My Organic Grow Report

Kind Sir

Kind Sir

Well-Known Member
Hey guys, I got most of my amendments and putting them together to set until ready. I like to list things for easy reading.

Equipment: 4x4x7 Apollo Tent/6"Hurricane Inline Fan/6"Phresh Carbon Filter
8" Hood with 6" Adapters/ 2 Small Oscilatting fans & 1 Big Oscilatting fan

Lights: 600w Phantom II Ballast/600W Hortilux Eye HPS/600W Apollo MH (I love my Ballast/HPS Bulb)

Strains: Blue Dream/DJs Gold/Chronic x NYC Diesel?

I have..

1 bag Roots Organic Original
1/2 bag Ocean Forest

Purple Cow Compost
EWC
(Miracle gro) perlite*?

Alfalfa Meal
Fish bone meal
Kelp meal
Oyster shell flour
Crab Shell Meal
Peruvian seabird guano

Glacial Rock Dust


Coco coir
(Miracle gro) Spagnum Peat Moss

Comments: I know I could use another Mineral, and neem seed meal but I wanted to start "cooking" my soil now. Suggestions on recipe with what I currently have? Thank you!
 
Kind Sir

Kind Sir

Well-Known Member
@greasemonkeymann

Sorry to bug you, I have most of my amendments on hand now. So far all I did was mix..

About 1gal ocean forest 1gal roots organic original and added 2 handfuls of purple cow compost, 3 handfuls EWC, and like half cup peruvian seabird guano just to get it "cooking".

What do you suggest I mix? Im fine using the whole roots bag.
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Kind Sir said:
@greasemonkeymann

Sorry to bug you, I have most of my amendments on hand now. So far all I did was mix..

About 1gal ocean forest 1gal roots organic original and added 2 handfuls of purple cow compost, 3 handfuls EWC, and like half cup peruvian seabird guano just to get it "cooking".

What do you suggest I mix? Im fine using the whole roots bag.
Click to expand...
not bugging me at all man.
I would leave out the seabird guano, personally.
but at a half cup it won't hurt, it's just rather soluble so it sorta is hard to predict.
wait, if you are only making 2 gallons, you may have it a bit hot, I would add what you are adding to a bag of roots, not just two gallons, that's too much, roots is already amended as well.
match the compost and ewc with pure aeration too. if you can find pumice or volcanic rock, those are good.
remember those soils are already amended, and you may just want to just stick with adding the purple cow compost and ewc, but you still want to match those with aeration.
both are thick
how much is in each bag? the typical 1.5 cubic feet?
 
Kind Sir

Kind Sir

Well-Known Member
greasemonkeymann said:
not bugging me at all man.
I would leave out the seabird guano, personally.
but at a half cup it won't hurt, it's just rather soluble so it sorta is hard to predict.
wait, if you are only making 2 gallons, you may have it a bit hot, I would add what you are adding to a bag of roots, not just two gallons, that's too much, roots is already amended as well.
match the compost and ewc with pure aeration too. if you can find pumice or volcanic rock, those are good.
remember those soils are already amended, and you may just want to just stick with adding the purple cow compost and ewc, but you still want to match those with aeration.
both are thick
how much is in each bag? the typical 1.5 cubic feet?
Click to expand...
Hey bud, the roots organic original is 1.5 yes. The two gallons of soil was just an "experiment" which Ill probably just throw in with my soil im about to make.

I wasnt planning on using guano, I was at my grandmas and they have grow stores near her(I have NONE local) so I bought it for 11$.

Idk why I bought the roots organic, I was just excited and treated myself for my birthday I guess! Haha.

I know they come amended, I was thinking I could amend it further and let it sit and just give teas/possible foliar feed. Im aiming to do true living organics and utilize the soil food web. I have 5 gal smart pots for now, can get bigger ones when needed until I build my wooden flower bed like the dons use.
 
Kind Sir

Kind Sir

Well-Known Member
As for aeration, I currently only have Miracle gro perlite, I read that some people rinse the shit out of it as it nutrients added.

I could only afford the few amendments/items I listed for a week or two, or I wouldve gotten a few more. What is your thoughts on all this GM?
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Kind Sir said:
Hey bud, the roots organic original is 1.5 yes. The two gallons of soil was just an "experiment" which Ill probably just throw in with my soil im about to make.

