Living soil: a better way to grow organic cannabis

LIVING SOIL: GROW ORGANIC, GROW BETTER

Living soil is a growing medium full of beneficial microbes (fungi, bacteria and lots of other tiny critters) that break down organic matter into nutrients your cannabis can absorb, so you don't need synthetic fertilizers. In nature, plants and the microscopic life in the soil have a deal going: the microbes build a network that helps plants grow, and in return the plants feed them sugars and carbon they release through their roots.

Living soil is all about building that natural web of microbes and microorganisms in your own growing medium. The idea is to mimic a natural outdoor ecosystem, where these organisms boost the soil's ability to support plant growth and play a key role in making nutrients available.

A single teaspoon of soil can hold between 10,000 and 50,000 different species. In that tiny space there are more microbes than there are people on Earth. These organisms, from bacteria and protozoa to arthropods, nematodes and fungi, play a huge role in cycling nutrients and water for our plants.

Living soil growers don't need synthetic fertilizers, because the microbes eat and digest organic compounds and turn them into bioavailable food for the plant. The result is organic grows that, in many cases, don't need pesticides either, since healthy plants are better at defending themselves.

Living soil can be reused over and over, which saves you money on new growing medium and the hassle of dumping old soil and refilling. It also needs less and less water as the soil matures, and you end up with fertile, nutrient-rich soil.

How do you make living soil?

Building living soil in your garden or grow takes a few steps. First, pick a quality base, ideally organic and free of chemicals. Then add beneficial microorganisms like fungi and bacteria so they start forming a symbiotic network with your plants.

You can do that with compost or organic fertilizers that already carry beneficial microbes, or you can buy microbial inoculants at a grow shop. It's also important to keep the soil properly moist and to skip chemical pesticides, which can wipe out the good microbes.

Living soil boosts biodiversity and improves soil quality. Your plants get easier access to nutrients, which means better growth and more resistance to disease and pests.

There are several ways to improve your soil's fertility. Here are a few options:

1. Add organic matter: Organic amendments are a great way to load the soil with the nutrients plants need. Examples include compost, manure, dry leaves and crop residue, among others.

2. Grow legumes: Legumes like beans, soybeans, peas and chickpeas can fix nitrogen in the soil, which helps boost its fertility. They're also nutrient-rich and can be used as a green manure (a cover crop you chop and drop back into the soil).

3. Use organic fertilizers: Organic fertilizers are a solid way to add nutrients to the soil naturally. Examples include guano, bone meal, fish meal and compost tea.

4. Rotate your crops: Crop rotation means changing where your plants grow in the garden each season. It helps keep diseases and pests from building up in the soil, and lets the soil recover and get fed in different ways.

5. Avoid chemicals: Heavy use of chemicals can damage soil fertility. So skip pesticides and herbicides and go for natural alternatives like essential oils and soapy water sprays.

What do soil microorganisms actually do?

Soil microorganisms wear a lot of hats in the ecosystem. One of their most important jobs is breaking down and recycling organic matter, which keeps the soil fertile. They also help build soil structure and keep the ecosystem diverse. On top of that, some microbes can fix nutrients like nitrogen into forms plants can absorb. They can also help plants fight off disease and pests by outcompeting the organisms that cause them. In short, soil microbes are essential to keeping both the soil and the wider ecosystem healthy.

What is organic growing?

Organic growing means raising crops without artificial chemicals or synthetic pesticides. In other words, it relies on natural techniques instead of agrochemicals and other synthetic products.

Organic growing uses techniques that support soil fertility, biodiversity and healthy ecosystems. It also favors natural amendments and fertilizers and avoids genetically modified seeds.

Organic crops aren't just better for the environment; they're also free of toxic chemical residues, which is good news for the people who consume them.

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