First time organics grow help needed

Jay7t5

Well-Known Member
So I have decided to give organics a go as im pretty tired of ph and nutrients and went out bought plagron batmix bio bizz light mix, fish mix, worm castings humus, grow/bloom/topmax, elixir kelp meal bone meal garden lime mykos mycorrhizial fungi perlite 15ltr pots so is there anything else that I need and what about amounts for veg and flower works for you? Thanks guys
 

SahTiva

Well-Known Member
There are so many different recipes to choose from the best way to go about it is pick a major one, then learn why stuff is added, then make your own.

For instance some vegans and such will get utterly triggered by the use of bone/blood meal, and others think its a great fertilizer
The same can be said about every ingredient, but you cant go wrong by just going with one of the big recipes, then tailor it to your needs.

Read "Teaming with Microbes" etc etc
 

Jay7t5

Well-Known Member
There are so many different recipes to choose from the best way to go about it is pick a major one, then learn why stuff is added, then make your own.

For instance some vegans and such will get utterly triggered by the use of bone/blood meal, and others think its a great fertilizer
The same can be said about every ingredient, but you cant go wrong by just going with one of the big recipes, then tailor it to your needs.

Read "Teaming with Microbes" etc etc
Thank you for your advice mate i will look at that. I have decided to go with subcools recipe I've sourced all the ingredients apart from dolomite lime but got garden lime and I couldn't get azomite so opted for volcanic dust, I've read what ingredients supply what I'm just a little confused as to why you would add 2 compounds in the mix which are rich in N such as bat guano blood meal etc won't 1 of more suffice? I've also been looking around for a 5 gallon super soil mix recipes with amounts but couldn't find it. I'm really keen to learn this as I'm tired of Ph and stuff ha thanks
 

SahTiva

Well-Known Member
Thank you for your advice mate i will look at that. I have decided to go with subcools recipe I've sourced all the ingredients apart from dolomite lime but got garden lime and I couldn't get azomite so opted for volcanic dust, I've read what ingredients supply what I'm just a little confused as to why you would add 2 compounds in the mix which are rich in N such as bat guano blood meal etc won't 1 of more suffice? I've also been looking around for a 5 gallon super soil mix recipes with amounts but couldn't find it. I'm really keen to learn this as I'm tired of Ph and stuff ha thanks
Yeah, there are a lot of repeats on ingredients in many of the recipes, some even call for pre packaged bulb food (lol?) The important thing to learn is what is fast release, what takes a while to break down, and stuff like that, then make sure you have some stuff that will be available for immediate use, and some slow breaking down ingredients to help in the end, Learn about top dressing, the correct size of pots and you should be fine.

A lot of people will cut down the huge recipes to like 4-6 ammendments and just go from there. I'm sorry that it seems like i'm giving you vague answers, but I there are threads with 20 different recipes and they all seem to work, so you already took the leap of faith, get some soil cooking!
 

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Thank you for your advice mate i will look at that. I have decided to go with subcools recipe I've sourced all the ingredients apart from dolomite lime but got garden lime and I couldn't get azomite so opted for volcanic dust, I've read what ingredients supply what I'm just a little confused as to why you would add 2 compounds in the mix which are rich in N such as bat guano blood meal etc won't 1 of more suffice? I've also been looking around for a 5 gallon super soil mix recipes with amounts but couldn't find it. I'm really keen to learn this as I'm tired of Ph and stuff ha thanks
very astute of you to notice the redundancy of the subcool recipe and method
you seem like a smart guy, I urge you to maybe take a look at different ideas and methods, there are far superior ones to use.
 

Jay7t5

Well-Known Member
Yeah, there are a lot of repeats on ingredients in many of the recipes, some even call for pre packaged bulb food (lol?) The important thing to learn is what is fast release, what takes a while to break down, and stuff like that, then make sure you have some stuff that will be available for immediate use, and some slow breaking down ingredients to help in the end, Learn about top dressing, the correct size of pots and you should be fine.

