Hi everyone. I thought the promix and the sunshine mix were the same thing? But I was thinking about picking up the stuff I need for my next run here Paradigm Gardens :: Growing Media :: Soil The page this links too has the promix and the next page has the sunshine mix. The promix already has alot of the amendments mixed in, plus some mycorrhizal. Which should I get? I have old soil I am mixing it with, so I think I will still need to add some of the amendments. Either way I will be buying the different meals and what not, as I will be recycling my soil. Any body have a take on this? I would really appreciate it. Also if you use the tab on the left side of the page and go to soil and then amendments it has pretty much everything I need. How do the prices look? This is the only place I will be able to source this stuff local so... I guess it doesn't make much difference on the cost, just wondering how much I am getting raped by the hydro store lol. Thanks in advance!!!!!!
Nevermind, here is the link to the amendments Paradigm Gardens :: Growing Media :: Amendments Which ones are crucial here? I have a list from Lumperdawgs mix, just wondering what would be necessary with the promix already having so much of this stuff already mixed in. Also wondering what kind of ratio I should add with say half promix half old soil? I'm sure I can figure it out, just looking for some knowing advice.
MrsGreenthumb, First of all, welcome to Grasscity. I looked at the prices of the Down To Earth fertilizers at Paradigm, and TBH.......they're way overpriced IMO. Look for those same products on Amazon.com, and you'll see a drastic difference in price. You can also look for Dr. Earth blended fertilizers there. The Dr. Earth line up has pre mixed fertilizers that contain a lot of the amendments we seek here in the organics forum. I've used their Tomato Vegetable and Herb formula and it works well. The good thing about shopping on Amazon is that there is free shipping on orders over 25 dollars. As for the soil, I'll let others weigh in as I've not used any that you've linked to. HTH chunk
Chunk, Thanks for the tip, I do try to order online, it is so much cheaper. I want to get my soils and amendments from somewhere local as to avoid the shipping charges though. Most of those amendments were 6 lb boxes, and it seemed like $20 is pricey, but I haven't seen them anywhere else to compare, and I would think it would get pricey to ship so many 6 lb boxes. I am looking to get a variety of the different meals and the green sand. There is one other hydro shop kind of close too, I am going to see what I come up with as far as a website for them.
So that Dr. Earth stuff looks interesting but I couldn't find a price on their site. I found the sunshine mix #4 locally here SunShine Mix #4 but it is $25.00 for 2.8 cf where as the promix is $20 for the same amount. Any thoughts?
MrsGreenthumb, The prices at [ame="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_4_20?url=search-alias%3Dgarden&field-keywords=dr.+earth+fertilizer&sprefix=dr.+earth+fertilizer"]Amazon.com[/ame] for Dr. Earth is a great deal and if your entire order totals over 25 bucks, you'll get free shipping. IIRC, Sunshine mix #4 and ProMix are very similar, so the 20 dollars is a better deal. chunk
Mrs G, could you be more specific as to the Promix you are looking at? They have a Concsumer Line and a Professional Line. The consumer line has 4-5 different mixes. The professional at least 3. Same with the Sunshine Mix, if you have the exact name there. They both start with a quality base. I think, either way, if the mixes contain some amendments, you will still need to add to what the ingredients of your bag are. Is there a detailed list of what is added? If you let us know which product you are looking at as far as the Sunshine Mix (Sungro HOrticulture)and Pro Mix, which is a a Premier Brand, we could help you out some more. I am tempted to say that either way, you will be needing some amendments. Some examples could be: Earth Worm Castings, Seaweed Extract, Humic Acid (BioAg Products, i.e. TM-7, etc.), Fish Hydrolysate, an AACT or 2 (homemade), Fish Meal, Fish Bone Meal, Dyna Pro Protekt (Silicon), FPE's (homemade), Azomite, Kelp Meal On the other hand, Chunk's suggestion of premade organic Tomato and Herb ferts (Dr. Earth, Down to Earth, Espoma, Kellogg's) is a viable solution to simplify and produce a good product. >Have fun with it. JaK
Hi Jak, There are links to both the products I am considering in earlier posts. I vermicompost, so that is always a given in the mix but thanks for the heads up as to amendments. I haven't gone shopping yet so all I have is my used soil, dolamite lime, cow manure and worm compost. I have some organic pellats made with the worm castings and chicken meal and I don't remember what else, but I haven't added it to the mix yet. I'll update after I've had a chance to get everything.
