Easy Organic Soil Mix for Beginners

Discussion in 'Growing Organic Marijuana' started by InTheGarden, Oct 2, 2012.

  1. Thx guys. So is ITG correct in saying 1/2 part Peat, 1/2 part ewc, 1/2 aeration and of course the lime at 1 cup per cubic ft. a little fuzzy for me. I am trying to make 5 cubic ft. Should I go with the 50/25/25 thx for all the input guys
     
  2. Big, BIG +1 for Mr. BNW!!

    Aeration, or lack of it is another big bitch of mine with newish growers and the touting of lava rock/pumice over perlite. Along with the misinformation about perlite, that actual use pretty much disproves.

    There is nothing wrong with lava rock/pumice, IF, it is properly graded and enough is used. But, usually it is not sized right, nor not enough added and a too dense, muddy mix is the result, along with poor performance. More than a few times I've seen 'I was told to avoid perlite, so I got x sized bag of lava rock/pumice and added it to the mix', with no grading for size (3/8" or so), and then wondering why their plants wouldn't grow in mud.

    There are good reasons why many "Old School" growers stick with their perlite.

    Wet
     
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  3. You're confusing yourself. That 1/2 part bit is also confusing, but it's a 5 gallon bucket as a 'part'. 1/2 part=1/2 bucket=2 1/2 gallons x3 (peat, EWC, aeration)=7 1/2 gallons=1cf.

    I mix 2cf at a time, what my wheelbarrow holds, ~15 gallons. My rough measurements are, 5gal bucket of peat moss, 5gal bucket of EWC/pine bark fines, 5gal bucket of perlite . Roughly, 1/3 each of the major components.

    This is a VERY rough guide to get started with. More like suggestions than absolutes that you will adjust to fit your situation. Like, for me, my aeration is 40% or more due to very dense EWC rather than the suggested 33%.

    Hope this makes some sense.

    Wet
     
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  4. Sorry about tht had to re-read it again myself for the fourth time haha. Just curious about the aeration amount really I did the math on my 5 cubic ft. Just worried about it turning to mud like u guys have mentioned. I'm thinking I should up the perlite some more for safe measurement. I will be attempting to use all the amendments ITG put on the page would u say 3 cups per cubic ft. Is to hot I will be running a more sativa hybrid called Jaberwocky and I know most sativas are nitrogen suckers haha thx for all your help I'm sure u have heard this a thousand times from us noobs.just wanna do the best I can first go around
     
  5. #13265 matthewweinreb, Aug 28, 2016
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2016
    Hey if anyone could give my compost pile a once over, would be greatly appreciated.
    I had some ingredients laying around in different amounts got a soil amendment pack off ebay.
    Mixed it all up today and made a tea.

    do i need anything else, maybe cut it with another bag of soil and some line and perlite?



    2 bags recipe 420 soil
    1 bag bu's blend biodynamic compost
    15 pound bag worm castings
    1/2 bag roots 707
    1/2 bag happy frog
    1/2 bag rainforest
    3 pounds bone meal
    3 pounds blood meal
    3 cubic feet coco coir
    2 gallons perlite
    2 pounds bat guano
    1 pounds insect frass
    1 gallon volcanic rock
    1 gallon charcoal
    6 pound all purpose fertilizer
    • Ingredients: Fish Bone Meal, Blood Meal, Feather Meal, Rock Phosphate, Langbeinite, Greensand, Humates and Kelp Meal
    • 1 pound humid acid
    1 cup hops
    1 cup coffee grounds
    1 cup kelp
    1 cup alfalfa
    1 cup fish meal
    1 cup neem meal
    1 cup fish bone
    1 cup crab shell
    1 cup oyster
    1 cup gypsum
    2 cups glacial rock dust
    1/2 cup azomite
    2 table spoons mykoz
    2 table spoons azos



    [This is working out great in 15-20 gallon smart ports under 2k HPS 2k MH using Fox farm nutes Calmag Humbold secrets golden tree addative enzymes]
    Multiple strains from midnight farms clone allstar clones Buds and roses and paris OG]
    Lots of stress training happening, and dosent seem to phase em
     
  6. That's a lot of stuff! I'm sure there's plenty of nutrition in there lol - just make sure it drains really well and I'm sure it'll work just fine.

    J
     
  7. hey guys - my first post
    first off great thread. its pretty awesome that you can get such great information for free when there are a ton of books out there telling you to buy liquid nutes. Also I always felt stupid throwing out old dirt. it never made sense to me but I also didn't know how to reamend. so thanks so much to ITG for the great thread

    this is what I have.
    Aeration:
    hydrotron clay pebbles
    perlite

    Soil:
    Lambert's peat moss

    Compost:
    locally farmed worm castings (I'm working on setting up my own as well but it will take time)
    Coast of Maine lobster compost
    leaf compost

    Dry amendments:
    Alfalfa meal
    kelp meal
    lobster meal
    fishbone meal

    I'm pretty solid on the soil mix (1part aeration/1part peat/1part compost) and the dry amendment amounts (1 cup per cubic ft).
    my question is the extra additional mineral additives and would appreciate your advice on what I have left

    karanja & neem cake
    epsoma green sand
    gaia rock dust
    oyster shell meal
    epsom salts
    epsoma lime
    considering getting some bio char but it looks like it needs to be charged for awhile so I may look to add this more down the line

    I'm looking for wide variety and I'm looking to make a long term healthy soil. I'm just unsure if some of those things take the place of things already on the list or if they can all be added independently. my guess is neem/karanja cake is independent, greensand & rock dust can work together, I think my confusion is where the oyster, epsom salt and lime come in. I don't want to screw up the ph part.

    as a side note I also have the following available. should they be used as a tea or just add to my dry amendment list?
    bat guano 0-7-0
    sea bird guano 12-11-2

    thanks in advance. I realize these questions are repeated throughout the last 600 pages and may test your patience so your knowledge is greatly appreciated.
     
