Brewing compost tea, a key component to healthy soil and terpene rich plants.
Not all medicinal herbs are created equal. As most farmers know, the key to growing strong, productive plants is building healthy soils. In fact, you could argue that farmers are soil tenders first and plant cultivators second. What makes for healthy soil? According to world-renowned soil scientist Elaine Ingram, healthy soil is not compacted, but is full of organic material, and hosts a healthy diversity of microorganisms and fungi. In other words, healthy soil is living soil, its own ecosystem. And, healthy soil promotes healthy plants, as most plants can only be as strong as the soil they live in. This connection between healthy soils and healthy plants extends to our health as well. Not all carrots, for example, are created equal. Those grown in healthier soils will have a better nutrient profile than those grown in poor soil.
The same applies to cannabis and other terpene-rich, medicinal herbs. Soil health is critical to the production of healthy, terpene rich plants. Studies show that carbohydrates in the soil enhance terpene production. More terpenes in your medicinal herbs means more opportunities for your body to benefit. Carbohydrates in the soil are useful because they feed and encourage microbes in the root zone. The more microbiology present in any given soil makes for healthier plants, which contribute to healthy soil, and on and on. It’s a cycle that behaves without interruption in a healthy ecological system, and one that regenerative agricultural practices aim to mimic. That means minimizing soil disturbance and feeding the soil with compost and compost teas. The difference in the health of cannabis plants grown outdoors with sound, regenerative agricultural practices is noticeable and real, affecting everything from the size of flowers to the terpene profiles that those plants exhibit. And the difference in the health of cannabis plants can make all the difference in your own wellness.
And, if this weren’t enough reason for cannabis farmers to pay attention to soil health, there is more and more evidence that healthy, undisturbed soil ecosystems are extremely valuable for carbon sequestering. According to a study by the Rodale Institute, “if we converted all global croplands and pastures to regenerative organic agriculture we could sequester more than 100% of current annual CO2 emissions.” The carbon that plants use for energy in the form of CO2 is stored in healthy soil if it’s not disturbed. In other words, the same practices that produce the most robust plants with the most exciting terpene profiles are the same farming practices that are healthy for the planet.