The Nutritional Web.
Basically growing pot is quite simple as long as the nutritional web inside the medium in which your plants are rooted is balanced. Some explanation on this subject may prove interesting even for real ‘Cannalogists’. SpeesCees went for the roots and bottomed out for you…
There are millions to billions of organisms living around plants, around the roots within the soil as well as above ground on the leaves. They are so small they can only been seen by using a microscope. The health of both soil and plants largely depend on how these oranisms influence one another and the plants. For each crop there is a right balance between the plant and the micro organisms that surround it, a balance which takes care of:
A) Better availability of nutrients for the plant
B) Decomposing of poisonous substances
C) Improving soil structure
Generally speaking, this right balance of micro organisms improves the yield of the crop. One teaspoon of healthy soil should in fact contain a sufficient amount of useful bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes; those organisms will never be the cause of any disease or pest. On the contrary: these organisms provide indispensable activity in the soil and can assist the grower to improve the results of his endeavour, on the condition that the grower treats the soil in such a way that organisms can live and work in it.
A balanced nutritional web results in the following profits:
- 1: Repression of diseases and pests
- 2: Storing by binding nutrients such as Calcium, Iron, Potassium, Phosphor etc
- 3: Making available nutrients in the amounts the plant needs at the moment the plant needs them (plants and micro oranisms in the soil actually ‘confer’ about this!)
- 4: Fast decomposition of plant residue in the soil
- 5: Production of growth stimulating plant hormones (such as Gibberalic Acid)
- 6: Improvement of soil structure, (in the case of cannabis, always try to add clay to your peat based medium), which results in better water absorbtion and retention in the soil, and easier penetration of oxygen, which will allow roots to grow better
- 7: Decomposition of poisonous substances that may end up in the soil.
Diseases
Specific organisms are needed to compete with diseases for territory or nutrients, to feed on them, parasitize omn them or slow down their growth.
Plants release 25% of the energy they absorb from sunlight as sugars and proteins to provide to micro organisms in the soil. In exchange these micro organisms provide nutrients and protection to plants.
These beneficial micro organisms can be killed easily: by using pesticides, excessive nutrient levels and ploughing, which causes the soil to lay bare for some time. In such cases the substances plants release to the soil to nourish beneficial micro organisms are used by diseases, and the problems spiral downward. The only way to break free from this is to once again introduce the right organisms in the soil (in case they are missing), or to provide them with the right nutrition when they are present in too small amounts.
Micro organisms
A healthy soil, containing a broad spectrum of different micro organisms, slows down and represses growth of disease inducing fungi and root attacking nematodes. In other words, in a healthy medium cannabis is capabale of defending itself against various fungi and insects. As evidenced by scientific research as well as agricultural practice with battling these damaging organisms, this job is taken care of so well by these micro oranisms that there is no need to use fungicides and nematicides. The only thing needed is a healthy and active nutritional web in the soil.
Binding nutrients
Nitrogen and other nutrients tend to flush from the soil and thus get lost for the crop (and cause problems in soil- en surface water). In a healthy soil with a healthy nutritional web these substances are bound and stored in such a way that the plants can use them when needed. Micro oranisms store nutrition by growing off them themselves. They convert Nitrogen into proteins. Thus Nitrogen and other nutrients are protected from flushing out and evaprating. Means and measures of control which stimulate baterial en fungal growth can thus be employed to store nitrogen and other nutrients in the soil for later use by the plant. The result is that less Nitrogen and other nutrients have to be introduced into the soil, but not at the cost of the harvest. As a matter of fact, less nutrients are flushed out. Recent labaratory research has shown that fungi are well capable of binding Calcium in soils. When you lose the fungi in your soil, you also lose your Calcium. (info provided by Laboratory Den Haan B.V. - www.denhaan.nl )
Availability
When Nitrogen and other nutrients are bound by bacteria and fungi, other organisms are needed in the soil to be used as nutrition for those bacteria and fungi. In a soil which is predominantly populated by bacteria (bacteria dominated soil) organisms that feed on protein-rich bacteria will excrete an important part of the nitrogen contained in their nutrition as ammonia. This ammonia is quickly converted into nutrifying bacteria and the thus released nitrate is directly absorbable by the plant’s roots. In fungi dominated soils the released nitrogen remains present in the form of ammonia, because of the acidid environment caused by fungi. When you take a look at the form in which nitrogen is present in healthy forests and orchards you will notice this is ammonia and not nitrate. Therefore crops that originally grow in acidic forest soils should be rooted in fungi dominated soils to get the right kind of nitrogen that can be absorbed by their roots.
