Mixing this soil MON.....all opinions welcomed.

Ok so this what i have come up with. Hope yall dont mind I started a new thread hoping to get some new feedback before I get to mixing. Im really stoked about this method of growing. I believe building my soil is goin to blow away any synthetically grown weed......eventually(this is my first grow). NEWAYZ Im a little nervous about this and I want to make sure Im not FN anything up. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. BTW thanx big time to PATTAHABI and GREASEMONKEYMANN for their patience and advice.


12 gallons xl chunky perlite
8 gallons peat moss
8 gallons roots organic(lil less than one bag)
8 gallons ewc
8 gallons garden compost locally sourced(no manures)

3 cups of each(all down to earth products):
Kelp
Oyster shell
alfalfa
neem
crab meal
fish bone meal

6 cups of each(couldnt locate anything else):
azomite
rock phosphate

2 gallons BIOCHAR
The biochar will be charged with 1 cup alfalfa+1 cup ewc+ 1 tblspn grandmas unsulfured molasses. Aerated for 24 hours. and soaked in for another 24-48 hours. (is it smart to leave it in that solution after aeration....dont bacterai go aeneorbic after a certain amount of hours?)

My tea to moisten the soil will consist of
1 gallon arrowhead water
1/3 cup ewc
1/3 cup compost
1 tblspn fish bone meal
1 tblspn kelp
1 tblspn rock phosphates
i mixed this and moistened it with arrowhead bottle water. I left in in a dark room on a heating pad at 80 degrees. hopefully in three days it will be ready to be aerated and the used to activate my soil!!!!!

I am using arrowhead because i ordered a Hydrologic Small Boy wih KDF filter however it is not here yet. I havent been able to calibrate my ppm meter and i was goin to call bluelab on mon. i have read the last two years water report for my city and havent seen Cholamine anywhere but i do see Cholrine.

So i have a couple questions about this:
1. Is this a good mix? Is this a good mix? Is this a good mix?
2. I planned on mixing and cooking my soil in a 50 gallon rubbermaid with some holes drilled for air. Is there any benefit/negative compared to cooking it directly in the containers? Will any of the microlife in the soil be disturbed when i fill my containers?
3. I planned on doing 50 gallons of soil. I will be growing 6 out of 8 of my plants in this mix. They all will be grown in a 8x4 tent eventually under 2 1000s(t5>one MH>two hps). My question is what size containers should I grow in? From the ones i start in (im starting from outsourced clones) to the ones i finish in?? I assumed i would go from solo cups>1 gallon>3 g>5 g(where they would finish. BTW im using smartpots....and possibly might finish in some self watering pots that the REV swears by). Should i be using larger containers and can i just fill and start from my final container? Do i have to transplant? im kinda confused on how yall do this part.

I really appreciate your guy's advice. I really dont wanna fuck this up and without yall at this point i DEFINITELY could! PEACE

Don't have a lot of time, but quickly,

I have some concerns about 6 cups of azomite and SRP (especially SRP). I would cut that way down, like in half. And I still wish you could find a little basalt or glacial rock dust, but roll with what you have. Cooking soil can be done in a rubbermaid, or your final containers. Ideal is to put it in final containers and plant a cover crop in it till use. I'm biased, but I would like more dirt than that for that size grow. Depending on how big you're going to veg them, I'd be thinking more like 10, maybe even 15 gallons per plant. It can be done with less soil, just takes a little more tlc. You don't have to transplant. Again, if you are careful about watering, light, etc you can clone right into your final containers if you wanted. I do solos -> 1gal -> large bed.

Peace!

P-

So much peat

kommano said:

So much peat

Click to expand...

How do you figure?

12 gallons xl chunky perlite = no peat
8 gallons peat moss = 8 gallons peat
8 gallons roots organic(lil less than one bag) = guessing here 3-5 gallons peat?
8 gallons ewc = no peat
8 gallons garden compost locally sourced(no manures) = no peat

So the way I see it he has like 11-13 gallons of peat, 17-19 gallons of ewc/compost, about 13-14 gallons of aeration. The mixes I use call for 33/33/33 peat/humic/aeration or 50/25/25.

However, I'm all ears...

P-

Pattahabi said:

Don't have a lot of time, but quickly,

I have some concerns about 6 cups of azomite and SRP (especially SRP). I would cut that way down, like in half. And I still wish you could find a little basalt or glacial rock dust, but roll with what you have. Cooking soil can be done in a rubbermaid, or your final containers. Ideal is to put it in final containers and plant a cover crop in it till use. I'm biased, but I would like more dirt than that for that size grow. Depending on how big you're going to veg them, I'd be thinking more like 10, maybe even 15 gallons per plant. It can be done with less soil, just takes a little more tlc. You don't have to transplant. Again, if you are careful about watering, light, etc you can clone right into your final containers if you wanted. I do solos -> 1gal -> large bed.

Peace!

