How to Choose The Best Soil for Growing Cannabis

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Growing cannabis in soil is the best way to get the best quality buds. Moreover, soil is one of the best substances that promote healthy cannabis growth. But after you have decided to grow cannabis in soil, the next step is to choose the best quality soil for growing cannabis, which is considered as much important as choosing seeds, click here to read more about where to buy seeds. Of course, there are certain ways to identify the quality of the soil. As we all know that not every soil is suitable to grow cannabis.

Also, not all cannabis will grow well in the same quality soil. Therefore, selecting the most preferred soil quality for growing cannabis depends on the type of cannabis that you want to grow, the climate, and the place you are growing your cannabis. That is if you are growing cannabis indoors or outdoors. 

Let’s take a look at some of the common traits to identify the best quality soil for growing healthy cannabis. 

The texture of the soil

For growing cannabis, you should select soil with loose and light textures. A light texture of the soil allows more oxygen to reach the roots of the plant. Thus promotes the growth of roots and their overall health. 

Drainage ability of the soil

Cannabis plants need excellent drainage to grow well. After you water your cannabis plants, the water should not gather at the top of the soil. Pooling of water at the top of the soil can cause serious harm to the plants. Your cannabis plants can even get sick or die due to excess water. Therefore; it is very much necessary that you get the right pack of soil for planting cannabis that has excellent drainage capacity and will not hold water into it.

pH value of soil

The pH value of soil helps identify how alkaline or acidic the soil is. Checking the pH value of soil is very much necessary as cannabis tends to grow only in soil that has a low pH range. Therefore, if you plant your cannabis plants in soil with a high pH value, it will most probably not grow into a healthy plant. Suitable soil for growing cannabis has a pH value between 5.8-6.3. soil with a pH value of 6.0 can be considered to be the most suitable soil to grow cannabis. But be careful that the pH value doesn’t fluctuate too far away from this range. This will surely harm your cannabis plants and will diminish their yields. Also, remember that if the pH value of the soil is completely off the range or too high, it can even kill your cannabis plant.

Nutrients

Another important factor you must consider while choosing soil to grow cannabis is, to check its nutrient content. Almost all soils that you can buy from the market contain enough nutrients. But these nutrients will reduce to zero in just 3-4 weeks. Now after a month is over, the time comes when the cannabis starts to flower. But all the nutrients of the soil are already depleted by then. So, this is when you need to add more nutrients to the soil externally to continue its healthy growth. 

If you are growing cannabis in soil without adding additional nutrients to it, try to use only the soil that contains organic substances like humus, compost, guano, worm castings, etc in it. The presence of these organic substances in the soil allows microorganisms to convert them into a nutrient that the plant can use when necessary.

Traits of best cannabis soil

There are two types of soil that planters use for growing cannabis. One is store-bought mixed soil that is already preloaded with nutrients. But those who want to grow organically use natural soil that is available in four varieties. Sandy, silty, loamy, and clay. Let`s understand the quality of each variety of soil.

Sandy

Sandy soil is the best choice for those who want soil with good drainage. But at the same time, the soil has a low water retention ability. This can cause essential nutrients like nitrogen to get easily washed away.  A few features of the soil are

  • Low pH value

  • Course structure

  • Good drainage allows the soil to remain airy and maintain a high oxygen level 

  • Low water retention ability 

Silty

Silty soil is rich in organic particles and minerals. It is a medium-coarse soil structure that also has a very good water retention ability. Besides, it also has an adequate drainage ability and well fertility due to the presence of adequate mineral and organic substances. This means the soil is a very good option to work with when growing cannabis plants. 

  • Rich in minerals and nutrients

  • Medium-coarse

  • Well drainage

Loamy

This soil type is a combination of sand, silt, and clay soils along with some added organic compounds. It is one of the best soils you can choose to grow cannabis. The soil has optimal water retention ability, good drainage, and is rich in oxygen and nutrients. But the only downside of this soil is that it comes at a very high price. 

  • High nutrient and oxygen content

  • Good Water retention and drainage 

  • A mixture of silt, clay, and sand