Last Updated on February, 2024 by Rob Wilson
One thing without which your marijuana growing operations cannot go about happening is a medium of growth. Soil happens to be the most popular medium for growing marijuana and over the course of this article, we shall be discussing everything that you need to know about the best potting soil for weed. There are a number of things that a grower needs to take care about and we shall discuss each aspect in detail.
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Soil is essential because of a number of reasons! We shall begin by discussing the importance of soil in the process of growing marijuana, followed by taking a look at the reviews of seven best potting soil for growing marijuana that you can buy off the internet right now! We shall then be taking a detailed look at everything that you need to consider before you make a purchase and then answer some frequently asked questions about choosing the best soil for growing weed.
While some growers may think that soil is pretty basic and one doesn’t need to think too much before they buy it, there’s actually quite a bit that goes into the process. We have attempted to answer all those questions here and by the end of this article, you shall be able to make a much better and well-informed decision when it comes to buying soil for growing weed. Let us first begin by looking at the importance of soil in the process of growing weed –
The importance of Soil in Growing Marijuana
Soil is the essential medium via which plants get nutrients and water, and roots tend to hold on to, keeping the plant stable and firm. While the marijuana plant can grow in practically any kind of a soil, those growers who want to have a good-quality product with higher yields should choose a better quality soil which is rich in all the nutrients and can hold a significant amount of water as well.
Soil is one element which is important regardless of where you are growing your marijuana plants. Be it indoor or outdoor growth, you need to check your soil before you grow weed. Over the years soilless systems such as hydroponics and aeroponics, as well as non-soil mediums such as rockwool cubes and coco coir are also getting popular, but if you look at the global trends, soil continues to be overwhelmingly popular and most people still use it for growing weed – and it is a trend we don’t see being affected for a really long time.
Benefits of using Soil for Growing Marijuana
Soil has a number of benefits when it comes to growing marijuana. First off, soil holds in water which the plants can absorb via roots in order to get an efficient growth. Another thing here is that water is usually mixed with nutrients which the plants need and they are absorbed along with the water. Furthermore, soil also holds the plant firmly and ensures that it has a stable growth. Soil also contains some nutrients naturally which a plant needs to grow – especially a nutrient-intensive plant such as cannabis would grow really well on soil rather than non-soil mediums.
Best Potting Soil for Weed (2024 Reviews): The Complete List
Here are some of the best options you have when you are looking for the best soil for growing weed. We have attempted to provide a proper review of each of these options so that you can make a better and well-informed choice while purchasing them.
1. FOXFARM FX14053 12 Quart
FoxFarm is among the biggest and the most popular names when it comes to getting hold of soil or nutrients for marijuana plants. The company has been around for a really long time and is quite a trusted brand. This is a great option for any grower who is looking forward to grow plants which have strong branches as the soil here is such that it encourages strong branching. Furthermore, there’s a good mix of all the essentials that every soil must have – including organic elements such as bat guano, crab meal, sea-going fish, forest humus, moss, etc.
Another great thing about this soil from FoxFarm is that it ensures the pH levels remain optimum – i.e. between 6.3 to 6.8, which is simply perfect for growing the marijuana plants. Having this pH level ensures that your plants can have a proper intake of nutrients. This is a set of four packs, each weighing 11.9 lbs. This is one of the best potting soil for weed and it can be used right out of the packaging and into the pot! When using this, you do not even need to add nitrogen fertilizers in the initial few days.
2. Super Soil Organic Concentrate
Technically this isn’t soil but is something you’d have to add to your soil. However, it can be used in combination with any of the options in this list and is really great for the growth of your plants. This is a super soil concentrate, and you can add one pound of this into a container of 5 gallons for optimal results. What this does is that it ensures the potting soil that you add on top of it is going to have everything that it needs in terms of organic components. For any grower who takes growing seriously, this is a must-have product.
This comes with close to forty organic components pre-mixed – all of which are very important for a healthy growth. Some of these include earthworm castings, bat guano, blood meal, fish bone meal, azomite, Bacillus Pumilus, Bacillus Subtilis, Bacillus Megaterium, dolomite lime, Kelp Meal among others. The manufacturer has given out a notice that there might be a strong smell that comes when you use this super soil concentrate – but that is nothing exceptional and is to be expected. However, it will last only for a while and then go away when mixed with the potting soil.