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  8. Hey guys making my mix tht ITG has instructed on page one I'm making 5 cubic ft. I went with oyster shell flour I put in 5 cups will this be sufficient or should I add some lime for extra measure thx
     
  9. OSF is mostly "lime" (calcium carbonate).

    One cup OSF/cubic foot of soil mix will suffice to buffer/neutralize soil acidity over time. No need for anything extra.
     
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  10. Thx waktoo appreciate the response just seemed like when I added it that it was a small amount for the volume thx
     
  11. I haven't been on this thread for quite a while; I hope you guys will forgive me if my question has been dealt with before. I've got a compost bin going out in the garden, and the bottom 3rd appears to be nicely broken down - looks like soil. It's full of earthworms, but I've also noticed that it appears to be full of all kinds of tiny crawly critters - just wondering if this compost is safe to add to my indoor pot of amended soil for my next grow?
     
  12. Most likely they are composting mites or other decomposers. I'd use it.


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  13. Do any of you reach a point with your soil that you feel you no longer need to add anything at all other than water?
    From what little I know it seems it takes time to get a soil to the point it needs nothing else if and maybe never.
    It seems a few here that give input add very little to their existing soil.

    Personally I just started this last spring and I used the basic recipe. About 25 gallons is in a Rubbermaid tote in back with air and drain holes and I have used about 9 gallons for grow number one that went bad. Mixed soil back in and took back out a 5 gallon bucket for current grow which is doing well. Only adding some Fulvic, Protekt and aloe to water with some malted barley.
    What has remained in the container has had some biochar added and some more EWC and pearlite. I actually added some red wigglers as well feeding them some left over tomatoes and lettuce. With luck I will be adding back the soil Im using now, mix it up and take back about 10 gallons for next grow in about 7 weeks.

    IF I am reading all of this organic method correctly the soil should be so well amended and rich it will not need anything added for literally a few years at least. Other than potential pest control I will only need good water. Or is this all wet.
     
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  14. I reamend with compost, worm casting, perlite and my amendments each time. Even no till top dress with compost and castings. So no, I don't think you ever get to a point when your soil doesn't need any thing? After you work hard for a day, do you need anything to replace what your body used? Plants via microbes use up parts of the soil that the next plant will need. Now that being said, soil does get better as it ages and stuff breaks down, but I just don't see it being good forever.

    PEACe


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  15. #13275 jerry111165, Sep 2, 2016
    Last edited: Sep 2, 2016
    You're absolutely correct in that you really should only need to add clear water to moisten the soil but I like to "rejuvenate" it every few grows with a mess of comfrey or if you don't have comfrey then whatever else you've got around (kelp/neem/chicken manure whatever). It stimulates the soil microbes and keep the soil fed IMO.

    J
     
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  16. Hey was wondering a few things as I've started a new grow I have these really small white bugs in my soil is that normal they look round. Also how often should I be top dressing With MBP and should I top dress with other stuff if so with what and when

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  17. It is very rare that you will see "bad bugs" in an organic soil so I wouldn't worry about anything - until you need to.

    Regarding your other questions, if you have built a quality soil based on quality compost and/or vermicompost then the items you mentioned should be considered as supplemental and not entirely necessary.

    If you want to use the MBP or a little kelp or neem then it's fine to scratch a little into the surface here and there and that's all that's needed. Every couple weeks is just fine. You can also soak some kelp or neem for a day or two in your watering pail. MBP should be scratched in once a week or two weeks. Again - none are required if you've built a good soil to begin with. Just keep it moist with plain ol water...

    J
     
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  18. Thanks Jerry, you just very clearly dispelled some doubts I had.:thankyou:
     
  19. Thanks J no worries here i appreciate the reply this is my first run with this mix I'm hoping things go great as I expect they will I've read a good bit in here and in the no till thread I'm only in a 7 gal at the moment just focusing on one girl instead of 2 I want to learn to maximize the yield of one before I try multiple again.

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  20. This seems such an obvious question, but not been able to find an answer...

    What purpose does peat serve in our soul mixes. I've got a base mix that I've been using a few runs. Around 1 cubic foot. It was pretty much the 1/3s mix with perlite as aeration.

    Now I'm amending with EWC, and have a load more really nice compost coming out my home made heap. Teaming with worms, plenty broken down alfafea, kelp etc.

    So, if I want to add to my soil mix, can I just top up with more compost and perlite?

    Do I need additional peat moss ? What benefit is it serving?

    Thanks
     

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