.jpg?format=1500w "The Benefits of Cultivating Organic Cannabis with Living Soil")
Fertile living soils contain abundant Humic and Fulvic acids.
These natural acids act as nutrient chelators, allowing trace elements to be easily absorbed by plants.
Once the trace element has been taken up, humic acids are released into the soil solution to chelate other minerals.
Enhanced Nutrient Uptake
The uptake of nutrients relies on chemical, biological, and environmental conditions.
In optimal environmental conditions, microorganisms decompose mineral and organic inputs, converting them into forms that can be readily used by plants. The presence of diverse microbial communities creates a chain of decomposition that results in the release of essential nutrients.
As nutrient compounds are mineralized and enter the soil water, they become available for transport into the plant.
Promoting Healthy Root Structure
The growing tip of a root is protected by a root cap, which constantly sheds and regenerates as the root penetrates the soil.
The root cap secretes mucilage, a slimy substance that lubricates the root’s path, aiding in nutrient absorption and improving soil structure.
As a root continues to grow, radial roots develop along its length in response to hormone signals from the root tip.
The design of the container significantly influences root development.
Root pruning pots, for example, guide root tips to specific holes in the pot, halting their growth and stimulating the rapid development of radial roots. This process continues until the soil is filled with a network of fibrous roots.
Root hairs, which are extensions of epidermal cells, also form along each root to increase the surface area available for water and nutrient absorption.
Efficient Nutrient Mobility
Nutrients enter the roots through various mechanisms:
-
Most nutrients are passively absorbed by plants through mass flow when soil water is taken up for transpiration.
-
Certain nutrients can move from areas of higher concentration in the soil solution to areas of lower concentration at the root surface through diffusion.
-
Nutrients bound to colloids can also be directly absorbed through root interception as the root grows through the soil.
As nutrients are taken up by the roots from the soil solution, cations stored on soil exchange sites replenish the nutrient supply.
Phosphorous anions have low mobility in soils and plants rely on mycorrhizal fungi to facilitate their long-distance transport within the plant.
FAQs about Cultivating Cannabis with Living Soil
1. What are Humic and Fulvic acids?
Humic and Fulvic acids are organic acids found in fertile living soils. They act as nutrient chelators, helping plants absorb trace elements easily.
2. How do environmental conditions affect nutrient uptake?
Optimal environmental conditions promote the activity of microorganisms that decompose mineral and organic inputs, converting them into plant-available forms.
3. What role does the root cap play in root structure?
The root cap protects the growing tip of the root and secretes mucilage, which helps lubricate the root’s path and aids in nutrient acquisition.
4. How does container design impact root development?
Container designs like root pruning pots guide root tips to specific holes, stimulating the development of radial roots and promoting the growth of a fibrous root mass.
5. What are root hairs?
Root hairs are extensions of epidermal cells that increase the surface area of roots, allowing for enhanced water and nutrient uptake.
6. How do nutrients move into roots?
Nutrients can enter roots through mass flow, diffusion, and root interception. Mass flow occurs when plants absorb soil water for transpiration, while diffusion allows nutrients to move from areas of higher concentration to lower concentration. Root interception refers to the direct absorption of nutrients bound to soil colloids as roots grow through the soil.
7. How do plants obtain phosphorus?
Phosphorus anions have low mobility in soils, and plants rely on mycorrhizal fungi to transport phosphorus over long distances within the plant.
.jpg?format=1500w&description=The+Benefits+of+Cultivating+Organic+Cannabis+with+Living+Soil){kind=link}