Whats up GrassCity! Im setting up for my next run, as my current run is about 5 weeks from coming down. I am doing a 36x36" smart bed with 9 plants in SCROG. Anyways, i want to put together an awesome soil mix that I will continue to use for years. I have ordered all of the ammendments, I am hoping some can chime in with advice on how to put this mix together. For my medium I will be using 1/3 Sphagmum peat moss, 1/3 Coco coir, and 1/3 fresh worm castings sourced locally. I need a little less than 9 cubic feet to fill this bed, so we will pretend the total of those 3 ingredients is around there, though ill likely make a little extra to have around. For Ammendments I have; Down To Earth Kelp Meal (1-0.1-2) Down To Earth Oyster Shell Flower Down To Earth Alfalfa Meal (2.5, 0.5, 2.5) Down To Earth Neem Seed Meal Greenbelt Organics Batguano (0-20-0) Root Naturally Azomite Rock Dust Root Naturally Food Grade Diatamaceous Earth Epsom Salt Molasses Should I add another source of phosphorous? Also, what are your thoughts on adding Mycorrhizae? Thank you so much for any advice!
is the coco coir your aeration? If you have access to 'down to earth' products, I would get their crab meal. I would also add some garden lime. The soil mix in the notill or notill revisted thread is what I would try to use. It isn't a coir recipe, it calls for perlite, pumice, or lava rock. I would use mycorrihaze at least for the first few runs. my $.02 os
Shoot, I left out some details. The coco coir isn't for aeration in particular, I just wanted to give a combination mix a run. I ntend to use pumice if I can find it locally, otherwise I'll be using perlite. I also have some dolomite lime on its way
Is it too late to unorder the epsom salts, guano, diatomaceous earth, molasses and azomite? Skip the lime too if you already have oyster shell. The mix on the "no till revisited" thread that OS recommended is excellent! The only changes id suggest would be to sub a cup per cf of your oyster shell flour for some of the rock dust component and also to increase the aeration to about 40%. Also i wouldnt use ewc as your full compost component. Its very expensive and also very dense which could lead to a muddy soil. I think about 10-30% ewc (of your approx 33% compost component) is plenty and the rest should be just high quality compost. Throw some composting worms into your pots and it will all get worked over eventually anyways. If youve already bought extra just save it for topdressing later.
The epsom salt is cheaper than dirt, I just had a box laying around so it can be tossed off the list. I get the guano locally from a distributor for $5 a bag, can't beat that deal so I'm trying to keep it. Molasses is also just another thing I have laying around. What's the reason behind tossing the azomite? The Ewc are also another locally sourced ingredient that I can't pass up. I can get a 32gal trash can filled for $75, or 5gal for $15. Do you have any recommendation on bagged compost? Everything I find around here seems to be junk.
As far as the De goes, I bought that to replace a bag I currently have been using to combat spider mites. The only DE I've found locally is 70%, with 30% "other ingredients". I bought some food grade to spray on the plants during veg to help keep mite populations down. I have struggled with them constantly so anything helos. I've seen people usin DE in their soil, what are the benefits of that, if any?
Read some of that thread i mentioned. Its an excellent mix and theres a lot to learn there regardless. In the meantime... Epsom salts? Nope, use em to soak your feet. Molasses? Maybe in an occasional ACT or make cookies. Azomite? Its ok and useable but not a true rock dust, you want basalt and gypsum ideally. De? Meh, i wouldnt spray it on plants and it would be a way too slow silica source in soil. For spider mites? No wonder youre having trouble, you need neem oil and healthier plants, read those threads!!!. (The soil recommended will actually fight pests internally btw) Most importantly your ewc sound fine and you can certainly use only that if necessary. What part of the country are you in though? Maybe post looking for a good source. Good luck!
ashton: That is a great price for ewc, local is better than what you buy from the big companys. You can add aeration to it, to avoid the "muddy" worries. I always add lots of aeration to my homemade stuff. Perlite, pumice, lava rock, or my favorite rice hulls all work well. I put some of each, and it works really well. I make it look like a soil mix, with a little bit too much aeration. Gypsum is not a rock dust, but sulfur and calcium. I wouldn't consider it in the same category as rock dust. Rock dust should be rock dust, whether its basalt, granite, glacier rock dust, etc. I use quite a bit of gypsum, like 1 or 2 tablespoons a gallon, when I make a mix. I also use about the same amount in my vmc. "I believe", that gypsum gives all my crops much better taste, as well as other benefits. Azomite is frowned upon by some folks because of the possibility of aluminum becoming available, and being taken up by plants. I used to use it. I don't now, because I get glacier rock dust free. I suggest anyone wanting to use azomite, do a quick web search and decide for themselves. cheers os
Thanks for the words of wisdom guys! Haha i have tried everything to kill the spider mites. I use DE only through veg and it actually seems to slow them down alot. I have done neem, alcohol, and numerous other natural remedies to kill them. They dont go away, so i've taken extreme measures and just added lady bugs to the box haha. Seems ridiculous i know, but the spider mites are a force i cannot defeat. I have gone ahead and returned to azomite. I added Crab Meal, Biochar and Mykos as well. Im excited to see how this turns out.
@ASHton, I have never had mites personally. I see above you have neem seed meal. In addition to trying foliars for mites, have you tried top dressing neem seed meal once a week. I recall talk of folks trying that, in addition to repeated foliars. At worst you get a nice top dress. I'm sure there are lots of blades here with actual "experience" : (-, with mites that may chime in and help. You wont regret getting the crab meal, bio char, and mycos. Best of luck my friend os