Super soil is a type of organic substrate (potting media) rich in components needed by the cannabis plant to thrive all throughout its lifecycle. It is a prepared type of soil mix which would cater to the nutritional needs of your cannabis plant. This not only enhances the quality of the plant but it is ecologically friendly as well since it is composed of all organic elements. Thus, Super Soil contains live microorganisms that create an ecosystem in the soil encouraging healthy plant growth and high yield.
“Super Soil” is a term coined by a known weed grower named Subcool sometime in the early ’90s to 2000s. Once he felt comfortable yielding high-quality products using this substrate, he taught other organic growers his secret mix. To this day, this soil mix is widely used by a lot of organic growers as it continuously gives out excellent results in their products. The standard super soil mix will be discussed here however, due to different growing conditions in each farm, a little tweaking of the ingredients could be made to properly suit the grower’s needs.
BASIC SUPER SOIL RECIPE
- Base mix – this is the foundation of your super soil mix. This will provide the basic nutrition and aeration in your soil. Please note that for these plants to thrive they must have the proper aeration in their soil so their roots would develop quickly and promote healthy growth. It is recommended to have 1 part of each of the following:
- Compost of any kind
- Coco coir or peat moss
- Perlite or pumice
- Develop good fungus in the soil mix – to have a healthy fungal population in your soil mix is very good for the plant. The good fungus interacts with your pants roots and produces a relationship called mycorrhizae, wherein the fungus provides increased water and nutrient absorption to the host plant. Very good sources of fungal nutrition are from the following:
- Kelp meal – made from dehydrated then grounded Kelp (seagrass) which is readily available in any organic planting store. Added by watering your plant with the suggested dosage
- Humic acid – extracted from soil, compost coal, etc., where sodium hydroxide is added to extract humic acid. Also available in most organic gardening shops. Added by watering your plant with the suggested dosage
- Establish a bacterial population – the addition of a bacterial population on your soil provides health benefits to your plants. They break down complex sugars and these are in turn converted into macro and micronutrients for your plant. These bacteria also establish the immune system of your cannabis making it more resistant to pests, diseases, and sudden spikes in weather conditions (which normally causes stress to your plant). These bacteria could be obtained from the following sources:
- Vermicompost – worm castings (usually comprises approximately 20% of your intend soil mix)
- Bat guano – cave bat excrements (usually comprises 5% of your intended soil mix)
PROS AND CONS OF SUPER SOIL
Pros
- Better taste, smell, and smoothness
- Good for both indoor and outdoor use
- Natural – all organic
- No need to flush – since there are no inorganic chemicals used, no need to flush the potting media with water once a month
- Easier growing conditions – less worry about maintaining acidity/Ph levels of your soil
Cons
- Expensive
- Need to plan ahead – you need at least 30-60 days lead time to prepare and condition this type of soil mix before you could use it for planting
- Tedious – the process of having to mix your soil with the different components and getting the proper ratio is quite a task
- Slower growth than liquid/chemical nutrients – since this is all-natural, the plant growth occurs naturally and not the rapid effect of chemical fertilizers which in the long run ruins your base soil
