Alternatives to build a soil

I'm making the transition to organics, hit up build a soil, and was thinking about buying all my components for my living soil in bulk. 700$price tag, plus another 700 for delivery to Michigan. Yikes. Amazon has most of my needed components, kelp meal, alfalfa meal, aloe, neem cake, gypsum, worm castings, lava rocks. Will this be a viable alternative to build a soil or shall I look elsewhere. Thanks a bunches dudes

MR.NICE.GUY.1990 said:

I'm making the transition to organics, hit up build a soil, and was thinking about buying all my components for my living soil in bulk. 700$price tag, plus another 700 for delivery to Michigan. Yikes. Amazon has most of my needed components, kelp meal, alfalfa meal, aloe, neem cake, gypsum, worm castings, lava rocks. Will this be a viable alternative to build a soil or shall I look elsewhere. Thanks a bunches dudes

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yeah man nutrition is nutrition. just order off amazon. Most products are from the same source, just come with different brand labels. the only exceptions I would make is the neem and crab meal. I've found that ahimsa neem cake is much better than say down to earth brand, and neptune's harvest crab meal is better than down to earth as well. the reason why i prefer those two products from those companies, is the size of the particles. they're bigger and therefore slower release. the DTE stuff is just too processed, very micronized.

Right on. I found crustacean meal on Amazon and they say it's from build a soil, so I'm hoping it's not knock off junk. But yeah that's definitely what I'm looking for, large slow release particles. I'm was concerned for the neem cake as well, it looks as if Amazon's immediate option were dte, orgo, and naked supplements. I was just looking and if I buy just the mineral mix and neem cake from Build a soil,the shipping will be free and it'll only cost me like 80$. Far more reason able imo. Might have to get the aloe from there as well

On Amazon.

MR.NICE.GUY.1990 said:

On Amazon.

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LOL Do you get a kiss with that, or, just the dry fuck?

That same 40lb bag from Planet Natural is $34.xx and the shipping is ~$15, under $50 to my door.

I try and source locally, but the stuff I can't find and must ship, I've found PlanetNatural to be the highest quality and cheapest cost, plus, they don't try and screw you with the S&H.

The only actual "free shipping" I EVER got was from PN in a promotion. A 20lb bag of Stutzman Chicken manure was a whopping $7.40 delivered to my dooe.

Check them out, or be happy with $105 from Azon.

Wet

I guess just the dry fuck sadly. Luckily, I didnt purchase the 40 pounder, and bought the last 2 remaining 2 pnd bag. I figured there might be alot less dry fucking with the 2pnd bags....

Buuuut, that planet naturals place seems like a worthy combination of words to type into my Google search bar. Especially if the prices are as good as you say. Thanks for ze info brudda

MR.NICE.GUY.1990 said:

Buuuut, that planet naturals place seems like a worthy combination of words to type into my Google search bar. Especially if the prices are as good as you say. Thanks for ze info brudda

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Well worth the Google search and it's easy to check the prices and the shipping. The price is as listed and they will take the product you picked and, with your zip code tell you exactly what the shipping will be and the total. I've never really seen any advertising from them, it all seems word of mouth, but they have been around for a number of years.

No paper catalog either, but the online catalog is well done and guarentee you'll spend some time checking it all out.

PLANET NATURAL, no s on the end, located in Bozeman, Montana. You're welcome.

Wet

http://www.7springsfarm.com/growing-mixes/

Try these guys, they have great service and prices and are literally just a few person operation out of an old barn. This is as mom and pop shop as you can get.

The Soil Makers are pretty good. They're in Connecticut though. They do free shipping on most things.



https://www.makeorganicsoil.com/

I picked up a bag of the Nectar of the Gods soil and it looks promising but like anything shipping is a challenge - but given the brand it's widely available I'd assume at any local hydro shop. Amazon cost looks to be right at double what the shop sold it for so getting to a local shop would make the most sense imo. And it does help your local shop keep their doors open in todays online world.

