Mixing Your Own Living Soil: The Complete Recipe for Living Cannabis Soil

If you want to mix Living Soil yourself, you need a suitable combination of base soil, worm castings, structural material and a nutrient base. Here you will find five recipes for 100 liters of substrate each: from a mild starter mix to a Coco mix and a blend for a permanent bed.

First choose the recipe for your base material. Then check the ingredients, mix them evenly and let the soil mature while slightly moist and aerated. The quantities are starting points. Water, existing pre-fertilization and plant condition also play a role. We explain the biological foundation in Living Soil explained simply.

Which Living Soil recipe suits your base material?

For your first attempt, we recommend the mild starter mix. More worm castings only make sense if their quality and your moisture management are right. Recipe 4 is intended for a permanent bed. We cover planning the container and root zone separately in Building Living Soil in a pot or bed.

Mixing cannabis soil from Coco and worm castings: Is it possible?

Yes, Coco and worm castings can be combined. However, these two ingredients alone do not make a complete Living Soil mix. Our Coco recipe adds organic soil, pumice or lava, precharged biochar and a nutrient base. Use only high-quality, washed and buffered Coco. For beginners, the Coco-free starter mix remains our first choice.

Recipe 1: Beginner-safe mix with Living Soil Base

This recipe is intended for growers mixing Living Soil for the first time and looking for a stable, not overly aggressive mix.

For 100 liters of substrate:

• 55 liters of high-quality peat-free organic soil or organic base soil
• 20 liters of high-quality worm castings
• 20 liters of pumice, lava or a mixture of both
• 5 liters of precharged biochar
• 500 to 800 g CannaSelection® Living Soil Base
• Optional MicroBio+ for activation during moistening
• Optional Mineral Charge only if the base substrate is depleted or water values or calcium-magnesium issues play a role

Why this mix works:

It is airy enough, rich enough in humus and not unnecessarily overloaded. The worm castings provide biological activity, the mineral structure keeps the root zone open and Living Soil Base provides a mild, reliable foundation for the run.

This is not a maximum-strength recipe. It is a safe one.

For beginners, that is exactly the right way to start.

Recipe 2: Worm-castings-rich organic mix

This mix is more biologically active, but also somewhat more demanding. It is suitable for growers who have access to high-quality worm castings and have their watering practices under control.

For 100 liters of substrate:

• 45 liters of peat-free organic soil or used, reconditioned soil
• 30 liters of high-quality worm castings
• 20 liters of pumice, lava or crushed expanded clay
• 5 liters of precharged biochar
• 600 to 900 g CannaSelection® Living Soil Base
• Optional MicroBio+ for activation

Important:

This mix stands or falls with the quality of the worm castings. If they are too wet, too fine or foul-smelling, the mix will quickly become too heavy. In that case, use less worm castings and add more structure.

For beginners with uncertain watering practices, Recipe 1 is usually better.

Recipe 3: Coco-reduced mix

This mix is intended for growers who want to use Coco but do not want to run a pure Coco system.

For 100 liters of substrate:

• 45 liters of peat-free organic soil or used soil
• 15 liters of washed and buffered Coco
• 20 liters of worm castings
• 15 liters of pumice or lava
• 5 liters of precharged biochar
• 500 to 800 g CannaSelection® Living Soil Base
• Optional MicroBio+ for the initial watering
• Optional Mineral Charge if water values or calcium-magnesium issues make it appropriate

Important:

Use only high-quality, washed and buffered Coco. Do not use unknown, salty or unprepared Coco.

This mix can work well, but it is not our standard recommendation. It is more suitable for growers who understand Coco and use it deliberately.

Recipe 4: No-Till bed mix for larger setups

This mix is intended for larger beds, tall containers and growers who are thinking long term. The focus is not only on the current run, but also on reusing and developing the substrate over time.

For 100 liters of substrate:

Choose compost and structural material together so that the total mix equals 100 liters: for example, around 10 liters of compost with 20 liters of pumice or lava, or 15 liters of each.

• 45 liters of peat-free organic soil or reused soil
• 20 liters of high-quality worm castings
• 10 to 15 liters of mature compost
• 15 to 20 liters of pumice or lava
• 5 liters of precharged biochar
• 800 to 1,000 g CannaSelection® Living Soil Base
• Optional Mineral Charge for depleted soil or mineral deficiencies
• MicroBio+ for activation

Even in tall beds, fill the entire usable volume with the consistently structured mix. Pumice or lava should be distributed evenly throughout the bed mix; we do not recommend a separate soil layer. If excess water needs to be removed, the bed instead needs a proper drainage or overflow solution.

