Natural living soil is the symbiotic relationship between the multiple forms of microbial life
working together to break down organic matter in soil which, in turn, provides valuable nutrients to the plants. This process is called nutrient cycling.
Micro organisms such as, bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi, are the unseen majority in soil and make up a huge part of soil’s genetic diversity. Soil microbes are essential for decomposing organic matter and breaking down organic additives to make them available for the plants to absorb. In return the plants provide sugars and carbs to help "feed" the microbes. This means easier absorption of nutrients by plant roots, reduced need for watering, limited erosion, and improved aeration. This symbiotic relationship allows the plants to determine what they need when they need it, rather then growers "force-feeding" their plants what they think they need.
The magic of natural living soil is because of the symbiotic relationship between fungus and a plant. The term mycorrhizae refers to the role of the fungus in the plant's root system, which is called the rhizosphere. Mycorrhizae connect to plants in two ways. The first simply surrounds the outside of the roots and is called ectomycorrhiza. The second way is called endomycorrhiza and actually grows inside of the plant, they squeeze in between the cell wall and the cell membranes of the roots. Mycorrhizae are crucial to plant nutrition, soil biology, and soil chemistry.
When using natural living soil, growers need to trust in nature. If we need to add to our living soil the best way is by using compost teas. We brew compost teas to develop a large number of microbial life, we then feed the tea to the soil to increase the living population that will feed the plants. By adding these microbes to the soil we can imitate mother nature in the way she replenishes the soil outside. The symbiotic relationship in the soil creates neutral pH levels, allowing us to skip any PH adjustments we had to make in the past. It is important to keep our soil alive so we do not want to use any bottled nutrients because they contain salts and ingredients that are detrimental to our "herd" of microbes. When liquid nutrients are used the balance of the soil is disturbed and the microbial population will decrease, resulting in a less healthy soil. Remember you are feeding the soil not the plant.
Soil health is one of the most important things in our gardens, cannabis or otherwise. The vitality of natural living soil provides a rich and holistic environment for the cannabis plant and is the natural way that cannabis has evolved over time. It allows the plant to grow to its complete therapeutic potential increasing resin quality and terpene profiles. In this balanced environment the soil eats and feeds in harmony making natural living soil the most sustainable way to grow cannabis.