Super soil recipe opinion

PadawanWarrior

PadawanWarrior

Well-Known Member
Hawg Wild said:
Yeah I use the LOS V3 minerals and amendments for my soil mix, along with a few other things. I'm adding in Big 6 next round, mainly because I had reward points to spend and decided to try it out. Mostly I just water and add KNF inputs once it's going, but I'm going to try the Big 6 and Coot's new Gnarly Barley blend for topdressing. I grabbed a 30lb bucket of that. That Colorado Worm Company vermicompost they carry is the best stuff I've found for IPM (springtails and hypoapsis miles in every bag) and for starting worm bins too.
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I have the Big 6 now. I'm gonna start testing it out more. Here's a sample of some of my hoarded BAS shit, lol.
IMG_4206.JPG
 
Hawg Wild

Hawg Wild

Well-Known Member
krizz878 said:
I thought 20-30% was standard?
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Yeah 1/4 to 1/3 compost/castings is the norm. Same for aeration, really. You seem to be going way overboard on aeration with that much perlite/vermiculite and lava rock. I'd cut that back some and go with more peat. My mix isn't super soil, but it's 50-60% peat and would be even if I were doing a super soil.
 
krizz878

krizz878

Member
Hawg Wild said:
Yeah 1/4 to 1/3 compost/castings is the norm. Same for aeration, really. You seem to be going way overboard on aeration with that much perlite/vermiculite and lava rock. I'd cut that back some and go with more peat. My mix isn't super soil, but it's 50-60% peat and would be even if I were doing a super soil.
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Do you think Instead of adding additional Peat I can sub the verm for coco? I think it would help with soil texture and retention of water no?
 
Kassiopeija

Kassiopeija

Well-Known Member
ok so whats also ok for soil is C enrichment by either Terra Preta or bio-active charcoal. itll store/buffer nutes & offer a living place for bacteria.

you also need something that offers a katio-exchange capacity like clay-based minerals or green garden compost.

take this advice witha grain of salt please. over the pond theres just different materials available, it could be that some of the stuff already does the above (lava rock perhaps...)
 
Hawg Wild

Hawg Wild

Well-Known Member
krizz878 said:
Do you think Instead of adding additional Peat I can sub the verm for coco? I think it would help with soil texture and retention of water no?
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Yeah you could in a super soil. I don't know if I'd recommend too much coco in a soil you plan on recycling though. I personally don't use any coco. The only advantage it has over peat is not breaking down as fast, but that would be a disadvantage with my system.
 
Hawg Wild

Hawg Wild

Well-Known Member
Kassiopeija said:
ok so whats also ok for soil is C enrichment by either Terra Preta or bio-active charcoal. itll store/buffer nutes & offer a living place for bacteria.

you also need something that offers a katio-exchange capacity like clay-based minerals or green garden compost.

take this advice witha grain of salt please. over the pond theres just different materials available, it could be that some of the stuff already does the above (lava rock perhaps...)
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Gypsum, basalt, biochar, rock dust.... those are all good for this. Azomite is okay, I guess, but kind of expensive for what it is, which is about 85% aluminum.
 
krizz878

krizz878

Member
Kassiopeija said:
ok so whats also ok for soil is C enrichment by either Terra Preta or bio-active charcoal. itll store/buffer nutes & offer a living place for bacteria.

you also need something that offers a katio-exchange capacity like clay-based minerals or green garden compost.

take this advice witha grain of salt please. over the pond theres just different materials available, it could be that some of the stuff already does the above (lava rock perhaps...)
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It’s good advice. I wanted the lava for more homogenous drainage but didn’t even realize it could also double as a living space for the fungi and bacteria!(seeing as perlite has a tendency to float or sift to the top)
 
krizz878

krizz878

Member
Hawg Wild said:
Gypsum, basalt, biochar, rock dust.... those are all good for this. Azomite is okay, I guess, but kind of expensive for what it is, which is about 85% aluminum.
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Wild I was able to pick some up for a pretty good price and read that it’s supposed to round out the nutrient profile. But dang that’s a lot of aluminum
 
Hawg Wild

Hawg Wild

Well-Known Member
krizz878 said:
Wild I was able to pick some up for a pretty good price and read that it’s supposed to round out the nutrient profile. But dang that’s a lot of aluminum
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Yeah it's got other trace minerals, but nothing that isn't in basalt at higher concentrations. I like to water in a little SEA-90 minerals with the initial starter tea in a new container and sometimes mix a tiny bit of it in as a foliar during veg for trace minerals, along with the basalt, glacial rock dust, oyster shell, gyspum, and montmorillinite clay in my soil.
 
PadawanWarrior

PadawanWarrior

Well-Known Member
krizz878 said:
It’s good advice. I wanted the lava for more homogenous drainage but didn’t even realize it could also double as a living space for the fungi and bacteria!(seeing as perlite has a tendency to float or sift to the top)
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Perlite will break down, and it wants to float. Lava rock is way better if you ask me, but it's a lot heavier. I'm doing no-till, and added lava rock, 2 sizes of pumice, and some rice hulls in when I mixed it up. It was originally FFOF.
 
krizz878

krizz878

Member
Hawg Wild said:
Yeah it's got other trace minerals, but nothing that isn't in basalt at higher concentrations. I like to water in a little SEA-90 minerals with the initial starter tea in a new container and sometimes mix a tiny bit of it in as a foliar during veg for trace minerals, along with the basalt, glacial rock dust, gyspum, and montmorillinite clay in my soil.
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This is a lot of fun. I thought growing was fun, Come to find out soil biology is even more fun:p
 
Hawg Wild

Hawg Wild

Well-Known Member
I use a lot of cocoa bean hulls for aeration too. It's sold in 2 cu. ft. bags at farm stores as mulch. Has a natural ph of 5.8, absorbs a ton of water but still holds shape, and is full of calcium and trace minerals, adds nitrogen to the soil as it breaks down... plus it makes your room smell like baker's cocoa until your plants start stankin'.... BUT it's a no-go if you have pets that can get in your grow spot because it will kill them if they eat it.
 
krizz878

krizz878

Member
Hawg Wild said:
I use a lot of coco bean hulls for aeration too. It's sold in 2 cu. ft. bags at farm stores as mulch. Has a natural ph of 5.8, absorbs a ton of water but still holds shape, and is full of trace minerals... plus it makes your room smell like baker's cocoa until your plants start stankin'.... BUT it's a no-go if you have pets that can get in your grow spot because it will kill them if they eat it.
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I’ll have to check some of that stuff out definitely wouldn’t mind if it smelled like cocoa!
 
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