How does my soil sound

Is this what appears to be a bagged, store-bought soil, and if so, what is the brand/manufacturer?

IF this is what I had to work with and had to select one ammendment to add to it, that ammendment would be Kelp Meal - not "liquid kelp" or "powdered kelp", but Kelp Meal. It contains more varieties of nutrients and micronutrients than you can shake a stick at, not counting a wide variety of other added benefits like growth regulators.

I would also read up on and learn how to, and make and innoculate this mix with an Aerated Compost Tea, to boost and make sure that your levels of soil life are where they want to be.

Buy yourself a sack of Alfalfa Meal, too. Throughout the grow (and it doesn't matter if they are vegging or flowering) make some kelp meal and alfalfa meal teas. Just soak a quarter cup of these ingredients per gallon of water for several days to a week and feed it to your plants. You can aerate these teas - or not.

Good luck man. Kelp Meal.

Jerry.

 

Assuming potting soil like FFOF has about 5% EWC I would add 20% more EWC.
I think some of the best amendments to add are alfalfa meal, kelp meal, neem seed meal rock phosphate, xtra perlite or, pumice and a good starter fertilizer like Espoma.
All of the amendments can also be used for brewing teas...

 

Sgt, that doesnt look too bad, and coming from a worm farm it very well should be all set for the microbial life thing.

I'd still add the kelp meal and if possible, start doing some reading on botanical teas to help feed it during its life.

Good luck.

jerry.

 

Stop spending money at the hydro store man. I dont go in them any more except maybe once or twice - max - a year, and thats if I need a bulb or maybe some little rooting plugs. I have both so I dont need to go into a hydro store for another year now.

They are there for one reason only - to take your money.

Theres a bunch of very good tea brewing threads here. take the time to read them. We make our own teas here with different botanicals - assorted accumulator plant material and earthworm castings and aloe and agave - you get the idea. Nothing you need to hit a hydro store for.

Please dont go thinking you need to go to a hydro store to make organic teas. I'm seriously trying to help you out here pal.

jerry.

 

http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/333940-post-your-organic-tea-recipe.html

http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/740752-new-compost-tea-brewer.html

http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-...ewer-air-induction-ideas-wanted-please-2.html

http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-...-aact-active-aerated-compost-tea-recipes.html

http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/951823-botanicals.html

http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/792832-aloe-vera.html

This will lead you in the right direction, at least. In the "Botanicals" thread you will see how many of us use simple accumulator plant materials, let them steep for a few days to a few weeks and then use these as nutrient teas. In the tea brewer threads theres good info on just building your own. If you do decide to build or (buy) a brewer, its very important to have the correct amount of air - mostly if you're going to make ACT's, or Aerated Compost Teas. These teas are made to highly boost microbe poulations.

Do some reading and then ask questions.

The Hydro stores are making alot of money - most times marked up way too much. Most of us buy stuff like kelp meal or alfalfa from farm and feed stores vs. going into the hydro stores.

You dont need bottles - at all - to make nutritional or compost teas.

Lemme/us know if we can help further.

jerry.

 

I have always done AN on all my grows

And look at how much $ it cost you to do this, too.

I'm pretty biased, but organics is simply the way to go. Once you get a solid soil mix made, its just so easy and effective from there. Some water to keep them moist or an occassional tea and you're way ahead of the game vs. using store bought chemical salt based nutrients. Better product in the end, smells better, tastes better, I get more bud weight, you're ingesting organics vs. chemicals - its a no-brainer to me.

Its also just way easier, too. No more f-ing around with trips to the hydro store, worrying about pH, or dissolved solids - its basically set-it and forget-it.

jerry.

 

If you are going to be making ACT's, and I am just assuming that you are, the very most important thing will be the air pump - dissolved oxygen.

Microbeman has some posts showing how much dissolved oxygen there should be and general pump information. I just wanted to say how important having the right pump is. It can make or break a good tea.

You're going to make 55 gallons at a time?

 

Hey sgt

I was looking at that site a few months back thinking about what and where to source things from. They seemed to have some of the best prices I could find somewhat locally on earthworm castings (still like 3 hours away). I am not sure how I feel about their premixes. They don't give enough info about the amounts for my comfort though they look good. You can probably call and get more information from them. But they do have a place where you can put together a custom mix or add on to one of their existing ones. Here is a link. In case you missed it. They have plenty of different ingredients.

https://www.thewormfarm.net/shop_ask_quote.asp

 

Stopping by or calling would probably be your best idea. I think they make you buy a full bag or bucket of the amendments you want to use but I haven't called to ask yet (the calculator lets you say pound but it charges you for a full bag). I was planning on doing that after I did more sourcing. You are lucky the place is right down the street! I wonder what it costs to get 6-10 yards of dirt shipped 3 hours....