How To Start A Super Soil to Grow Top Shelf Organic Cannabis

This Blog goes over all that i use to build my super soil from scratch, and a little info on the beginning stages of  how i then turn it into living soil. more on the living soil and  how i convert to no till  can be found in my youtube videos and another blog coming soon. in this I'll also include my exact super soil recipe with a break down of each ingredient so you can find alternate options more locally available to you to create your own contaminant free organic compost. 

Super soil is a nutrient rich compost designed to pack a bit more of a punch than your average premixed soil, some companies sell decent premade super soils as well but i  prefer to make my own and know every ingredient involved!

Since many people learn in different ways i decided to create this blog for those who prefer to read the material, and for those who prefer a more hands on approach please find my youtube which most of this script was taken from...

 For those who prefer reading i have converted this video into a written version so even if you did watch the video this may be good for reference and for the recipe from my Dank Notes.

 

(this has been slightly modified from the one in the video to lean more towards veganic ingredients in order to avoid adding contaminants from slaughterhouses and or supporting inhumane practices)

 

for this mix you want to start with 6 gallons of organic soil (1 cubic foot) et something good and organic from a local vendor, i live in mass and i go to a place called green matters im not sponsored by them but they have everything i need even all the down to earth products and they have them for a fraction of the price as amazon or anywhere else online so no joke dont pass up your local vendor and it also feels better supporting a small business instead of a large corp so we can give back to the community. also once you make the first big purchase these ingredients last multiple cycles with jjust a few more additions here and there, dont let the initial price tag scare you as  you will save valuable time and money in the long run when all you have to do is water and trim and give your plants attention. if youre already growing organic you know the deal and if youre still using bottled nutrients you’ll thank me later when all your  headaches subside from the memories of mixing bottled nutrients and battling ph every time you watered. 

yes the plants may take more time to grow but if youre after quality then so be it, plus youll have to put it in less effort so the time flys by compared to having to adjust ph every 2 days.

 

 

 let's work our way down the list and what each ingredient does.

to start a 16 gallon batch of soil:

you need 6 gallons of i make a double batch using fox farm happy frog and fox farm ocean forest

 then you want 2 gallons of  thouroughly rinsed coco coir fiber, i use fox farms coco loco that comes pre rinsed to save time and its not that much more than normal coco coir

 For aeration you need Pumice Stone, this is a volcanic rock that actually has micro nutrients and wont break down over time like pearlite, you can use pearlite if no pumice is available but i highly recommend seeking out pumice because you wont have to add as much to your next batch when you recycle your soil since the pumice stone doesn't break down. 

Now you need 4 gallons of high quality earth worm castinggs, if your just starting your first soil i am guessing you dont have red wiggler worms laying around so this is a crucial addition. once you get things going you can also purchase red wiggglers and put them directly into your pots and they will populate the entire pot and remainn in the soil throughout your recycling process. so youll only have to buy those pricy castings once if you do things correctly youll have a lifetime supply of worm castings after your first cycle.

 

 

now 1/2 cup of green sand

Green sand may sound May sound like something you might want to skip yeah like who wants to throw sand out of the garden but this isn’t just normal sand green sand is actually made from the mineral deposits leftover from ancient oceans. Its harvested from the sandy rocks left behind from now receeded oceans. Also known as glauconite green sand, This is very beneficial soil conditioner because it not only  l helps break up heavy clay soils increasing drainage and oxygen flow to the roots but also has more gritty texture so its able to soak up more moisture than garden sand and conserve it for plants roots it is s gentle source of potassium but also has 30 or more trace minerals in it from its ancient past. Trace minerals that could make the difference between just surviving or thriving plants.

 

1/2 cup of’ground oyster shells and 3/4th cup of crushed oyster shells. i always want to just go to the beach for these and prbbably will in the future  but sometimes its better to only introduce the bacteria you intend to end up in your garden.

 

 

1/2 cup of  limestone powder natures cal mag

Limestone is also a rock made from ancient Ocean-dwelling organisms such as oysters, clams, mussels and coral and their ancestors that use calcium carbonate (CaCO3) found in seawater to create their shells and bones. As these organisms die, their shells and bones are broken down by waves and settle on the ocean floor where they are compacted over millions of years, creating limestone from the sediments and the pressure of the ocean water.

The second way limestone is formed is when water containing particles of calcium carbonate evaporate, leaving behind the sediment deposit. The water pressure compacts the sediment, creating limestone.