Why this mix makes sense:

It is designed for long-term use. Worm castings, compost, mineral structure and Living Soil Base create a foundation that does not need to be discarded after one run. With mulch, TopDress, MicroBio+ and careful moisture management, it can develop into a genuine No-Till system.

Recipe 5: Mix without Living Soil Base

Yes, you can also mix without CannaSelection® Living Soil Base.

The important thing is that you then need to plan the nutrient and mineral base carefully yourself.

For 100 liters of substrate:

• 50 liters of peat-free organic soil
• 25 liters of high-quality worm castings
• 20 liters of pumice, lava or crushed expanded clay
• 5 liters of precharged biochar
• Optional small amount of mature compost

This mix is a good organic foundation. But it is not automatically a fully reliable Living Soil system for an entire cannabis run.

Why?

Because structure and humus alone do not guarantee that nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and micronutrients will remain sensibly available throughout the entire run. Without Living Soil Base, you need to work deliberately with individual inputs.

This is exactly where we recommend the CannaSelection Living Soil Navigator or Nutrient Finder. There you can sort by nutrient, release speed, origin and application area. This allows you to improve your own recipe without combining ingredients at random.

So it is possible to go without Living Soil Base.

But it requires more understanding, more planning and more responsibility.

Before you start: Good soil is not automatically Living Soil

We understand Living Soil as a biologically managed substrate that is maintained, replenished and reused wherever possible. Worm castings or organic pre-fertilization alone do not guarantee this. Therefore, check the base soil for structure, salt load and unknown slow-release fertilizers before adding further ingredients.

The basic logic: What a Living Soil mix must provide

Before we talk about recipes, we need to talk about functions.

Every component in your mix should serve a purpose. If you cannot explain why a material is in your soil, it probably does not belong there.

A Living Soil mix needs six building blocks.

1. Base substrate

The base substrate provides the volume of your soil. It supplies the basic structure, holds moisture and gives the mix stability.

Suitable options include high-quality peat-free organic soils, peat-reduced soils, used organic soil or your own mixes of mature organic and mineral components.

It is important that the base substrate is not heavily mineral-pre-fertilized and does not contain unknown slow-release fertilizers.

2. Humus content

Humus is the biological center of the system. Much of the microbial activity develops here. Worm castings and mature compost provide organic matter, microorganisms, enzymes, natural exchange sites and improved buffering.

For beginners, we generally recommend high-quality worm castings rather than mixes that rely heavily on compost. Compost is powerful, but only if it is truly mature, clean and stable.

3. Structural material

Cannabis roots need oxygen. Microorganisms do too. Living Soil must not become too fine, too heavy or permanently wet.

Structural materials such as pumice, lava, crushed expanded clay, rice hulls or, technically, perlite create pore space. They help water drain while keeping air in the substrate.

4. Mineral base

Good Living Soil needs more than NPK. Calcium, magnesium, silicon, micronutrients and mineral buffering play an important role in structure, exchange processes and long-term stability.

This is one central reason why we recommend CannaSelection® Living Soil Base in most mixes. It provides not only a mild NPK base, but also calcium, magnesium, organic matter and mineral components for a substrate intended to function over the long term.

5. Microbiology

Without soil life, Living Soil is merely soil with organic material.

Microorganisms help break down organic matter, make nutrients available, stabilize the root zone and keep the substrate biologically active.

MicroBio+ is not a replacement for good soil, but a useful addition for giving the system a microbial boost after mixing, during the initial watering or when using reused soil.

6. Time

Living Soil needs time to rest.

Freshly mixed soil is not yet biologically finished. Microorganisms need to spread, organic processes need to begin, moisture must become evenly distributed and the mix needs to stabilize.

We therefore recommend a maturation period of at least 2 to 5 weeks, depending on the mix. Milder mixes can be used sooner. Compost-heavy or more enriched mixes should rest longer.

The most important rule: Do not overload the mix

Organic inputs can also be excessive. An overloaded mix can heat up strongly, become too salty or stress young plants. Add only materials with a clear purpose. Already pre-fertilized soil requires different replenishment from depleted substrate.

