Help with mixing up Organic Soil

Invisighost

Invisighost

Well-Known Member
Hey guys another question. I'm going to be starting on another organic grow and I'm trying to figure out the best mix for what I have. I will be growing in 5 gallon fabric pots, possibly 2 and maybe a couple 3 gallon fabric pots..I purchased a few items from various threads about organic items..
This is what I have or am in the process of getting

CrabMeal
Alfalfa Meal,
Kelp Meal
Bone Meal
Azomite
DrEarth tomato and vegetable dry fert (4-6-3)
Epsom Salt
Dolemite Lime
EverGreen Soil Conditioner (never used not sure if its even good)
EverGreen Compost/Manure(never used before either)
Spagnum Peat Moss

I have a full bag of FFOF (1.5cf) as well as a full bag of HF potting soil (2cf) that I haven't used..

I'm trying to figure out a great mix would be so I don't have to worry about using nutrients throughout the grow unless absolutely necessary..(I do have the EarthJuice Line if I need to use them as well as unsulphured Molasses)..

If someone could help me out with the quantities of each that would be Fantastic...



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Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
Invisighost said:
Hey guys another question. I'm going to be starting on another organic grow and I'm trying to figure out the best mix for what I have. I will be growing in 5 gallon fabric pots, possibly 2 and maybe a couple 3 gallon fabric pots..I purchased a few items from various threads about organic items..
This is what I have or am in the process of getting

CrabMeal
Alfalfa Meal,
Kelp Meal
Bone Meal
Azomite
DrEarth tomato and vegetable dry fert (4-6-3)
Epsom Salt
Dolemite Lime
EverGreen Soil Conditioner (never used not sure if its even good)
EverGreen Compost/Manure(never used before either)
Spagnum Peat Moss

I have a full bag of FFOF (1.5cf) as well as a full bag of HF potting soil (2cf) that I haven't used..

I'm trying to figure out a great mix would be so I don't have to worry about using nutrients throughout the grow unless absolutely necessary..(I do have the EarthJuice Line if I need to use them as well as unsulphured Molasses)..

If someone could help me out with the quantities of each that would be Fantastic...



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I'm a little busy with work right now friend but I got some advice for ya, ill hop on and post later! You gotta a decent list going but we could lose some things here and there!
 
Johnei

Johnei

Well-Known Member
..from other thread... I want to help, but with the ingredients you have and super soil you want to build, RastaRoy is more qualified to help you than I am, I do things a bit differently building a light soil and feed tea brews. My soil mixes are not super soil never feed style. I like extreme nutrient control throughout the grow like hydro style but in organic soil, using the teas.
 
Invisighost

Invisighost

Well-Known Member
Johnei said:
..from other thread... I want to help, but with the ingredients you have and super soil you want to build, RastaRoy is more qualified to help you than I am, I do things a bit differently building a light soil and feed tea brews. My soil mixes are not super soil never feed style. I like extreme nutrient control throughout the grow like hydro style but in organic soil, using the teas.
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I'm not opposed to using teas and nutrients as honestly thats what I've been doing---but just kind of guessing throughout the process with decent results..I keep running into random yellowing issues--too much nutes, too little nutes and I'm looking for a way to maybe do it all up front and just eliminate any deficiencies (screwups) on my end until I get familiar with what to expect from growing. This is my 1st major grow running several different strains at random times. I thought I had it all planned out but small issues are throwing me out of wack a little and I keep hearing organic is the way to go if you have the right ingredients..I decided to go with each individual ingredients to mix myself this go around to see if I could improve upon myself
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
Time to sit down at last!

So I'm not a huge fan of starting with already fertilized soil as a base, some batches are strong, some are not. It can make building a water only soil a little more challenging because of the guess work. But we can still make something work. Do you know how many cubic feet of soil you need total?
 
Invisighost

Invisighost

Well-Known Member
Rasta Roy said:
Time to sit down at last!

So I'm not a huge fan of starting with already fertilized soil as a base, some batches are strong, some are not. It can make building a water only soil a little more challenging because of the guess work. But we can still make something work. Do you know how many cubic feet of soil you need total?
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I will need no more than 2 cubic feet to start...only going to do a couple 5gallon fabric pots...maybe some 3 gallons later on..
 
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Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
By my guess you've got about 6-7 cubic feet of compost (between the soil conditioner, black kow, and compost and manure). Since you only need such a small amount, I wouldn't bother with the prebagged soil.