I wasnt planning on using guano, I was at my grandmas and they have grow stores near her(I have NONE local) so I bought it for 11$.

Idk why I bought the roots organic, I was just excited and treated myself for my birthday I guess! Haha.

I know they come amended, I was thinking I could amend it further and let it sit and just give teas/possible foliar feed. Im aiming to do true living organics and utilize the soil food web. I have 5 gal smart pots for now, can get bigger ones when needed until I build my wooden flower bed like the dons use.
Click to expand...
ahh I gotcha, so you're trying to make a "water-only" recipe, sorta.
Well, I have personally done roots as a water only, and given enough room, they'll be fine, depending on the strain of course, stretchy sativas may need some food.
If it were me, i'd amend them very lightly, if you have two bags, that's 3 cubic feet, and the general rule is about 2-4 cups of nutrients per cubic foot, BUT that's on an "empty" recipe, your is amended already, so i'd add stuff sparingly, and i'd concentrate on slow release nutrients, as the soil is already amended for the quick stuff.
so crab meal, shrimp meal, fish bone meal, neem meal (sorta)
the idea is that by the time the soluble and short term nutrients are either washed away or used by the plant, the slower release stuff is becoming available for the plant.
for the two bags i'd add no more than 3 cups of nutrients, and preferably slow release.
i'd add a cup of crab meal, and cup of fishbone meal, and a half cup of neem.
 
Kind Sir

Kind Sir

Well-Known Member
This is going to move to organic section, so my organic buddies can be involved. At the gym working out right now!

*I got red lava rock, letting it soak for few days. Going to scrub them, then resoak. Use this the same as perlite? Was debating on doing a mix of lava rock/perlite.

*I cant spend much $, but wanted to spend about 50$ and grab something online. Looking @ buildasoil right now. I know I need neem meal, but also looking at biochar and whatnot. Suggestions?

@greasemonkeymann @Grandpa GreenJeans
 
sunni

sunni

Administrator
Staff member
Hmm if it's a grow journal it should be placed in journals your organic buddies will come over if you invite them
 
doublejj

doublejj

Well-Known Member
That looks like it should be a really good mix for your soil. The only thing I would suggest would be if you can get your hands on some fresh live (not bagged) compost. Does your city have a green compost yard for all the trees leaves & grass clippings? It's just a suggestion, but it seems to inoculate your soil with all the right microbes & little thingy's that make your soil alive.
I can get it free from my city....
4-21-2011 compost 008.jpg
4-21-2011 compost 005.jpg
 
Kind Sir

Kind Sir

Well-Known Member
doublejj said:
That looks like it should be a really good mix for your soil. The only thing I would suggest would be if you can get your hands on some fresh live (not bagged) compost. Does your city have a green compost yard for all the trees leaves & grass clippings? It's just a suggestion, but it seems to inoculate your soil with all the right microbes & little thingy's that make your soil alive.
I can get it free from my city....
View attachment 3553069
View attachment 3553070
Click to expand...
They have something but its only as big as the amount they dumped in the back of your truck. Im worried what could be in it, and its not fully composted at all either.


I was debating on buying 1 Cu Ft of the living soil modern mix (Im pretty sure the link is the ingredient list) for now while I figure out what to do.

http://themodern.farm/methods/#Soil
 
Kind Sir

Kind Sir

Well-Known Member
I bought the living organic soil modern mix, barley seed for sst, barley mulch, and 200x aloe Vera powder. I dont want to go smaller than 7gal , so Ill be using that.

Going to be doing a Blue Dream in the 7gal, and make try my own soil out on another blue dream and a DJs Gold. Will be fun, should I start in a solo cup then put directly in 7 gal? Or should I uppot twice?
 
Kind Sir

Kind Sir

Well-Known Member
Had a thrips problem, spinosad killed em in a night. Will follow up with treatments.

I wanted to get a schedule down to maximize efforts, (foliar spray, teas, IPM, whatever.) What do you guys do?

@Alienwidow
 
Alienwidow

Alienwidow

Well-Known Member
Kind Sir said:
Had a thrips problem, spinosad killed em in a night. Will follow up with treatments.

I wanted to get a schedule down to maximize efforts, (foliar spray, teas, IPM, whatever.) What do you guys do?