Peat in Living Soil: Technically possible, but not our standard

Peat works well technically in horticulture. It stores water, is lightweight, relatively uniform and easy to process.

Nevertheless, peat is not suitable as a standard base for us in a modern Living Soil system.

The reason is not pure plant performance, but the ecological logic behind it. Peatlands are extremely valuable carbon stores, water reservoirs and habitats. Peat forms over very long periods. When it is extracted, a habitat is destroyed that plays a special role in climate, water management and biodiversity.

Living Soil should not only sound “alive”; it should also be considered consistently from an ecological perspective.

That is why our position is clear:

Peat can work. However, we do not recommend it as a standard because peat extraction does not fit our Living Soil philosophy from a sustainability perspective.

If you already have peat-based soil, you do not need to throw it away. Reusing it is often more sensible than disposing of it. But when building a new mix, we would prefer peat-free or at least strongly peat-reduced substrates.

Coco in Living Soil: It works, but is not automatically sensible

Coco is an interesting material. It is loose, holds water, adds structure and can work very well technically.

Nevertheless, we do not recommend Coco as a standard component of Living Soil.

Why?

Coco comes from coconut fibers and is usually produced in tropical regions. It must be processed, washed, often buffered and transported over long distances. From a sustainability perspective, this does not automatically make it bad, but it also does not automatically make it better than regional alternatives.

There is also a chemical aspect. Depending on its quality, Coco can contain potassium, sodium and chloride. Poorly washed or improperly buffered Coco in particular can affect calcium and magnesium dynamics. For growers who understand Coco and have their water and nutrient management under control, this can be managed. For beginners, it is an additional source of errors.

Our position:

Coco can work. But we do not recommend Coco as the standard base for Living Soil.

If Coco is used, it should be used deliberately, in moderation and only in high-quality, washed and buffered form. We would see Coco more as a structural and water-retention component, not as the core of a Living Soil system.

Wood in Living Soil: Not a replacement for pumice or lava

Fresh wood residues, sawdust and unknown wood chips do not belong in a beginner mix for indoor containers. Their decomposition can bind nitrogen. They can also alter water distribution. Well-composted bark components or professionally processed wood fibers in a finished substrate are different from fresh workshop waste. Regional material must be checked just as carefully as purchased material.

Plan water retention without hydrogel

We do not recommend polymers as a standard component. Plan water retention first through humus quality, substrate structure, container volume and a protected surface. For ongoing management, you will find the appropriate moisture checks in the Living Soil watering guide.

Worm castings: One of the most important components, but quality is decisive

For us, worm castings are one of the strongest components of a Living Soil mix.

Good worm castings provide organic matter, microbial activity, enzymes, natural buffering and a fine, stable crumb structure. They make soil more alive without automatically overloading it.

But not all worm castings are good.

Poor worm castings can be too wet, muddy, foul-smelling, immature or infested with fungus gnats. Indoors, this can quickly become a problem.

Good worm castings smell pleasantly earthy. They are moist, but not wet. They are crumbly, not slimy. They do not smell of fermentation, garbage, ammonia or manure.

We therefore clearly recommend worm castings for beginners, but with high quality standards.

If you are unsure, it is better to start with 15 to 20 percent high-quality worm castings than to mix 30 to 40 percent questionable material into your soil.

Compost: Biologically powerful, but use caution indoors

Mature compost is an extremely valuable component of Living Soil. It brings microbial life, organic matter, nutrient dynamics and humus formation.

But compost is also one of the most common sources of errors.

Especially indoors, immature or poor compost is problematic. It can have high salt levels, smell foul, introduce pests, heat up too strongly or make the substrate unbalanced.

For beginners, the rule is:

Worm castings are usually easier than compost.

If you use compost, use only mature, stable compost with a pleasant earthy smell. No fresh garden compost, no half-decomposed kitchen scraps, no hot material, no foul compost and no material from an unknown source.

Ideally, combine high-quality worm castings with a smaller amount of mature compost. This gives you biological diversity without overloading the system.

Biochar: Only useful when precharged

Biochar can be very valuable in Living Soil. It provides surfaces, can buffer water and nutrients and can serve as a habitat for microorganisms.

But raw biochar is not a magical soil amendment.

When mixed in fresh and uncharged, biochar can initially bind nutrients. This can cause problems, especially with young plants or weaker mixes.