The Nitrogen and other nutrients that are present in the soil as bacteria and fungi populations, have to be released by beneficial nematodes which feed only on bacteria or fungi, protozoa that feed on bacteria and beneficial mites that feed on fungi.
When these beneficial organisms can do their job, they take care of a constant supply of especially Nitrogen, but also Phosphor and other nutrients, which will nutrify the crop all through the growing season.
Decomposition
These substances can only be decomposed when fungi and bacteria specialized in decomposition are present in the soil. This is the first step of the conversion process in which the nutritional elements in the soil are involved. The result is the formation of a good stock of humus in the soil. This decomposition process breaks down remains of the crop (like worms actually do as wel), but in fact the nutritional value of the plant remains are converted into a form that can be consumed by other soil organisms that can do usefull work for the grower.
Production
Every cannabisplant is dependent on soil dwelling organisms that produce substances in the root zone, stimulating the plant’s growth and development. Two plants, grown from the same seed, but one raised in dead soil and the other in healthy living soil, will show differences in growth, development and harvest. A plant in a heathy soil will be supported by beneficial micro organisms which she needs. Micro organisms produce the substances the plant can’t produce by itself.
A plant in healthy soil therefore will be healthier than a plant in dead soil.
Soil structure
To achieve a good porous soil structure, the organisms working towards that end should be present in the soil. These organisms glue and tie soil particles together, resulting in a grainy structure. Such a soil structure is necessary for water take up and retention, but also to allow oxygen to reach the roots and to allow roots to easily penetrate the soil.
Soil particles are glued together by the substances which are excreted by bacteria in the soi. The grainy structure is strengthened by fungi, that tie up and reinforce particles even further with their mycelial webs. With their digging activities larger soil dwellers cause larger pores in which water is stored. Mites, worms, larvae etc. As more soil improving organims are present, the soil becomes stronger, airier and better capable of supporting plant growth. Especially when you employ heavy machinery (outdoor growers who use corn fields and got known as so called guerilla growers) you need such a firm structure in your soil to prevent it from being squeezed close too tight.
Getting rid of pesticides and herbicides
Most herbicides and pesticides can be decomposed by soil dwelling micro organisms, when the apropriate organisms are actually present. A healthy soil will work on cleaning and decomposing agricultural chemicals and others forms of pollution.
Practice of cultivation
Each of the above mentioned functions is present in a healthy soil. Make sure the right organisms are present in your soil to take care of this valuable work for you. Make sure to find out which means of control to apply and which biological means to make alle these functions work for you as good as possible. An often underestimated but decisive factor is taking care of the right cultures of nutrifying bacteria in your soil medium. This can be achieved by adding bacteria to the planting mix which ensures a faster multiplication, but it’s cheaper and more efficient to add nutrifying bacteria to the feeding water.
PS : After my last trip to Nepal, where I took soil samples that I had analysed in the Netherlands… in cooperation with Velda laboratories (www.velda.nl) I started to research WHAT we could do to replace he clay (which is amply present in the soils where cannabis naturally occurs) for biological growers as well as those who prefer hydroponic systems. Of course I recommend you to use No Mercy Seeds Bacterial. ( I’m out of NoMercySupply for at least 10 years and don’t cooperate with them ) As a matter of fact I co-developed this product and know it offers more value for your money!
We found it… In an astounding way!
Shortly we did release this new No Mercy product by the name : No Mercy - Hydrodensa
, and, believe it or not, this means a huge addition to pot growing culture. Biological as well as hydroponic growers will find this product to be of truly additional value. By using this product you won’t have to add clay to your growing medium, and likewise hydroponic growers are offered a biological top qaulity product which is not only multi functional, but re-usable as well. (To be continued!)
With respect for Mother Nature,
Just stay cool, high and take time to fly !
SpeesCees
to the good information
It’s a must-have in permaculture and should really help me shift some nutrients around as I chop and drop.