What Is the Best Soil for Your Commercial Cannabis Grow Operation?

living soil for a commercial cannabis grow operation

One of the most critical factors to determining the success of your commercial cannabis grow operation is choosing the right soil. Not every type of soil is ideally suited for growing cannabis and by choosing the wrong soil, you could effectively make growing a quality product significantly more challenging. If you are looking for the best soil for a commercial cannabis grow operation, living soil provides a wide range of benefits compared to the other options available. Below are some of the reasons to consider living soil with your commercial grow.

Living Soil Uses Microbials to Provide Plant Nutrition

Plants are most comparable to humans in the sense that they are what they eat. There are, without a doubt, adverse side effects to the various synthetic chemicals that are used in most commercial cannabis grow operations throughout the country. Living soil provides an organic based foundation for safely and effectively cultivating cannabis by eliminating the need for such chemicals. By simply adding water, living soil will provide your plant all the nutrients it requires to thrive and produce high quality yields with enhanced cannabinoid and terpene profiles.

Cannabis is a bio-accumulator, meaning that any materials in the soil will be absorbed by the plant, including any heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury. When chemicals such as non-organic, salt-based nutrients and fertilizers are added to the soil, those chemicals must be “flushed” before harvest or they will remain in the flower and consumed by the end-user.  Living soil does NOT require flushing due to the simple fact that nothing synthetic has been added to the growing medium.

living soil

Living Soil Helps Lower Human Error and Reduces Your Costs

When using living soil, you are also able to reduce any added costs from buying nutrients to supplement your soil.

By eliminating costly, unhealthy additives, you will also eliminate the need to:

  • Determine which nutrients and mixtures to utilize, which requires time for research
  • Calculate the amounts of each component to add
  • Properly mix nutrients to the recommended formulation
  • Apply the nutrients at the most applicable time of either the veg or bloom cycle

Additionally, all of these steps present an opportunity for human error, which can ultimately jeopardize or even ruin your grow and add to your costs.

Avoiding the use of additional nutrients will save you money in the long run by significantly reducing the cost to grow. With living soil, you can consistently grow for less than $1/gram, which over time, will boost your profitability considerably.

Is Living Soil Scalable for Commercial Outdoor Cultivation?

If you are growing outdoors with living soil, chances are you are most likely not going to use raised beds as there is far too much soil volume for this method to be practical. Ultimately, you will end up wasting a lot of living soil, which can be costly to your grow operation.

However, living soil can be very practical if you grow in small containers or grow bags outdoors, minimizing the amount of living soil you need to use with each plant. This ensures you are primarily using the living soil where it is imperative – within the primary root zone and structure. Through this approach, living soil becomes very scalable and is well suited to the needs of a commercial grow operation.

SoHum Living Soil Can Set Your Operations Up for Success

SoHum Living Soil products have been designed with the needs of commercial growers in mind. When you use SoHum Living Soil, you will be on the forefront of sustainable, greener growing which will pay dividends in the quality of your plants, while consumers will benefit from a healthier product that is free of chemicals.

Use our store locator to find a SoHum distributor near you or contact us directly to place a commercial order for your cannabis grow operations.

SoHum Living Soils®: “Not Just for Cannabis Anymore!”

living soil used in a vegetable garden

There is a reason SoHum has chosen to focus on living soil. It is one of the most versatile solutions for growers of any skill level. However, while the majority of individuals using SoHum Living Soils® are exclusive to the cannabis industry, our products can be used to organically grow many other plants including vegetables as well. If you are considering growing organically in any horticultural or agricultural application, SoHum Living Soil will provide the level of quality  required to achieve the best possible results in your garden.

Cannabis Applications for SoHum Living Soils®

SoHum Living Soils® is a microbial-based super soil that has been scientifically developed to provide the easiest and most cost-efficient means to cultivate premiere cannabis flower. SoHum’s proprietary blend of macro and micronutrients are created to provide plants with the optimal blend of beneficial bacteria and fungi necessary to successfully complete  their entire lifecycle.