Therefore:

Use biochar only when precharged.

Precharging means exposing the biochar to organic and microbial life before mixing it in. This can be done with worm castings, compost, MicroBio+, organic nutrient solution or finished active substrate.

A simple practical method:

Mix biochar with worm castings and slightly moist substrate, water it with MicroBio+ and leave it moist and aerated for at least several days, preferably 1 to 2 weeks. It can then be incorporated into the mix much more effectively.

In most recipes, 3 to 5 percent biochar is entirely sufficient.

Mineral structure: Pumice, lava, crushed expanded clay, perlite and rice hulls

Structure determines whether your soil can breathe.

Cannabis does not grow well in muddy, dense soil. Roots need oxygen. Microorganisms need oxygen. If the root zone remains too wet, the system shifts toward stress, rot and slow growth.

Our preferred structural materials are:

Pumice, lava, crushed expanded clay and, depending on the setup, rice hulls.

Pumice is lightweight, porous, mineral-stable and very interesting for Living Soil. It improves airflow and can also retain some water without acting like an organic sponge.

Lava can also be useful if it is suitable, clean, washed and structurally stable lava rock. It is important not to use decorative or unknown treated materials. Not all lava is the same. For substrates, it should not be too fine, dusty or contaminated with unknown additives.

Crushed expanded clay can work as a coarse structural component if it is mixed evenly throughout the entire substrate. However, coarse expanded clay is not our first choice in the actual substrate because it is often very large, round and difficult to mix.

Perlite works well technically. It is lightweight, airy and proven in horticulture. From our perspective, however, it is not our core material because, where practical, we prefer mineral, more natural and more sustainability-minded alternatives.

Rice hulls can be an interesting organic-mineral structural component, but they decompose over time. They are therefore more of an addition than a sole structural foundation.

Important: Sand is not a good structural material for Living Soil in containers. Fine sand can close pores and make soil heavier. Gravel adds weight but little biological function.

Distinguishing drainage layers, water runoff and substrate structure

The classic recommendation often says: “Put gravel or expanded clay at the bottom so the water drains better.” For ordinary top-watered Living Soil containers and indoor beds, we do not recommend this separate bottom layer.

The abrupt transition from a finer substrate to a coarse layer does not automatically improve water drainage. An especially wet zone can form above the material transition. At the same time, usable substrate volume, capillary connection and root space are lost.

A consistently structured soil column is what matters. Pumice, lava, perlite, rice hulls or professionally prepared biochar should be mixed evenly into the entire substrate according to the relevant recipe. This keeps airflow, moisture distribution and root space as even as possible throughout the full height.

Actual water runoff is something different. Drainage openings, a controlled overflow or a suitable collection solution can be useful because excess water can then genuinely leave the container. However, they replace neither suitable substrate structure nor proper mulch and watering management.

Exceptions include deliberately constructed systems such as SIPs, wick irrigation or other reservoir solutions. There, the coarse or hollow area serves a technical function and should not be confused with a conventional drainage layer.

How to prepare your Living Soil step by step

Now we come to the practical side.

No matter which recipe you use, the process remains similar.

Step 1: Check the base soil

Do not choose soil just because the bag says “organic.”

First check:

Is it heavily pre-fertilized?

Does it contain mineral slow-release fertilizers?

Is it peat-free or peat-reduced?

Is it loose or very fine?

Does it smell pleasantly earthy?

Does it remain airy after watering or become muddy?

For Living Soil, a loose, organic, non-overloaded soil is better suited than a heavily pre-fertilized substrate with unclear additives.

Step 2: Add structure

Before thinking about nutrients, add structure.

For beginners, soil that is too dense is more dangerous than a slightly milder nutrient base. A plant can grow well in somewhat milder soil if the roots and microbes are active. In wet, oxygen-poor soil, it will be stressed even if enough nutrients are theoretically available.

Pumice or lava are very good tools here.

Step 3: Incorporate humus

Add high-quality worm castings. If you have good compost, you can replace part of the worm castings with compost.

For beginners, worm castings are usually easier to control.

Keep the humus content moderate during your first attempt. A safe mix is better than a maximally biological but unstable mix.

Step 4: Mix in CannaSelection® Living Soil Base evenly

CannaSelection® Living Soil Base is incorporated evenly into the substrate. Clean distribution is important. No clumps, nutrient pockets or layers.

