Living Soil and Bokashi - selected assortment

Buy Living Soil – Ready-Mixed Organic Soil for Healthy Growth

Living Soil is an organically built growing medium containing an active community of bacteria, fungi and other soil organisms. These organisms break down organic matter and gradually make nutrients available to plants. Rather than managing every stage exclusively with regularly applied liquid fertilisers, the aim is to maintain a stable and biologically active soil ecosystem.

At Growmart, you can find ready-mixed Living Soil as well as concentrates and soil amendments for creating, activating and refreshing an existing substrate. Key brands in our range include Sonnenerde, Florganics and Soma’s Sacred.

What is Living Soil and how does it work?

What does Living Soil mean?

Living Soil is not a single brand or a fixed recipe. The term describes a growing medium with an active soil food web in which organic matter, humus, minerals and microorganisms work together as a system.

This makes Living Soil more than simply a heavily fertilised potting mix. It is designed to provide roots with a biologically active environment that stores, transforms and gradually supplies nutrients. Soil bacteria and fungi break down organic materials, while mycorrhizal fungi can support the connection between roots, water and nutrients.

Ready-made Living Soil contains the main ingredients in a balanced mix. DIY systems require a suitable base substrate and a Living Soil concentrate. Depending on the product, the finished mix may then require an activation or maturation period before planting.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Living Soil?

Living Soil can provide gradual organic nutrient availability and reduce the need for regularly applied liquid fertilisers. A well-maintained soil can also be reused for multiple growing cycles.

A generous soil volume can buffer short-term changes in moisture and nutrient availability, creating more stable conditions for roots and microorganisms.

Possible limitations include a higher initial price, the need for more substrate and slower correction of feeding or watering mistakes. Living Soil should neither dry out completely nor remain waterlogged. Combining multiple fertilisers, boosters and microbial products without a clear plan can also disturb an established soil system.

Living Soil alone does not guarantee a specific yield. Lighting, climate, plant health, root space, watering practices and the type of plant remain equally important.

Which Living Soil is best?

The best Living Soil depends on whether you want to start with a ready-to-use mix, build your own substrate or refresh previously used soil.

Ready-mixed Living Soil for an easy start

Sonnenerde Bio Hanferde Living Soil 20L is a peat-free, ready-to-use Living Soil. It is particularly suitable for growers who prefer an established recipe and want to reuse the substrate with appropriate care.

Soma’s Sacred Living Soil 50L is another ready-mixed, biologically active soil. The larger bag is particularly useful for generous pots, multiple plants or continuous soil beds.

Florganics Dope Soil 50L is a strongly amended organic ready mix. With Florganics Dope Lite 50L , a lighter amended alternative is also available.

Your choice should reflect the plant type, growing stage, available soil volume and your level of experience. Strongly amended soils offer substantial nutrient reserves, but may be less forgiving when additional fertilisers are applied without a clear need.

Is Sonnenerde a Living Soil?

Yes. Sonnenerde Bio Hanferde is specifically sold as a ready-to-use Living Soil. It is peat-free, organically amended and intended to be reused with appropriate care.

Sonnenerde also offers complementary maintenance products such as Sonnenerde Soil Activator , Sonnenerde Organic Biochar and Sonnenerde Organic Fibre Mulch .

These products are soil amendments or surface coverings rather than complete ready-mixed Living Soils. They can, however, support the long-term maintenance of a biologically active substrate.

Is BioTabs a Living Soil?

BioTabs is not a ready-made Living Soil. It is an organic fertilisation and soil biology system. The BioTabs Starterpack contains organic nutrients and microbial components for growing in soil, but it does not replace a complete Living Soil mix.

Individual BioTabs products can complement a Living Soil system. BioTabs Mycotrex contains mycorrhizal fungi, while BioTabs Bactrex is designed around beneficial soil bacteria.

Before adding microbial products to an already active ready-made soil, check which components are already included. Adding more microorganisms or fertiliser is not automatically beneficial.

How to activate, refresh and reuse Living Soil

How can I make my own Living Soil?

A DIY Living Soil combines a suitable base substrate with organic nutrients, humus, minerals and beneficial soil organisms. The exact mixing ratio depends on the recipe or the instructions provided with the chosen product.

