Kools Soil Vs Coots Mix

Let's talk about Kools Soil in comparison to "Coots Mix," which is a very well-known and respected recipe in the living soil community. This will help highlight the specific approach and benefits of Kools Soil.

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**Kools Soil vs. Coots Mix: Understanding the Living Soil Approaches**

Both Kools Soil and the classic "Coots Mix" are rooted in the philosophy of **"True Living Soil"** or **"No-Till"** gardening. This approach emphasizes building a biologically active, self-sustaining soil ecosystem that provides all the nutrients a plant needs over its life cycle, primarily through the work of microbes. The goal is to minimize external inputs (especially synthetics) and allow the soil to mimic natural forest floor conditions.

However, there are key differences in their nature and application:

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**Kools Soil: The Ready-to-Use, Ethically Crafted Cornerstone**

As we've discussed, **Kools Soil** is your **pre-formulated, ready-to-use** living soil blend. It's designed to be the foundational cornerstone of your grow, embodying the Kools philosophy from the ground up.

* **Nature:** It's a **commercial, pre-mixed bagged soil** that is "charged" and ready for planting.

* **Core Philosophy:** **Take The Kool Approach** means starting with a product that aligns with rigorous ethical and quality standards:

* **Non-GMO:** Every ingredient is verified non-GMO.

* **Ethical Sourcing:** A core tenet is the **avoidance of by-products from factory-farmed animals** (like conventional blood meal, bone meal, feather meal from pigs/cows/chickens) and chemically sprayed ingredients. This is why it uses alternatives like specific fish-derived meals (e.g., fish bone meal from non-factory-farmed sources) and plant-based meals.

* **Composition (General Qualities):**

* **Balanced Base:** Contains a blend of peat moss or coco coir, aeration amendments (like pumice or perlite), and high-quality compost/worm castings.

* **Pre-Amended:** It comes infused with a balanced array of organic amendments and beneficial microbiology, ensuring initial nutrient availability and a thriving soil food web.

* **pH Buffering:** Naturally designed to maintain a stable pH for optimal nutrient uptake.

* **Benefits:**

* **Convenience:** Ready to use out of the bag, saving growers time and effort in sourcing and mixing individual components.

* **Consistency:** Provides a consistent, quality base mix every time, reducing variability between batches.

* **Immediate Microbial Activity:** The soil is already alive and active, promoting rapid plant establishment.

* **Beginner-Friendly (for Living Soil):** Lowers the barrier to entry for growers interested in organic, living soil methods but who might be intimidated by mixing their own.

* **Considerations:**

* While pre-amended, it will eventually require top-dressing with other Kools amendments (like Dear Mama, Kools Earth, etc.) as the plant progresses through its life cycle and nutrient demands increase.

* Price point may be higher per cubic foot compared to buying bulk raw ingredients.

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#### **Coots Mix: The DIY Living Soil Recipe**

"Coots Mix," popularized by Jim Bennett (aka Clackamas Coot), is a well-known **DIY recipe** for creating a true living soil. It provides specific ratios and amendment recommendations for growers to mix their own soil from scratch.

* **Nature:** It's a **recipe** or a "how-to" guide for making your own soil. Growers typically source the individual ingredients and combine them themselves.

* **Core Philosophy:** Emphasizes building a soil that mimics nature, focusing on peat moss as a base, aeration, high-quality compost, and specific mineral and nutrient amendments. The idea is to create a "permanent" soil that only needs top-dressing and re-amendment between cycles.

* **Composition (Typical Basic Recipe by Volume):**

* **1/3 Sphagnum Peat Moss:** Provides the base, moisture retention, and cation exchange capacity.

* **1/3 Aeration Amendment:** (e.g., Pumice, Rice Hulls, Perlite, Lava Rock) Crucial for drainage and oxygen supply to roots and microbes.

* **1/3 High-Quality Compost and/or Earthworm Castings:** The "heart" of the mix, providing microbial diversity, humus, and slow-release nutrients.

* **Specific Amendments per Cubic Foot (Commonly Include):**

* Neem Seed Meal

* Kelp Meal

* Crustacean Meal (often Crab or Shrimp meal)

* Basalt or other rock dusts (for trace minerals, paramagnetism)

* Gypsum (Calcium & Sulfur)

* Oyster Shell Flour or Ag Lime (Calcium & pH buffering)

* Malted Barley (often used as an enzyme booster)

* **Benefits:**

* **Customization:** Growers can choose their exact ingredients, ensuring quality and sometimes sourcing locally.

* **Cost-Effective (Potentially):** Buying bulk ingredients can be more economical for large-scale operations or multiple beds.

* **Deep Understanding:** Mixing your own soil fosters a deeper understanding of soil science and plant nutrition.

* **Long-Term Reusability:** Designed to be a "re-amended" soil, often used for many cycles without needing to be fully replaced.

* **Considerations:**

* **Time & Labor Intensive:** Requires significant time and effort for sourcing, measuring, and thoroughly mixing ingredients.

* **Quality Variability:** The final quality heavily depends on the quality of *each individual ingredient* and the accuracy of the mixing process.

* **Initial "Cook Time":** Many Coots mixes benefit from a "cook time" of 1-2 weeks or more before planting, allowing the initial microbial activity to stabilize and prevent "hot" spots that could burn plants.

* **Storage:** Requires space to store bulk ingredients.

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In essence, while both Kools Soil and Coots Mix aim for the same outcome – a thriving living soil that sustains robust plant growth – Kools Soil offers a streamlined, ready-to-use solution that embodies a strict ethical sourcing commitment, making it easier for growers to **Take The Kool Approach** without the complexities of DIY mixing. Coots Mix, on the other hand, empowers the grower with ultimate control over every single ingredient and the mixing process.