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Why Coast of Maine Soil is the Best for Our Plants
This year, the team at No.9 Sunflower Collection is using the Coast of Maine Bar Harbor Blend for over 4,000 plants in the field. Choosing the right soil for outdoor cannabis cultivation is crucial for achieving healthy and high-yielding plants. Coast of Maine organic soil has earned a reputation among gardeners, farmers, and cultivators for its exceptional quality and sustainability.
As members of New England, we know everyone loves a good lobster roll, a steaming cup of clam chowder, fresh crab cakes and the many other seafood dishes that are signature to the area. However, no one really thinks about what happens to the shells and materials that are thrown out in the process.
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Well, the founders at Coast of Maine did. They take the “waste” and use it in their soil. The carefully balanced mix of organic matter, including sphagnum peat moss, compost, perlite, lobster and crab shell meal and kelp meal, provide a great foundation for plants to thrive. The soil is like a party for beneficial microorganisms. They're like the VIP guests that help break down all that organic matter, release nutrients, and protect our plants from pests.
We spoke with Cameron Bonsey, VP of Marketing for Coast of Maine since 2007. “The ocean is magic” says Bonsey, commenting on their use of compost, crustaceans and organic ocean matter. “Kelp has micronutrients that it pulls from the ocean and the shells slowly break down, releasing even more nutrients. We take these amazing natural materials and put them back into the earth.”
He’s not wrong, the materials are amazing. The use of these composted ingredients from the ocean ensure a steady release of nitrogen and calcium, throughout the growing season. The soil retains moisture and improves aeration as well. This promotes healthy root development, vigorous vegetative growth, and robust flowering, leading to bigger, denser buds and increased cannabinoid production.
Sourcing these materials locally from Maine and New Brunswick, Coast of Maine truly built their business on sustainable practices, something near and dear to us and our business. As an OMRI listed product, the Bar Harbor Blend is organic and natural, the way we like to grow.
Our team's history of growing has many roots, including our owner, Krishna Gandhi. His family members have been farmers for at least 10 generations back in India. His father, a 10th-generation banana farmer in Gujarat, told Krishna stories of hand shoveling goat dung around their small banana farm and how important the proper nutrients are for plants.
In an interview he did with Rimol Greenhouse, Krishna states "I wanted to bring my father's experience to our cultivation here on Buzzards Bay. Like bananas, cannabis is a heavy feeder, and investing in healthy soil is the best way to produce an exceptional craft crop."
Coast of Maine couldn’t be a better match for not only our plants, but our core values as a company. We're all about that green life and taking care of Mother Earth while growing some kickass cannabis. The Bar Harbor Blend soil mixture supports a thriving microbial ecosystem. By providing our plants with this high-quality soil, we can ensure healthy and potent cannabis harvests while minimizing the negative impact on the environment. It's a win-win situation, and our plants couldn't be happier! So the next time you buy No.9, you know you are purchasing a product that was truly grown in the sun, and the best soil.