While you cultivate cannabis at home, whether indoors or outdoors, it pays to offer your plants the perfect environment. Your choice of soil can make or break between a successful home growing project and an ailing one, while most cannabis cultivars are quite resilient and hardy. You will surely attain some of the best results during harvest time by achieving the proper soil composition with the perfect pH level and nutrient content.
So, where do you start while you come at finding or creating the right substrate? Do not fear; we are here to teach you everything you should know about selecting the right cannabis soil. The post is meant for you if you are a novice or want to get the best growth!
Loamy Soil is the "CHOSEN ONE."
Soil with a loamy consistency tends to be the highly-favorable one, although there is no definitive kind of soil for weeds. However, what is it, and what is so special about it? Loamy soil mainly consists of a mixture of silt and sand with a small clay. The resulting substrate features nutrient retention and great water while maintaining suitable aeration and drainage.
In simpler terms, loamy soil offers the perfect balance for retention and filtration. It allows plants to uptake everything they need without becoming soggy and falling victim to issues, including root rot. Everything narrows down to fine-tuning, a loamy soil mix consists of about 40% sand and silt, topped off with about 20% clay.
Although others have discussed a few potential benefits of using loamy soil, let us check out a few perks.
- Offering adequate aeration and drainage
- Ability to retain and absorb nutrients and water
- Rapid warm-up during spring months compared to other kinds of soil
- Retaining water for a longer time is drought resistant.
Regarding cannabis soil, environment and budget, along with other factors, undoubtedly play the most significant role in your decision-making process.
Let us give you a breakdown of a few other kinds of soil. A few of them make great soil amendments whenever they are added in the right amount, although we do not recommend using them on their own!
- Clay soil
- Sandy Soil
- Silty Soil
- Peaty Soil
- Chalky Soil
Store-bought vs. Homemade Cannabis Soil
Therefore, what is the best one when it comes to selecting soil for your home growing project? Many produce consists of their substrates from home while buying soil from the garden centers is available. The cultivation experience plays the most significant role in selecting one over the other, with both options offering several pros and cons.
- Store-bought Soil
There is no requirement for mixing or fine-tuning the different amendments and ingredients on your own with everything that you need in a single container. Additionally, it becomes easier to store, which is perfect for those falling short on space. Simply pick up a smaller bag, and you are all set!
- Homemade Soil
You need not look far online to discover the hotly debated topic of what cannabis soils should contain and their ratios.
Things to Consider While Selecting Soil to Grow Weed
Cannabis performs best under light and loose soil with a perfect balance between water retention and drainage. Not all cannabis plants need the same kind of soil, and a few specimens perform better in denser soils, such as the ones with higher concentrations of clays. The environment and climate also play the most significant role in ensuring your due diligence before buying cannabis seeds or soil.
The other area that needs consideration is the pH level. Cannabis plants grown in soil react to the pH level adequately at about 6.0. It is considered the "sweet spot," allowing your plants to perform at their best. Simply test the pH levels before transplanting and administering the nutrients and water, as you cannot go wrong here.
Your soil should also have the right levels of phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium alongside the varied types of micronutrients. Ensure that your substrate can offer your plant adequate nutrition, whether it is included in the soil upright or added through synthetic or organic fertilizers. Always note that a few cannabis strains, such as the autoflower, do not need many nutrients to avail a successful yield. Therefore, be wary about the addition of too much.
Your Best Solution
As you note, there is no definitive or straightforward answer regarding purchasing or mixing the soil for your cannabis plants. There are way too many aspects you should consider as you may find it initially involves a bit of trial and error. However, once you have cracked the code, there will be no stopping you. Simply consider every specific strain and the environment you plan to cultivate, as you will reap some handsome reward from it with an abundance of buds from Brothers Grimm seeds. Be satisfied knowing that you did everything on your own!