Stop trying and start growing with the easiest water only soil growing medium.
I started growing 7 years ago and after my very first grow I’ve always tried to improve on one thing… find a way to make my life easier! Whether it was updating my growing equipment with newer technologies or controlling my environment in different ways I’ve always wanted to grow the most successful crop with the least amount of effort exerted. I’m a millennial, what do you expect? Sure I love gardening but indoor gardening has a multitude of obstacles to overcome and finding ways to avoid said obstacles is and will always be my mission. I’ve grown hydroponically my entire life because I was originally led to believe that hydro was the cleanest, easiest and most environmentally friendly way to grow indoors. My millennial background was drawn to the ease of nutrient feed schedules and fully automated grow systems. While I love my ebb and flow hydro system it has some unavoidable downfalls, including but not limited to: nutrient prepping on a weekly basis, full system cleaning every grow to minimize containments, and the overall amount of space hydro systems and their reservoirs take up in your grow room. All these little things sent me on my journey to remedy these inconveniences in my life and try something new.
I started researching how to grow in soil and learned that all growing mediums have their advantages and disadvantages, and often the best choice comes down to personal preference. I found that many growers were making their own mixtures of fertilizers and organic material and were having a ton of success. Once their soil was amended correctly with all the necessary nutrients a simple watering schedule is followed. The idea of a water only feeding schedule made my garden hose tingle but the process of amending my own soil was a little daunting. That’s when I stumbled upon a product I’ve never heard of before called a super soil. A lazy mans soil that has everything your plant needs to grow from start to finish. I found there were a few different companies that make these all in one super soils. And just like that ladies and gentlemen I found the goldmine! Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of these ‘water only’ soils.
What It Is
Water Only soil is also referred to as ‘super soil’ or ‘hot soil’. Whatever name it goes by, it’s essentially a nutrient rich, extremely fertile, organic soil mixture that is used instead of plant fertilizer. When plants are grown using this type of soil mix, water is the only thing that is needed by the plants throughout one entire grow cycle. While each manufacturer (and DIYer) creates their own unique mix of water only soil, organic ingredients like worm castings, blood meal, bone meal, kelp meal, guano, peat moss, coco coir and perlite go into the soil mix to make it rich in plant-nourishing nutrients.
How Water Only Soil Is Used
Seeds and plants are NOT planted directly into the super soil. The fertile soil mixture is placed in the BOTTOM of the growing containers, then a quality potting soil is placed on TOP and the seeds or plants are then planted into that.
The plant roots grow downward seeking water and food and easily uptake the organic nutrients waiting for them in the super soil mixture. The plant roots will continue to develop and expand in the bottom of the container, absorbing all the available nutrients, making the plant strong and healthy to increase production. There are enough nutrients in these super soils for roughly 2 months of veg and 1 full flowering cycle.
Pros Of Super Soils
Since the water only soil is created from a mixture of organic ingredients, it heats up when placed in a container. The heat causes the potting soil above it to become warm which in turn provides a warm growing environment for plant roots. Plant roots grow larger when grown in a warm environment, and larger, thicker roots are able to uptake more nutrients for the plant resulting in more buds, blooms and production. No extra nutrients are needed and are actually discouraged.
Cons Of Super Soils
The heat generated by the water only soil mix, or the mix itself, can potentially cause the plant roots to burn. If this occurs, which is a rarity if the soil is used correctly, nothing can be done to save the plant. After planting, water is all the plants will need but care must be taken when watering. Plants can’t be watered to the point of water runoff (which is typically done in traditional soil types) or the nutrients will leach out and be lost. If the simple instructions are followed almost nothing can go wrong.
In Conclusion
I found that most gardeners who give ‘water only’ soil a try make it their preferred choice of plant growing medium. Compared to growing hydroponically this water only method had much less upkeep necessary to complete a successful grow. Its very easy to setup and when you are done its simple to toss out. I absolutely love the ease of this system. Its Gardan Approved! View our water only soil kit here. For more information about Green Envy Supply, go to our Green Envy homepage