Shaping Fire

So many of our efforts as cannabis cultivators are intended to improve the interaction between the plant and soil. And yet, most of us know very little about how plants and microbes really communicate and exchange nutrition and other resources. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with plant biologist Sarah Lane about these extraordinary secretions of plants known as exudates, their essential roles in the rhizosphere, challenges with the 24 hour light cycle, exudates in soilless substrate, and the inadequacy of replacing exudates with molasses when feeding microbe life in the soil.

Compost is not one thing. We use compost to describe a whole range of soil amendments. And some of them don’t live up to what we want compost to do. On this week’s episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los welcomes back soil biologist Leighton Morrison to talk about the varieties of compost and the benefits and challenges of each, the structure and micro-biology of inoculant organic matter, how to make a microbe-rich cold compost without pathogen risk, and a whole lot of insight into the grading, use and storage of compost.

This episode is for folks who would like to make their first cannabis seeds, and for those simply interested in the process. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with Brandon Potter about best practices for making your first seeds, how to choose your parents, effective use of pollen, and harvesting, curing and storing your seeds.

The “Lord of the Roots” returns to Shaping Fire with a fourth book in the essential “Teaming with Microbes” soil food web series. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with author and educator Jeff Lowenfels about bacteria’s role in the soil, endophytic bacteria’s rhizophagy cycle ducking into and out of plants themselves, the bacterial life inside cannabis seeds, and how to use these insights in your garden for thriving plants.

Interest in magic mushrooms has skyrocketed and now, for the first time, enthusiasts have access to analytical lab equipment. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with biochemist George Sellhorn PhD about performing analyses on psilocybin mushrooms, the key analytes including terpenes labs are presently looking at, the differences between cannabis and psilocybin testing procedures, and how to properly store mushrooms at home to preserve potency. 

Nematodes are one of the least studied participants in the soil food web. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los speaks with nematologist Ernie Bernard PhD about nematode physiology and habits, beneficial attributes like protecting against pests and creating rich soil, and how to keep parasitic nematodes from becoming established in your garden.

Biochar is an often overlooked soil amendment that can be a game changer for container gardening, hügelkultur and regenerating farmland. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with living soil educator Cuauhtemoc Villa about the vast and varied role biochar can play in cultivation, best practices for making it yourself and how to deploy it in your garden at any scale.

There are few things as rewarding as germinating an exploratory pack of S1 seeds to see all the different phenos within. S1 seeds are both a breeder's intermediary tool, and a grand adventure in themselves. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with Caleb Nspecta and Ryan Lee about what S1 seed lines are, their characteristics and uses, and how to make them

Worms are an everyday companion in the garden, and most of us barely know them at all. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with living soil educator Chandler Michalsky about worm physiology and activities, how to use their nutritive castings as an extraordinary natural fertilizer and some insights on how to raise worms for all your cultivation needs.

There are as many methods of growing cannabis as there are cannabis cultivators. For generations, some farmers have used cannabis cultivation as a means to express their spiritual connection with both the earth and spirit. On this episode of Shaping Fire, host Shango Los talks with Blaire and Daniel AuClair about biodynamic growing techniques, specialty foliar preparations infused with intention and the importance of cultivating awareness alongside their cannabis.