In addition, our soil contains a blend of 100% all natural and OMRI Certified Inputs with no added synthetics or salt-based nutrients. It is ideally suited to the needs of any organically grown cannabis application, including:

  • Commercial indoor and greenhouse cultivation operations
  • Commercial outdoor cultivation using grow bags or containers
  • Small scale boutique style craft cannabis grows
  • Home growing for medical market caregiver model or personal adult use

You will experience the following benefits when you use SoHum Living Soils with your cannabis grow operation:

  • Versatile medium ideally suited for commercial organic growers, no-till gardeners and home growers
  • Ultra high quality yields with enhanced cannabinoid and terpene profiles
  • Just Add Water = No additional inputs & NO FLUSHING REQUIRED!
  • Less Labor = Reduced operational expenses for better profit margins
  • Ideal for Clean Green Certified operations

A Great Soil for Your Vegetable Garden

SoHum Living Soils is not just for growing cannabis. This living soil is packed with a dense ecosystem of microbes and inoculated with carefully selected microorganisms to further boost its microbial life. It contains a blend of 100% all natural and OMRI Certified Inputs and as a result, it provides the easiest and most cost-efficient means to cultivate premium vegetables for your dinner table or for sale at the Farmer’s Market.  Growing vegetables in SoHum will give you confidence you are producing the best quality yields, strictly using organic methods. Commercial growers can use this organic living soil growing method as a way to create market segmentation, resulting in a higher price point over vegetables grown using conventional fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides.

SoHum Delivers the Premium Grow Results You Need

Besides genetics, the soil medium chosen is one of the most important decisions both commercial and home growers face today.  Regardless of the size of your operation, you need quality soil for your plants.  SoHum Living Soils delivers the quality you need for both cannabis and other more traditional non-cannabis crops.

Our team is focused on helping commercial growers make more money and expand their business. We provide the insights, marketing and product support necessary to establish yourself as an industry leader.

We have partnered with a wide range of retailers across the country to make it easy for you to get the living soil  you need. You can use our store locator to find a retailer near you.

Contact us today to learn more about how SoHum Living Soils® can elevate your grow operation.

Why Should I Use Living Soil in My Cannabis Grow?

living soil for cannabis plants

There are many elements that go into producing exceptional quality cannabis plants. Quality genetics is the first “must have” of any top shelf commercial cultivation operation, but one of the most important, yet often overlooked of those factors is the soil medium selected to grow the genetics chosen.  In recent years, the cannabis industry has seen an increased emphasis in producing greener, more sustainable, eco-friendlier products, all of which can be done when growing in living soil.

What is Living Soil?

According to the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA), the definition of living soil is the community of microbes working together breaking down organic matter which, in turn, provides valuable nutrition to the plants.

Soil microbes are essential for decomposing organic matter and recycling old plant material. Microorganisms are the unseen majority in soil and make up a huge part of soil’s genetic diversity. This means easier absorption of nutrients by plant roots, reduced need for watering, limited erosion, and improved aeration. A combination of organic materials such as compost, coco coir, peat moss, aged tree bark, manure, worm castings, and more can be used to make a base for living soil. Like all living things, soil needs water, and flows water along the path of least resistance to bring hydration and nutrients to plant roots. Water remains in the soil by storing itself in porous minerals for later use.

Living soil embodies a holistic approach to the cultivation of your plants. It contains billions of microorganisms that mimic an outdoor ecosystem and improve the soil’s ability to provide the nutrients each plant needs.

In order to deliver the proper nutrients, living soil contains a curated blend of:

  • Bacteria
  • Protozoa
  • Arthropods
  • Nematodes
  • Fungi

These microorganisms, along with earthworms, beetles and other insects present in the soil, work to decompose dead organic matter supplied by compost, topsoil, peat moss and leaf mold. In addition, the earthworms, arthropods and nematodes help to till the soil as they move through it, ensuring the nutrients produced by the decomposed dead organic matter are more evenly dispersed throughout the soil, allowing the best possible nutrient absorption by each plant’s roots.