P-

Click to expand...

Why do u say ur bias about the amount of soil?

FamMan said:

Why do u say ur bias about the amount of soil?

Click to expand...

I'm using hundred gallon smart pots.

I'm kinda under the philosophy the more soil the better.

P-

Makes sense I think....more soil, larger soil food web. I went to the grow shop and checked out some different size smrtpts. The ten gallon is HUGE. I can't imagine a 100 gal! Kudos to you Pat.
Its seems like it if I filled a ten gallon it would be a bitch to move if needed....I'm assuming I'm goin to have to move them(if at the least to rotate???). I will do some more research about container size when doing TLO.
I'm also trying to locate some other minerals. I really would rather not use the azomite after reading a bunch of threads.
I'm also goin to do some research on cover crops. Thanx Pattahabi for all ur help. PEACE!

Pattahabi said:

Don't have a lot of time, but quickly,

I have some concerns about 6 cups of azomite and SRP (especially SRP). I would cut that way down, like in half. And I still wish you could find a little basalt or glacial rock dust, but roll with what you have. Cooking soil can be done in a rubbermaid, or your final containers. Ideal is to put it in final containers and plant a cover crop in it till use. I'm biased, but I would like more dirt than that for that size grow. Depending on how big you're going to veg them, I'd be thinking more like 10, maybe even 15 gallons per plant. It can be done with less soil, just takes a little more tlc. You don't have to transplant. Again, if you are careful about watering, light, etc you can clone right into your final containers if you wanted. I do solos -> 1gal -> large bed.

Peace!

P-

Click to expand...

I am with you on finding a different type of minerals, but he is only adding 6 cups to almost 6 cubic feet of mix, that's like a cup per cubic foot, seems alright to me, and granted the roots soil will have a lil in there already....
AHHH---so i'm a dumbshit... just saw where he said 6 cups of each...
whoops.. Nevermind.....
Oh and chlorine is actually easy to get rid of, it's chloramines that are a bitch to treat, you can simply aerate your water in the sun and the chlorine will dissipate.
A REALLY great way to treat your water is to get a 55 gallon fishtank, with some goldfish and a biowheel filter, you get all the extras from your fish shit and urine plus no chlorine.
If you have room that is...

I don't think I meant of each. More like half and half. But I'm trying to locate an alternative. Might have a lead on some different ones but if I can't get it by tom I'm goin with the azomite. Thanx for the advice Grease. I think I'm goin to go with the 7 gals. I will be starting a journal on this grow very shortly so stay tuned. PEACE!

7 gal is minimum if you are going no till you need bigger unless your running smaller plants with short veg times

My tent max's out at 6.5 feet. With lights, containers, and necessary space between lights....maybe 3.5-4.5 feet. Is that small? I was planning on running some indicas because im a noob(didnt wanna run any advance growing technics ie scrog just yet). i think im goin to cook my soil i the containers the ladies will live their whole life in. 7 gal minimum 10 gal possibly.... got it...thanx anzohaze for chiming in. btw i would like to replant my next set of clones in this soil and container(if i get that far hehe). not sure if that plays a part in this phase of decisions. I have more questions but i gotta go do the daddy thing. Be back soon. Really appreciate yall helping me out. yall make it not so nerve wracking. PEACE!!!!

FamMan said:

My tent max's out at 6.5 feet. With lights, containers, and necessary space between lights....maybe 3.5-4.5 feet. Is that small? I was planning on running some indicas because im a noob(didnt wanna run any advance growing technics ie scrog just yet). i think im goin to cook my soil i the containers the ladies will live their whole life in. 7 gal minimum 10 gal possibly.... got it...thanx anzohaze for chiming in. btw i would like to replant my next set of clones in this soil and container(if i get that far hehe). not sure if that plays a part in this phase of decisions. I have more questions but i gotta go do the daddy thing. Be back soon. Really appreciate yall helping me out. yall make it not so nerve wracking. PEACE!!!!

Click to expand...

i'd say you can do indicas in seven gals.
you may want to think about larger containers with two to four plants in each?
I sometimes go with a 15 gal, and have four in them, started from clone, I do those when i'm "strain-hunting" to see which are keeper strains before I invest in time and space to vege them correctly.
a twelve gallon pot will do two small indicas just fine, assuming they aren't super old/tall when flowered.
six and a half feet is sucky though man, I know because I have been there....
got vege no MORE than two to three weeks or else get some squatty ass afghanis

FamMan said:

I don't think I meant of each. More like half and half. But I'm trying to locate an alternative. Might have a lead on some different ones but if I can't get it by tom I'm goin with the azomite. Thanx for the advice Grease. I think I'm goin to go with the 7 gals. I will be starting a journal on this grow very shortly so stay tuned. PEACE!

Click to expand...

