Growing cannabis plants using living soil is a natural and sustainable method that can provide numerous benefits for your cannabis plants. There’s also the added benefit of being better for the environment.
If you’ve never grown plants before, you may have heard people talking about growing their cannabis, or other plants, in living soil. Growing in living soil is an alternative method to growing in plain untreated soil, or other growing medium, and adding in nutrients as needed.
Living soil is a type of soil that contains a diverse ecosystem of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and nematodes. These microorganisms play a crucial role in the health and growth of plants. They help to break down organic matter, improve soil structure, and provide essential nutrients to the plants.
Benefits of Growing Cannabis in Living Soil:
Most Nutrients Are Already Provided
One of the main benefits of using living soil for cannabis cultivation is that it can provide plants with most of the necessary nutrients they need to grow and thrive.
Unlike traditional soil or hydroponic systems, living soil contains a wide variety of microorganisms that can break down organic matter and release essential nutrients into the soil.
This means that cannabis plants grown in living soil do not require additional fertilizers or supplements, which can be harmful to the environment and to the plants.
I say most nutrients instead of all nutrients, because there’s no guarantee you won’t need to add some CalMag here and there.
While one person may not need to add any additional nutrients in their living soil, another person growing a different cannabis strain or dealing with different environmental factors may need to supplement with nutrients.
But all in all living soil is expected to need little to no nutrients, which can save you a good amount of money in the growing process.
Growing cannabis is not a set and forget process, so constant monitoring will be required.
Little To No Maintenance!
The first time you switch from traditional cannabis growing to living soil grows, you’ll definitely feel a bit anxious like there’s more you should be doing.
However that’s completely normal! If you get it right, you’ll hardly have to do anything at all! Forget about the pH testing, checking runoff water, or regularly mixing and adding nutrients. All you have to do is keep the plant hydrated!
If you’re new to growing cannabis, this is definitely the easiest method to get started growing.
Where To Get Living Soil For Cannabis Plants:
Of course you can spend time and effort to make your own, but I’m all about efficiency.
Why not buy one bag of living soil concentrate one time, and have enough to make five 5-gallon bags of living soil that you can grow cannabis in forever?
The super soil concentrate shown above is formulated with more beneficial organic ingredients than you’d ever want to spend time sourcing on your own. Be advised it does have a strong odor which will dissipate after it’s mixed into your pots.
Overall Plant Health Is Better With Living Soil:
Another advantage of using living soil is that it can improve the overall health of cannabis plants. Living soil contains beneficial microorganisms that can protect plants from diseases and pests.
These microorganisms can also help to improve the soil structure, which can increase the plants’ ability to absorb water and nutrients.
This can result in healthier, stronger plants that are more resistant to stress and negative environmental factors.
Better For The Environment:
In addition to improving the health and yield of cannabis plants, using living soil can also benefit the environment.
Traditional soil and hydroponic systems often require large amounts of water and energy, which can be harmful to the environment.
Living soil, on the other hand, is a more sustainable method of cultivation as it relies on natural processes to provide plants with the necessary nutrients and moisture.
There’s no need for plastic bottles that hold nutrients, and no need to ship those nutrients across the country to your growing place. You can reuse the same soil over and over!
Living Soil Results In Better Cannabis Bud Quality:
Finally, it’s worth noting that living soil can also improve the flavor, aroma, and overall quality of cannabis plants.
Many growers report that cannabis plants grown in living soil have a more complex and desirable flavor and aroma compared to plants grown using traditional methods.
In my post about using molasses to grow cannabis, some growers argued it helped improve the flavor of the bud. That’s another natural ingredient you can try adding to your living soil that’ll benefit the soil and the plant!
Cannabis Yields From Living Soil:
Understandably, one of your concerns as a cannabis grower would be growing a weak harvest if you switch to a new growing method such as living soil.
Luckily, there are people who have done this already, and their results are thoroughly documented.
Additionally, growing cannabis is a game of experimentation! You shouldn’t be afraid to grow cannabis in living soil at least once.
Growers have been tinkering with their technique for decades, trying to squeeze every last ounce and grow every additional trichome they can.
Cannabis Living Soil Yields
Cannabis yields can differ significantly regardless of growing in living soil or not. But if you’re wondering about whether you can get a good yield from living soil, the answer is yes you can.
I think many people would even argue that you can get a better cannabis yield by growing this way.
The wide variety of microorganisms and organic matter in the soil can result in healthier, stronger plants that are more resistant to stress and environmental factors, leading to increased yields.
On the other hand, when cannabis plants are grown in soil with added nutrients, the plants may receive an excess or imbalance of certain nutrients. This can lead to nutrient burn or other issues, resulting in lower yields or even plant death.
Let’s take a look at some bud quality and yields from cannabis plants grown using living soil:
Would anyone in the right mind argue that these look like bad quality buds or bad yields? I don’t think so.
If you’ve grown cannabis using living soil and you’re not getting great results, check out my guide to maximizing your cannabis yields. There might be something in there that can solve your problems.
In conclusion, using living soil for cannabis cultivation can provide numerous benefits for both the plants and the environment.
It can improve the health and yield of cannabis plants, provide all the necessary nutrients, and improve the quality and aroma of the final product. It’s a more sustainable and natural method of cultivation that can be beneficial for any grower, whether experienced or not!