A lot of people will cut down the huge recipes to like 4-6 ammendments and just go from there. I'm sorry that it seems like i'm giving you vague answers, but I there are threads with 20 different recipes and they all seem to work, so you already took the leap of faith, get some soil cooking!
Mate thanks for that link very interesting read, to think about fungi in with the roots makes me shudder until i read that ha, I have also read about what the ingredients do and been reading a lot of stuff and tips i just want the knowledge I've picked up sort of verified by a fellow grower, I like to do things properly or not at all i don't want to be phased and then slagging organics off cause I got it wrong ha ha.I've got some sunshine daydream and blueberry hashplant from bodhi seeds and they're 3 weeks old and hoping by the time i sex them take cuttings my soil may be cooked exiting times ahead
 

Jay7t5

Well-Known Member
very astute of you to notice the redundancy of the subcool recipe and method
you seem like a smart guy, I urge you to maybe take a look at different ideas and methods, there are far superior ones to use.
Cheers mate do things right or not at all ha ha, I want to start with a reputable super soil and learn the basics of mixing amounts and then I will look into other methods I've learned a lot about top dressing today and teas I've got all the gear ready to do it, I just hope this plagron batmix don't end up too hot with amendments apparently it's lower EC than biobizz so should be ok , I got some blueberry hashplants waiting to be sexed only 2wks old though and just split sunshine daydream, I researched some seed bank genetics and was lead to their. I was sick with watered down genetics that lacked the punch of the psychosis I got and out of dinafem sensi seeds dutch passion GHS ( WANK) Barney's farm bomb seeds and yet to find anything that'll stack up to it so any suggestions i would be grateful im running blue dream atm abd green grack to early to tell what they'll be like though they're in normal soil canna nutes
 

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Cheers mate do things right or not at all ha ha, I want to start with a reputable super soil and learn the basics of mixing amounts and then I will look into other methods I've learned a lot about top dressing today and teas I've got all the gear ready to do it, I just hope this plagron batmix don't end up too hot with amendments apparently it's lower EC than biobizz so should be ok , I got some blueberry hashplants waiting to be sexed only 2wks old though and just split sunshine daydream, I researched some seed bank genetics and was lead to their. I was sick with watered down genetics that lacked the punch of the psychosis I got and out of dinafem sensi seeds dutch passion GHS ( WANK) Barney's farm bomb seeds and yet to find anything that'll stack up to it so any suggestions i would be grateful im running blue dream atm abd green grack to early to tell what they'll be like though they're in normal soil canna nutes
ah, you did well on the SSDD choice, Bodhi is my personal favorite breeder
what you really want to maybe brush up on, pertaining to organics anyways, is the biology behind it, that's crucial, and way more important than the nutrients, with organic nutrients it's absolutely imperative to have that microbial life there to tie it all together
that's why compost and wormbins are so crucial in an organic grow
 

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Cheers mate do things right or not at all ha ha, I want to start with a reputable super soil and learn the basics of mixing amounts and then I will look into other methods I've learned a lot about top dressing today and teas I've got all the gear ready to do it, I just hope this plagron batmix don't end up too hot with amendments apparently it's lower EC than biobizz so should be ok , I got some blueberry hashplants waiting to be sexed only 2wks old though and just split sunshine daydream, I researched some seed bank genetics and was lead to their. I was sick with watered down genetics that lacked the punch of the psychosis I got and out of dinafem sensi seeds dutch passion GHS ( WANK) Barney's farm bomb seeds and yet to find anything that'll stack up to it so any suggestions i would be grateful im running blue dream atm abd green grack to early to tell what they'll be like though they're in normal soil canna nutes
the single thing I wish I was told or taught years ago is composting.
simple as that, nothing has made as much of a dramatic difference to not only plant health, vigor, grow speed, and taste/smells than a simple fresh compost
it's amazing to me.
guarantee you will never grow with another media after you try freshly made humus from composting
 

Richard Drysift

Well-Known Member
the single thing I wish I was told or taught years ago is composting.
simple as that, nothing has made as much of a dramatic difference to not only plant health, vigor, grow speed, and taste/smells than a simple fresh compost
it's amazing to me.
guarantee you will never grow with another media after you try freshly made humus from composting
This cannot be stressed enough. I have been vermicomposting for about 4 yrs now and my mix is so rich it basically does all the work; I just water them and harvest the finest tasting and most potent bud I've ever had. Sometimes compost is all your soil needs as there is still plenty of goodies to keep them green and healthy. Problem is most store bought worm castings are nowhere near as active microbially as fresh compost straight from the worms ass can be. Plus composting is fun and reduces waste; worms are like the easiest pets to care for and they make food for your weed plants. Worms eat almost anything including all those cannabis leaves/stems you used to throw away. The best thing any organic grower can do is start a worm bin and be self sustaining for life.
 