As a guide for a new mix:

50 to 100 g Living Soil Base per 10 liters of soil.

For 100 liters of substrate, this equals 500 to 1,000 g Living Soil Base.

With light base soil, reused soil or larger plants, the upper end may be appropriate. With already rich soil or sensitive young plants, proceed more cautiously.

Living Soil Base is not intended to forcefully elevate poor soil. It is intended to build and strengthen an organically managed substrate in a sensible way.

Step 5: Use Mineral Charge optionally

Mineral Charge is particularly interesting for reused soil, depleted substrates or setups where calcium, magnesium and mineral stability need to be given greater consideration.

Adjust the quantity according to the base soil, requirements and the current application recommendation for Mineral Charge. An additional mineral input does not belong in every mix by default.

Important: Mineral Charge is not a free pass for extremely poor water values. If your irrigation water has a strongly unbalanced calcium-magnesium ratio or high bicarbonate levels, a substrate can buffer this for a while, but not indefinitely.

Also use our water values check and Cal-Mg calculator. Water is not a side issue in Living Soil. It also determines how stably the system runs.

Step 6: Activate with MicroBio+

After mixing, the substrate should be lightly moistened. Not wet. Not waterlogged. Just enough for it to feel like a wrung-out sponge.

MicroBio+ can be used during the initial watering or maturation phase to activate soil life and support microbial processes.

For soil, the guideline is 2 to 4 ml of MicroBio+ per liter of water.

This is a sensible step, especially with new, seemingly sterile soil or reused substrate.

Step 7: Let it mature

After mixing comes the resting phase.

Ideally, let your soil mature for 2 to 5 weeks.

Do not store it airtight. Soil lives aerobically. It needs oxygen. Cover it loosely, keep it slightly moist and avoid letting it dry out.

If the mix becomes noticeably warm, it is working strongly on a microbial level. Slight warmth can be normal. If the soil becomes distinctly hot, smells strongly or appears foul, something is wrong or it is not yet ready for plants.

Young plants in particular should not be placed in an unstable, hot or overactive mix.

What about additional feeding and TopDress?

Living Soil does not mean that you can never add anything again.

The flowering phase can become demanding, especially with cannabis. Large plants, long vegetative periods, intense lighting, high evaporation and long flowering times can place greater demands on a substrate.

That is why many Living Soil systems use TopDress.

CannaSelection® Living Soil Base can be applied to the surface at 1 to 2 g per liter of container volume for replenishment. Depending on the system and substrate condition, this may be useful every 3 to 4 weeks.

TopDress Bloom is intended for the flowering phase. The guideline is 1 to 2 g per liter of container volume from flowering week 1, with an optional second application around flowering week 5. Higher doses can be used in intensive applications, but beginners should not start at the maximum.

Important:

Always lightly work TopDress into the surface or cover it with mulch, then moisten it. Dry TopDress on dry soil achieves little. Microorganisms need moisture, contact and time.

Check water values before mixing

Irrigation water influences calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate and salt load in the system. A substrate cannot compensate for unfavorable water values indefinitely. Check your source water with our water values check and CalMag calculator before planning additional minerals. An imbalanced ratio alone is not a reason to automatically add more.

What happens to the soil after the first run

A stable mix can be continued over several runs. For this, structure, moisture and replenishment need to be right. We show you how to handle root residues, the surface and the planting site after harvest in the No-Till guide to reuse. Here, the focus remains on the initial mixing process.

Protecting the surface after filling

Mulch protects the upper soil layer from drying out quickly. Cover Crop can additionally root through it, but requires space and control. For getting started, loose mulch is often sufficient. We explain selection and care in the comparison Mulch or Cover Crop in Living Soil.

Warning signs: How to recognize that your soil is not right

A poor Living Soil mix can often be identified before the plant shows serious problems.

Look out for these warning signs:

The soil smells foul, sour or fermented.

The mix becomes very warm or remains hot for days.

The surface stays permanently wet.

Water immediately runs down the sides without evenly moistening the soil.

The soil settles significantly.

The substrate becomes hard and compacted.

Fungus gnats explode immediately after mixing.

Young plants stop growing or show stress early.

The soil feels slimy rather than crumbly.

If several of these points occur, the plant is not the problem. The root zone is not right.