I would do:

4.5 gallons of black kow compost
4.5 gallons of peat moss
4.5 gallons of aeration (Perlite, rice hulls, whatever you can get a hold of)

If you go for something like lava rock for aeration make sure you extra extra smash that shit up.

Per cubic foot

Alfalfa meal 1/4 cup
Kelp Meal 1/2 cup
Bone Meal 1/2 cup
Crab Meal 1/2 cup
Lime 1/2 cup

I personally don't see the need for azomite, good compost and kelp meal will provide you with trace minerals. I've done side by side with and without and there was no difference.

Epsom salts a little more soluble than we want for a soil mix. But it is great for Foliar feed or root drench if your plants are in need.

You wouldn't want to mix your all purpose fert into your soil at the start. However since youre doing such small pots I would top dress it in about every four weeks, maybe three if you see your plants hurting before. But four should be straight, and that will keep your plants from going yellow.
 
Invisighost

Invisighost

Well-Known Member
Rasta Roy said:
By my guess you've got about 6-7 cubic feet of compost (between the soil conditioner, black kow, and compost and manure). Since you only need such a small amount, I wouldn't bother with the prebagged soil.

I would do:

4.5 gallons of black kow compost
4.5 gallons of peat moss
4.5 gallons of aeration (Perlite, rice hulls, whatever you can get a hold of)

If you go for something like lava rock for aeration make sure you extra extra smash that shit up.

Per cubic foot

Alfalfa meal 1/4 cup
Kelp Meal 1/2 cup
Bone Meal 1/2 cup
Crab Meal 1/2 cup
Lime 1/2 cup

I personally don't see the need for azomite, good compost and kelp meal will provide you with trace minerals. I've done side by side with and without and there was no difference.

Epsom salts a little more soluble than we want for a soil mix. But it is great for Foliar feed or root drench if your plants are in need.

You wouldn't want to mix your all purpose fert into your soil at the start. However since youre doing such small pots I would top dress it in about every four weeks, maybe three if you see your plants hurting before. But four should be straight, and that will keep your plants from going yellow.
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ok looks good. You don't think I should bother with the soil conditioner or the compost/manure at all? appreciate all the help
 
Invisighost

Invisighost

Well-Known Member
Rasta Roy said:
I would save them for reamending your soil for future rounds! The black kow will do better for your plants this first round.
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Final question and I think I may be good...for awhile at least..would you recommend using teas as well or would that be overkill...I do have EarthJuice line of nutrients I was just wondering if there was a way to go without having to bother with them..But, I wouldnt mind doing a little extra every now and then if it helps
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
Invisighost said:
Final question and I think I may be good...for awhile at least..would you recommend using teas as well or would that be overkill...I do have EarthJuice line of nutrients I was just wondering if there was a way to go without having to bother with them..But, I wouldnt mind doing a little extra every now and then if it helps
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No need for teas, and actually after a recent discussion I had with some botanists; I would recommend staying away from teas.

I believe of you top dressed with that all purpose tomato fert every three to four weeks you would be golden.
 
Invisighost

Invisighost

Well-Known Member
Rasta Roy said:
No need for teas, and actually after a recent discussion I had with some botanists; I would recommend staying away from teas.

I believe of you top dressed with that all purpose tomato fert every three to four weeks you would be golden.
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Interesting..Whyd they recommend that if you dont mind me asking...just wondering
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
Invisighost said:
Interesting..Whyd they recommend that if you dont mind me asking...just wondering
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Because you are cultivating bacteria, most likely without a microscope, and most likely without the knowledge of what different strains of bacteria look like. You could be multiplying a deadly strain of bacteria that kills us all!

And in control studies, using compost tea made no difference. Watering with rain water and having compost in your soil, top dressing more if needed vs applying a tea produced the same results on the tests.

So if you can get the same results without cultivating unknown and potentially dangerous bacteria, why wouldn't you? And this advice comes from the woman who's research is the basis of Teaming With Microbes.
 
Invisighost

Invisighost

Well-Known Member
Rasta Roy said:
Because you are cultivating bacteria, most likely without a microscope, and most likely without the knowledge of what different strains of bacteria look like. You could be multiplying a deadly strain of bacteria that kills us all!

And in control studies, using compost tea made no difference. Watering with rain water and having compost in your soil, top dressing more if needed vs applying a tea produced the same results on the tests.

So if you can get the same results without cultivating unknown and potentially dangerous bacteria, why wouldn't you? And this advice comes from the woman who's research is the basis of Teaming With Microbes.
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Oh I see..makes sense I guess...Very much appreciated all the info
 
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