Super Soil 'cook time', PH, and tap water

WestCoastMaster

WestCoastMaster

Active Member
I just had my first baby. on 11-20-11, so needless to say i no longer will have time or energy to play chemist while mixing 5 or so different nutes, PHing it, checking its PPM, so on and so on.

I am about 1mo from harvest, this next one that i will start right after Christmas needs to be a water only style just like subcool super soil.

My first questions are:

Winter is here, i can rent a cement mixer and mix the soil in the garage, BUT how will i let it 'cook' for a 4-6 weeks when its freezing outside?

I will be using some of Bio-Canna's nutes ( Bio-Boost, maybe cannazyme and rhizotinoic or no ), the question is: wether giving them plain water or some nutes, do i need to be concerned with PH, and if so how do i go about adjusting it?

Lastly, my tap water is 40ppm, and has some chlorine in it (checked it using hot tub testing strips ) do i need to de-chlorinate it or not?

All help is very much appreciated, as i need it more than ever.

My biggest concern is if i can even make the super soil in winter.

I DO have a place in the house i could let i cook maybe?
 
jcurry26

jcurry26

Member
WestCoastMaster said:
I just had my first baby. on 11-20-11, so needless to say i no longer will have time or energy to play chemist while mixing 5 or so different nutes, PHing it, checking its PPM, so on and so on.

I am about 1mo from harvest, this next one that i will start right after Christmas needs to be a water only style just like subcool super soil.

My first questions are:

Winter is here, i can rent a cement mixer and mix the soil in the garage, BUT how will i let it 'cook' for a 4-6 weeks when its freezing outside?

I will be using some of Bio-Canna's nutes ( Bio-Boost, maybe cannazyme and rhizotinoic or no ), the question is: wether giving them plain water or some nutes, do i need to be concerned with PH, and if so how do i go about adjusting it?

Lastly, my tap water is 40ppm, and has some chlorine in it (checked it using hot tub testing strips ) do i need to de-chlorinate it or not?

All help is very much appreciated, as i need it more than ever.

My biggest concern is if i can even make the super soil in winter.

I DO have a place in the house i could let i cook maybe?
Click to expand...
You CAN'T make it outside when it's freezing. It doesn't really "cook" more like "activates". If you can let it sit at roughly 60degrees or more for 30 days it will be fine.

If your using SuperSoil you do NOT need any nutes, just plain water. Just let your tap water sit out for 24 hours to evap chlorine. You shouldn't need to PH the water either due to the dolomite lime stabilizing PH. If you have time check out Subcools "Weed Nerd" episodes on youtube and he address similar questions there. Hope this helps!
 
L

laxfiz

New Member
jcurry said it all. and correctly too.

i let my super soil cook inside. dont have anywhere to let it cook outside. it works great. never had problems with nute burn. (many people experience nute burn from 'uncooked super soil')
 
Indicator

Indicator

Active Member
I don't know if it's "correct" to do so, but I mixed up a 1/3 batch in the house, in a 32 gal. rubber trash can. I then put it under a 250w cooltube, 24/7. I don't have lid on, just some black plastic poly over the top to hold in the moisture. Initially it heated up to about 83 deg. within three days... that was the temp in the center of the pile. I stirred every three days. In about 10 days the center temp dropped to about 80. It has now been in there for three weeks, the temperature is steady about 76. Will let it go a couple of more weeks and test it out.
 
WestCoastMaster

WestCoastMaster

Active Member
Im thinking about startn them in 1gal containers using just base soil, first sign of yellowing ill then pop 'em in a 3,5,or 7 gal Smart Pot with the super soil.

Which size would be good for me to finish in? 3,5 or 7gal
<----- In my pic i use 3gal white square pots I always veg for 2mo, then make the switch.

I like to grow em huge, and train them into four main steams. Makes for good tops, and multiple bud sites, with a minimal need to prune off crap that robs flower energy.
 
WestCoastMaster

WestCoastMaster

Active Member
Indicator said:
I don't know if it's "correct" to do so, but I mixed up a 1/3 batch in the house, in a 32 gal. rubber trash can. I then put it under a 250w cooltube, 24/7. I don't have lid on, just some black plastic poly over the top to hold in the moisture. Initially it heated up to about 83 deg. within three days... that was the temp in the center of the pile. I stirred every three days. In about 10 days the center temp dropped to about 80. It has now been in there for three weeks, the temperature is steady about 76. Will let it go a couple of more weeks and test it out.
Click to expand...
hey i had this same idea, im also using cooltubes (summer is hot here),
Are you leaving the light on this whole time or did the three days generate enough heat in your soil to last? its not clear in your post

But i agree, thats the best way i can see to replicate summer sun. It works for the plants, why not the soil.

