Hello all I'm a new grower and this is my first post. I found a recipe for organic soil on here that says 2/3 peat moss, 1/3 worm casing, and 1/3 compost. Sounds like a good mix I'm thinkin about using. I told my dad about this and has an old family recipe, for vegetable farming, from his mom he wants me to use. He says use 1/2 potting soil, 1/4 sand, and 1/4 manuer with generous helpings of lime. He grew alot of his own food in the 60's with this soil and swears by it. My concern is that vegetables and mj need different nutes. Anybody out there using manuer in an indoor grow? Thanks in advance.
Use the first recipe and add some pumice or rice hulls for drainage. might want to check this thread out for more organic recipes http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/1116550-easy-organic-soil-mix-beginners.html
both cow manure and worm castings are good, but worm castings can be put directly on or n the soil with no chance of burning. Cow manure needs to be well aged. Most don't like bring in outdoor manure to their indoor grow room. Too many chances of pests. If you use sand make sure it is gardening sand with no sea salt. Everybody has a secret mix, I just made a batch today 16 qts epsoma potting mix 8 qts perlite 8 qts peat (if over time your mix gets too peaty substitute vermiculite for the peat, and if it gets too stony go back to the peat next batch.) 5 cups tomato tone 1 cup alfalfa meal 1 cup kelp meal this is add water only at least until you flip if not the whole cycle ( I add small amounts of Jack's Blossom Booster after I flip)
thanks. It would really make my dad happy if i used his recipe but i to have reservations about his fun idea for a father son outing of going to the horse stables and collecting some manure. After the Depot manure burned my last batch im affraid to use it again but it is alot cheaper so who knows.
Manure should be composted before using in the soil, that might be why your last batch burned your plants. Years ago I used composted manure from HD with good results indoors and out, but I certainly wouldn't use it fresh from the stables. After it's composted it does not smell at all. It's pretty cool you can share growing with your dad, I wish I was born a generation later, or earlier. Good luck to you both! Nice sounding mix, Espoma kicks ass, I've never used the tomato tone but anyone who has swears by it. Did you mean perlite instead of vermiculite? Are you talking about Jack's Classic fertilizer? I talked to the owner of my local nursery about 5 years ago and she told me that it was once a great product. It got bought out by Scotts and they changed the recipe leaning towards miracle gro. You're wise to add small amounts, it's strong stuff. Funny seeing that on the list with the Espoma products, but if it works who cares.
no, I like to get some vermiculite in the mix from time to time. The difference in size between the perlite and vermiculite improves drainage. Yes tomato tone is close to a perfect pot food. I don't think I really need the Jacks. Jacks use to be Peters. I use it more on my tomatoes than I do my pot.