Just left the farm store. I grabbed 4 2.2 cf bags of peat moss, 2 cf of ewc, 2 cf of compost, 4 cf of perlite, 1 cf of chicken manuer. My base will be 3.5 peat, 1 gal ewc/1gal compost, 1.5 perlite, .5 chicken manure. I bought 10 lbs of kelp meal, 5 lbs each of crab, alfafa, fish bone meal. They didn't have the options of smaller amounts but I got high p bat guano 22 lbs and canola meal 50 lbs which will be mixed 5 lbs a peice. I also got a lb of azomite and some other rock dust mixed 50/50 and a lb of mycorhiza fungia (sp?) And will be buying epson salt. Anything else I am missing? Oh and I got a lb of dolomite lime. I had a huge list and kept pulling up threads so just double checking if I should be good to go start mixing
Nice list ruff...Are you working in gallons or cf?...Most growers use cf and parts which works out to 7.5 gallons of soil per cf.... 1/3 peat 1/3 compost 1/3 perlite Amendments(meals) at 1 cup per cf. You could go with 2 cups of kelp... Lime @ 1 cup per cf and maybe 50/50 when using crab meal Rock dust/Azomite @ 4-5 cups per cf... Rock/granite dust is the better of the two... If you can get some Alfalfa meal you will have a well rounded mix..... You can mix all your compost in equal parts to get the 1/3+. Compost is the key and you don't want to skimp here... The mycorhiza should be sprinkled on the roots and in the hole when you transplant. Mycorhiza needs roots to work, so adding to the soil is not really productive and costly. The bat guano takes forever to break down but, would go ahead and use, as it will be better when you reuse the soil in future grows... Looks like your on the right track to a good mix.....
Doing cf. I have alfafa meal I forgot to add it. Is basalt decent? I got that and azomite for rockdust. Should I add both or just azomite? Haven't heard much on that but saw azomite works real well. How much epson salt should be added per cf? Is my base of 3.5gal peat, 2 gal ewc/compost, 1.5 perlite and .5 chicken manure okay or adjust it?
Your probably ok. Just mix the soil being sure it is not get a muddy texture when watered. To much of ewc can cause this. you can always add more peat/perlite to get this right. The compost (humus) is very important and would just plan on those amounts you have and adjust the texture if needed Might even need to add some more perlite if adding xtra peat for the aeration. When you squeeze a hand full of moist soil and release it, it should crumble for a good texture. About 1/4 cup cf of epsom salt should be fine. Some growers use basalt but, cant comment on the ratio to add. Azomite @4-5 cups per cf will be fine. If you can score granite dust from a shop that cuts granite tops etc would be better but, Azomite will work well. You will be fine.... I think it it pretty hard to mess up when building a soil. You have a lot of diversity in your soil and the plant will use what nutrients it need and when. Be sure the manure is not green and has decomposed.
Yeah its a dark color the manuer. So 4 cups of azomite and then I can still add a couple cups of basalt? Was guna do like 2 cups of each but wasn't sure. I am doin 2 gals of ewc and compost total should I do 1 and 1 of each or less of one and more of another? I could bump the peat moss to 3 and up perlite to 2 if needed, but someone said to do 4 peat 2 ewc compost and 1.5 perlite. I took peat down to 3.5 to mix in chicken poo, but could lower it for more perlite if needed
If youve got the basalt I would use that instead of, or mixed in with the Azomite. I prefer true rock dusts these days over Azomite, which isnt really rock dust, but a volcanic clay. j