Gardeners of all abilities want one thing, to have a healthy, prosperous garden. One of the ways to keep your garden healthy is to have good soil with the right levels of macronutrients.
Plants need sunlight and water so that they can grow and flourish, but the quality of the soil is vitally important as well.
As more gardeners are aware of the benefits of organic growing methods, one particular thing has become popular. Supersoil is something that you will find all across gardening websites now, as people talk of the wonderful benefits of using this substrate.
While you can buy products with the name Supersoil on them, it is perfectly possible to make your own. Here is one method.
What is supersoil?
Supersoil is an underlying substance that contains all the nutrients that plants need to grow. Adjusting nutrient imbalances and pH levels can be a nuisance, and particularly confusing to newcomers.
During the recent lockdowns, more people took to their gardens than for a long time. Many people started their own vegetable gardens and took a keen interest in their backyards, and super soil is a boon to them.
The idea behind super soil is that it can make plants grow quickly and become stronger. It doesn’t matter whether the gardener only took up the hobby in the last lockdown, or whether they’ve been gardening for decades.
AGQ Labs USA lists the primary macronutrients for plants as potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen. It is these nutrients along with magnesium, calcium, and sulfur that plants need. Super soil can provide all of these nutrients which in turn produce healthy and strong plants.
How do you make super soil?
You can purchase super soil from a number of manufacturer’s with Sub Cool probably being the best known. However, you can also make your own version.
There are many recipes on the internet for super soil, and which one you choose may depend on your needs, and how much you need to make. The following ingredients are typically mentioned.
70lbs Organic soil
20lbs Light mix soil
Up to 50 lbs of worm castings
5lbs Blood meal
5lbs Fishbone meal
5lbs Bat guano
3/4 cup Epsom salts
1/2 cup Dolomite lime
1/2 cup Azomite
2 tbs Humic acid
3lbs Rock phosphate
Mycorrhizae
Phew! That is a lot of ingredients. However, if you want to understand how to make super soil that is cost-effective, and works to its best abilities, then you may not want to use all of these.
You can probably remove mycorrhizae, dolomite lime, Epsom salts, and bat guano. Blood meal could be swapped out for some alfalfa meal or more worm castings.
Mixing the supersoil
Here is a quick do-it-yourself guide to mixing up all those ingredients, minus the ones that you don’t really need.
- First, you need to add about two-thirds of your organic soil to a mixing container.
- Add the fishbone meal and then cover it with half the light soil, and give the mixture a rake.
- Sprinkle over the Azomite and add the last of the light soil.
- Add half the worm castings and the rest of the organic soil.
- Give the mixture a rake and then add in the last of the worm castings.
- Add alfalfa or blood meal if you are using it, and give it all a big stir to mix everything up.
You can now separate the mix into three or four other containers if you wish. Add some water to the mix, but not too much. You don’t want the mix to become soggy. Then make sure the containers are fully covered to avoid insects or anything else that can contaminate it.
You now need to leave it to compost for between one and two months.
Are there any downsides to using super soil?
One downside is that it can be costly to purchase and to make. The ingredients used, such as bat guano, can be expensive. Possibly also unnecessary. Lastly, supersoil can smell bad too.
According to the Green Action Centre, the smells from compost come from different matter breaking down, too much water, or too little can cause problems with decomposition. Many people report that they have experienced sulfur smells from their super soil which last for a week or more.
The main problem with using super soil is that it is labor and time-intensive. Anyone wanting to enjoy gardening as a casual hobby may not want to get involved with supersoil.
It takes up to 60 days of composting for super soil to become ready. The mixture needs to remain moist during this time. If it becomes dry the composting process will stop. You will need sunlight on the mixture so it can ‘bake’ during the composting process.
Summary
One of the best tips for a healthy and productive garden is to use super soil. If you prefer to buy it and your budget can cope then you will save time. However, many people like to make their own super soil as they feel more invested in their gardens this way.
It can be time-consuming and takes some physical effort to make, but the end results of your vegetable patch going into overdrive will be worth it.