DIY Organic Soil - making do with what we got (part 2)...

AlcoholicO

Active Member
I started an old post with the same title as this, but as I couldn't edit it, I thought I'd start a new and updated one.

I'm situated in a part of the world, where we can't readily get our hands on most of the products that are available elsewhere and I want to make a good solid organic soil, if possible perhaps even a super soil of sorts.
So what is available around here? Not much at all, except for various dodgy chemical based fertilizer . . .

What I've found so far:
Bat Guano (no name, found in clear bags at nurseries and no idea of NPK! However, I read on the forum that since there's no insect parts in them, it's likely fruit bats, heavy on P and K and good for blooming plants - the insectivore bats make the guano high on N for vegging plants.)
Worm Castings (delivered by a local company until we can get our own worm farm up and running)
Unofficial test: Moisture Content (%) 42.6%, Total Nitrogen (N) 1.84%, Total Phosphor (P2O4) 4.03%, Total Potassium (K2O4) 2.86%
Perlite (large bags, no name and 40$ for 100liter, which is insane) - I am now using rice husks instead. Took me a while to find, which is odd, considering how much rice is everywhere here.
Vermiculite (large bags, no name). Haven't really used it, as I don't need it in the mix so far, which is heavy on worm castings, but then some of my pots drain a bit fast, so should probably start mixing in more.
Manure - not sure from which animal, but pretty sure it's a mix of dried cow/pig manure. Many large and hard chunks (very dry).

What I can presumably make:
Bone Meal -> animal bones from dinner, dried and cleaned by ants in the sun outside, then dried till bone dry and then we make a bone BBQ when the neighbors are burning trash anyhow (I no got oven) and with a mortar pestle setup, pulverize it . . .
Blood Meal -> Animal blood, dried and heated/baked to a dark red powder.
Kelp/Fish -> not sure here, HOWEVER today I found Yakinori roasted seaweed and I'm trying to figure out how to use it - thinking blend it with water and leave it for a while? See the pictures for the seaweed...
Minerals -> again not sure here, but I've borrowed a large bag of sand from a construction yard close by, not fine sand, but a bit coarse, but without rocks in it...
Coco Coir -> I can buy the raw coconut husks or parts of them. E.g. I could presumably ask for only the particles and strands that are of the right size. However, while I know you have to get the salt content out and then buffer it with calcium or magnesium, I'm not sure how to do this.

PROPORTIONS and Recipe for making a decent soil with these ingredients - feel free to suggest.

DIY- Do It Yourself options and alternatives is what I'm mostly looking for- feel free to suggest.

Also, there's no such thing as good pre made potting soil here and no coco peat whatsoever and no pre made coco coir or similar. Can't even get rockwool, unless it's for insulating... I also haven't found any horse manure (or horses). I have started a compost of mostly grass, but also mango tree leaves and whatever gets cut from the inside plants, but it's taking too long!

Any help and suggestions are very welcome . . .
 

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greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
don't use the construction sand, if i remember right, i believe it has a special type of mineral in it that is bad for plants ( a type of lime, maybe? can't remember)
i do remember specifically reading that horticulture sand is the one to use.
be careful, that's a LOT of variables being used.
the manure and blood meal can be dangerous to use. VERY hot.
 

AlcoholicO

Active Member
don't use the construction sand, if i remember right, i believe it has a special type of mineral in it that is bad for plants ( a type of lime, maybe? can't remember)
i do remember specifically reading that horticulture sand is the one to use.
be careful, that's a LOT of variables being used.
the manure and blood meal can be dangerous to use. VERY hot.
I think you're right about the sand, as my Aloe plants don't like it! In the soil for my girls I only put a small handful, so no adverse effects seen so far, but I will omit it for now in search of something better. It should be said though that when they build roads here, they don't usually last for more than a year, as then rainy season comes back - what I mean is that they're not too smart about constructing etc. and that I think there's a good chance the sand is just "sand", most likely from a beach...

For manure, so far I've only used unmarked shit and couldn't tell what animal it came from - it wasn't exactly fresh, but dry and hard as rocks. Lest I find something better, I would not put more than a cup in per gallon of volume and it hasn't burned anything so far. I doubt they sell sand graded for horticulture here - it's a bit of a DIY kind of place...

Blood meal and bone meal I still haven't gotten around to actually making, as the butcher I went to couldn't provide me blood (no idea why) and I need an oven for the bones, but it's coming.
 

SpicySativa

Well-Known Member
Your soil needs a base ingredient like peat moss (1st choice), coco coir (2nd choice), or composted bark (last choice).

As for the minerals... It sounds like you might live on an island? Perhaps one of volcanic origin? If so, you may be in luck. Volcanic material, especially basalt, has a very high mineral content. If you can find some basalt dust or other very fine volcanic rock dust, you're in business. The construction sand (or any sand, really) won't provide minerals in any appreciable quantity. Sand is used to "loosen" tight soils and increase drainage, not as a nutrient source.
 

AlcoholicO

Active Member
No island, but rather not so far from a big city, which isn't too big though.

I found Coco Coir at Long last and am trying a new mix out, which is basically 1/3 of each of Rice Husks, Coco Coir and Earthworm Poop. It's for well rooted seedlings, but I found that the water runs through it a bit too fast - it seems to retain some of it though, so it's probably OK. I'd probably add a cup of vermiculite next time though.

After mixing I added a liter of filtered tap water and let it sit over night.
The remaining mix I put on top of some flowering plants grown in soil organically as well.
 

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