Subcool's Super Soil

Sub. You've mentioned using AN Bud Candy as well as Sucanat more recently. What is your current "adiditive" method for the bloom phase of your plants? Both products? Neither? One not the other? Some other method?
Thanks.

Hey Sub, I have germed 10 Frisian Dew for this year's outdoor, i will be growing them all outside in 7 gal containers..

I am just not clear if i'm going to do 40% super-soil, would i mix that 40% with the rest of the soil in the container, or would i have all of the super soil in the bottom and then reg. potting soil on top of that?

Thanks so much for your help

I really have no clue on Outdoor growing or at least not enough to advise I am in indoor grower.

I would however choose your latter method and use as mush SS as possible Outdoors rain will flush more nutrients out.

Sub

Thanks alot for your quick reply, but i have one more question..

Do i have to let the ss cook? Because I will be transplanting in 2 weeks into 7 gal grow bags.. will it hurt my plants if i dont let it cook ?

Yes it will burn them it takes a good 30 days before the lime raises the PH from like 5.5 the best time frame is actually like 6 weeks.

Sub

Hey Sub - do you discuss watering techniques anywhere? Honestly it's the one part of growing I've never had a lot of confidence in.

Do you water in one big pour, or water it a bit, let it soak, then water more? I know the ladies like to dry out almost to wilting between waterings, but then what? If I just dump the water in, I feel like some of the soil is too dry to accept the water. If I slowly water, I feel like it's a bit too wet.

Also, do you feel a mulch would be of any benefit? Maybe a cardboard circle or something to allow the top of the soil to remain consistently damp(increasing microbial activity and rooting in the top 1" which right now seems to be wasted).

One more thing - I just picked up some Mycogrow Soluble from Paul Staments since it's vastly cheaper than Great White powder. Up until now I thought the roots soil had enough mycorrhizae that it didn't need any additives, but once I added the mycogrow to the soil, my persistent powdery mildew infestation just vanished without a trace. Sorry to pimp a product, but I'd suggest giving this stuff a shot($6 for an ounce of pure spores) and see if it makes a difference for ya.

Thx!

is it possible to build a natural fertilizer base to ammend the soil without using pre-bagged soil as a base?

Great site
SGB

]Hey Sub - do you discuss watering techniques anywhere? Honestly it's the one part of growing I've never had a lot of confidence in.

Do you water in one big pour, or water it a bit, let it soak, then water more? I know the ladies like to dry out almost to wilting between waterings, but then what? If I just dump the water in, I feel like some of the soil is too dry to accept the water. If I slowly water, I feel like it's a bit too wet.

You won't believe this but like many things I am stuck in the dark ages. I hand water my plants with a 2 gallon pale and I judge when by lifting each pot and weighing em by hand. I like my plants to dry out completely before watering and then I water could enough to spill into the catch treys but this is always wicked back up into the soil.

Also, do you feel a mulch would be of any benefit? Maybe a cardboard circle or something to allow the top of the soil to remain consistently damp(increasing microbial activity and rooting in the top 1" which right now seems to be wasted).
THis would invite fungus gnats and root rot around the stem

One more thing - I just picked up some Mycogrow Soluble from Paul Staments since it's vastly cheaper than Great White powder. Up until now I thought the roots soil had enough mycorrhizae that it didn't need any additives, but once I added the mycogrow to the soil, my persistent powdery mildew infestation just vanished without a trace. Sorry to pimp a product, but I'd suggest giving this stuff a shot($6 for an ounce of pure spores) and see if it makes a difference for ya.

Good info I use added Organizm but havn't noticed a huge diff without.

saltgrassbear said:

is it possible to build a natural fertilizer base to ammend the soil without using pre-bagged soil as a base?

Great site
SGB

Click to expand...

Sure but you will need to sterilize it when done thats why we use the products we do I dont own a soil oven

I am told in sunny areas all ya need is black plastic and a warm day but I can't verify this.

Sub

Hey Sub, Thanks for the advice about ro water. I've been supplementing with cal-mag raising the water to 100ppm. I'm using 15 and 20 gallon pots to grow super bushy Jillybean. They're loving the super soil and are looking much better than my last grow (a soil-less mix). Thanks again man.

Hey sub, any special advice on growing A-13 in SS?

was anyone ever heard of soil moist its very handy for guerrilla growers which i am

saved me many seasons with little rain only made 1 trip a week to water from the natural spring

more info on soil moist

http://www.soilmoist.com/index.php

Thought it made my buds taste like plastic but if I was outdoors I would be looking for a natural alternative.
Indoors it could cause pythium so watch out.

subcool said:

]Hey Sub - do you discuss watering techniques anywhere? Honestly it's the one part of growing I've never had a lot of confidence in.

