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Learn now how to choose the best soil for growing cannabis

Learn now how to choose the best soil for growing cannabis

Most weed gardeners know that growing cannabis in soil is a common and effective growing method. 

The difficulty is that growers have to peruse through many soil options and may find it challenging to determine the right option for them. 

Well, sit tight! In this article, we’ll be showing you how to choose the best soil for cannabis to give your marijuana the best chances of fat buds and a huge yield. 

Why is choosing the best soil for cannabis very important?

Soil is one of the three components (including water and light) needed to help a plant 

survive.

Choosing the best soil is vital as, without it, a plant can’t grow effectively and may end up lacking nutrients or even under developing. Good earth also helps provide plants with the health needed to survive under challenging weather conditions. 

Along with learning about temperature and humidity for growing weed, understanding soil is vital. It spells the difference between a plant that didn’t grow to one that exceeded expectations

The components that make up the soil

Soil consists of several components and is quite complex in its makeup. Let’s look at what these are:

  • Air: 25% of soil is simply air. 
  • Water: A further 25% of the earth is water. It’s vital for moving nutrients to the plants. 
  • Clay: One of the three primary materials found in soil, clay, like the other minerals, is derived from broken-down rocks. 
  • Sand: This is one of the primary minerals found in dirt. Minerals, in fact, make up 46% of all soil. 
  • Silt: The second of the primary minerals found within the soil. 
  • Organic matter: This makes up the remaining 4% of the earth. Soils high in organic matter are brilliant for plant growth. 

Knowing what good soil is

You can identify excellent cannabis soil by looking at a few key indicators.

best soil for cannabis
  • Dark and loose: Dark soil is rich soil. It means that they contain plenty of organic matter, sodium, and healthy nutrients. Loose soil allows for better aeration.
  • Good drainage & water retention: Good drainage means that the marijuana water can drain to the bottom well. Well-drained earth ensures that your cannabis stays wet for a reasonable amount of time. An appropriate amount of water retention is vital to keep cannabis healthy.
  • The correct pH value: The ideal pH value is about 6.0 as cannabis plants thrive better in a slightly acidic environment. 
  • Organic matter: Organic matter is decomposed material derived from plants and animals. It helps provide nutrients and improves the water holding capacity of the soil. Examples include compost and manure. 

Choosing the best soil for marijuana

The best soil depends on the conditions that you’re growing your marijuana. So, for example, what’s needed for outdoor marijuana is different from that for indoor cannabis. 

Let’s break it down.

Best soil for outdoor cannabis

The benefit of growing cannabis outdoors is that your plants won’t be as restricted and can further grow their roots. 

However, you’ll have to monitor and possibly change the soil’s pH level if it’s not suitable.

Cannabis plants all need nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in their soil ‘diet’. These nutrients will be absorbed at different rates and need to be renewed with a good marijuana fertilizer from time to time. 

A dark, crumbly loam works best outdoors that’s mostly silt.

Best soil for indoor cannabis

Loamy soil is the best for indoor cannabis. An ideal mixture of 40% silt, 40% clay, and 20% sand offers a loose soil texture for adequate oxygenation and root growth. This mix also offers good water retention, drainage, and an ideal pH level of 6.0. 

Best potting soil for cannabis

Firstly, it’s important to note that no matter what pot you use, always make sure that there are holes at the bottom to prevent your cannabis from drowning. 

Cannabis can be effectively grown in pots using pre-packaged organic soil

An alternative is to make what is known as a ‘super soil’ mix. You’ll have to find a super soil recipe or order a mix online. It’s a great option as it self-regulates its pH levels. 

Best organic soil for cannabis

Creating the best organic soil for marijuana is tricky, but there are a few components that can drastically improve its health and efficacy: 

Component What it offers
Worm castings This is a good source of nitrogen. It’ll also give your soil the added benefit of many micronutrients.
Bone meal  For a source of phosphorus, this is the way to go. 
Chicken manure  Chicken manure is an excellent source for adding nitrogen and phosphorus to your soil.  
Bat guano This is also a good way to get phosphorus and nitrogen into your organic soil. It also diversifies the soil’s bacteria. 
Compost Compost piles can be an excellent source of nutrients such as potassium. 
Kelp meal  Both promoting microbial diversity and offering potassium, kelp meal is a great component to add to organic soil. 