3. FoxFarm FX14000 Ocean Forest Organic Plant Garden Potting Soil Mix 1.5 cu ft
Another product from FoxFarm, the FX14000 is just the right mix of everything that a good potting soil for growing marijuana would require. This is a pack of three bags of potting soil, which weighs 40 pounds each. This is an organic soil mix which is rich in many essential elements that your plant would need for a healthy long-term growth such as earthworm castings, crab meal, moss, forest humus, bat guano, among other similar organic elements blended in it. This is FoxFarm’s ‘Ocean Forest’ line of organic soil mixes and it offers the growers with a number of benefits – but primarily, it helps ensure that the plants that grow in this soil have healthy branches and that the number of branches is higher than the usual.
This potting soil from FoxFarm is also great for growers who want to grow their marijuana plants in containers. This is an almost ready-to-plant soil and you can put it straight in a container out of the bag and start planting your plants on it! The pH levels here have been optimized between 6.3 to 6.8 which is exactly what marijuana plants require for a healthy growth. In addition to that, the brand credibility of FoxFarm in itself is so good that many growers are naturally drawn towards this product, making it one of the best potting soil for weed in the markets right now!
4. Black Gold 1310102 8-Quart All Purpose Potting Soil With Control
When it comes to getting hold of a really good potting soil, this is one of the best options you have for growing marijuana! This potting soil is composed of Canadian sphagnum peat moss with worm castings, forest humus, and pumice and is perfect for growers! Another great thing about this is that this is a made-in-USA product which comes with a certain sense of guarantee that it will be a high-quality product as the company can be held accountable for quality. This is an 8-quart pack which is one of the best potting soil for weed. It comes with a slow-release fertilizer that has been added to it in order to get a better growth to the plants. This is particularly great for providing a good vegetative growth and to give a much needed boost to young plantlings.
5. FoxFarm FX14081 Happy Frog, 2 Cubic Feet Potting Soil
Our third (and last) product from FoxFarm in this list, this is their ‘Happy Frog’ potting soil. As mentioned earlier, FoxFarm is a brand which has gained the trust of a large number of growers over the years. The company has been coming out with some of the best potting soil and soil mixes for quite a while now and this is another great product for them, especially for those looking forward to buying potting soil for growing cannabis plants. One of the biggest benefits of using this soil mix is that it offers the growers with a number of soil microbes and mycorrhizal fungi, which results in a good expansion of the roots.
The manufacturer calls this ‘premium’ potting soil and it is ready to use right out of the bag. The soil comes with pH levels adjusted for the growth of marijuana plants, which also helps ensure that the nutrient intake happens properly. Using this soil benefits the growers during the vegetative phase for a better growth and during the bloom phase for enhanced flower production. This is a 12-quart bag where you get light-textured soil which growers must use in order to, as the manufacturer puts it, ‘jump-start your garden’. Indeed one of the best options we have when it comes to getting the best potting soil for weed.
6. Big Rootz All Purpose Potting Soil
Be it growing your marijuana plants indoors, outdoors or in a greenhouse, getting hold of the big rootz ‘all purpose’ potting soil is simply the perfect solution to all three of them! This potting soil helps the growers get a good growth – and focuses primarily on the growth of the roots. The manufacturers claim that this is a product that has been designed by growers for growers. This soil has been pH tested before it gets packed and the manufacturers ensure that the pH levels remain between 6 to 7 in order for your marijuana plants to get the best possible growth and nourishment.
In addition to being added to indoor or outdoor growth or in greenhouses, this soil can also be mixed with the existing soil in order to improve it. Coming to the components of this soil, it includes a well blended mix of a number of elements such as peat, triple-washed coir, worm casting, and compost, all of which are great for the growth of the marijuana plant, making it one of the best potting soil for weed and something that every grower must consider!
7. Roots Organics Rod Original Potting Soil, 0.75 Cubic ft
Last on our list but certainly not the least, this potting soil mix comes from root organics. The soil, as the name suggests, is pretty organic in nature – featuring a large number of organic elements such as green sand, mycorrhizae, humic acid, glacial rock dust, fishbone meal, bat guano, earthworm castings, among many other similar organic components. Another great thing about getting hold of this 0.75 cubic ft. of organic soil is that it offers the growers with a pre-blended composition of perlite and pumice which makes sure that the drainage is proper and that the roots can breathe with ease.