6 cups of minerals is alright, I wouldn't change that.
Your biochar will be fine in an un-bubbled tea, you aren't really going for a microbe tea, the recipe you have is closer to a nutrient tea, if you want to be safe, there is nothing wrong with bubbling it for 4-5 hrs before using it, but honestly don't think that's needed.
I think your recipe will do pretty well, good job.
don't forget to age it well though, even a perfect soil can fry your plants if it's not aged.
Don't beat yourself up about the azomite, I really really don't think your soil will be so acidic as to where the aluminum creates a problem.
ALL minerals have downfalls... 5% of granite is radioactive naturally... that's one out of 20 pieces... and people are using DUST, so imagine how many pieces of granit comprise of that dust.. you think allllll that dust is made from more than 20 pieces? i'd say that's a safe bet. So do the math and the chances of having radioactive granite in your bag of dust is probably almost 100%.
My shop is next to a granite cutter... I know a thing or two about the safety issues it creates... believe me.
radium, uranium, and thorium...
uranium 238 and it's relation to radon-222 gas...
my point is i'd take aluminum over uranium..

Thanx grease. U and pat have really taking the time out to help get me through this. People like y'all make this forum awesome! Peace. Oh BTW one of the strains I'm thinking is Deadhead OG. What I think?

FamMan said:

Thanx grease. U and pat have really taking the time out to help get me through this. People like y'all make this forum awesome! Peace. Oh BTW one of the strains I'm thinking is Deadhead OG. What I think?

Click to expand...

no problem brother, I am at work either way, so between 8 and 5 PST I am here.
Always sober too, by the way. Not a good idea to try an fix cars whilst under the influence... not the herb I grow anyways...
I don't know anything about the deadhead og, but i have heard many good things about the OG "family"

greasemonkeymann said:

I am with you on finding a different type of minerals, but he is only adding 6 cups to almost 6 cubic feet of mix, that's like a cup per cubic foot, seems alright to me, and granted the roots soil will have a lil in there already....
AHHH---so i'm a dumbshit... just saw where he said 6 cups of each...
whoops.. Nevermind.....
Oh and chlorine is actually easy to get rid of, it's chloramines that are a bitch to treat, you can simply aerate your water in the sun and the chlorine will dissipate.
A REALLY great way to treat your water is to get a 55 gallon fishtank, with some goldfish and a biowheel filter, you get all the extras from your fish shit and urine plus no chlorine.
If you have room that is...

Click to expand...

About the fish tank....would that be able better idea than the small boy? I have the room, sounds like a great addition, and the kids would love it. I have the time to do it while my soil is cooking. If I can save a hundred bucks I'm down.

FamMan said:

About the fish tank....would that be able better idea than the small boy? I have the room, sounds like a great addition, and the kids would love it. I have the time to do it while my soil is cooking. If I can save a hundred bucks I'm down.

Click to expand...

ahh, well, you probably will spend much more than a hundred bucks on the tank though, but if you are into it, it is DAMN rewarding..
I had a tank with Oscars, a three foot tire-track eel, and a bunch of gouramis, the tank needed to be cleaned weekly and the water was this perfect fish-shit stuff that my plants LOVED, I never had to give them any nitrogen and they were super green until almost harvest, it worked really really well, almost like my secret weapon.
The key is to get the tank planted as well, and use two biowheel filters (I used two bio-330) not only is the water always a perfect temperature but you are feeding it minuscule amount of food at the same time, works great.
Your kids will love it, but in no way will I claim that it's affordable... done right you can drop a grand on an aquarium and it's setup, but I would suggest looking for used ones, its a super common hobby that people think is easy, and often times they get discouraged.. I mean it takes 45-60 days to simply cycle your tank to where the water is cleaning itself and converting ammonia and nitrates and such.. it's a science and you have to be into it, in order to fully do it right..
Hmmm sorta reminds me of another hobby we all enjoy...

I think I will stick with the small boy for now. I want to put my energy into THIS hobby for now. As usual thanx for the quick reply grease.

greasemonkeymann said:

the water is cleaning itself and converting ammonia and nitrates and such.. it's a science and you have to be into it, in order to fully do it right..
Hmmm sorta reminds me of another hobby we all enjoy...

Click to expand...

too right greasy man

do you think water from my 1000L outdoor goldfish pond would be beneficial in the same way? problem is the string algae scum everywhere - we are keeping the pond organic, so the algae is never fully gone, would that sour the soil at all?

Chester da Horse said:

too right greasy man

do you think water from my 1000L outdoor goldfish pond would be beneficial in the same way? problem is the string algae scum everywhere - we are keeping the pond organic, so the algae is never fully gone, would that sour the soil at all?

Click to expand...

shit no!, that'd be awesome for your plants, in fact if I recall I believe that people use pond water to inoculate/utilize certain microbes, I can't recall all the facts regarding that, but I think it was grasscity that I read about it... can't remember though
Good stuff man, even the algae. I wouldn't hesitate on using that at all, in fact i'd jump all over that.