While soil alternatives used in hydroponic grow operations are typically discarded  after each harvest, living soil can be supplemented with compost and other natural additives so that it can be reused for additional grows. This gives you the ability to get multiple harvests out of the same soil, making it a more efficient, affordable and sustainable solution.

Benefits of Living Soil

If you are looking to achieve healthy, high quality cannabis plants while using a truly natural organic growing process (also known as TLO or True Living Organics), living soil will deliver the results you desire. You’ll experience the following benefits when you use living soil:

  • Just Add Water: Eliminates the need for additional inputs fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals during the cultivation process
  • Promotes exceptional tap and feeder root growth throughout veg and bloom cycles
  • Elimination of additional inputs reduces labor costs which improves profit margins
  • Improves each plant’s ability to fight off pests and pathogens
  • Improves the quality of your harvest with enhanced cannabinoid and terpene profiles
  • Market segmentation by creating new top shelf “organically grown” cannabis category
  • NO FLUSHING IS REQUIRED – With no harmful synthetic based nutrients added, none have to be flushed out, saving growers time and money while providing peace of mind they grew organically.

SoHum Living Soils® Provides the Nutrients Your Plants Need to Thrive

At SoHum Living Soils®, our team of growers, horticulturalists and soil scientists have invested an enormous amount of time refining the cannabis cultivation process in order to ensure our soil delivers the nutrient-rich environment your plants need to thrive in a true living organic method. Our living soil formula was created specifically for use in cannabis cultivation, and it provides an ideal blend of organic nutrients during the vegetative stage and reproductive/flowering stage of the plant.

Get Started Today

SoHum Living Soils® makes it easy to grow the highest quality cannabis plants. You can use our store locator tool to find a retailer near you.  For a deeper dive into cannabis cultivation using living soil, check out “True Living Organics” 2nd Edition by The Rev.

What are worm castings?

worm-castingsWhat are worm castings?

Worm castings are an organic form of fertilizer produced from various worms, usually red wigglers, white worms, and other earthworms. Organic Earthworm Castings are 100% Natural, with a healthy, earthy odor and the appearance of coffee grounds.

Also known as vermicast, worm castings manure is essentially earthworm waste, otherwise known as worm poo. As these creatures eat through compost, their waste creates an optimal soil enricher. Worm castings resemble football-shaped particles that improve soil aeration and drainage, as well as increase water retention in the soil.

Worm Castings are the richest natural fertilizer known to humans. It’s a fact that as little as a tablespoon of pure worm castings provides enough organic plant nutrients to feed a 6″ potted plant for more than two months. Hard to believe, but it is an amazing truth.

Adding this casting manure to the soil aerates and improves its overall structure while providing beneficial nutrients to plants. They are also effective for repelling many pests that feed on plants, such as aphids and spider mites.

Quality Assurance:

  • Lab Tested: 99% Pure Organic Worm-Castings
  • Not produced with yard waste, landfill waste or compost
  • Not made with Horse, Cow or any grazing animal manure
  • Guaranteed Weedseed free
  • Organic Material Review Institute “OMRI” listed
  • Indoor manufactured and fed a controlled quality diet
  • The worms Diet includes high quality mineral rock dust
  • Free of E-Coli and Salmonella
  • Contains natural soil microbes
  • Guaranteed the Highest Standard for Worm-Castings

 

Start growing cannabis the easy way

Quality super soil that yields high results with minimal effort.

Differences in Growing Sativa, Indica and Hybrid Cannabis

Growing Indica Sativa and Hybrid Cannabis

When growing cannabis strains, it is important to know exactly how to care for the specific types you grow. Different strains have different needs, and meeting them appropriately can help you get a better yield of potent buds. Read on to learn some key differences in growing indica, sativa, and hybrid cannabis strains.

 

Key Differences between Growing Sativa, Indica and Hybrid Cannabis

The first thing to understand is that it is almost always easier to grow an indica strain. Indicas are popular with people who want to grow at home because they offer some benefits for growing both inside and outside. If you are growing inside, you may appreciate how indicas do not get too tall. Theyy normally fit easily beneath your ceiling and light setup. If you grow them outside, your short, bushy plants may not be as obvious to anyone who quickly glances across your property.