This is primarily a coco-fiber-based potting soil but it has been washed and treated properly to ensure that you are getting the best of the best quality here. It has extra-long fibers and has been composted for 24 months before it is manufactured, giving you the best possible quality for growing marijuana plants. It is a ready-to-use product right out of the bag. Talking of the bag, you get a green camouflage bag here which is also pretty good-looking! If you’re looking forward to a coco-coir/coco-fiber-based soil, this is just the best potting soil for weed for you.
Buyer’s Guide: What to Look For Before You Buy Your Soil?
Now that you know which are some of the best options you have when it comes to buying potting soil for weed, let us take a quick look at some factors that you need to consider before you buy weed:
- Structure of the Soil: Soil is a mixture of many particles of different matter put together. The way that these particles are arranged form the ‘structure’ of the soil. Here, you observe the clumps of the soil and the spaces that might be left in between. There may be clay, silt, sand, gravel, and rock in your soil – usually, clay, silt, and sand particles are clumped together in healthy soil. These clumps do not dissolve when you add water to them.
- The texture of the Soil: This is another important thing that growers need to consider before buying soil for growing marijuana. Texture basically means the ratio in which clay, silt, and sand are present in the soil. If your soil has over 30% clay in it, it might cause waterlogging and poor drainage. If your soil has over 50% silt in it, it would mean the soil is facing impaction and therefore leading to poor drainage again. Lastly, it should not have over 50% sand because that would mean excessive drainage and the soil would have a hard time holding in water. You need to take care of these three things before you make a purchase!
- Composition of the Soil: Here, you need to see which elements and compounds are a part of your soil. While there are a number of other things that need to be considered as well, but the most important point here is a composition in terms of the NPK ratio – Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. These are the three basic nutrients that a plant requires during different phases of its growth and you need to check how your soil already scores before you add them. In addition to these, there are many other nutrients which are also considered – make sure you’ve studied your soil well.
- Soil pH: When it comes to growing weed, the cannabis plant requires a soil pH of about 6.0 to 7.0. One basic thing that you must understand is that most clay-rich soils are alkaline (have a high pH) and most sand-rich soils are acidic (low pH). Make sure your soil has a pH of about 6 – 7 in order to grow good weed.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Soil for Weed in 2024
Here is a collection of some of the most common and frequently asked questions about soil for growing marijuana:
1. What are some good non-soil Options?
When it comes to growing marijuana plants, while most growers consider soil to be a great medium, many non-soil mediums are also getting popular these days, especially with hydroponic growers. These options include the use of rockwool cubes, peat moss, coco coir, etc. which are all somewhat looser in texture and can store more water compared to regular soil. These are the most popular options these days.
2. Are there any disadvantages of using soil?
While there are no ‘disadvantages’ of using soil as such, growing hydroponic weed has many benefits of its own. These include a faster growth of plants, lesser stress on the roots, and a healthier growth with low risk of soil-borne plant diseases.
3. Which is the best soil for growing marijuana?
This is a question which differs from grower to grower as each grower has their own unique choice about this. The best soil, however, can be determined by looking at the texture, composition and structure, as well as certain other elements such as how aerated it is, how well it can drain out excess water and what are some macrofauna present in it. These are the things that need to be considered when choosing the best soil for growing marijuana.
4. Are soil containers useful?
Soil containers are extremely useful for indoor growers because that is what they grow their plants in! However, when it comes to growers who grow weed outdoors, they might not need containers but sometimes prefer to use them because having your plant rooted in a container makes it easy to move around and you can transplant it to the ground anytime you want anyway!
Conclusion
We hope that this article on the best potting soil for weed will help you in making just the right decision! Choosing soil is basically ground zero, because this is where you generally start from and this is one of the first things that growers buy when planning to grow weed. Be it growing indoors or outdoors, you must have a good quality soil for a better growth of your plants. Do let us know in the comments below if you feel we have missed out on something or if there’s something more that you would want to know about the best soil for growing marijuana!
Happy Growing 🙂
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