@Alienwidow
Click to expand...
If your talking outdoor i buy my dirt premixed with oystershell, guano, lime, and all sorts of other stuff. Then i just feed maxsea as a base and fire in all the crap I accumulated from the free samples from the grow store throughout the year :lol: never a bad idea in veg to brew up a tea in a 55 gallon drum, you could run it diluted for a foliar but ive seen too many guys burn their plants foliar feeding. If i spray its for prevention of caterpillars, bugs, or mildew. The sun makes monsters with some decent dirt.
 
Kind Sir

Kind Sir

Well-Known Member
So my buildasoil items finally came.
1Cu Ft Living Soil Modern Mix
1oz 200x Aloe Vera powder
Organic barley seeds
Barley Mulch

Last time I tried to make a compost tea to wet the soil before it cooks didnt foam up as some peoples do. Does that mean my one air stone isnt enough? I only made a half gallon, I prob only need a quarter gallon if that to wet the Cu Ft of soil.
 
Kind Sir

Kind Sir

Well-Known Member
Finally starting to cook my soils tomorrow night. Really excited to do a comparison between my homemade soil and buildasoils living soil.

Did my first foliar spray with 200x aloe, kelp, alfalfa, I used the majority of the spray as a soil drench.

The flowering plant in the back on the left was half harvested already, needed some smoke. Excited to see my new LST technique with a flowering plant.
 

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Kind Sir

Kind Sir

Well-Known Member
@greasemonkeymann
@DonPetro

I have everything to atleast get started, Im going to compare my homemade soil to buildasoils living soil Modern Mix. I know Ive asked you guys this before, but would like a last look before I mix it together. Id like suggestion on how much of each item to add.

Sphagnum peat moss
EWC/compost
Perlite/red lava rock

Alfalfa meal
Kelp meal
Crab Shell Meal
Fish bone meal
Oyster shell flour
Glacial rock dust

OPTIONAL:
Diameticous earth
Peruvian seabird guano
Coconut Flour**?

1. Ive gotten multiple answers that are completely different regarding the amounts to add.

2. My air pump/ stone are only 45 Gallon per Hour, last time I made an aact in half gal container and it didnt foam up as much as I see others do. I was thinking I could make an extra concentrated aact in a 1/4 gal container and dilute it some if necessary. Opinions are really appreciated.
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Kind Sir said:
@greasemonkeymann
@DonPetro

I have everything to atleast get started, Im going to compare my homemade soil to buildasoils living soil Modern Mix. I know Ive asked you guys this before, but would like a last look before I mix it together. Id like suggestion on how much of each item to add.

Sphagnum peat moss
EWC/compost
Perlite/red lava rock

Alfalfa meal
Kelp meal
Crab Shell Meal
Fish bone meal
Oyster shell flour
Glacial rock dust

OPTIONAL:
Diameticous earth
Peruvian seabird guano
Coconut Flour**?

1. Ive gotten multiple answers that are completely different regarding the amounts to add.

2. My air pump/ stone are only 45 Gallon per Hour, last time I made an aact in half gal container and it didnt foam up as much as I see others do. I was thinking I could make an extra concentrated aact in a 1/4 gal container and dilute it some if necessary. Opinions are really appreciated.
Click to expand...
that's a good mix, I know nothing about coconut flour though..
I don't use D.E., but that doesn't mean its bad, same with seabird guano, you could add both if you'd like, i'm just not sure the guano is a good match for the mix, it's rather water soluble.. It's good for teas though.
split the main ingredients threeways, normal 33/33/33
but the ewc/compost in my opinion should be halfed, meaning equal parts castings to compost, worm casting are too thick to use as 33% of your mix, unless you bump up your aeration, compost should be emphasized, I actually do closer to a 75/25 ratio compost to castings, but my leafcompost is slowly replacing peat as my base, i'm not sure how but the peat seems to be disappearing over the yrs.. weird.. anyways.
I have been using fish meal for the last yr and i'm liking the residual nitrogen that seems to be available to the plant, alfalfa is great but seems to be used quickly.
So I'd maybe look into adding a bit of fish meal to that mix, crab meal's nitrogen doesn't seem to give it much the first time around, it's a bit slower release, shrimp meal is better for that, but not a superior nutrient, just quicker to breakdown.

