Score: 5/5
Introduction
Big Rootz is known for its high-quality potting soils, and the All-Purpose Potting Soil certainly lives up to this reputation. It’s recommended for use both indoors and outdoors and comes pre-mixed and ready to use straight out of the bag, which means you won’t waste time measuring and mixing ingredients yourself. It also makes it ideal for first-time growers too.
The formula is fantastic, containing a premium mix of natural fertilizers, organic materials, mineral additions, and soil amendments that will enable you to grow healthy, productive marijuana plants with ease. Priced at just under $50 for 42.47 liters, it’s not as cheap as some other potting soils on the market, but the plethora of high-quality ingredients used make it very reasonable.
Ingredients
Base and Composts
The Big Rootz All-Purpose Potting Soil contains an excellent blend of natural ingredients that make up the base. The main one is peat moss, which is able to retain up to 20 times its weight, thereby helping to improve water retention and hydrate plants as necessary over a fairly long period of time. Not only is this good for the plant itself, it also cuts down on maintenance time for the grower.
Moreover, peat moss contains elements such as sulfur that encourage the plant to produce and express its natural terpenes. These terpenes are responsible for color, smell, and taste, as well as multiple micronutrients that get passed to the plant. Therefore, the peat moss will contribute to the overall flavor of the flower.
Ligna peat, which is made with Redwood bark, has also been incorporated to provide long-lasting organic matter.
Coco coir is also included in the base, which improves overall drainage and aeration by enabling nutrients to get to the roots of the plant easily. Although it’s a fairly recent addition to pre-mixed potting soils, it’s becoming increasingly popular, with many growers using it to replace peat. This is because coco coir takes a lot longer to break down naturally, meaning less maintenance is required as it doesn’t have to be replaced as quickly or as often—plus, it helps to keep growing costs down, which is always great. However, Big Rootz has decided to use a mixture of both coco air and peat, which is extremely useful for growing marijuana plants and, therefore, puts this soil above some of the others on the market.
Lastly, composted forest humus—a natural compost found on a forest floor that is collected and included in potting mixes in order to be used as a soil conditioner—can be found in this soil’s base. It’s an extremely effective natural fertilizer as it holds nutrients that can help plants to grow, but unlike synthetic fertilizers, the nutrients are released over a period of time, as and when they are required by the plant in a drip-feed-like fashion. It also encourages the proliferation of soil organisms that continually provide the plant with nutrients and helps aeration, water retention, and drainage.
Aeration and Drainage
Pumice has been included in the All-Purpose Potting Soil to improve the overall aeration and drainage. It is a coarse material that has been ground and mixed with the soil to provide spacing between soil particles—this also helps to avoid rot in both the roots of the plant and the soil, which is a common cause of plant death. Additionally, the coarse texture of the oyster shells included in the formula helps to loosen the soil, allowing water to run through and thereby minimizing the risk of the soil becoming waterlogged.
Mineral Additions
Big Rootz has included dolomite lime in this potting soil, which is an effective ingredient to help regulate pH levels due to its high levels of calcium and micronutrients. Overall, this contributes to a high-quality yield, as well as general plant health and development. The oyster shells are also beneficial for the same reason.
Greensand is another fantastic addition to the All-Purpose Potting Soil, containing approximately 30 beneficial minerals. These include iron oxide, silica, magnesia, lime, and phosphoric acid—so there’s no doubt it greatly contributes to overall plant health. Volcanic rock dust, which is also included, has similar properties and benefits.
Soil Amendments
The Big Rootz All-Purpose Potting Soil also contains an impressive array of natural soil amendments to fertilize and deliver nutrients to plants. Some of these are innovative, such as bat guano, which is essentially bat feces. It provides nutrients and beneficial bacteria that are present as a result of the bats’ diet of fruit and insects, acting as not only a natural fertilizer but also an inoculant and a fungicide. Seabird guano is also included, which has similar properties and benefits.
Worm castings are another natural ingredient that acts as a fertilizer, and many growers have found including it in potting soil increases the overall yield, shortens the germination cycle, and protects plants from disease—all without the use of any chemicals. In addition, humic acid acts as a natural plant growth enhancer that helps to support the health of plant roots, increase the uptake of nutrients, and ensure overall health during all stages of the plant’s growth cycle.
Next is the wide range of meals included in this potting soil. First is organic kelp meal, an excellent fertilizer and source of nutrients to promote quick and successful plant growth and yield. Another is feather meal, which is a natural organic fertilizer that is known to increase plant growth and improve soil structure. Next is fish bone meal, which is a great source of phosphorus and calcium. Neem meal stimulates the growth of both plants and microbes, while blood meal raises the level of nitrogen, thereby helping plants to grow more lush and green.
Arguably, one of the most innovative ingredients in the All-Purpose Potting Soil is mycorrhizae—a nutritional fungus that grows symbiotically with the roots of a plant. Although it naturally occurs in soil, it grows slowly, and it’s extremely beneficial to speed the process up by adding some more into the soil. It allows the fungus and the plant to benefit from each other for longer, and the result is usually a maximized yield—both in terms of quantity and quality.
Quick Summary—Pros and Cons
Pros
- Made by a reputable company known for its high-quality products
- Contains a fantastic range of innovative ingredients that help water retention, drainage, aeration, and growth
- Many of the ingredients used are not seen in other potting soil formulas
- Ready to use straight out of the bag
- Reasonably priced
Cons
- Slightly more expensive than some other potting soils on the market
