When it comes to growing cannabis, there are many techniques used to have a better chance of getting good yields. Some people use the practical way of planting seeds onto regular soil, while others prefer using the super soil. What is a super soil? And how does it help further strengthen and develop these simple plant beings?
Growing cannabis is all fun and enjoyable as long as you provide them with the best-controlled environment they could ask for, such was the case for super soil. If you want to learn more about super soil, you’ll have to continue reading further to better understand this technique.
What is Super Soil?
When it comes to having an excellent soil medium, experienced-growers tend to delve into soils pre-made by local stores. These contain some of the best nutrients and other factors for your plant to thrive. For some, they make it a habit of making an organic super soil when they plan to grow cannabis plants. Who invented super soil?
Super soil is a term coined by one of the most famous cannabis growers named Subcool. He formulated a particular set of directions for making a composted soil that provides everything your cannabis plant needs without managing pH level and other nutrients. Since super soil was discovered, almost all cannabis grows in all parts of the world have used this method.
There’s a lot to love about organic super soil. In addition to creating a perfect growing medium for your cannabis plants, the right ‘recipe’ for an organically composted soil can imitate natural root conditions in which cannabis plants thrive, just like in the wild.
That’s why if you have the right recipe for your organic super soil, the only thing you can do as a grower is planting the seeds onto the super soil, and carefully watch them and witness how they grow abundantly, bushier, and healthier throughout their life. This means you’ll encounter no labor-intensive duties such as maintaining pH levels, chemicals, pesticides, and other nutrients.
How to Make Organic Super Soil?
Now that you know what an organic super soil does to your cannabis plants. It might be the best time to make one. Luckily, creating an organic super soil is comfortable in the comfort of your own home. However, do note that making the right recipe is trial and error based on experience.
Moreover, if you don’t want all the hassle of buying and mixing different kinds of ingredients, you can buy it online or at your local store. But for people who want to make their version of organic super soil, read further down below for the steps.
Step 1: Pick a Large Container
Choose a large container that should fit all the ingredients for your organic soil. Either a large bucket or just an empty container is the right choice.
Step 2: Preparing the Base
The next step is preparing your base; one of the best substrates is to use the aerated organic soil, a perfect root oxygenation method. Aerated organic super soil helps your cannabis plants to accelerate its metabolic processes, which, in turn, translates to faster and more significant growth.
Although you can use different soil types for this method, you will be learning the basic recipe.
- 1 part soil. When making organic super soil, don’t rely on natural soil. Buy yourself formulated soil from your local stores as these contain some of the essential nutrients already. One distinct characteristic of good soil when buying is it should have a spongy texture and dark colorations. Be sure that the soil is free from toxic ingredients.
- 1 part vermiculite
- 1 part compost
- 1 part of 50/50 Coco coir mix and Perlite
Step 3: Creating the right ecosystem in your Substrate
One of the best advantages of having an organic super soil for your cannabis plants is creating an ecosystem within your substrate. This means it should contain live and beneficial microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi to promote growth and healthier plants.
To establish an excellent population of both bacteria and beneficial fungi within your soil, you need these ingredients in your mix:
Nitrogen
- Blood meal – an organic fertilizer high in nitrogen
- Bat guano – it can provide all the necessary nutrients and minerals for your cannabis plants to grow in all stages. These are important during your plant’s flowering phase. Just be sure not to add more than 5% of Guano, or else it may lead to over-fertilization issues.
Phosphorous
- Bone Meal – these are rich in calcium and phosphorous, critical chemicals in helping promote strong and healthier cannabis plants. When using bone meal, you need to wait for at least a month before it is ready for planting.
- Kelp Powder – this is a brown seaweed rich in NPK.
- Rock Phosphate – a great source of phosphorous
Other supplementary fertilizers that are great for your mixture:
- Charcoal – it has an acidic pH perfect for increasing fertility in the soil.
- Humic Acid – dramatically improves the ground structure and encourage enzymes.
- Dolomite – helps in regulating pH levels within the soil mixture. One of the most critical part when growing cannabis as it helps facilitate humidification and creates a more suitable medium for bacterial movement.