Indicas are also normally more forgiving. They offer a shorter time to flower, and naturally larger yields, so even inexperienced growers can get them to flower and produce a decent amount of bud. The generally short flowering time makes them nice for climates that only have a short outdoor growing season.

Since sativas originally come from near the equator, they are better equipped to handle hot, humid environments. If you happen to live in one of those environments, sativas are probably a good bet. They are also your best option if you like using a grow house where you have a hard time keeping the temperature low enough for indicas.

They also need less frequent feeding and fertilizing, which helps reduce the work some.  Sativas can be worth the effort because of the cerebral, energetic effects they offer. Their more demanding needs for specific light is partially offset by their ability to resist mold better than indicas.

As is the case for cannabis consumers, hybrids can offer the best of both worlds for growers. The trick here is in knowing if a hybrid is more like an indica or sativa. For example, the flowering time and shape of the plant can differ widely. Many produce big yields, but not all do.

You can often find information about a specific hybrid, like which strains it contains, to help you get a better idea. Consult with an experienced budtender or grower to brush up about a specific hybrid.

growing sativa indica hybrid

 

Similarities Between Indica, Sativa and Hybrid

There is definitely much that different strains have in common when it comes to a good growing experience. Attention to detail is a must. Plants produce bigger, more potent buds when you treat them right. Be sure to:

  • Stay on a great schedule for watering.
  • Trim and train the plants if necessary
  • Adjust the amount of light they get over time.
  • Do your research

The main similarity between indicas, sativas and hybrids is that they all require great cannabis soil. If you know that your soil has all the nutrients your plants need, you do not have to worry as much about feeding and fertilizing your plant.

 

SoHum Living Soils®

SoHum Living Soils® offers premium gardening supplies for those who are growing any type of cannabis strain. Home growers have had high levels of success growing all different kinds of cannabis with our products.

Contact us to learn more about what makes our living soil so special, and how it can help your plant reach its potential.

 

Start growing cannabis the easy way

Quality super soil that yields high results with minimal effort.

The BEST Soil for A Vegetable Garden

What is the best soil for a vegetable garden?

Vegetable Garden Soil 101:

So, you’re looking for the best vegetable garden soil for your new garden – where to even start, with so many choices? In this article, we look to outline a few different considerations, to guide you in the right direction, and ensure your garden’s success! By the end of this article, you’ll be ready to choose the best soil type for vegetables and for your garden. Let’s get started.

 

Why Choose a Container Garden?

A container garden is the best way to grow vegetables in soil for those with limited outdoor space. They offer maximum control, allowing you to move plants as necessary according to your vegetable needs.

They can be held indoors or outdoors depending on the season. Essentially, a vegetable garden in a planter can be put just about anywhere, as long as your plants are receiving adequate light.

 

What Containers Should I Use?

It’s a matter of personal preference as long as you keep a few guidelines in mind.

  • Try to avoid dark-colored containers if your garden will be outdoors. They may be attractive, but they absorb a lot of heat from the sun and can dry out your soil and destroy beneficial microorganisms.
  • Terracotta, ceramic or cloth-based planters are excellent for root aeration. When you are using a high-quality soil, oxygen will also keep helpful microbes thriving and healthy.
  • Select planter(s) as large as your space will allow. More space means more substantial root growth and more vigorous plants.
  • Choose planters that allow for adequate drainage, or modify your pots or planters for this purpose.

 

What is the Best Soil for a Vegetable Garden?

The best soil for vegetables grown in containers, especially for those who wish to grow them by organic standards, is a living soil like SoHum Living Soils®. Our organic soil was explicitly designed for this type of gardening and contains all requirements for vegetables including micronutrients, macronutrients, natural organic material, beneficial microorganisms and natural pH buffers.

No artificial additives are ever needed with our gardening soil, simply water your plants, give them adequate light and watch them grow.