Do you water in one big pour, or water it a bit, let it soak, then water more? I know the ladies like to dry out almost to wilting between waterings, but then what? If I just dump the water in, I feel like some of the soil is too dry to accept the water. If I slowly water, I feel like it's a bit too wet.

You won't believe this but like many things I am stuck in the dark ages. I hand water my plants with a 2 gallon pale and I judge when by lifting each pot and weighing em by hand. I like my plants to dry out completely before watering and then I water could enough to spill into the catch treys but this is always wicked back up into the soil.

Also, do you feel a mulch would be of any benefit? Maybe a cardboard circle or something to allow the top of the soil to remain consistently damp(increasing microbial activity and rooting in the top 1" which right now seems to be wasted).
THis would invite fungus gnats and root rot around the stem

One more thing - I just picked up some Mycogrow Soluble from Paul Staments since it's vastly cheaper than Great White powder. Up until now I thought the roots soil had enough mycorrhizae that it didn't need any additives, but once I added the mycogrow to the soil, my persistent powdery mildew infestation just vanished without a trace. Sorry to pimp a product, but I'd suggest giving this stuff a shot($6 for an ounce of pure spores) and see if it makes a difference for ya.

Good info I use added Organizm but havn't noticed a huge diff without.

Click to expand...

Sub: I too am having a battle with powdery mildew. Would you add this Mycogrow Soluble when you initially make the super soil, or would you add it when you re-mix the soil, just before filling your pots?

Also, would you recommend the Mycogrow Hydro version that they advertise you can spray with.. being it's too late to add the powder to my current soil?


Thank you!

Nothing you mentioned has anything to do with PM.
Your environment has conditions that are causing it I suspect high hum and temps over 78.
You solve PM through climate control period.

Sub

subcool said:

Nothing you mentioned has anything to do with PM.
Your environment has conditions that are causing it I suspect high hum and temps over 78.
You solve PM through climate control period.

Sub

Click to expand...

And proper air flow

I don't think Sub ever endorsed the Myco grow - I did

I've heard conflicting stories regarding PM and humidity. I run dry - temps around 80 and humidity around 30-40, sometimes less. There are several strains of fungus that are normally lumped into the category of 'powdery mildew'. Some of them probably do better in different environments, and at least one of them does better or worse in certain conditions depending on what point it's at in it's life cycle(i.e. it germinates better in high humidity but grows better in low humidity). So dealing with PM isn't as simple as 'do this' or 'do that'.

Air flow really seemed to help, along with keeping my humidity up(for the PM strain that I had). But I'm in the southwest and those two goals are usually at odds. The more outside air I bring in, the more my humidity drops.

As far as the mycogrow, I think you can't really add it until you have roots - some of the organisms require carbs from the plant roots, so adding the myco's to the SS mix may just result in a bunch of dead myco's. I usually mix up 1/4 tsp in a gallon of aerated water and water with it a few times early on. When I noticed the anti-PM effect, I had added the solution to mature, flowering plants though.

Sorry - this isn't a PM thread, so I guess I'm threadjackin.

mrFancyPlants said:

I don't think Sub ever endorsed the Myco grow - I did

I've heard conflicting stories regarding PM and humidity. I run dry - temps around 80 and humidity around 30-40, sometimes less. There are several strains of fungus that are normally lumped into the category of 'powdery mildew'. Some of them probably do better in different environments, and at least one of them does better or worse in certain conditions depending on what point it's at in it's life cycle(i.e. it germinates better in high humidity but grows better in low humidity). So dealing with PM isn't as simple as 'do this' or 'do that'.

Air flow really seemed to help, along with keeping my humidity up(for the PM strain that I had). But I'm in the southwest and those two goals are usually at odds. The more outside air I bring in, the more my humidity drops.

As far as the mycogrow, I think you can't really add it until you have roots - some of the organisms require carbs from the plant roots, so adding the myco's to the SS mix may just result in a bunch of dead myco's. I usually mix up 1/4 tsp in a gallon of aerated water and water with it a few times early on. When I noticed the anti-PM effect, I had added the solution to mature, flowering plants though.

Sorry - this isn't a PM thread, so I guess I'm threadjackin.

Click to expand...

Drop these temps Mildew loves 80 it thrives in fact I disagree BTW it is that easy do some reserch on PM and its types and keep your climate out of those ranges. I manage some 15 rooms now with like 75 different strains and none of them have PM

What would you guys suggest?? I never once had a PM issue with hydro.. just since I've switched to the super soil method, so the Mycogrow seemed like a logical answer.

Here's my dilemma:

Powdery Mildew found on 5-20 leaves each day it seems (fuzzy white spots)
I run an A/C while lights on (12+ hrs day) so humidity and temps stay lower
Daily temps average between 70-76
Daily humidity avg between 47-52% (on avg..)

I've used Serenade.. but not sure how long can this be used during flowering?

Need help.. Please advise!

Dawgy

SUBCOOL!, nice.....