- Epsom Salts – an excellent compound for providing your cannabis plants with extra supplies of sulfur and magnesium. Ensure that you are only putting the right amount, you might harm the microbial life you are trying to establish within the medium.
- Mycorrhiza – these are beneficial fungi that produce a symbiotic relationship with the plants. This will significantly improve root development.
Step 4: Mix all the Ingredients
Once you have all the ingredients you need, mix them well with a friend and a rake. Ensure that it is mixed thoroughly. The substrate needs to be homogenously integrated to have better quality.
Step 5: Cover the container
Ensure that the air and heat are trapped inside. As this will facilitate and help speed up the decomposition process. Ensure that your container is placed on a sunny spot.
Step 6: Let the Mixture Rest. Cooking the Mixture
When mixing is done. Let it rest for around 30 days. From 30 days onwards, stir your mixture thoroughly and evenly for every 5 to 7 days intervals. The whole mixture should be uniformed in color.
Now you are ready for planting! Do not plant your cannabis directly onto the super soil; it should be mixed with your organic potting soil with 50/50 ratios. First, place 1/3 of the super soil below the container, then fill it up with organic potting soil; you can now plant your seedlings into the soil. Once your plant grows, its roots will soon reach the super soil, where they will find all the critical nutrients needed for their entire life cycle.
When your cannabis is already planted, you’ll only need to water them and wait. Always remember to place them where there is plenty of sunlight exposure. Wait for the results.
Advantages of Super Soil
- There’s no need to flush out, and this is because you aren’t associating the plant with chemical salts to alter the smell or taste; thus – there’s no need to flush once harvest season is approaching.
- Natural. Super soil is made with natural organic compounds. All of its ingredients are broken down; naturally, this imitates the richest and best soil found in nature.
- Enhanced taste, smell, and smoothness. Almost all super soil believers think that when cannabis plants are grown under super soil, they provide better taste, aroma, and smoothness. This is because you don’t deal with any harmful ingredients that may alter the plants’ attributes. Lesser alterations of the plant mean more natural qualities come out.
- A better option for outdoors and indoors. An organic super soil can both thrive in either setting. Whether outside or inside, this plant is versatile enough to provide a tremendous amount of nutrients for every cannabis plant.
- More comfortable to grow cannabis plants. When the amended soil is already composted, a growing cannabis plant in this type of soil should already be a breeze. Growing cannabis plants under super soil are the best and easiest way to grow cannabis than other mediums. Also, there’s no need to maintain pH levels or other nutrients. As long as you are provided with a good quality water source, you can water them until they are ready for harvest.
Disadvantages of Super Soil
- Organic super soil is expensive and is best suited for bigger growth. To get you started, making organic super soil requires many ingredients, and some of them are hard to find. Especially for smaller grows, it is hard to trim down the right amount of ratios as it may complicate the entire process. However, if you want to start with organic soil, it will be readily available from local garden shops.
- Time-consuming. Creating an organic super soil requires time. To make super soil, you will need roughly 30 to 60 days before your super soil is ready to be used. This means that you need to plan while waiting for your super soil to be done.
- Tiring. As was the case of time-consuming, mixing various ingredients in equal quantities might be tiring. Amending and composting your soil requires time, attention, and lots of physical work.
- Compared to liquid nutrients, they grow slightly slow. Although you don’t have to do something for your super soil to create its magic, cannabis plants tend to grow at a faster pace during their vegetative phase when used with liquid nutrients. Without needing help from microbes from the soil, nutrients are provided in the most available form. Using liquid nutrients rather than super soil helps you to cut off time for your plants to grow.
Conclusion
Growing cannabis with super soil requires patience, time, and attention to detail. It might be challenging, especially for first-timers and beginners in formulating the right ingredients. Still, once you get the hang of it and results are favorable, you will enjoy healthier and more vigorous plants in the future.
Super soil isn’t necessarily needed once you plan on growing cannabis plants as they can grow naturally. However, if you want a long-term plan to generate large yields, better growth, and healthier plants, then super soil is the best option you have.