 

 

How To Maintain an Attractive Container Garden

  • Do not overwater! The beneficial microbes in your living soil and your root systems need plenty of oxygen. Water your vegetables when the top inch of your planter is dry.
  • Be on the lookout for pests. If your area is heavily trafficked with deer, rabbits and other rodents, consider elevating your planters or moving it indoors to grow under artificial light
  • Be patient. It can be tempting to harvest as soon as you recognize a vegetable, but waiting a week or two may make a tremendous difference in your yield.

 

Be Creative with Your Garden

A garden can be a beautiful work of art. Since using our soil means you won’t be spending your time mixing it, fertilizing or maintaining acidity, so you can spend more time making an attractive vegetable garden that reflects your style. Choose a planter or a pot you find attractive and spend time organizing and decorating them to your liking.

Also, experiment with maximizing your available garden space: Cherry tomatoes and herbs grow well in hanging pots, which are more attractive at eye level and can double your grow area. A window box full of snap peas, lettuce or herbs would be lovely outside of a kitchen window

This type of garden can be practical, beautiful and a fun way to grow vegetables indoors or with limited outdoor space. So long as you are patient, attentive and use SoHum Living Soils® as your growing medium, the possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

Start growing cannabis the easy way

Quality super soil that yields high results with minimal effort.

When to Harvest 101

HARVEST….It’s the time you have been waiting for! In preparation for your big day, you will want to be sure to flush your plants with water only for at least 7 days prior to harvest to ensure the removal of any salt build up and remaining nutrients from the soil to reduce
the harsh sensation that may be experienced when smoking finished product. Ideally, by the time of harvest, your plants will be yellowing, further aiding in the reduction of any harsh flavor. Remember, flower will burn to white ash as an indicator that your plants have been
properly flushed. Please note that if you are using living soil as your selected medium, you will not experience any salt build-up and therefore will have no need to flush your plants.

Knowing when to harvest your cannabis does not need to be scary or overwhelming. As a grower, you have just spent the last 90 to 120 days taking care of clones or seedlings to create strong roots, vegging your plants to perfection and finally, flowering your plants for peak performance. So, when is the right time to harvest? There is no definitive answer as everyone has their own metrics and ideal characteristics for determining the best time for harvesting plants. The technique that I have developed through years of experience, is a combination of trial and error and the knowledge that has been bestowed upon me by masters of the craft.

Please utilize the following information as a basic guideline for monitoring your plant’s trichomes as you experiment to find what works best for your desired preference of your end-product. Trichomes (traɪkoʊmz or trɪkoʊmz), from the Greek τρίχωμα (trichōma) meaning “hair”, are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists that are of diverse structure and function. On the cannabis plant, they are the source of the cannabinoids, the molecular chemical compounds such as THC, CBD, CBG, and CBC among others. In the final flowering stage trichomes appear clear like a crystal.

Step 1. Examine the trichomes, using a magnifying glass or scope for an enhanced view, to observe closely enough to allow you to see the full spectrum of color contained within.

Step 2. Through your magnified observations, trichomes should ideally appear as either clear, milky or cloudy in color, indicating that the plant is ripe and is ready to harvest. By contrast, clear color is a sign that trichomes are not yet ripe and are not ready for harvest. An amber color means the trichrome is naturally converting to CBN, which provides for a calming relaxing effect.

Step 3. Everyone has a different ideal trichome ratio, however, I look for at least 75% milky trichomes with roughly 5% to 10% turning amber in color, and the remaining trichomes being clear. Depending on the desired end effect when consumed, you can let the trichome ratio go up or down on the amber scale to give you a more relaxed experience with more amber trichomes versus a less relaxed experienced with fewer amber trichomes.

The white and/or red hairs, known as pistils, on the flowers are another vital indicator to identify when harvesting. These hairs will appear as white throughout most of the flower cycle, turning either yellow, orange and then finally red as the plant begins to mature. Most experienced growers will harvest at the plants’ peak potency when the hairs have turned 70% to 80% red. For new growers who are not sure when to harvest, wait for at least 50% of the hairs to turn red before harvesting. This will give you enough understanding of how to improve your process for the next harvest by adjusting the ratios for your desired results from the effects, taste, and experience.

