Both ways are good. So many styles. I use all my pruned leaves as cover. I also have done cover crops. Both worked well.
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No it has no ill effects on the soil biology
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I do the same as well but cover crop does alot for the soil than most thin it does
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@Skydiver — thank you for starting this thread. I recently became interested in organic growing and intended to memorize what is said here.
In May, my partner and I started our first outdoor grow. Our local grow store, Greener Gardens in Richfield, MN, suggested we try Build-A-Soil 3.0, which we did. Our ladies look amazing growing in that “Jesus Soil,” which we’re calling it. It’s genuinely magic stuff.
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Also use down to earth dry amendments. Biolive by them has 16 different mycorrhizal fungi, that + PROMIX Organik and worm castings and good PH’d water
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@AURORABORI-420 — Welcome to the forum!
I need to look into these.
The person we spoke with claims you need not pH your water when using Build-A-Soil. Thus far, we’ve found that to be true.
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Never seen so many pistils. Beautiful!!
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BAS puts out some amazing products there 3.0 soil is really nice what size containers are yall in and are you utilizing other BAS amendments ?
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We’re running in 5-gal. pots. Next time we need to go bigger.
This time, we have everything in BAS 3.0 and no amendments.
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Definitely want bigger pots i know Jeremy at BAS recommends nothing under 15 gallon pots always bigger the better and sense yall are in 5 gallon pots id definitely recommend using the Craft Blend and Build a flower plants deplete 5 gallon pots quickly
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Thank you! That’s great 411!
We have two ILGM Gold Leaf Fems going alongside two autos from another seed bank. I’m all about ILGM, so I’m all over their progress.
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Thanks B… empirical evidence that you can top and schwazz healthy autos, for easy QPs+ in decent soil with water only 
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I planted BAS cover crop a few days ago, hopefully that’ll help with the bugs too. Man that stuff germinates fast, literally overnight!
What do I do with the cover crop? Just chop and drop when it gets tall?
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@WhatsupDoc Yes, chop and drop. Then place on soil as mulch. Then after the season cover the mulch with compost and castings, and then sow more cover crop seeds. That simple. That way has worked for me outdoors. 
SL out.
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Correct as @Slug_Life said you can chop and drop it i personally like to top dress with amendments then do my chop and drop ontop of the amendments then follow that ip with a layer of compost or compost soil mix we call that the lasagna tech lmao the compost helps break down the green organic matter and that also helps break down the amendments a bit quicker as well it all works together in a process my worms i have in my bed will come up and just munch on everything nonstop they love it also with cover crop you can simply chop and drop it or also cut it like a lawn so it keeps coming back then that would be considered a living mulch
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@LiesGrows Lasagna! Yup! That’s the phrase I forgot. Creating humic layers that will be sources of food for future grows-I have not disturbed my soil in 6 outdoor seasons/6 years. And when I built my containers in 2017,ai layered straw and supplements a few times. Now that I am no-till and the previous rootballs contain nutrients that keep the bacteria busy in the off season. I have also added red wigglers and nightcrawler worms to each container. That and cover crops. I rotate yearly, except for clover. Last year was mustard greens,buckwheat, and some legumes. Chopped it all. Laid down a layer of dry nutes under the green manure,and then covered it all with castings/compost.
No complaints. My plants are lush ,green, and rarely have the “fingernails,” from imbalance and/or overfeeding.
SL out.
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Awesome, thanks @Slug_Life and @LiesGrows 
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Welcome to the forum @AURORABORI-420
Ive watched a lot of build a soil you tubes
I get my living soil here in nz from a similar company as build a soil
Lots of dry amendments which im still learning to add and use throughout the grow cycles
Im an outdoor grower so not much happening this time year (mid winter)
Cheers 
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You should be good. I always let it soak as Long as possible maybe three days minimum. But I’ve had some soaking for about a month and I used it on my plants. Two of them are good. Two of them got tossed. They weren’t growing anymore and I was just done with dealing with the FGs on it.
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