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
This cannot be stressed enough. I have been vermicomposting for about 4 yrs now and my mix is so rich it basically does all the work; I just water them and harvest the finest tasting and most potent bud I've ever had. Sometimes compost is all your soil needs as there is still plenty of goodies to keep them green and healthy. Problem is most store bought worm castings are nowhere near as active microbially as fresh compost straight from the worms ass can be. Plus composting is fun and reduces waste; worms are like the easiest pets to care for and they make food for your weed plants. Worms eat almost anything including all those cannabis leaves/stems you used to throw away. The best thing any organic grower can do is start a worm bin and be self sustaining for life.
well said my friend
as always
 

Jay7t5

Well-Known Member
Oh and sativa greasemonkey , I have got regulars 2-3 wks old any experience with sexing strains? I'm aware of the pre flowers in veg
ah, you did well on the SSDD choice, Bodhi is my personal favorite breeder
what you really want to maybe brush up on, pertaining to organics anyways, is the biology behind it, that's crucial, and way more important than the nutrients, with organic nutrients it's absolutely imperative to have that microbial life there to tie it all together
that's why compost and wormbins are so crucial in an organic grow
Cheers mate i will study the biology behind it next im pretty clued up why plants need and when they need it now and what organic nutes do with the help of microbiological activity can't wait to get going now last of material coming tomorrow coco and pumice instead of azomite should be fine
 

Jay7t5

Well-Known Member
This cannot be stressed enough. I have been vermicomposting for about 4 yrs now and my mix is so rich it basically does all the work; I just water them and harvest the finest tasting and most potent bud I've ever had. Sometimes compost is all your soil needs as there is still plenty of goodies to keep them green and healthy. Problem is most store bought worm castings are nowhere near as active microbially as fresh compost straight from the worms ass can be. Plus composting is fun and reduces waste; worms are like the easiest pets to care for and they make food for your weed plants. Worms eat almost anything including all those cannabis leaves/stems you used to throw away. The best thing any organic grower can do is start a worm bin and be self sustaining for life.
So is that the composting bin? I'm living in a small flat so smell maybe issue lol I bought the biobizz worm castings humus mix is that ok ? Do you get mold problems on composting?
 

Jay7t5

Well-Known Member
the single thing I wish I was told or taught years ago is composting.
simple as that, nothing has made as much of a dramatic difference to not only plant health, vigor, grow speed, and taste/smells than a simple fresh compost
it's amazing to me.
guarantee you will never grow with another media after you try freshly made humus from composting
I've got humus and humic acid to throw in my mix that's good to know cheers mate.
 

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Oh and sativa greasemonkey , I have got regulars 2-3 wks old any experience with sexing strains? I'm aware of the pre flowers in veg


Cheers mate i will study the biology behind it next im pretty clued up why plants need and when they need it now and what organic nutes do with the help of microbiological activity can't wait to get going now last of material coming tomorrow coco and pumice instead of azomite should be fine
sure, I have over 25 yrs of exp sexing plants, it's not hard at all, I just vege mine at 17 hrs and they usually will show
if not actual preflowers at least the tell-tale "stretch" that most males do early
also after a bit you can tell almost solely from the gaps at the nodes
I do NOT flip to 12/12 to sex them
at 2-3 weeks you probably won't be able to sex

another thing to consider is that azomite and coco/pumice aren't really related.
if you don't want azomite (azomite is fine if you don't re-use the soil btw)
 

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
I've got humus and humic acid to throw in my mix that's good to know cheers mate.
if you have a compost or wormbin the acids are allllll there already
that's the beauty of those things, they are almost a multivitamin for the plant, has virtually everything in it already.
So is that the composting bin? I'm living in a small flat so smell maybe issue lol I bought the biobizz worm castings humus mix is that ok ? Do you get mold problems on composting?
done correctly a compost bin is smell-free.
same with a wormbin.
you can have a wormbin as small as a 12 gallon smartpot, the compost is a lil more tricky
you can get the small tumbler-style composters online if you want too
 