So its mainly calcium carbonate a great useful source of calcium but also may contains considerabke amounts of magnesium carbonate otherwise known as dolomite lime. And naturally being from a sea bed limestone contains many micronutrients. its basically natures cal mag on steroids.

UPDATE* my original recipe called for  1/2 cup of epsom salt which is magnesium sulphate. but ive now switched to lanngebenite for my soil as it is more slow realease with a great slow release of sulohates and magnesium, but without the salts. and i still use epsom salt in my Compost teas since it's more quick release. Epsom salt has many uses and it is a great addition to the garden so you can be sure you have plenty of calcium and magnesium in your mix. Just be sure to avoid any scented versions, I recommend dr teals.

 

1/4 cup of silica

Although silica is not essential for plant growth and development, it can provide many benefits. It helps strengthen cell walls, guards against environmental stress, improves the uptake of water and minerals and adds an extra level of protection against fungal diseases such as powdery mildew. Silica seems to promote an alkalizing effect in metal-heavy soil, thereby decreasing the concentration in the soilpartially because of the release of antioxidant enzymes that assuage oxidative stress. Leaves of plants with silica exposure also contain higher amounts of chlorophyll.

 

Now if you dont have limestone powder can also add 1/2 cup of dolomite lime  or add 1/4 cup of extra epsom salt i add both anyway, you would just add more to make up for the lack of other ingredients.

Just make sure you add extra calcium one way or another through the crushed oyster shells or others. Some of these sources are slow release and others are more quickly available so they extend through the season of the grow, but i also add these in my compost teas to make sure theres no lack of cal mag throughout the grow.

 

Calcium helps nutrient uptake of other nutrients and also helps the plant regulate heat so is essential in warmer grow rooms or any grow room at all.

 

 

(some gmo punch in week 6 or 7 from my last grow) 

Now the revs recipe calls for blood meal, and bone meal, which is usually sourced from dead cows, if you’d like to keep your grow more vegetarian you can supplement the bone meal by just adding more of your other calcium sources liek limestonne powder and oyster shell,  and the blood meal can be replaced with more poops or guanos or manures, or more soy bean hydrolysate which i now implement inn my garden inn place of blood meal and bone meal. 

1/4 cup of crab meal, crab meal contains chitin from the shells  which is the same makeup as many insects exoskeletons as well as being found in the cell walls of mushrooms so it breeds beneficial bacteria that will help keep harmful pests away. Chitin is the most abundant biopolymer in nature, second only to cellulose, not only does chitin ward off pests it also activates a SAR (Systematic Acquired Response) in the plant, basically it thinks its beinng attacked by bugs and it boosts the plants natural defense systems while also being known too increase terpene production. 

 

Then you have a 1/4 cup powdered rock phosphate also known as rock dust which  is a type of non-detrital sedimentary rock packed with phosphate mineralization, including apatite.

It contains other trace minerals but mainly a great slow release source of phosphorus to get your plants through the flowering phase.

 

 

Another calcium source to add is gypsum powder, this is another sedimentary rock mainly composed of calcium sulfate and it is softer since it is formed by evaporation snd it provides a  quick release of calcium and sulfates, believe it ir not its actually used in drywall, and

Because of its binding abilities its a primary agent in some  toothpastes and also a plaster for some medical casts. but i wouldnt recommend that as your go to source since the the other chemicals in the drywall would contaminate your soil. In its natural form it is safe to eat and is used as an additive in many foods and us used in brewing beer and mead and many other uses.

 

 

Now you want plenty of Kelp Meal this calls for 3 cups. Kelp seaweed is a type of marine algae that grows by filtering seawater and absorbing nutrients so it grows fast as it collects many vital nutrients and can help your plants grow fast too. its moderately rich in all three of the main macro nutrients nitrogen phosphorus and potassium and it has many micro nutrients, its light enough to be used on early seedlings to give a boost of nutrients early as possible but also has many of the things your plants need for all phases of growth.

2 cups Alfalfa Meal (up to 6 cups go crazy or use as cover crop) Alfalfa is a grass but alfalfa meal is  made from the plant seeds. It's light and airy looking and has a pleasant, earthy smell.It contains  macro and micro nutrients including iron and it helps regulate the soil ph along with your calcium sources. 

