Dirt vs Living Soil. Why adding microbes to your cannabis garden is really beneficial.

Hi friends,

today’s guest blogger is James Driskill from happytreemicrobes . He is an
expert in soil health and he will explain to us why adding microbes to your
soil is a real game changer!

Thank you Ed for giving me the opportunity to talk about this.

Hey gardeners, today I want to shine some light on our microscopic buddies
that look after our plants, and us too. Many of us have heard that the root
zone of a plant is analogous to our own gut microbiome. If our gut flora is
disturbed or destroyed by things like antibiotics, disease, or an unhealthy
diet, we suffer. It seems like more and more people are taking
pro/prebiotics, changing their diets, and avoiding antibiotics unless
absolutely necessary. Thankfully, many farmers are starting to understand
and appreciate the role of microbes in the garden. Whether it is a home
garden or a large-scale producer, more and more of the green thumbs out
there are sharing the wisdom that a healthy rhizosphere and phyllosphere
are vital for cultivating superior cannabis medicine as well as growing
nutritious food, aromatic flowers, strong trees, etc. Maybe the
conventional approach was well-intentioned but it has nonetheless been
exposed for the destructive practice that it is. So let’s discuss how we
can all work together to remediate some of the problems that have come
along with standard agricultural practices.

“When soil is abused year after year to the point where almost all of the
biology is gone, we get dirt. Dirt can’t hold nutrients, has no structure,
and is prone to erosion and disease.”

— James Driskill / Happy Tree Microbes

Synthetic nutrients, tilling, heavy equipment, poisonous pesticides, and
herbicides have turned much of our soil into dirt. Dirty ol’ dirt doesn’t
do diddly squat for plants. Well, actually, pesky weeds will grow alright
in it but not much of anything that you want to grow can thrive in dirt.
When soil is abused year after year to the point where almost all of the
biology is gone, we get dirt. Dirt can’t hold nutrients, has no structure,
and is prone to erosion and disease. When we add biology to dirt we start
the process of changing it back into soil. You see, there are nutrients in
that dirt, but those nutrients are bound up in compounds that are
unavailable to plants. In soil, bacteria and fungi will break these
compounds down and store some of them in their bodies. These tiny critters
also build soil structure. Bacteria create glues that bind soil particles
together and fungi hold micro aggregates together with their hyphae.
Larger, but still teeny, dudes like protozoa and nematodes wander around
and munch on these bacteria and fungi and drag and push stuff around in the
soil. Nutrients are snagged by these microbes and hauled around the root
zone like a fed ex truck making deliveries. So how do we get the biology
back into the dirt and make soil? Let’s discuss some options.

If your native soil hasn’t been adulterated then there is probably already
a lot of microbial activity present. It is still a great idea to add to
this to increase certain populations and we will go over some options for
that shortly. If you are using potting soil or soil that has been used for
conventional ag farming, then there is going to be much less activity. Leaf
mold soil gathered from old forests is Teaming With Microbes (BTW, this is
a must-read book by Jeff Lowenfells). Compost is a good option however it
can be difficult to find quality compost. Most of the municipal compost
I’ve looked at is inferior if not harmful to your plants and yourself (I’ve
gotten sick after testing compost from some big companies – stop touching
your face, James). If you don’t have a microscope then it’s going to be
tough to determine if the compost contains the beneficial microbes that
will help you and not the pathogenic busters that will cause problems. The
same goes for worm castings and manures. It is impossible to tell if it’s
good without a microscope or a long controlled trial. Both compost and
castings can potentially create a thriving garden or a poor crop.

Always give it the smell test: if it smells bad it may make your plants
sad. The best way is to make your own so you know what materials are used,
but this isn’t possible for everyone. Once you find a quality source of
microorganisms in leaf mold soil, compost, worm castings or another source,
you can start making extracts (massaging a fine mesh bag of
compost/castings/leaf mold while it is submerged in non-chlorinated water),
actively aerated compost teas (adding aeration, agitation, and food to the
water in the previous system in order to “brew” or grow more microbes), and
Natural Farming style anaerobic cultures (dropping some local leaf mold
soil in a bag with a little starch like potatoes and letting it sit in
water for a few days). There is a learning curve to this stuff and it is
easy to make mistakes when you first start making these microbial inputs.
Another solution is to buy something that has been made ready for you. Many
companies offer microbial products in a liquid or a dry powder form. These
can be great ways to boost both populations and diversity. If you have a
microscope (~$500) then you can experiment with creating your own
compost/castings/extracts/teas and feel good about using the best possible
inoculant. However, if you don’t have the time or interest in learning how
to make these inputs, then check out a packaged microbial product like Happy
Tree Microbes.

If you are ready to grow like you mean it then let’s put these superstars
to work. Your plants will thank you by praying all day and producing the
best smelling and tasting flowers and fruit you’ve ever had. You will see
far fewer bugs and diseases and your yields will increase. You will need
fewer nutrients, less water, and less work to grow the healthiest plants
possible. There are many more ways to add biology back into your media. For
more information, I highly recommend checking out Dr. Elaine Ingham. She
has shared a wealth of knowledge on this subject and even offers courses in
making microbial inputs. Please feel free to email me with any questions or
if you have any cool methods for gathering and applying magic microbes into
your soil. Remember, when we help each other and share our knowledge, we
all grow together!

James Driskill from happytreemicrobes .