Did you know, the way your plants are grown has a direct effect on the experience you end up having with those plants? Whether it’s the vegetables you eat or the cannabis you smoke, where those plants came from matters.
At Ascend Cannabis Co., we’re committed to making sure we give our plants the best possible environment to flourish in. Plants that have nutrient dense soil are healthy plants. Healthy plants make tasty, terpene-rich cannabis products.
LIVING SOIL
The soil in our garden is one of our most important pieces of the gardening puzzle. Our soil is literally alive – from the things you can see (like worms) to the things you can’t see (all the beneficial microbes), the soil is actively working to make the plants’ growing cycle as effortless as possible, so they can focus on producing high concentrations of trichomes and terpenes to power your cannabis experience.
MICROBES
First – what are microbes? Microbes, or microorganisms, are often microscopic life forms that are hard at work behind the scenes; things like bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. You may have heard of the human body’s microbiome, which was recently mapped by scientists worldwide who showed that for every 1 cell in your body, you have 10 microbes. Those microbes play an important role in everything from digestion to immune function.
The microbes of the soil act very similarly. They are busy breaking down the organic matter in the soil, like compost and wood chips and rocks, to get nutrients and minerals into usable forms for the plants. You could say they “pre-digest” food for the plants. That leaves all the plants energy reserved for producing big fragrant flowers – which means terpene-rich buds to put in your bowl.
Microbes also act as the soil’s immune system or a plant’s first defense against pests and disease. The soil’s ecosystem is good at maintaining a healthy balance of the “good” microbes, keeping pests and “bad” microbes at bay. This means healthier plants that don’t have to be sprayed with harsh chemicals. Chemical free plants, means healthier, cleaner cannabis for you to consume.
An additional benefit of the living soil is that all those microbes are breaking down the organic matter, which is actively creating more soil. This means we can have a more sustainable garden because we constantly reuse soil, rather than consuming more of the earth’s precious resources for every growing cycle.
Other living beings that cohabitate in the soil are nematodes, arthropods and worms. Worms provide aeration and constant replenishing of compost as they break down organic matter. Nematodes give protection against negative pests.
The plant roots, allowed to roam free in raised garden beds rather than isolated plant pots, are a great communication system for the plants. Plus, with all the room to spread out, the plants grow strong and healthy with an established root zone.
LIVING SOIL & CANNABIS
Overall, while we love to be soil geeks, it’s not just for the sake of digging in the dirt (though, that is a pretty sweet job perk). We use Living Soil because we know the effect it can have on cannabis quality.
As a cultivation that went from one end of the spectrum to the other in the last ten years of experience, we can say first hand (with test results to prove it!) that cannabis produced under the Colorado sun in Living Soil is hands-down healthier than cannabis grown under lights, indoors with synthetic nutrients. It’s higher in potency and terpenes and that’s what ends up shaping your end experience with your cannabis. Plus, there’s the added bonus of Living Soil, no-till gardening being more sustainable for the earth. Sounds like a win-win-win to us.
