Common Mistakes When Growing in Living Soil Substrates (and How to Avoid Them)
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Living soil is a grower’s dream—rich, teeming with life, and capable of growing the healthiest, happiest plants you’ve ever seen. But, let’s be honest, living soil can be a bit of a diva. If you don’t treat it right, it won’t just underperform; it’ll let you know in ways that hurt (hello, yellowing leaves and stunted growth). So, let’s dig into the most common mistakes when growing in living soil and how to dodge them like a pro.
1. Overwatering: Turning Your Soil into Soup
Living soil thrives on balance. Overwatering suffocates the beneficial microbes that need oxygen to survive, effectively drowning the life you’ve worked so hard to cultivate.
How to Avoid It:
- Stick to a watering schedule and use your finger to test soil moisture. If the top inch is dry, it’s time to water.
- Invest in a soil moisture meter—it’s cheaper than guessing wrong!
Pro Tip: If you’re unsure, underwater slightly. Living soil prefers to dry out a bit rather than stay soggy.
2. Using Synthetic Fertilisers: Microbial Massacre
Living soil isn’t a fan of synthetic fertilisers. These chemical-based products can disrupt the delicate ecosystem in your soil, killing off the very microbes that make it “living.”
How to Avoid It:
- Use natural amendments like worm castings, compost, or frass.
- Feed your microbes, not just your plants. Add organic inputs that microbes can break down into plant-available nutrients.
3. Neglecting Cover Crops: The Unsung Heroes of Soil Health
Cover crops are like the secret weapon of a living soil system, but they’re often overlooked. These humble plants do more than just look pretty—they’re working behind the scenes, feeding your soil and keeping it healthy year-round. Without cover crops, you’re missing out on a natural, low-effort way to boost soil fertility and microbial diversity.
How to Avoid It:
- For outdoor growers: Try planting nitrogen-fixing crops like clover, vetch, or peas. These not only protect your soil from erosion but also add nitrogen back into the system.
- Indoors: If space is tight, micro-cover crops like white clover or oats are great options. They’ll help to support your soil’s ecosystem without taking up too much room.
- Chop and drop: Once your cover crops reach maturity, trim them down and let them decompose on the soil surface, creating mulch that helps retain moisture and feeds your microbes.
Pro Tip: Even when you’re not growing anything else, cover crops can keep your soil active. They’re like the “rest days” your soil needs to recharge!
4. Compacting Your Soil: Death by Squish
Living soil needs air pockets for oxygen flow, microbial activity, and root growth. Compaction squashes the life out of it (literally).
How to Avoid It:
- Avoid walking on your soil if growing outdoors. Indoors, minimise unnecessary disturbance.
- Add biochar to improve aeration in compacted soils.
- Mulch with organic matter like meadow hay to reduce surface compaction and maintain moisture.
5. Ignoring Soil pH: The Silent Killer
Living soil operates best within a specific pH range (6.2–6.8 for most plants). Outside this range, microbes and roots struggle to thrive.
How to Avoid It:
- Test your soil pH regularly, especially after applying amendments.
- Use natural pH adjusters like lime (to raise pH) or sulphur (to lower pH) sparingly.
Pro Tip: Compost buffers pH swings—another reason to keep it handy.
6. Neglecting Diversity in Soil Biology
A diverse soil food web is key to a balanced ecosystem. Relying too heavily on bacteria while neglecting fungi, protozoa, or nematodes can lead to nutrient imbalances.
How to Avoid It:
- Incorporate biologically complete compost or extracts to introduce a wide range of organisms.
- Rotate your inputs: one month, apply a fungal-dominant compost; the next, add a bacterial boost.
7. Over-Amending with Organic Inputs
It’s easy to think, “More is better,” but overloading your soil with amendments like guano, blood meal, or kelp can overwhelm microbes and cause nutrient lockout.
How to Avoid It:
- Follow the “less is more” rule. Small, regular applications are better than a one-time dump.
- Measure your amendments by weight or volume, not guesswork.
8. Treating Living Soil Like Regular Potting Mix
Living soil isn’t just a medium—it’s an ecosystem. Treat it like a basic potting mix, and you’ll quickly kill off the life within it.
How to Avoid It:
- Avoid tilling or mixing excessively; let the microbes settle and do their thing.
- Reuse your living soil by re-amending and inoculating it between cycles.
9. Forgetting About Mulch: Nature’s Blanket
Bare soil is a recipe for microbial stress. Mulch keeps soil cool, moist, and full of life, mimicking nature’s forest floor.
How to Avoid It:
- Cover your soil with organic mulches like meadow hay
- Keep it topped up, but avoid piling it too high against plant stems.
10. Overlooking Environmental Factors
Living soil is deeply connected to its environment. Poor temperature, humidity, or light management can throw everything out of whack.
How to Avoid It:
- Maintain consistent temperatures between 18–25°C (65–77°F) for microbial activity.
- Indoors, keep humidity optimum using VPD charts.
- Use fans and proper ventilation to prevent stagnant air, which can harm soil and plants alike.
Pro Tip: Your environment determines how active your microbes are. Treat it as a key factor, not an afterthought.
The Takeaway
Growing in living soil is about nurturing an ecosystem, not just feeding plants. Avoiding these common mistakes will save you time, effort, and a lot of unnecessary stress. Remember, every input—whether it’s water, compost, or amendments—should support the life in your soil, not disrupt it.
And if in doubt? A biological soil assay can give you the insights you need to level up your soil health.
Let’s keep it real: thriving plants start with thriving soil. So, get your hands dirty, experiment, and let the microbes lead the way!
Have a living soil question or success story to share? Drop us an email at info@loyaltothesoil.co.uk—we’d love to hear from you!