Harvesting plants can be the most exciting time for a grower. Ensuring you harvest plants at their peak potency can be a calculated process with minimal trial and error. Get to know each strain and the unique characteristics and nuances that make each one unique and learn when the best time is to harvest for peak yield, cannabinoid profile, terpene expression, and overall performance.

Stay tuned for “How to Harvest” and “How to Cure”.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ellis Smith is co-founder and Chief Development Officer of American Cannabis Company (ACC). He has more than 20 years of horticulture experience in the specialty cut flower market, operating indoor gardens which helped him understand complex growing systems. As a cannabis grower, he developed an all natural soil medium known as SoHum Living Soil® which is used by hundreds of commercial cannabis operations. As CDO of ACC, Mr. Smith is also responsible for the design and construction of more than 1 million square feet of cannabis grow space in the U.S. and Canada.

What is Slow Release Fertilizer?

What is slow-release fertilizer? Let’s take a closer look

A slow-release fertilizer might be your solution. Gardeners shopping for fertilizer usually face a confusing array of choices. There are many varieties of liquids, powders, and granules, all promising outstanding results, that many gardeners essentially give up and choose the most well-known package on the shelf. But two types of fertilizers are very popular among gardeners: the kinds called slow- and controlled-release.

These fertilizers have some similarities but they differ in key respects. Rather than releasing a quick dash of nutrients as liquid, soluble crystal, or granular fertilizers do, these fertilizers release their nutrients very slowly over a longer period.

Slow-release fertilizers yield their nutrients at a less likely rate that depends mainly on the actions of organisms in the soil. In variation, controlled-release (sometimes called coated) fertilizers release their nutrients at a specific rate over a particular period of time.

 

A Steady Diet for Plants

While no fertilizer is perfect for every garden or situation, yet slow- and controlled-release kinds provide many advantages for most of the home gardeners. They avoid the common “feast-or-famine” syndrome that happens when fast-release fertilizers are applied unevenly. Roots are surrounded by plenty of nutrients, but these soon wash away leaving roots to starve and die.

Likewise, fast-release fertilizers are very easy to apply but in excess, they damage the plant. But since slow- and controlled-release fertilizers release their nutrients out gradually, both of the potential problems are minimized.

Another great advantage of slow- and controlled-release fertilizers is that they are environmentally friendly. In many parts of the country, waterway, stream, and groundwater pollution is a major problem, and some of that pollution has been traced to fertilizers washing through or off lawns. Because these balanced fertilizers release nutrients slowly, they are not likely to contribute much to this kind of pollution.

In most of the cases, the temperature has the most important influence on release rates. Not only does it affect nutrient diffusion across the coating of controlled-release fertilizers, but it also exerts a big influence on microbial actions, and thus on the release of nutrients from slow release kinds.

 

Types of Slow Release Fertilizers

Two kinds of slow-release fertilizers are currently available. As they are cheaper than controlled-release kinds, they are highly used when the precision–and higher cost–of controlled-release is not required, and where natural organics are not desired.

Synthetic organics. Combining urea, a common form of nitrogen, with formaldehyde, produces many kinds of fertilizers. These are called methylene urea fertilizers. One example is light blue nitroform. The release rate is calculated largely by bacterial activity rather than by temperature and water.

Depending upon the manufacturer, nutrients can last weeks or months. Urea formaldehyde-based fertilizers are the main component of many lawn and garden fertilizers.

Natural organics Many of the gardeners prefer natural organics basically for their soil-improving qualities. Nutrient release rates are variable and determined by soil bacteria and fungi, both of which need warm soil temperatures to be active. The more biologically active the soil is, the faster the release rate. Examples of natural organics include cottonseed meal, soybean meal, fish emulsion, and manures.

Get to Know Super Soil

Super Soil?

