Using living soil involves creating a thriving ecosystem in your container or garden bed, fostering healthy plant growth from seed to harvest with minimal intervention. Here's how to get started:
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Creating Your Living Soil Mix:
- The initial step generally involves creating a potent living soil mix. One method suggests using approximately 3.2 ounces (by weight) of living soil concentrate per gallon of organic potting soil. This concentrate is what introduces beneficial microbes, fungi, and other organisms that will break down nutrients and make them available to your plants.
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Planting in Living Soil:
- Once you have your living soil, dig a hole slightly larger than the root ball of your plant.
- For seedlings or seeds, you can dig a small hole (around the size of a 16-ounce cup) and fill it with your prepared living soil or amended organic potting mix.
- Place your plant in the hole and gently backfill with the living soil, ensuring the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil.
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Watering:
- Water thoroughly after planting, but avoid overwatering, which can drown beneficial microbes.
- Monitor moisture levels and water as needed. The living soil should retain moisture well, so frequent watering is usually unnecessary.
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Maintenance (Less is More):
- The beauty of living soil is its self-sustaining nature. Avoid using synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, as these can harm the beneficial organisms in the soil.
- Top dressing with compost or worm castings periodically can help replenish nutrients.
- Mulching the surface of the soil helps retain moisture and suppress weeds.
In summary, using living soil involves mixing it properly with your base soil, planting directly into it, and then watering and allowing the soil ecosystem to nourish your plants with minimal additional input.