Best soil for autoflowering cannabis

Autoflower cannabis seeds transition automatically from the vegetative to flowering stage regardless of the light availability. 

However, for this type of cannabis, light and aerated soil is preferred. This aids the roots in growing deeper. 

You can make the  best soil for autoflowers from peat moss, compost, vermiculite, and coco coir. 

Store-bought vs. homemade

If you’re not interested in the hassle of putting together your own soil, then you can always stop at a local shop or peruse an online store for some good-quality mix that’s ready-made. 

Although homemade soil may lack on some fronts, it does offer certain benefits. Let’s take a look at what those are compared to store-bought: 

Homemade Cannabis Soil Store-Bought Cannabis Soil
Greater flexibility of choice. Already pre-packaged.
Generally cheaper than store-bought cannabis. More expensive than homemade cannabis.
It requires more research to figure out and can be complicated.  The work to put together nutrients and research is already done for you. 
Easier and cheaper to make in bulk.  Often comes in smaller packaging. 

How to make your own soil

Making your own soil may be preferable for many as ready-made soil mixes can be pretty expensive. Here are a few steps that you can follow to get started:

Step 1: To start with creating your marijuana soil mix, you can opt to find soil at your local gardening store. Alternatively, you can use the soil you have at home. 

Step 2: Next, you’ll need to add the building blocks of cannabis: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. You can find these components in worm castings, bone meal, and compost.

Step 3: Then, mix the soil. It’s as simple as that, and you’re on your way to having the best soil to grow marijuana. 

best soil for cannabis

Improving the soil, you already have

There are several minerals, soils, and nutrients that you can add to the soil you already have to make it suitable to grow excellent cannabis. Here are a few suggestions: 

  • Coco for cannabis: Coco-coir is a flexible growing medium made out of coconut shells that grants your plants the ability to grow even faster than they already are.
  • Perlite: This can help loosen and provide excellent aeration to the soil and also aids in the speed of growth of the plant. 
  • Vermiculite: This is good for dampening the soil and raising the pH level of your cannabis. 
  • Worm castings: These are great for resolving nitrogen cannabis deficiencies. This nutrient-rich manure is perfect for any weed soil mix. 
  • Nutrients: Along with nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, marijuana soil also needs calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and many others. 

Before we move on to our FAQs: if you want to know more about growing, be sure to check out our marijuana for beginners guide. It offers a lot of helpful information about costs, climate, strains, and much more relating to growing marijuana.

FAQs related to best soil for cannabis

We’ve scoured the internet and put together the most frequently asked questions to help you find the best soil for growing weed. 

What is the best soil for growing cannabis?

Loam is undoubtedly the best soil for growing cannabis. Its pH level is close to the ideal level of 6.0. Regrettably, it’s quite an expensive soil to buy but a worthwhile investment if you want to grow the best marijuana plants possible. 

What is the best soil for outdoor cannabis?

Outdoor cannabis grows well with organic soil. You can make your own or opt to purchase a mix online or at a local garden store. 

What is the best soil for indoor cannabis?

The ideal is the same as the best overall cannabis soil, which is loam. If you’re not willing to pay the price, though, you can always opt for a nice pre-packaged cannabis soil mix. Just make sure that it’s full of quality nutrients!

What is the best organic soil for cannabis?

You’ll want a soil mix that’s teaming with all the necessary micro and macronutrients needed for your plants. A nice blend of worm castings, rock dust, bone meal, bat guano, and various other soil amendments is the way to go.

What are the best nutrients for cannabis in soil?

The fundamentals are:

  • Nitrogen (blood meal, ammonia, or cottonseed meal).
  • Phosphate (bone meal, slag, and rock phosphate).
  • Potassium (wood ashes or seaweeds). 

It comes down to you

As you can see, there’s a lot to consider when choosing the best soil for growing marijuana. It depends on the type, where you’ll be growing it, and what you hope to achieve.  

There are a lot of great ready-made products out there, both online and in-store. It just takes some time and research to figure out which is right for you. 

Do you feel ready to start growing? Peruse the i49 website and decide on the right cannabis seeds for you to start your growing journey today. 

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