I would like to know if the soil can cook in lets say 74F TEMP, IN A CLOSET in my house, so i don't have to waist grow space?
'cause if i mixed the soil this week, it would be ready by the time my veg room clears out.
 
WestCoastMaster

WestCoastMaster

Active Member
Indicator said:
Since you're using a smart pot, I bet the 5 gal could grow some monsters.
Click to expand...
word! root pruning is a good thing, i have heard of roots pushing out of the side and bottom of these bags! That would suck, cause to move a 4mo plant tangled in a trellis net is impossible.
 
thepaintedchef

thepaintedchef

Well-Known Member
In winter id suggest just putting it in a spare room or whatever just a place thats 70, wet it a lil slap the on her(makesureyougetalid)and let the magic work.deff check out weed nerd on youtube. Subcool420 or serch weed nerd. Last episode sub answered a bunsh of super soil questions.
 
thepaintedchef

thepaintedchef

Well-Known Member
P.s. I used airpot to veg my clone amazing roots in no time but you gotta put ur ladies in atleast 7ga pots to get real dank. Seriously just follow what sub says and does. Proof is in the results and sub gets results.
 
Indicator

Indicator

Active Member
Yeah, I leave the light on amost all the time. Figure it is like hastening the process, I'm sure at least half a day would help. I just use the black poly tucked in around the soil. With the lid on, the pile did not heat up as fast as I couldn't get the little cool tube close enough due to the domed lid. Same poly I use to cover my compost pile. Need to check out the SC vid myself. oh yeah, congrats on your baby!
 
ColdArmySoldier

ColdArmySoldier

Well-Known Member
I live in Colorado so I also have the problem of cold winters. What I do is I just store the super soil in a few 32 gal. trash buckets (since I make a 1/2 batch at a time) indoors. As previously pointed out, it really isn't "cooking" the soil (i.e. you don't know high temperatures). The goal is really for a lot of the hotter fertilizer ingredients to break down and "become one" as subcool eloquently said on the Weed Nerd show. I've made the mistake of using the super soil without giving it enough time to "activate" and it will burn the plants pretty easily. Good luck with the grow! You will love the super soil!
 
WestCoastMaster

WestCoastMaster

Active Member
Before i head out and buy all this i need to know how much SS goes in the pot before you put the transplant in and back fill with the base soil. Is it 1/2, 1/4, or 3/4?
 
jcurry26

jcurry26

Member
WestCoastMaster said:
Before i head out and buy all this i need to know how much SS goes in the pot before you put the transplant in and back fill with the base soil. Is it 1/2, 1/4, or 3/4?
Click to expand...
Depends what strain really. Research the feeding habits of your strain but LESS is always better because you can always add SS later or liquid nutes.
 
WestCoastMaster

WestCoastMaster

Active Member
jcurry26 said:
Depends what strain really. Research the feeding habits of your strain but LESS is always better because you can always add SS later or liquid nutes.
Click to expand...
Good point man!

Does any one know if i rent a cement mixer ( a lil portable one ) to mix up this stuff perfectly, will any left over residue from the mixer ( it does mix concrete!) miss up the mix or not?

CONCREATE HAS NOTHING BUT ROCKS, MINERALS, LIME IN IT. SO IT MIGHT BE VERY BENEFICIAL TO THE MIX.
 
Rrog

Rrog

Well-Known Member
Keep the garbage can with SS warm, but not heated.

No lights

Just enough water to form a ball in your fist, but the ball crumbles when poked.

30 day minimum.

I transferred the SS from one garbage can to another to keep the O2 high and to mix more thoroughly.

I liked it a lot.
 
glShemp

glShemp

Active Member
Is it just me or is the number one category of questions on this forum are about super soil? When is someone in the potting soil business going to take notice people's interest in this and put out a commercial version of super soil we can buy at the hydro store? I would welcome that as mixing SS is not practical for me.
 
subcool

subcool

Well-Known Member
glShemp said:
Is it just me or is the number one category of questions on this forum are about super soil? When is someone in the potting soil business going to take notice people's interest in this and put out a commercial version of super soil we can buy at the hydro store? I would welcome that as mixing SS is not practical for me.
Click to expand...
You will never get the results I do unless you make it yourself simple.
Dirt companies will cut corners in order to increase profits.
If you cant mix it up pay someone to.

Sub
 
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