Florganics FLO Living Organics can be mixed into a suitable base substrate to create an organically active soil. It can also be used to re-amend previously used soil when the dosage and application instructions are followed.

Soma’s Sacred DIY Living Soil Mix follows a similar approach. The mix is incorporated into a suitable substrate and requires an activation or maturation period before planting, according to the product instructions.

Other possible components include BioBizz Worm Humus, soil activator and activated biochar. Biochar can store water and nutrients, but should be prepared or combined with nutrient-rich organic material before use. It is not a complete growing medium on its own.

How can Living Soil be activated?

Ready-to-use Living Soil usually requires no additional activation and can be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Self-made mixes, however, often require a resting or maturation period. During this phase, the substrate should be kept evenly and lightly moist without becoming waterlogged. This allows microorganisms to begin processing the organic ingredients.

The required duration, temperature and moisture level depend on the specific recipe. The instructions provided with the Living Soil concentrate should therefore always take priority.

How often can Living Soil be reused?

A well-maintained Living Soil can generally be used for multiple growing cycles. After harvesting, larger root remains can be removed while preserving as much of the existing soil structure as possible.

Depending on its condition, the soil can then be refreshed with worm humus, soil activator or an appropriate Living Soil concentrate. A mulch layer can also help protect the surface from drying too quickly.

The amount of material required depends on the soil volume, length of the previous cycle, plant demand and overall maintenance. Do not automatically add the full original nutrient dose after every cycle.

How can I refresh Living Soil?

Begin by checking the condition of the soil. Compacted areas can be loosened carefully, and larger old root remains can be removed without completely destroying the existing soil structure.

Depending on the original mix, worm humus, soil activator, biochar or a suitable Living Soil concentrate may then be added. Possible products include Florganics FLO Living Organics , Sonnenerde Soil Activator and BioBizz Worm Humus .

Depending on the amendments used, another maturation period may be required before planting. Always follow the relevant product instructions.

What is FLO Living Soil fertiliser?

Florganics FLO Living Organics is not a ready-to-use soil. It is an organic mixture designed to amend a suitable base substrate and supply components for building a biologically active soil.

FLO is therefore especially suitable for growers who want to mix their own Living Soil or re-amend previously used substrate. The correct dosage, amount of substrate and required maturation period must be considered.

How to water and maintain Living Soil

How should Living Soil be watered?

Keep Living Soil evenly and lightly moist. Complete drying can reduce biological activity, while prolonged waterlogging displaces oxygen from the root zone and can affect both roots and soil organisms.

Slow and even watering is therefore preferable to infrequent, excessive watering. The required amount depends on factors including pot size, plant development, room climate and substrate composition.

A generous soil volume helps maintain stable moisture. A Living Soil Grow Bed can be used to create a continuous soil area.

Automatic irrigation systems can support an even water supply. However, irrigation equipment belongs in a watering category rather than being classified as Living Soil.

Mulch for Living Soil

A mulch layer protects the soil surface from drying too quickly and can create more consistent conditions in the upper substrate layer. Mulch can be particularly useful in large pots and soil beds.

Sonnenerde Organic Fibre Mulch can be applied as a covering on the soil surface. The mulch should remain loose and should not keep the base of the plant stem permanently wet.

Mycorrhiza and Trichoderma in Living Soil

Mycorrhizal fungi form a connection with plant roots and can support the uptake of water and nutrients. Mycorrhizal products are generally applied close to the roots or directly in the planting hole when transplanting.

Products available from Growmart include Dynomyco Mycorrhizae, BioTabs Mycotrex and Great White Premium Mycorrhizae .

Terra Aquatica TrikoLogic is also available as a Trichoderma-based product.

Not every Living Soil requires additional microbial products. With ready-made mixes, first check which fungi and bacteria are already included. Select amendments carefully and follow the manufacturer’s dosage instructions.

Buy Living Soil at Growmart

For a straightforward start, choose a ready-mixed Living Soil from Sonnenerde, Florganics or Soma’s Sacred.

Growers who prefer to build or reuse their own soil can also find Living Soil concentrates, worm humus, biochar, mulch and selected products for supporting soil biology at Growmart.

Choose according to your application, available soil volume and preferred level of involvement: ready-made soil for convenience, a DIY mix for a custom recipe or soil amendments for refreshing an existing substrate.