Auto flowers and Super Soil

hotshotisdashit

hotshotisdashit

Well-Known Member
Was thinking about running a few autos in super soil. This would be the plan. 5 gallon pots. Top 3 gallons would be Happy Frog. Up under this would be 1/2 super soil 1/2 H.F mixed. Bottom 1/5 would be all super soil. I guess my question would be has anyone had or seen a successful grow with super soil and autos. Don't really wanna transplant for fear or stunting it.
 
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flockshot

Member
I am just finishing some Candy Cane Autos in M3 Michigan mix. There was a little drama and I needed calmag and 1 and 1/2 feedings with General Organics. I don't know how to post a pic on this site, but the first one comes down tomorrow.
 
hotshotisdashit

hotshotisdashit

Well-Known Member
A little confused. Is Michigan mix a super soil. I was planning to use tga. Were you using LEDs or HP's. LED plants tend to need more calmag. My biggest concern is if the super soil will be too hot for autos?
 
a senile fungus

a senile fungus

Well-Known Member
hotshotisdashit said:
Was thinking about running a few autos in super soil. This would be the plan. 5 gallon pots. Top 3 gallons would be Happy Frog. Up under this would be 1/2 super soil 1/2 H.F mixed. Bottom 1/5 would be all super soil. I guess my question would be has anyone had or seen a successful grow with super soil and autos. Don't really wanna transplant for fear or stunting it.
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Here's an auto I've started in living organic soil.

1420348825269.jpg

Start the seed in happy frog.

Once you get your first or second set of leaves then topdress with a bit of amended soil. Then let it grow then transplant up when ready.

Don't listen to that crap about layering the soil in the pot, make a homologous mix and use it.

Either transplant up or start right into your large pot, but don't layer the soil like that.

Let me know if I can help.


FYI I realized my best bet with organics was to mix my own soil from the get go and I haven't regretted it since...
 
hotshotisdashit

hotshotisdashit

Well-Known Member
When you say start in my large pot are you saying I can start in a 5 gallon pot with about 3 gallons and top dress the other two gallons as needed? I'm kinda afraid to transplant for fear of stunting. Autos don't like to be transplanted. I have first hand experience here.
 
hotshotisdashit

hotshotisdashit

Well-Known Member
Also sensible I would have no idea on how to make my own soil. I only have 3 grows under my belt. That's probably way down the road. Lol.
 
a senile fungus

a senile fungus

Well-Known Member
hotshotisdashit said:
When you say start in my large pot are you saying I can start in a 5 gallon pot with about 3 gallons and top dress the other two gallons as needed? I'm kinda afraid to transplant for fear of stunting. Autos don't like to be transplanted. I have first hand experience here.
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You could fill the pot up to around 4 gallons and start straight into it, the seedling will stretch a bit and as it grows you could fill in the rest. My autos have all been started in small pots and transplanted up. As long as you don't damage the roots then there shouldn't be an issue, but do what your comfortable with.

You could start in a larger pot but keep in mind the larger pots hold more water so it'd be easier to over water the seedling. I find its easier to water and care for them in a pot appropriate for their size, I think I'd kill a seedling in a huge pot lol


hotshotisdashit said:
Also sensible I would have no idea on how to make my own soil. I only have 3 grows under my belt. That's probably way down the road. Lol.
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I don't have too many grows under my belt either, I just read a ton. If you're interested in organics there's recipes for soil mixes all over the place, and after the initial investment it's seemingly pretty smooth sailing...

I'm no expert, that's for sure. I just figured I could answer your question because I'm currently growing an auto in organic soil :-)
 
a senile fungus

a senile fungus

Well-Known Member
Ace Yonder said:
Why do you say this? There are several solid ideas behind layering, what makes you dislike it?
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It isn't natural, and layering creates discontinuity in the soil, which would adversely affect many things I presume.



What are the solid ideas behind layering? And these ideas were explained by subcool?

Have you ever taken apart a rootball after harvest to see what the roots actually did/looked like?
 
a senile fungus

a senile fungus

Well-Known Member
Its stoner logic to believe that the roots at the lowest part of the pot are going to be 'happiest' with the hottest part of the soil being at the bottom of the pot.

I just don't buy it...



Sorry if I came off rude or snippy but this is one of those things that has never made sense to me and I ALWAYS see it suggested with sub's supersoil which lead me to believe he is the one who suggested it in the first place. :rolleyes:
 
Ace Yonder

Ace Yonder

Well-Known Member
a senile fungus said:
It isn't natural, and layering creates discontinuity in the soil, which would adversely affect many things I presume.



What are the solid ideas behind layering? And these ideas were explained by subcool?

Have you ever taken apart a rootball after harvest to see what the roots actually did/looked like?
Click to expand...
First let me start by saying that in my view, it is entirely natural. In nature, soil becomes more nutrient dense the deeper you get, just like how in a compost pile the compost is formed from the bottom up. By layering (not solid layers, just a general trend of more nutrients the deeper you go) you allow the plant to access different levels of nutrients at different stages in its life, the same way it would in nature where it grows through nutrient bare topsoil, comprised of depleted soil and decomposing material, into nutrient dense soil comprised of fully decomposed material/humus.