Mrs G, there has been quite a bit of thought on the use of dolomite lime on here and I think the general concensus is to not use it. There are some much better alternatives. Most people on here have had some negative results to the use, misuse and overuse of it. Best thing to do is use something like oyster shell powder, or look through the LD Sticky at the top of the forum and he mentions better alternatives within. If you have trouble finding any info, just ask the guys on here. I am at a loss right now to the other superior products that have been suggested. JaK
Hi Jak, Funny I was just reading a few different posts going along those lines. This is the first run I have been using it and I have had good results. I will look into other products, but for now I am going to use what I have of that, if I use anything. I am questioning the need for it here. The water's ph is about 7.5-8 and I am currently phing it down to mid 6's but i am hoping to eliminate the need with a good soil mix. Anyway, I just read that dolamite lime will not keep your soil from being too alkaline. I don't know if there is truth to that or not. To my old soil (about 25 gallons) I am going to mix one bag of the promix mentioned above if they have it when I go tomorrow, perlite/vermiculite(there is none in my current mix) maybe pumice? blood meal (or seed meal if they have it) fish bone meal or bone meal, kelp meal, mycorrhizal, neem seed meal and maybe a few other things. Don't forget home grown ewc. And greensand. I want to get guano to use in tea or top dressings, chitisan I have written down but I don't know what it even is lol. Fish enzyme/ seaweed extract, for foliar. Is liquid silicone the same as silica? Do you buy humic acid straight up (lol) or are there sources of this I should be looking for? This is the first time I have mixed my own soil with this much detail, sorry if I am asking to many questions, I have read alot and taken notes, but tomorrow I am going to buy the things I need. I have always wanted to build a soil like this, for years with my veggie garden even, but it is hard to source products, and I have never had a resource such as grass city before. Anyway it is pretty funny because I can source everything I need at the hydro store, when much of it can't be found at local greenhouses and I am gaining great organic gardening knowledge from grasscity. I am trully lucky to have found grasscity!!!!!!!
Mrs G, Chitin is usually crab shell. I have never bought it, but I imagine it is dried, crushed shells. You won't find many people in this section being concerned with pH. I was for a short time and got some good advice from the people at BioAg - and the rest of the very patient people in the Org Section. This advice from BioAg had more to do with dealing with extreme alkaline water. However, when adding all my stuff (seaweed extract, TM7, fish extract, etc.)to my water, the pH usually wasn't too awful, so I have given up on even worrying about pH anymore. God, is that a relief!! Get some distilled water if you are concerned with pH. It wil make your life a hell of a lot easier. I don't think my last 3 grows have suffered anything except OVERATTENTION DISORDER from me bothering them all the time. Like Possum, my wife and/or Stankie always told me, "water them and WTFA (is that the correct acronym) I believe Silica is a dry substance. The silicon you need is Dyna Pro Protekt - a liquid. I use it every watering (great advice I got) and spraying. Also, you will want to use your Seaweed/Fish extract as a soil drench also - about every two weeks. Now, I use 1/8-1/4 the recommended and water with these a little more often. Yeah, Ms. G. no psychodelhic acid here, just humic! I would suggest getting on a site by the name of BioAg. They have a couple products with humic acid and humic/fulvic acid. The TM 7 and VAM are both very good products. The VAM is especially good. Email or call them if you have a question about the product and usage. They are good people. MS G, we are all fortunate to have "The City" to help us out. Without the guys on here I would truly be off in the weeds(not the smokable stuff, either). I can't begin to thank everyone on here enough for being there to help out when all I want to do is passionately grow some great weed for my woman to smoke and me to have a great time growing. Have fun, Ms G JaK
Mrs G, Looks like your on track to a good soil mix. I would HIGHLY recommend pumice over perlite and vermiculite. It has to do with the CEC of the soil. Cation elements are the Macro/Micro nutrients that a plant will absorb (negative and positively charged). Also, Pumice has the ability to hold water and gives a place for the smallest bacteria to hide from predators. Personally I have some experience with Sunshine Mix #4 and I will say this stuff is awesome. My friend uses it in his synthetic grow and this stuff is retarded buffered. Always a ph between 6.3-6.8. Sunshine Mix #4: Formulated with Canadian Sphagnum peat moss, coarse perlite, starter nutrient charge (with Gypsum), dolomitic limestone and our long-lasting wetting agent. Promix: Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss (65-75%/vol.) Dolomitic & Calcitic Limestone Endomycorrhize (Mycorise™ Pro) Macronutrients Extra Perlite horticultural coarse grade Micronutrients Wetting Agent These soil mixes are pretty much the same minus a few amendments here an there. Either of these mixes will work out awesome once you add your amendments. If you opt for the promix I would suggest adding 25% of your EWC or compost ( i use this and I love it) and 20% or so of an aerator. Good luck and keep on growing. Wgsuxx