The most common beginner mistakes when mixing Living Soil

Mistake 1: Too little structure

This is the classic mistake.

Humus-rich soil without enough air pores quickly becomes heavy, wet and oxygen-poor. Cannabis is particularly sensitive to this.

Better: Add enough pumice, lava or other structural material from the outset.

Mistake 2: Too much compost

Compost is powerful, but not automatically safe indoors.

Immature or excessively salty compost can destabilize a substrate. Beginners are often safer with high-quality worm castings.

Mistake 3: Fresh wood as structural material

Wood residues do not replace mineral structure.

They can retain water, bind nitrogen and trigger uncontrolled decomposition processes. Not recommended for indoor beginners.

Mistake 4: Uncharged biochar

Biochar must be precharged. When mixed in raw, it can initially bind nutrients and slow down the system.

Mistake 5: Confusing a drainage layer with water runoff

A separate layer of gravel, expanded clay or coarse lava reduces root space and does not automatically improve water runoff. Mix structural material evenly throughout the substrate and plan actual drainage if needed.

Mistake 6: Letting the soil dry out

Living Soil depends on consistent moisture. Complete drying slows microorganisms and makes the system less stable.

Mistake 7: Adding too much too early

Many growers use TopDress too early because they are afraid of deficiencies. Observe first, then act deliberately. Living Soil needs time.

Mistake 8: Treating pH and EC like hydro

Living Soil is not a hydro system. You do not need to chase every measurement. But you should still take extreme water values and high-salt inputs seriously.

Mistake 9: Trying to rescue poor soil

Poor base soil does not automatically become good just because you mix in high-quality inputs. Sometimes a clean rebuild is better.

Mistake 10: Copying a recipe blindly

Your water, container volume, plant, temperature and watering practices all play a role. Use recipes as a starting point, not as dogma.

Determine container size before calculating the recipe quantity

Small volumes fluctuate more quickly and require more precise moisture management. Therefore, first plan your usable root space and then calculate the required recipe quantity. Our Living Soil container size guide explains the differences. For the edge zones of a fabric pot, watering fabric pots correctly provides additional help.

How moist should freshly mixed soil be?

Moisten the mix evenly. It should feel like a wrung-out sponge: moist, but not dripping. A handful should hold together lightly without becoming muddy. Maintain this condition during the maturation phase without sealing the soil airtight.

Does Living Soil need to “cook”?

Many people say that Living Soil needs to “cook.” This does not mean actual cooking, but biological maturation.

After mixing, microorganisms begin to work. Organic components are colonized, nutrients are converted, moisture becomes distributed and the mix stabilizes.

This phase is important.

With mild mixes, 1 to 2 weeks may sometimes be sufficient, especially if the base soil is stable. With stronger mixes, compost components or larger amounts of organic inputs, we recommend 2 to 5 weeks.

During this time, the soil should remain loosely covered, slightly moist and aerated.

If the soil becomes very hot or smells unpleasant, it is not ready for planting.

Good Living Soil smells earthy, calm and stable.

How to recognize that your mix is ready

Your soil is ready when it smells pleasantly earthy, is evenly moist, does not become hot, crumbles loosely and accepts water well.

It should not be dusty, slimy or smell fermented.

If you want to plant seedlings, be especially careful. Do not place young plants directly into a very strong or freshly active mix. Instead, use a milder planting area or lighter starter zone so the roots can establish cleanly.

The soil can be stronger for larger plants. Seedlings and young plants need greater gentleness.

The role of Living Soil Base in the recipe

CannaSelection® Living Soil Base provides an organic-mineral foundation in our recipes. It replaces neither structural material nor high-quality humus. Recipe 5 shows the base without this product. In that case, you need to plan nutrient supply separately. Initial mixing and ongoing replenishment require different applications.

Adjusting the recipe deliberately

If you want to compare individual inputs, our Living Soil Navigator and the Nutrient Finder can help. Choose according to the required nutrient, availability and application area. This allows you to examine a specific gap instead of adding more ingredients as a precaution.

Conclusion: Choose a suitable recipe instead of as many ingredients as possible

Start with tested base soil, good worm castings and sufficient structure. Mix evenly, take existing pre-fertilization into account and let the soil mature. Only once it smells pleasantly earthy, remains loose and no longer heats up is the next step appropriate. For sensitive young plants, a milder planting zone remains important.