 

 

1/4 cup humic acid ore granular

Humic acid is unaltered oxidized lignite. It is It is the rich substance leftover from organic plant materials think of marshes, its organic matter that hasnt quite reached the state of coal due to its high oxidation degree and it has no value as a fuel other than for your soil. This is an essential ingredient to getting a healthy soil web going as it would take you millions of years to create on your own and im assuming you have those capabilities unless youre a vampire or a warewolf or something.

 

Now i like to add a cup of organic brown rice, this isn’t necessary but if you have it you might as well, if you want you can order rice hulls but i love brown rice so i always have brown rice around and it works just as well. At first It helps aerate the soil for once cycle but i wouldnt replace your pumice with rice as it will break down over time.  Rice also provides a great spot for bacteria to colonize and slowly feed the soil as they break down.

In southeast Asia many farmers actually totally use rice hulls instead if peat or pearlite, i stay away from vermiculite due to the work i used to do in attics i have developed a hatred for it and am scared of asbestos but i hear some brands mine decent vermiculite, i prefer using volcanic pumice stone though.

 

Last but not least you want to add 2-6 cups of organic compost from your garden compost bin or find a neighbor with a compost pile or a nearby farm. This is essential as you have only introduced dry ingredients that contain little to know life, you need to add compost to introduce the beneficial bacterias that will colonize your soil and create the true magic.

 

now get this to the moisture of a wet sponge, not sopping wet but not too dry, check in a day later and it will already be hot to the touch, your pile can get in the mid 100’s if done correctly so it needs at least 2 weeks to litteraly cook before you can plant anything in it or you will burn the roots.

now just check in evrey few days and move the pile to the other side of the container and make sure it is at the proper moisture, you’ll notice the heat of the pile makes the water evaporate so you will have to keep adding more to keep the microbeasties alive.

 

 

Once you start growing organically you realize that nature methods dont involve directly feeding the plants. Its about feeding the biology the soil. The soil web is more extensive than any planrs roots can get and we are only just beginning to understand the symbiotic relationship between them. As ive mentioned in other videos the plants roots trade sugars for nutrients from the bacterias in the soil. So if the plant is in need of a nutrient that is elsewhere in the soil the bacteria’s and the soil can transfer the nutrients to the roots and exchange for the sugar is that it needs to stay alive, so in true living soil the roots and soil work together to feed the plant. When you add bottled nutrients you kill the bacteria and end this relationship between the soil and and the roots, and now the plant relies on whatever you give it directly to grow rather than doing what nature intended.

 

Remember too much of anything can block out the uptake of everything else so its always about balance. Less is more always start with less than you think you need and be patient for results, take notes and add more nutrients to certain batches to better accommodate specified strains needs. Some will need more potassium, some more nitrogen, some need a crap load of calcium to stay happy, you can always supplement through compost teas throughout the grow but you don’t want your plants to rely on those, they should just be a boost and your soil should be strong enough to complete the grow on its own. i use a compost tea  or two in veg  during transplants and then two in flowering to make sure my buds get evreythingg they need to fatten up, but this isnt necessary and with this soil you can get away with just watering and top dressing if you don't have an aeration stone.   

When you grow using my methods you're no longer the overly strict parent controlling everything their child eats. Its time to accept youre not the overulling power of the plants and they dont need you, but you can help them thrive, you should act as  more of just a guide to give them their ideal growing conditions so they can thave the best growth possible with all the nutrients they need from a healthy living soil.

 

Many studies have shown that hydroponics will produce faster results and I can’t argue that it’s a fact  but you have to be more involved in every step and every watering has to be carefully adjusted taking up much of your valuable time, and you can get incredible buds but theyll never have the same full flavors as organically dirt grown buds. But it also makes growing more enjoyable since you have more time to just prune and examine your plans other than dealing with your headache from mixing pH levels every few days. Take it from someone who started out with bottled nutrients and once  I switched I never went back 

Thanks for checking out my grow guys I have a lot more videos on the way I’m sorry for them being so spaced out but it takes a lot of time to get gather all the information that I want to provide to you guys and since I’m stoned throughout the whole recording process I usually like to write out a script so I don’t repeat myself so this video alone took me and there is about a week just to do the audio So I appreciate all your recent support on my page and it feels good to start to join this community.

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everything I use is in  the link down below and in the description of my youtubw videos.  if you have the chance and can afford it please help me out on Patreon to help support this page and keep it growing! 

Link to my Patreon and all the seeds and products i use can be found here!