1/2 or 3/4 cup of each, fish meal, alfalfa meal, crab meal, fishbone meal,
one full cup of kelp meal.
then minerals
a cup of oyster flour (not really for it's mineral content more for ph control)
cup and a half of glacial dust.
----edit---- this is per cubic foot.

Important to remember that you can always add more nutrients later, never subtract.
so 1/2 cups may be ok, but 3/4 may also be ok.
some add 4 cups of nutrients and 4 cups of minerals, for me that's a lil much. But I've seen people doing that ok.
Somehow I get away with lightly amending my mix and still getting great results, but my compost is an asston of leaves, and those are higher in nutrients than manure is.
(credit given to @st0wandgrow for linking that info for us)


Personally I like to mix my minerals up as well, but we are kinda doing two different things, so in this case glacial dust is fine.
If you were re-using your soil, i'd add greensand, langbeinite, oyster shells (not flour), doghair, etc
What kind of compost are you using? Leaf, manure, forest based?
 
Kind Sir

Kind Sir

Well-Known Member
greasemonkeymann said:
that's a good mix, I know nothing about coconut flour though..
I don't use D.E., but that doesn't mean its bad, same with seabird guano, you could add both if you'd like, i'm just not sure the guano is a good match for the mix, it's rather water soluble.. It's good for teas though.
split the main ingredients threeways, normal 33/33/33
but the ewc/compost in my opinion should be halfed, meaning equal parts castings to compost, worm casting are too thick to use as 33% of your mix, unless you bump up your aeration, compost should be emphasized, I actually do closer to a 75/25 ratio compost to castings, but my leafcompost is slowly replacing peat as my base, i'm not sure how but the peat seems to be disappearing over the yrs.. weird.. anyways.
I have been using fish meal for the last yr and i'm liking the residual nitrogen that seems to be available to the plant, alfalfa is great but seems to be used quickly.
So I'd maybe look into adding a bit of fish meal to that mix, crab meal's nitrogen doesn't seem to give it much the first time around, it's a bit slower release, shrimp meal is better for that, but not a superior nutrient, just quicker to breakdown.

1/2 or 3/4 cup of each, fish meal, alfalfa meal, crab meal, fishbone meal,
one full cup of kelp meal.
then minerals
a cup of oyster flour (not really for it's mineral content more for ph control)
cup and a half of glacial dust.
----edit---- this is per cubic foot.

Important to remember that you can always add more nutrients later, never subtract.
so 1/2 cups may be ok, but 3/4 may also be ok.
some add 4 cups of nutrients and 4 cups of minerals, for me that's a lil much. But I've seen people doing that ok.
Somehow I get away with lightly amending my mix and still getting great results, but my compost is an asston of leaves, and those are higher in nutrients than manure is.
(credit given to @st0wandgrow for linking that info for us)


Personally I like to mix my minerals up as well, but we are kinda doing two different things, so in this case glacial dust is fine.
If you were re-using your soil, i'd add greensand, langbeinite, oyster shells (not flour), doghair, etc
What kind of compost are you using? Leaf, manure, forest based?
Click to expand...
My compost and ewc is bagged this time around.
The compost is called Purple Cow Compost, it has no manure from what I remember.
Product Description:

Purple Cow Organics Activated Compost With MicroLife is a scientifically formulated, tested, and certified premium compost - vermicompost based product. It delivers a full-range of benefits, along with metabolic building blocks to enrich and enliven your soil's foodweb. Purple Cow is formulated beginning with composted leaves and alfalfa fiber. Alfalfa contains a naturally-occurring plant hormone; triacontanol, that research has proven to promote root growth. During the composting process of Purple Cow, beneficial "soil foods", including greensand, rock dusts, and kelp meal stimulate a diversity of microorganisms along with adding macro and micronutrients. Kelp contains growth hormones, auxins, cytokines, and gibberellins, which increase root development substantially. Finally, MicroLife, Purple Cow's own blend of vermicompost worm castings, is added for final activation of the product. Purple Cow supplies beneficial microorganisms and organic humus to the growing media of soil, harmoniously enhancing your soil's biology and making nutrients more available for plant uptake. Purple Cow improves soil structure and porosity, creating a better plant root environment, resulting in a healthier plant overall.
 
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