MR.NICE.GUY.1990 said:

I'm making the transition to organics, hit up build a soil, and was thinking about buying all my components for my living soil in bulk. 700$price tag, plus another 700 for delivery to Michigan. Yikes. Amazon has most of my needed components, kelp meal, alfalfa meal, aloe, neem cake, gypsum, worm castings, lava rocks. Will this be a viable alternative to build a soil or shall I look elsewhere. Thanks a bunches dudes

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search kelpforless

You should find alfalfa pellets at a farm/feed store all over Michigan. You can find 50# bags for about $12. Look at the ingredients and make sure nothing else is added. Some places will have oyster shell powder for laying hens, 50# bag for $10 in my area.

Kelp4less. And checkout eBay too

Why is Kelp so expensive?
A few years ago when I had chickens we used to buy this by the 50 pound big for like $30 and that was for the froo froo organic stuff...
Now it's $60-$80 for 25 pounds...

MR.NICE.GUY.1990 said:

I'm making the transition to organics, hit up build a soil, and was thinking about buying all my components for my living soil in bulk. 700$price tag, plus another 700 for delivery to Michigan. Yikes. Amazon has most of my needed components, kelp meal, alfalfa meal, aloe, neem cake, gypsum, worm castings, lava rocks. Will this be a viable alternative to build a soil or shall I look elsewhere. Thanks a bunches dudes

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@MR.NICE.GUY.1990

If I were you, I wouldn't mess with all that pre-fab crap...

Make your own fertilizer (not humanure, though that would work too)...
It's not hard...

If you want to know how, just say so and I will post some ideas on how to go about making your own fertilizer.

It’s not difficult and if you’re into DIY, it can be fun!

Chris Edward said:

Why is Kelp so expensive?
A few years ago when I had chickens we used to buy this by the 50 pound big for like $30 and that was for the froo froo organic stuff...
Now it's $60-$80 for 25 pounds...

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The place I listed has 50lb bags for $55. I'd also assume the stuff you got for chickens isnt the same strain of kelp but I could be wrong.

Chris Edward said:

Why is Kelp so expensive?
A few years ago when I had chickens we used to buy this by the 50 pound big for like $30 and that was for the froo froo organic stuff...
Now it's $60-$80 for 25 pounds...

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Supply and demand and limited harvests.

The Thorvin I use is harvested around Iceland and they have plots or areas that they can harvest from, it's very regulated there.

Alagamin comes from around Nova Scotia and seems to be mostly hand harvested. Not sure of the regulations.

Both cases it's very cold water in a somewhat limited area and, I would guess a fairly short harvest season due to locations.

There are plenty of other kelps, but none that come all that close to what A. Nodosum brings to the table.

BTW, the last 50# bag of certified organic Thorvin bought in Oct 2018 was $58 and $74.xx shipped to my door. It has gone up in price $6/50lb bag over the last 7 years.

Wet

Chris Edward said:

Why is Kelp so expensive?
A few years ago when I had chickens we used to buy this by the 50 pound big for like $30 and that was for the froo froo organic stuff...
Now it's $60-$80 for 25 pounds...

Click to expand...

I can get 50lb bags for 42 bucks at the local feed an grain

MR.NICE.GUY.1990 said:

I'm making the transition to organics, hit up build a soil, and was thinking about buying all my components for my living soil in bulk. 700$price tag, plus another 700 for delivery to Michigan. Yikes. Amazon has most of my needed components, kelp meal, alfalfa meal, aloe, neem cake, gypsum, worm castings, lava rocks. Will this be a viable alternative to build a soil or shall I look elsewhere. Thanks a bunches dudes

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I have a pretty good way to avoid this. I'll do so in a private message if your interested......20 quarts or bigger each container...........trouble and hassle free gardening! With no bottled CHIT, no snake oil from who knows where .......just organic compost based soil mix with the handling and watering characteristics of a peat-perlite mix. Top shelf and easy to maintain!