First time grower Nutrients Question

The companies who make these potting soils, call it potting soils or soil less soil. From my understand they pretty much up made the name potting soil, soil less soil up.
Normally there is very little to zero soil in the bag of potting soil.
I don't care what they call it, the important part is we know what we are growing in .
Organic, is from living matter dead plants and animals.
Organic = nutrients , Potting soils ( dead plants and animals or there poop ) bagged is pretty much compost, which is nutrients.
Dirt, soil, earth = minerals
Your plant needs both.
But there is one more thing to be said, compost retains water. dried organic matter soaks up and retains water differently then soil .
Allot of new growers experience root rot because the Potting soil retains more water then soil ......
I always add sand and pea gravel
About 50% of all dirt is silica, one thing silica does is makes the plants stronger and more resilient to disease like powdery mildew .

Diatomaceous earth is 80 to 90 % silica. I would mix in some food grade Diatomaceous earth add it into your bagged soil less soil .
DO not breath in this dust MASK UP. the dust is like micro Raser blades.
I would add some dirt back yard,,, soil/earth into your grow medium too .

DTE
Organic ingredients including bat guano, Premium earth worm castings, fish bone meal, feather meal, Green Sand, mycorrihzae, Glacial rock Dust, soybean meal, humic acid.



Food grade diatomaceous earth (DE) is a fantastic way to promote a cleaner and healthier household. It truly is a miracle mineral but there are some things you should be aware of before you use it. Here is our guide to buying, using, and consuming DE.


1. Food Grade vs Non-Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth
First off, not all DE is edible and not all DE is safe to use around your house. Non-food grade DE is used in industrial filtration systems, as an insulation for restaurant grade ovens, and in dynamite; things you wouldn't leave lying around the house.

Industrial grade DE is heated in order to form abrasive crystals in the powder. Non-food grade DE may also have chemical additives to help kill insects faster.

Those crystals are far too small for us to see or feel but if you inhaled them or drank them with a glass of milk, they could do some serious damage to your lungs and body. IT IS NOT FOR CONSUMPTION OR USE IN YOUR HOUSE.

But food grade DE is a different story altogether; the powder is fine enough for you to mix it with food or drink. So, before you click the checkout button or open the container, take a good long look at the description on the label. If you see "food grade", you might be on the right track.

2. Every Breath You Take
While food grade DE is fine for consumption, you should avoid inhaling it. Just like when you are working with other fine powders, you might inhale some or get some in your eyes and experience some irritation. If some DE does get in your eyes, immediately flush with water repeatedly, and if the irritation persists seek medical attention.

If you are concerned about using DE you can mix it with water in a spray bottle to help avoid the chance of inhalation. Use about a ¼ cup of DE to every 3 cups of water. The DE solution won't work in all situations but it still has a wide variety of applications to keep your house bug free and smelling fresh.

3. A Unique Supplement
DE has many health benefits: It can help promote healthy joints and ligaments, a cleaner colon, and removing unwanted chemicals from our digestive systems. To reap all these health promoting benefits, it is not necessary to consume DE with every meal throughout the day, nor should you.

Because DE is highly absorbent, it should be taken with a liquid and on an empty stomach. You could take it mixed with water, but then you can taste it, so we recommend fruit juice, milk, or a Smoothie (I really recommend smoothies, mainly because I love them).

Mix in anywhere from a teaspoon to a heaped tablespoon of DE depending on how much you are planning on drinking. Don't consume food for at least an hour after taking DE. Taking food mitigates DE's effectiveness in promoting a cleaner digestive system.

4. For Fido and Whiskers
Keeping your dog and/or cat (we aren't picking sides in that debate) healthy is a top priority for pet owners. Highly active dogs (Collies, Australian Shepherds), large dogs (Dobermans, Great Danes), and cats over the age of 12 can be particularly susceptible to joint problems like arthritis. Luckily, DE can help promote joint health in animals as well.

By mixing a little DE in your pet's kibble, chow, or feed, you can start them on a healthier path and get rid of some of the kibble smell.

5. Buy From an Approved and Reputable Distributor
As mentioned before, non-food grade DE is designed for specific tasks (filtration, dynamite, chemical insecticides) and is extremely dangerous to your health if not used in accordance with instructions (like trying to eat it).

But there are other issues that surround buying food grade diatomaceous earth. DE providers are not always held to the strictest of standards and smaller companies can often fly under the radar of health and safety regulations. That being said, other DE providers work hard to ensure the highest levels of quality and cleanliness for your health and safety.

Some people are out to get your money, others are out to make the world a greener, healthier, and stronger place. Look at the product's packaging; does it look like it's just in a plastic bag, is it clearly labeled, is there any nutritional information? Be wary of DE that doesn't feature at least some information on the packaging other than the brand and type of DE. A good label is a sign that the distributor is out to provide a safe and high-quality product to you.

 

i mix a few different potting soils. Better to have a blend in my opinion. You shouldnt need to add much if any nutrients in the first few weeks.

 

Ive never heard of anyone giving coconut water. The 3-3-3 fertilizer should be fine until you get to flower. Then you want to switch to something more like 1-6-6.

 

Seems overkill. Roots grow just fine with dirt and water.

 

I’m very familiar with using Roots Organic soil. All by itself it’s great for starting seeds. My favorite way to amend it and make it cheaper is by adding compost and pine bark mulch. 50% Roots, 25% compost, 25% bark mulch will work just fine. Castings can be subbed for compost.Add a tbs per gallon of the 3-3-3 or rose and flower if you’d like to. The acid mix is likely not a good idea but it does lead me to ask if you have access to a water report? Usually can be found for free.

Read about cytokinins and plant growth to better understand the use of coconut water.
RD

 

I’m sorry man but I’ve seen you post this several times now. I think you may want to clean up some definitions here.

Soil is a combination of sand, silt, clay and organic matter. Typically it will not drain well enough for container gardening. You are correct that most bagged potting soils are not actually soil in the technical sense.

Minerals are nutrients. There are (3) nutrients which are not minerals - Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen. Soils, compost, and potting soils are all capable of containing every nutrient a plant needs.
RD

 

Does Compost Turn Into Soil? Here's All You Need To Know - Planting Geek
Apr 9, 2021Compost won't turn into soil. It doesn't have a parent rock that gives it either the foundational clay, silt, or sandy texture. When you add compost into the soil, it becomes part of the soil's organic structure. Soil organic material makes at most five percent of most soils. Through the process of decomposition, compost eventually turns ...

One common misconception is that compost eventually turns into soil. Compost and soil are strikingly similar to one another, and therefore, it can sometimes be very difficult for people to differentiate them. It is imperative to note that compost does not become soil. However, it remains an essential ingredient in healthy soil.

 

I’m in SIPs of course but I look for a “mix” rather than a “soil”, which is usually Peat based.