I use my own version of super soil similar to Sub's but mine is from an old Tomato planting technique for planting in nutrient bare soil, where you dig a deep hole and add stuff to the bottom of the hole for the plant to access when it's fully grown (In the recipe I learned it was 3 fish heads, an aspirin, 2tbls blackstrap molasses and 1 cup of kelp meal per plant. Orange/banana peels optional.).
 
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Ace Yonder

Ace Yonder

Well-Known Member
a senile fungus said:
Its stoner logic to believe that the roots at the lowest part of the pot are going to be 'happiest' with the hottest part of the soil being at the bottom of the pot.

I just don't buy it...



Sorry if I came off rude or snippy but this is one of those things that has never made sense to me and I ALWAYS see it suggested with sub's supersoil which lead me to believe he is the one who suggested it in the first place. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
No worries, I didn't read it as snippy, but I can also come across that way so I'm desensitized to it haha :)
 
a senile fungus

a senile fungus

Well-Known Member
Ace Yonder said:
First let me start by saying that in my view, it is entirely natural. In nature, soil becomes more nutrient dense the deeper you get, just like how in a compost pile the compost is formed from the bottom up. By layering (not solid layers, just a general trend of more nutrients the deeper you go) you allow the plant to access different levels of nutrients at different stages in its life, the same way it would in nature where it grows through nutrient bare topsoil, comprised of depleted soil and decomposing material, into nutrient dense soil comprised of fully decomposed material/humus.

I use my own version of super soil similar to Sub's but mine is from an old Tomato planting technique for planting in nutrient bare soil, where you dig a deep hole and add stuff to the bottom of the hole for the plant to access when it's fully grown (In the recipe I learned it was 3 fish heads, an aspirin, 2tbls blackstrap molasses and 1 cup of kelp meal per plant. Orange/banana peels optional.).
Click to expand...

I still feel the same way, that a homologous mix would be more beneficial for container plants.

But, for outdoor gardening where roots have no constriction and are free to roam I find this interesting.

This spring I want to bury a bunch of rotting wood and make a raised bed of sorts. I have lots of space so maybe I'll experiment with layers outside!

Thanks for the perspective!
 
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flockshot

Member
The M3 Michigan Mix I used for mine is a commercially made 15-33-38, Canadian peat based, just add water soil.
I just put 4 gallons into a 5 gallon smart pot and then dug a 6 inch deep hole in the center for a potting soil plug to start the seed in.
I used RO water, so I developed a calcium deficiency at about 35 days, and wound up giving it 1 and 1/2 General Organics feedings, plus continued calmag, to get them fixed.
M3 holds a lot of water, and 4 gallons of soil will hold one gallon of water with no run off. I didn't want runoff due to it being a 'just add water' soil and I didn't want to leach it out.
I used T5 for seedlings and 600w MH/HPS for the remainder of the grow.
The first plant will come down today which I 81 days from dry seeds.
The next time I use M3 I will top dress with more M3 at about 25 days, and use guano teas for the rapid growth period and for flower. Also, I will use calmag start to finish.
This has been my first ever grow of any kind. My goals were to 1. Get a harvest and 2. Get a harvest weight that is respectable for a first timer.
 

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hotshotisdashit

hotshotisdashit

Well-Known Member
Sounds very interesting. I like your philosophy. What I think I'm going to do is on my next grow do a couple tiered and a couple the way you explained. See which one gives better results and which one I'm more comfortable with. Thanks a million senile. I'll keep you posted on results.
BigEasy1 said:
I start and finish in a 5 gallon fabric pot. Never had a problem.
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Big easy do you layer with super soil on bottom and base on top? How much super soil do you use?
 
Banana444

Banana444

Well-Known Member
hotshotisdashit said:
Was thinking about running a few autos in super soil. This would be the plan. 5 gallon pots. Top 3 gallons would be Happy Frog. Up under this would be 1/2 super soil 1/2 H.F mixed. Bottom 1/5 would be all super soil. I guess my question would be has anyone had or seen a successful grow with super soil and autos. Don't really wanna transplant for fear or stunting it.
Click to expand...
All of my auto grows have been in supersoil, I have done 4 and have 2 more almost done, the thread is short stuff in this forum. I use between 7-15 gal fabric pots. Always start in the final pot. I dont layer soil, but I make a crater about the size of a volleyball in the pot full of super soil and use plain promix, germ seeds in paper towel and then into the soil and cover with a small plastic dome.
 
hotshotisdashit

hotshotisdashit

Well-Known Member
Banana444 said:
All of my auto grows have been in supersoil, I have done 4 and have 2 more almost done, the thread is short stuff in this forum. I use between 7-15 gal fabric pots. Always start in the final pot. I dont layer soil, but I make a crater about the size of a volleyball in the pot full of super soil and use plain promix, germ seeds in paper towel and then into the soil and cover with a small plastic dome.
Click to expand...
 
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