{"id":547,"date":"2022-01-23T20:06:19","date_gmt":"2022-01-23T20:06:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stjoehydro.com\/?p=547"},"modified":"2022-02-22T17:41:16","modified_gmt":"2022-02-22T17:41:16","slug":"what-is-living-soil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stjoehydro.com\/?p=547","title":{"rendered":"What is \u201cLiving Soil?\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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If you\u2019ve ever visited St. Joe Hydro you might have heard us talking about something called \u201cliving soil.\u201d What do we mean by \u201cliving soil,\u201d and why do we love it so much?<\/p>\n

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Potting soil vs. living soil<\/h2>\n

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Most commercial potting soils you buy at garden centers contain all the necessary elements to grow big healthy plants – topsoil, along with a bit of peat moss and either pearlite or vermiculite to keep it loose and retain moisture. Better potting soils will contain a fertilizer boost that claims to \u201cfeed your plants up to three months!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Once the food in the potting soil is used up, the soil becomes inert. It\u2019s relatively useless unless you work in fresh nutrients. This is a costly and unreliable method for most growers, so instead of renewing the soil, they throw it out once it\u2019s spent and start fresh.<\/p>\n

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Living soil<\/a> is formulated to support not just your plants, but a whole range of living organisms that work together to deliver nutrients to your roots much more efficiently than ordinary, sterile potting soils. Living soil blends contain fungi, beneficial bacteria, nematodes, earthworms, and other micro and macro organisms. These organisms break down organic materials in the soil into components that are easy for the plants to absorb.<\/p>\n

Living soil is never tossed at the end of the growing period. Once you\u2019ve harvested, you simply re-introduce a few key nutrients back into the soil (this is called \u201cre-amending\u201d), water well, and let it sit for a couple of weeks to allow time for the living organisms to work their magic. By the time you\u2019re ready to plant again, your soil is as good as new!<\/p>\n

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The Benefits of Living Soil<\/h6>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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