggest difference is their origin, which is the reason why the organic nutrients can be used for organic growing.

  • Biological (organic) nutrients are released slowly.
  • Mineral fertilisers are available from the start.

What is the shelf life of CANNA products?

CANNA nutrients and additives always have a “Best-before” date on the back of the bottle or can. CANNA guarantees that until this date the quality and effect of the product will be optimal. Conditional to the products stored and handled the right way and not opened yet. The date serves as a quality insurance for CANNA products and it guarantees it's freshness. The length of time for each products has been determined by extended testing over the years.

Our products are still safe for usage after their best-before date has passed, however the product might gradually lose it's effect compared to the high standards we have set to it. Note that they will never become toxic for plants, these are not “expiry” dates. However depending on how the products were handled over that period of time, they may become less effective. The way the product changes after it's best-before date all depends on storage and on the working ingredients within the product.

Product Shelf life in years Product Shelf life in years
CANNA Aqua Flores A 3 CANNA Substra Vega A hard water 3
CANNA Aqua Flores B 3 CANNA Substra Vega A soft water 3
CANNA Aqua Vega A 3 CANNA Substra Vega B hard water 3
CANNA Aqua Vega B 3 CANNA Substra Vega B soft water 3
CANNA PK 13/14 5 CANNA Coco A 3
CANNA RHIZOTONIC XP 2 CANNA Coco B 3
CANNA Start 3 CANNA COGr Buffer Agent 3
CANNABOOST Accelerator 3 CANNA COGr Flores A 3
CANNAZYM 3 CANNA COGr Flores B 3
CANNA Terra Flores 3 CANNA COGr Vega A 3
CANNA Terra Vega 3 CANNA COGr Vega B 3
CANNA Substra Flores A hard water 3 BIOCANNA Bio Vega 3
CANNA Substra Flores A soft water 3 BIOCANNA Bio Flores 3
CANNA Substra Flores B hard water 3 BIOCANNA BioRHIZOTONIC 1
CANNA Substra Flores B soft water 3 BIOCANNA BioBOOST 3

I want to try CANNA products can you please send me some samples?

We do not have samples of our products. The smallest size of bottles we have is 0.25 litres. We don't deliver to private individuals. Please contact one of our dealers.

What is the importance of pH measuring?

pH has a great influence on the availability of the different nutrient elements. Therefore be sure the pH is always in the right range. The best availability range in the substrate is from 5.2- up to 6.2.

But CANNA recommends a different range for each type of substrate:

TERRA 5.8 – 6.2
COCO 5.5 – 6.2
Others 5.2 – 6.2

What is EC?

EC means electrical conductivity. EC is a number presenting the total of dissolved salts in the water. They include salts originating from the water and salts that the nutrients added.

On your website/label you advice to use PK 13/14 one week while a shop recommended me to use it more weeks?

We recommend to use PK 13/14 always for one week! CANNA feeding already contains a certain amount of P and K. When the plant is in a certain stage of the flowering stage we can't increase the feed for the plant any more, so we change the PK-ratio by adding PK 13/14 for one week.

Which bacteria will Trichoderma kill?

Trichoderma (a fungus family) do not kill bacteria. Most Trichoderma protect the plant against harmful fungi. This is because they eat other fungi. They stimulates the root environment so roots can develop better and with more root hairs. As a result the plant gains more vitality.

What different kind of substrates are there to use for growing?

There are many different substrates and growing methods, which roughly can be classified into 4 groups. CANNA sells different nutrients specifically developed for these different substrates or methods. The four groups are CANNA TERRA (peat based mixtures), CANNA COCO (coco substrates) and for inert substrates CANNA SUBSTRA (run-to-waste) and CANNA AQUA (for recirculating systems).

I'm using a re-circulating system. Should I use SUBSTRA or AQUA?

CANNA specially developed CANNA AQUA for recirculating systems. CANNA SUBSTRA should be used when using a run-to-waste system. Please do not mix those two up!

Soak rock wool before use

Never use raw rockwool! The pH is too high. Always soak rockwool before using it for the 1st time. Soak with water or a nutrient mixture with the pH adjusted to 5 and an EC of about 1.3 (ppm values). CANNA Start has been specially developed for this purpose. As well as correcting pH & EC, a pre-soak also ensures an even distribution of the nutrient solution throughout the slab.

Potting mix

Do you have problems with potting mix that becomes compressed and then absorbs water with difficulty? This can be easily overcome by mixing COCO with the potting mix, which will ensure that it can absorb water easily again.

Temperature & pH

To ensure good root development the feeding water must be between 68 – 77°F. When it's below 59°F the roots’ capacity to absorb decreases quickly, which results in a smaller harvest. If the feeding solution is mixed using cold water then the pH will rise when the water is heated. In this case, a high pH can be avoided by setting the pH a bit lower from the start.

CANNA potting mixes

The more nutrients that have been added to the potting mix in advance, the more difficult it will be for cuttings to take. This problem can be avoided by using CANNA potting mixes.

Do not put all your money on one horse

Two pumps can be used to supply the nutrient solution to the plants to ensure that they will not be left dry if one of the two should malfunction.

Air and pH

If there are any air pumps in the nutrient reservoir, remember that these may raise the pH in the nutrient reservoir.

Root growth

Watch the roots closely. Otherwise they will grow into the drainage holes. This will block the drains and the system will stop circulating.

Large plants

Do not place too many plants per square yard; plants will generally become larger on CANNA Coco and will need more space than on e.g. rock wool or potting soil.

Keep your nutrients dark

Light breaks down iron chelates! Because of this, it is very important to ensure that no Ultra Violet light falls on the nutrient solution. Light also causes algae to grow in the nutrient solution, which can lead to blockages. Furthermore, algae can take up nutrient elements and cause nutrient deficiencies to occur.

Keep slabs horizontal

Make sure the rock wool slabs are horizontal. If they are not truly horizontal the moisture will run to one end of the slab. This could mean that some plants become too dry and others too wet.

Amounts of nutrients

Keep a record of the amounts of nutrients and additives you add to each tank of nutrients you mix. You then have a good starting point for the next time!

Measuring EC/ppm

Don’t just measure the EC/ppm of the feed water and the drainage water regularly, remember to measure the EC/ppm of the substrate too.

Substra A and B

You can easily distinguish between CANNA Substra A and B products because the A bottle contents is coloured and the B bottle contents is colourless.

Nutrient tank

Take your time diluting and adjusting your nutrient tank! This is essential for the growth, flowering and development of the plants and will yield the best results.

EC/ppm

Very high EC/ppm values increase the chance of burning, particularly for plants that are directly under the lamp. In order to reduce the risk of burning, the potting soil can be rinsed with CANNAZYM