The Soil Food Web and Optimum Plant Health
What is the Soil Food Web and how does it affect cannabis plants? In conventional and hydroponic agriculture chemical fertilizers are used to provide the basic elements necessary for plant growth; Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium (NPK). While NPK fertilizers have proven effective in growing cannabis plants (and many other plants) there is more to optimal plant health than NPK. Over many thousands of years plants have developed intricate relationships with soil microorganisms to provide necessary elements and adequate water for healthy plant growth.
As scientists have delved deeper into the macro and microscopic world of soil life they have discovered what is known as the Soil Food Web . The Soil Food Web is a complex set of relationships between fungi, bacteria, protozoa, nematodes and other life forms in healthy soil. Collaboratively a healthy ecosystem of soil life creates an environment rich in plant available nutrients and water as well as an appropriate soil pH. When the soil ecosystem is balanced, healthy and full of the food sources it needs to thrive, optimal plant health is effortlessly handled by the extremely experienced life forms in the soil.
With a strong understanding of the soil food web it is possible to feed the organic system and benefit from the results. Healthy organic soil is akin to a whole food diet for plants providing all the necessary environmental conditions and building blocks which allow a plant’s immune system to operate at full strength. A healthy soil food web also works to keep common pests at bay as predator species are available to regulate pest populations. Optimal environmental conditions combined with healthy soil allows cannabis and industrial hemp crops to reach their genetic potential. These conditions may also lead to greater development of cannabinoids and terpenes within cannabis flowers.
Below are some of the benefits of healthy soil in cannabis cultivation :
- Cannabis plants need less watering due to increased water retention.
- You need to use less fertilizer because soil life breaks down natural elements providing for plant needs directly. Healthy soil is also far less likely to have nutrients leaching from the soil.
- You need less pesticides because organisms that cause disease are naturally suppressed.
- It results in larger, healthier cannabis plants due to well established, extensive root systems.
This all adds up to less water usage, less chemical manufacturing and transport, and a higher quality healthier product. For a better understanding of the soil food web check out the book Teaming with Microbes by Jeff Lowenfels.
At 3C we have experience in optimizing the health of the soil food web providing the conditions necessary for healthy organic cannabis cultivation. Please contact us if you have any questions or need assistance in designing or refining your marijuana cultivation operation.
What type of soil are you growing in? Are you growing clean, pesticide-free cannabis? In a competitive marketplace, having the highest quality product will give you a competitive advantage. We’ve worked with hundreds of cultivators throughout the U.S. and abroad. Our clients produce some of the healthiest plants and high quality cannabis on the planet.
Share
Recommended Articles
