12/14/2022
Soil or Soilless?
Many growers ask themselves this question, and there is no on-size-fits-all response but we’re going to do our best to cover as many angles as possible.
There are several things to consider when making this decision; cost, time, desired outcomes, availability
On average, a soilless approach will be a shorter turnaround time; this is because the water (an in turn, nutrients) has more direct access to the root system than when using soil. Soil will usually absorb and retain moisture more efficiently and effectively than a soilless medium, so you will need to water more often with soilless – you can’t let the roots dry out, so the more quickly your medium dries out, the more often you’ll need to water.
This one is a touchy subject for a lot of growers, but your desired aromas and flavors will help determine whether to go with soil or soilless. Many purist growers prefer soil grown cannabis for the “traditional” flavor and smell – a tinge of earthiness largely brought on by the microbiomes that soils can host. A lot of growers like the flavors produced out of a soilless grow. In the absence of a microbiome and the flavonoids present in soil, the terpene profile drives most of the aroma.
How quickly can someone get to your facility? As previously mentioned, soilless mediums will dry out much faster than soil, so you’ll need to compensate to keep the roots properly moistened. Because of this, you’ll need to make sure that someone can be onsite within 1-4 hours (depending on the exact medium and method) in case of an electrical or mechanical failure. The faster your roots dry out, the more quickly you’ll need to be onsite in case of an emergency. With aeroponics, where the roots are suspended in air and are sprayed by microscopic water droplets every few minutes, you need to be onsite in under 45 minutes; with soil, if heavily watered, a cannabis plant can last up to 4 days without being watered again.
Cost is relatively similar as far as the medium itself, but your equipment costs can vary a bit depending on your specific setup. If you’re doing something like aeroponics, ebb & flow, deep water culture, or a drip system, you’ll need to account for pumps and water lines/manifolds. It’s possible to do shredded rockwool, coco coir, and/or clay pebbles in standard format pots and water by hand, but in that same logic you can also spend all this money installing an automated irrigation system for your soil grow.
I say “and/or” because these mediums can be mixed – and in fact, they should. You want to have a topping which is different from your overall medium which acts as a buffer for root growth and a “ceiling” of sorts which will also help slow down ev***ration and erosion.
What are your thoughts? What sorts of mediums have you used?
Comment below, let us know!
