Hey all! So i've been a hydro guy for years now and have my hydro on lock. I am now helping a friend that just got their 215 card get started. There are a few area's where I have questions about soil mixes, watering schedule. As far soil brand goes I would like some help figuring out what brand to use/ what I will need to add ect... So far my thoughts are Roots soil (camo bag) or Promix soil. Do any of you use either of these, do add anything, how did it work? 2nd question: I feel dumb asking this but, from my understanding soil like Roots have NPK's already in the soil. So Do you feed with liquid nutrients, because I would like to! When do u start feeding with liquid nutrients. Do you feed nutrients every time you water? How often do you flush out your soil? I'd like Import from experienced soil growers who have good results! thanks a lot guys for the help in advanced!!
Well since no one has responded. The base soil you use isn't as important as one might think, at least if nutrients are handled manually. When choosing a soil, the first things you look for are drainage & how much water it holds, and aeration; how much air can get to the roots. Any nutrition can be either added to the base soil or fed to the already potted plants manually. Some garden centers have a display with little trays of each of their soils. These are great for picking out a soil with a nice texture. I personally like Edna's Best organic soil, but that's just the base soil for my mix. Some coco coir, Perlite, Worm Castings and fertilizers are added to it. I've used Black Gold, Promix and a couple others with about the same results. I haven't tried Roots but most good soils have nutrients in them. The Edna's Best I use, for example, has Worm Castings, Bat Guano and other ferts already mixed in. I still add about 25% more worm castings, as well as some Bone meal, Blood meal, Guanos, etc. Common potting soils not designed to pump nutrients into pot plants have only low levels of nutrients and still benefit from more. If there's any worry about nutrient levels, an inert soil with no ferts can be used and the exact amounts of ferts the plants will need are mixed in. Once you know how much fertilizer your plants can handle in one feeding, it's best to alternate feedings with plain waterings. Doing so helps to use the food you applied previously and also helps to clean the soil, decreasing toxic buildups. Wet the soil well each watering, all the way to the bottom of the pot. It can take time for the liquid to soak in throughout all of the soil, so water slowly. Let the soil dry well before watering again. You can use the weight of the pot to tell when it's time to water, which works very well, or you can watch the soil and water when the top few inches or so is completely dry.
well if you are a hydro guy then just go soiless and use like pro mix and treat it like hydro and top feed. Soiless is so easy.
Yea yea, that sounds good to me! Do you use Promix? if so what do you add perlite or anything what ratio? How long do you wait to start feeding clones? Thanks a lot this Is what i've been looking to do. MedicaliOG
no I do not use pro mix I use B'cuzz HP----high porosity-------it is basically the same thing....a soil less medium with drainage and very little ferts only enough for a seedling.....then I just top feed with my fox farms crap..yeah there are better ferts......I am going back to mxibloom and kool bloom when my fox farms ferts run out......you just check your PH both before you water and your runoff water and add your ferts....top feed and you are done.......takes some tweeking to see how much run off you need or like to get to keep stable readings, that is all.......just like hydro in a soil bucket with just medium in there.