Jay7t5

Well-Known Member
if you have a compost or wormbin the acids are allllll there already
that's the beauty of those things, they are almost a multivitamin for the plant, has virtually everything in it already.

done correctly a compost bin is smell-free.
same with a wormbin.
you can have a wormbin as small as a 12 gallon smartpot, the compost is a lil more tricky
you can get the small tumbler-style composters online if you want too
12 gallon is still pretty big for my flat 2 gallon maybe ha, I will ask my old girl if i can start in her garden she can use it for her flowers, she won local competition using the soil in threw away lol 1 thing im a bit confused about is some people cook for 30 some for 90 is that because of slow release organic nutes applied?
 

Jay7t5

Well-Known Member
sure, I have over 25 yrs of exp sexing plants, it's not hard at all, I just vege mine at 17 hrs and they usually will show
if not actual preflowers at least the tell-tale "stretch" that most males do early
also after a bit you can tell almost solely from the gaps at the nodes
I do NOT flip to 12/12 to sex them
at 2-3 weeks you probably won't be able to sex

another thing to consider is that azomite and coco/pumice aren't really related.
if you don't want azomite (azomite is fine if you don't re-use the soil btw)
I remember the node spacing tip and sometimes size but not sure. So do you flip them soon as they get to 8 inch tall 6 few sets of leaves then flip back to veg once sexed I thought it would stress them, i was going to take cutting put in water in flower room wait for sex traits but that obviously takes longer and more room as I'd have to wait for them to take cuttings, could top them I guess what you think mate?
I took a gamble with pumice, azomite is as rare as azomite here, i just mentioned the coco as its the last of my materials to come in, just adding it as i read it helps aeration etc can't wait to get dirty and make a mess tomorrow now ha
 

Richard Drysift

Well-Known Member
So is that the composting bin? I'm living in a small flat so smell maybe issue lol I bought the biobizz worm castings humus mix is that ok ? Do you get mold problems on composting?
Nope so smell whatsoever and any mold that forms inside the bin is consumed by worms which benefits your mix later on when it's added in. I use a worm factory 360 bin that has trays you switch out as you harvest the finished castings. The worms always stay in the bin and eat your kitchen scraps. It is perfect for a small flat IMO much easier to work with than a smartpot and not as messy. I keep mine just outside my flowering room as decomposition emits a meager amount of co2 so it's setup near a fresh air intake to take advantage of this.
When a tray becomes full you simply pull the bottom one off and place it in the top of the stack. Shining a light on it (which they hate) makes the worms go down deeper leaving only the good stuff. Use vermicastings in your soil to recharge/recycle it, or as a top dressing, or brew it in a tea. Nothing wrong with bagged casting either it's just not quite as populated with microbes as fresher compost is.
 

Jay7t5

Well-Known Member
Nope so smell whatsoever and any mold that forms inside the bin is consumed by worms which benefits your mix later on when it's added in. I use a worm factory 360 bin that has trays you switch out as you harvest the finished castings. The worms always stay in the bin and eat your kitchen scraps. It is perfect for a small flat IMO much easier to work with than a smartpot and not as messy. I keep mine just outside my flowering room as decomposition emits a meager amount of co2 so it's setup near a fresh air intake to take advantage of this.
When a tray becomes full you simply pull the bottom one off and place it in the top of the stack. Shining a light on it (which they hate) makes the worms go down deeper leaving only the good stuff. Use vermicastings in your soil to recharge/recycle it, or as a top dressing, or brew it in a tea. Nothing wrong with bagged casting either it's just not quite as populated with microbes as fresher compost is.
Thanks for that mate,i will have a think about that it makes a lot of sense and will save money in the long run,my ingredients have come so I can make a start the weekend, my coco hasn't come yet though but I don't see any harm adding it when I turn it once a week cooking, 1 more thing folks it's not that warm atm so would the soil be ok cooking in my grow room under the shelf ?it's usually 70-75 as it's slightly shaded and sometimes if it's cold I'll put my oil filled radiator lights off. cheers guys
 
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