I'm new to living soil. Where do I start?Updated an hour ago
Start simple. Fill a 15 gallon Grassroots fabric pot or an EarthBox with BuildASoil 3.0, mulch the top, and water with plain water. You do not need bottled nutrients to grow a great plant in living soil.
The basic setup
- Pick a container. The EarthBox waters from a reservoir below and is the most forgiving. A 15 gallon Grassroots pot is the classic hand-watered setup. Both use the same soil and amendments.
- Fill it with BuildASoil 3.0. It is fully amended and ready to plant.
- Top dress. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of Craft Blend per plant on the surface, then add about 1 gallon of BuildAFlower compost on top.
- Mulch. Use 1 to 2 inches of organic straw on a fabric pot, or the plastic mulch cover on an EarthBox. Bare soil dries out and the life in it slows down.
- Water carefully. This is the skill that makes or breaks a first grow. Keep the soil evenly moist, never soaked and never bone dry.
Bigger is easier
15 gallons is our recommended starting size. More soil means more buffer against mistakes and less work for you. Smaller containers can work but usually need more feeding and more frequent watering.
Guides to read next
- How to choose your starter kit
- Living soil grow checklist
- Watering protocol
- Environmental protocol indoors
Not sure what you need? Tell us what you are growing and the size of your space through our contact page or the chat button, and a grower on our team will help you put the list together.