This thread is pretty long and I haven't had time to read every post. However... After mixing the soil, is it ok to cycle it in closed containers or does it have to be exposed to air?
Don't seal it off as you are creating a living soil and living soil needs oxygen so cover it loosely if you want but not in a closed container.
Your input is always appreciated my friend... I don't think that #5 actually happens... Which is why I asked to begin with. Different forums with different interpretations of one persons soil mixing methodology...
Exactly, wet'! The recipe at the beginning of this thread calls for way more RD than the Lubke's suggest using when one is building COMPOST, which generally only comprises 1/3 of the total volume of the hand crafted soils that we mix. Using 4-5 cups of RD based on the volume of SOIL MIX BASE would most certainly make for dense and poorly draining soils...
G'day all.. A real noob with the oraganic grow and growing in general but want to do some autos just this way. I got an important part today which was some beans and i have been getting some things together to make up some good soil. Been working off the ITG's original post and for the most part i have most of the items to get me started bar the worm castings which i have a 20L bag on it's way. When it gets here i can start mixing it all together. Will be doing the 7.5 gallon mix working on a 1/3 sphagnum moss, 1/3 vermiculite, 1/3 worm casting. 1cup dolimite lime Was able to get the kelp meal and rock dust and a dry fertilizer that is 100% organic with a 4-1.5-3 npk. it also has sulfur and calcium for tomatos,herbs and vegies. The fertilizer is in a small pellet form and i'm wondering if i should cruch these up for the mix or do i add themn as they are? I'm also unclear if after the mix has cooked for say four weeks if i can plant the auto seed straight in the mix or or would it be too hot for it. Original thought was to put about a 1/2 cup size of seedling soil in the centre of organic mix and let the seedling grow through that into the organic goodness. I really don't know how i should go about it. Any thought would be appreciated. Sorry for the dumb question's.
Not dumb questions at all! First, welcome to GCO. Can you find something besides vermiculite for aeration? That stuff holds too much water.. if you use it, you're gonna have a bad time. I'd try to find something like pumice, lava rock, perlite, rice hulls, buckwheat hulls.. not vermiculite. You pelletized fertilizer was probably made into pellets by adding molasses or something.. it will all break down on its own while it composts ("cooks"). It might be ok to plant directly into. You can run a few tester beans if you have any bagseeds laying around. Otherwise, I think your little 1/2 cup of seedling mix is a great idea. TJ
Friends don't let friends use vermiculite. Seriously, pick something from TJ's list and leave the vermiculite alone. Wet
Appreciate the good advise fellas, thanks! Wont be using that vermiculite now. I know i can get perlite from the garden shops so will pick some of that up over the weekend. Then it'll just be the worm casting i'm waiting on before i can get things cooking now that i'm more clear on the questions i asked on. Glad i posted my intended base now and it was noticed i would be making an error. Wouldn't have been a great start to things. Sounds like the pellets are ok as they are and will simply break down during the cooking so thats sood to know. I do have some really, really old seeds that if they will still germinate will be good to test the soil after four weeks. If they don't i'll just go with that 1/2 cup of seedling mix idea now that i have someone thing it'll be ok and hope things are cool enough by the time the root has penetrated into the good stuff. Can't wait to get things cooking! Never would have come up with anything like what i am for a mix if not for this forum and thread in particular. Cheers again!!
@[member="thomasjefferson"] I just wanted to apologize. I feel as if though I kinda' blew you off, with regards to "step #5". Is your interpretation considering the addition of the afformentioned materials based on the FINAL volume of the soil mix base, or just the humic component? What I got from answers provided on another forum (TLG) leads me to believe that no more of ANYTHING is added once the soil mix base has been assembled, using 75% amended compost and 25% amended vermicompost as the humic component of the soil mix. After adding aeration and sphagnum peat moss/leaf mold, insert plant, top dress with 1"-1.5" of amended vermicompost, and let it ride... Could you link me to the thread/posts that have led you to your determinations presented in "step #5"? Lubke composting only deals with RD additions to the COMPOST portion of the soil mix base presented in the first few posts of this thread...
Lol it's absolutely no problem, buddy. You know me. I post a lot and spout out at the mouth more than I probably should about subjects I don't have a ton of experience with. I do have some experience but nothing compared to the veteran growers on here. I'll dig around and see what I can find to show ya what led me to these conclusions. Or maybe coot can chime in and tell ya himself how he does it :lol: I've just been following his posts a ton and trying to get an idea of his whole front-end compost/vermicompost/soil making process because it really intrigues me... have learned SO MUCH from him, it's ridiculous lol. TJ
I remember the posts that TJ is talking about and will look, as well. Edit: fuck digging, the dude actively posts on this forum, just call him over. @[member="Clackamas Coot"] Do you add kelp to your potting soil mix when you're adding the humus, peat, and aeration?
Btw @[member="Clackamas Coot"] if you are reading, I want to thank you again for all of the gardening knowledge you share around here so freely. I'll remember ya in the future when I'm teaching my kids about the many uses of the neem tree and comfrey plants and essential oils and all of the multitude of other things that you've shared. TJ
Well, that was what I was hoping for! I think I scared him off... Or maybe he thinks I'm a complete dipshit and not worthy of his time... l
stevebomb I add what I jokingly call the 'fix-it mix' which is 1/2 cup each of neem, kelp and crab meal = 1.5 cups total for the sake of clarity...
Huh? Really? You couldn't be more wrong on either point. This isn't all that serious for me personally, i.e. I'm not trying to sell anyone a single product so I really don't have a horse in the race. Sorry for any misunderstanding... CC
Thanks. When you're dealing with the meticulous, overthinking stoners, you have to be very clear and repeat yourself...alot...lol.
waktoo Let me bring this to the party which is that Leubke's method is for agriculture and not horticulture meaning as they build and apply their compost to the fields the accumulative total is at higher levels than the suggested application rates from Remineralize the Earth, Gaia Green (Canadian Glacial Rock Dust) or Cascade Minerals (Basalt Rock Dust) relative to potting soils. If one considers rock dust a 'fertilizer' they're really missing the point and the function of shattered rocks in a living soil. The information is out there and concentrating one's research at Remineralize the Earth can help one move from this to that point of the discussion. HTH