When starting a new cannabis grow operation, there are a few key factors that one must consider as you begin setting up your space, specifically, whether you are going to utilize living soil or hydroponics as your primary grow medium.
There are many who will tell you that this is an open-and-shut case in favor of hydroponics, however, this may be due to the fact that they themselves may have limited experience with living soil. Truthfully, there is no right or wrong answer as both approaches offer a variety of specific benefits that can make this a complicated decision for any grower. Having said that, our preference will always be living soil, often referred to as, “Super Soil” for its ability to maximize key nutrients and other benefits to the plants without including unnecessary and even potentially dangerous additives to them.
Benefits of Hydroponics
Traditionally, hydroponics has been the leading method of cannabis cultivation for decades. In large part, this is because hydroponic set-ups work well for a controlled, concealable operation, which was essential for discretion when it was illegal to grow cannabis. However, while such precautions are no longer necessary in legal markets, hydroponic systems do offer some advantages that still make it a favored technique to this day.
Hydroponics is Simple
With hydroponics, you are not introducing anything unnecessary to the plant but rather, simply supplying it with the fundamental nutrients it requires to thrive, nothing else. However, while this simplistic approach makes it easy to monitor and control, it can also make it more probable for one to damage or even kill your plants if you add too many or too few nutrients.
Hydroponics Reduces Pests
Because hydroponics allows you total control over exactly what does or does not enter your greenhouse, you can mitigate the risk from various pests and diseases that can damage your crop.
Hydroponics Saves Water
With hydroponics, all the water you put into the system either goes into the plant or goes back into the tank. With living soil, some of the water gets absorbed into the soil where it either evaporates or is consumed by the other inhabitants within the soil.
Benefits of Living Soil
Although, at a glance, it may seem like hydroponics would easily win this decision outright while the truth is living soil can actually provide a number of advantages over hydroponics. Let us to take a moment to identify and discuss those advantages.
Living Soil is Even Simpler
Living soil is among the simplest methods of cannabis cultivation in the sense that you do not have to add anything to the cultivation process. The only steps required is to transfer plants into the soil, add water and let them grow. To this point, SoHum Living Soils®, contains everything your plants require to go through and thrive throughout an entire growth cycle, including the vegetative and flowering stages.
Living Soil Makes Your Plants Robust
Hydroponics tries to protect your plants by minimizing their exposure to pests and disease. When this works, it’s great, but it also means that if something does get in, it can ravage your crop because the plants have no native immunities. By contrast, living soil helps your plants develop immunities to disease by cultivating relationships with symbiotes that help make them stronger.
Living Soil Improves Flavor
Many hydroponics advocates compare this process to getting all your food from a nutrient pill. While this would be adequate for keeping you alive, life would definitely lack flavor. Hydroponics is like a feedlot for your plants, giving them a life that is flavorless which can get passed on to the final flower product. As consumer tastes continue to evolve, the high-end customer will come to appreciate the richness, flavor and aroma that comes from growing cannabis in living soil. Just as people pay a premium for grass-fed beef or free-range chicken, the market is continuing to develop for super soil-grown cannabis with amazing terpene content.
SoHum Living Soils® Will Set Your Grow Up for Success
At SoHum Living Soils®, we are time-proven, experienced growers who are passionate about this aspect of the cannabis industry and have designed our living soil to fully optimize each plant’s genetic potential. Our process of growing in SoHum has set the new standard for cleaner, greener growing in the industry as it feeds and nurtures your plants throughout their lifecycle for a more efficient process, better quality plants and outstanding yield. Simply add water and watch your plants flourish.
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