Let's talk about soil!
March 28, 2021
by Natascha Pearson
This post was initially supposed to analyze growing in different terrains of California, but it has come to my attention that most terrains are capable of growing cannabis; what grows good weed is the soil, but for Pete's sake, let's quickly review growing from the ground in these three landscapes.
The benefit of growing in the valley is runoff from the mountains. Because bacteria and fertilizer will congregate, and there is rich soil. Rainfall is abundant. A con would be that there are less wind and more heat. Growing in the mountains, the soil will runoff. Because minerals come from the rocks in the mountains, the ground is hot (high in nutrients) and hard with less soil. While plants closer to trees, the trees suck up the nutrients. Mold and bacteria can be more common around foggy/ wet environments, but the higher the elevation, the thinner the air and the less moisture.
The mountains are an excellent place to grow because of high CO2, more direct light (which can quickly become abrasive, causing the soil to dry out), and fewer bugs and pests. The desert is exceptionally hostile and is at a low line (closer to a 0 elevation).
Plants grow well in the desert when planted in outsourced soil since the ground is low in nutrients and high in saltine. Because of a lack of rain, the ground must be kept wet. Roots in the desert are commonly short and fried. Coco can be a beneficial factor here. The plants drop leaves in the hottest part of the day and wilt to get less sunlight; this is healthy for the plant and does not mean the plant is dying. The desert is not a place to grow during the winter without a greenhouse because of its frigid nights. Anti-transpirant water holders will benefit desert plants.
Soil consists of air, water, mineral particles, living and dead organism, and mineral texture such as clay, gravel, sand, and silt. Sand drains quickly, where clay takes forever to absorb, chalky textures can cause dryness, and if salt is abundant it causes a lousy PH. Marshy soils, such as peat or bog, have low acidity and low nutrient content. This type of soil can work well when used correctly. Silty soil is soft and spongy and best for growing. Loam soil is a mix of sand, silt, clay mix. This type of soil retains lots of air and drains quickly, but not too quickly.
A neutral PH is anywhere from 5.5 - 7. If the soil is below 5.5, it is acidic; it is alkaline if it is over seven. To neutralize the PH, 3 oz of rock sulfur, such as sawdust or peat soil, per sq yard will drop the PH by 1 point. CEC (cation exchange capacity) is the exchange of nutrients between the plant and the soil, primarily calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Amendments include perlite, vermiculite, chicken manure, bat guano, fungi compost, and general compost. Using silt loam and two organic amendments is a good base for cannabis soil. The soil temperatures should be kept low but not cold enough to freeze.
Hears the good news, all this detailed soil information has a simple solution, composting. Composting offers micros, fungi, and natural food webs that corporate with the soil. There is fungi-dominated compost (fungi grows on compost from potatoes, hay, straw, horse manure, corn cobs, and most commonly baby oatmeal) and bacteria-dominated compost (bacteria grows best in dirt compost mixed with molasses), which is preferred when growing cannabis. When this compost is strained with cheesecloth and mixed with water, they provide a nutrient tea. All those other amendments are unnecessary when growing with compost and nutrient tea because more microbes are in the compost. Using compost illustrates the law of return. By composting the plant matter, the nutrients from the plant are returned to the new growth.
The soil can be used right away after harvest. The roots from the old plant have already created guides for new roots to grow. Add the compost and nutrient tea to the bottom of the hole and plant the next plant. Using a rototiller and flushing plants is no longer needed.
Readers interested in learning more about growing cannabis, I recommend watching this video interviewing Jeff Lowenfels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWENEqahbAE
Thank you for reading. My husband and I will be discussing our fifteen years in the cannabis industry as a trimmer and lead grower on 4:20 REX's podcast on Wednesday 4/31/21 at 8 pm (PST). You can find the link here: https://www.twitch.tv/rex_fourtwozero