What makes super soil “super?” The term “super” is a connotation given to potting soil that maintains and delivers all the necessary amendments to the plant, at exactly the right time during its growth cycle and without the need to manage pH or add extra nutrients. The Term “Super Soil” was coined by an organic farmer known as Subcool to describe a super soil recipe designed to help simplify the growing process while still maintaining quality control. Subcool is a published author and an award winning grower with over 30 years of agricultural and horticulture experience.

Low-Maintenance Organics, really?

Super soil was developed around the theory that a properly balanced, nutrient-rich soil would never have a pH or nutrient imbalance. A Super soil potting mix like SoHum Living Soils™ eliminate the experimentation needed to achieve these proper levels, thereby freeing up time without risk of human error. All you must do is ADD WATER!

Organic Super Soil Mix

Why should I switch to a Super Soil?

It’s hard to argue with quality, especially when it comes at a lower cost. When using super soils, plant quality remains high while still maintaining consistency. Whether you are gardening peppers, tomatoes or cucumbers, you will see the same fantastic taste and smell across the board.

In terms of cost, consider all the different nutrients you would spend money on to facilitate plant growth at each stage of development. When comparing two plants growing in 5-gallon pots under a 1000W double ended bulb, with one pot containing super soil and the other pot comprised of a soil base and nutrient additives, you are looking at 4x less in cost.

To answer this question, point blank, super soil will save you time and money while highest quality product.

How can I obtain Super Soil?

I’m sure you have already googled recipes at this point to find the best super soil potting mix. SoHum Living Soils™ takes care of the hard part for you and packages it up so you can make your garden grow. This super soil was designed in Southern Humboldt County, California and perfected in Denver, Colorado. We make this super soil potting mix by hand, with premium organic amendments. Stop by our office in person or visit our shop at sohumsoils.com.

What is Biodynamic Gardening?

biodynamic-gardening

Biodynamic Gardening – What’s it about?

Biodynamic gardening, such as planting by the moon, is a natural progression from organic gardening, that was founded by Dr. Rudolf Steiner in 1924. This method has been most widely and successfully used in Australia.

Biodynamic farming is practiced in Australia on over two million acres. Alex Podolinsky undertook to fulfill Steiner’s wish that it become the agricultural method for farmers in the future by developing “Australian Professional” Biodynamic agriculture, which has been adopted by thousands of farmers in Europe with the same outstanding results as demonstrated in Australia.

So, what is Biodynamic gardening exactly?

According to Rudolf Steiner in 1924, Biodynamics is a method of agriculture, which tends to work actively with the health-giving forces of nature. It was introduced 20 years back and has now spread throughout the world.

The main focus of biodynamics is the vitality and health of the soil, which is widely depleted by modern agriculture and the use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. When the nutrients in the soil are balanced, plants grow large and healthy and produce food that is vitamin-rich. Biodynamics includes the use of raw compost materials.

Raw compost materials, along with fresh manure are added in layers after digging a deep hole. These layers can be heaped up to about 2’ above the ground. After that, the seed or plant is planted. As the plant grows, it has its own supply of nutrient-rich compost and incredible results are shown afterward. For example, when tomato plants were treated by Biodynamics, they were 12’ high by 10’ round and produced 2000 tomatoes per plant. This is very impressive.

This type of gardening also includes a number of other practices. Among them is working with the biodynamic calendar, the Stella Natura. Biodynamic gardeners work with their ground preparation, cultivation, planting and harvesting in harmony with the rhythms of the sun, moon, and stars. This is said to enhance the vitality, success and health of their crops.

 

Biodiversity is another key important part of biodynamic gardening.

Crop rotation, companion planting, cover crop and non-genetically modified seeds helps to draw beneficial insects, soil health and maintain crop. All of these things work together to produce healthy foods that contain valuable trace minerals, which are usually missing from commercial produce.

Pest control, fertilization, and soil revitalization are increased by specially formulated Biodynamic Preparations. These unique proportions, consisting of extracts from plants, minerals or manures, are applied at definite times of the year. Some are applied directly to the soil or compost while the others are applied directly to the leaves of the actively growing plants.