Soil
Plants have evolved with their roots in soil. Pre-fertilised soils contain all of the micro- and macro-nutrients required for plant growth.
The soil found in your garden has a plethora of microorganisms, some of which are beneficial and others aren’t. All the soil we sell is sterile, so it has been treated to ensure there are no good or bad microorganisms; allowing you to introduce the exact mix of beneficial microbes you want, with no bad microorganisms. We also stock various beneficial bacteria and fungus that won’t detrimentally affect your plants, but can actively facilitate their growth. There’s a lot of debate about the quality and nutritional content of soil grown produce compared to that grown in hydroponic systems. There is no debate that growing in soil is much easier to produce a tasty crop, this is due to the effects of organics. In Hydroponics, it’s possible to produce a tasty crop, but you’ll need to use additional boosters and additives. For more info on soil, check out our buyer's guide below.
Soil mixes and amendments
Soil mixes, Potting Mixes, Compost Mix, Earth & Dirt - our customers refer to soil by many different names but they’re all describing the same thing - organic, natural substrates.
Soil is great for beginners but serious growers also use soil with organic nutrients to produce organic harvests - a technique that produces a higher quality, tastier crop which may yield slightly less than an equivalent plant in an active hydroponic system.
Soil is an extremely simple and forgiving substrate since it’s able to provide a chemical and physical buffer for many variables. You won’t have to pH your nutrient solution as the soil acts as a pH buffer to balance the acidity / alkalinity in the soil so plants can still properly uptake nutrients without lockout. Soil also acts as a temperature buffer by insulating and protecting roots from extreme fluctuations in temperature.
Our soils contain different levels of nutrients that are available to plants immediately - Soils such as light mix are perfect for young plants with low levels of nutrition so it’s not too strong to burn your young plants. More heavily fertilised soils are also available; they contain enough nutrients to support roughly 4 weeks growth.
You’ve got to be careful when growing in soil as the aeration and drainage capabilities are not as strong as other mediums - you must be very careful not to overwater as you could drown the roots through lack of access to oxygen.
While you can re-use your soil by refreshing it with some Guanokalong Complete mix, or other organic powders, we recommend you use a fresh batch of soil for every cycle; limiting the chances of disease spreading across cycles or particular nutrients becoming depleted which will negatively affect yields.
If you’re unsure which soil is best suited for your plant requirements and technique, email us or call our specialist team on 0800 085 7995 who can advise you on the best solution for your budget and experience level.