SO I'm having decent success for a first time grower using my soil mix that is far inferior to some due to my lack of knowledge at the time. I now have a vastly greater understanding of what it takes to have a quality living soil that will grow your plants as you feed the soil. I have a friend who has a larger scale operation that he uses soil in outdoor but doesnt have living soil and uses the feed the plant method. He and I have been discussing teaming up for next year, and he is interested in my approach. So im trying to figure out what a total cost would look like to do coot's mix for 40 yards of soil. I will source everything and figure the cost myself, I just need someone who is much more familiar with actually building and using the coot mix to extrapolate it to 40 yards and provide the amount of whatever applicable to 40 yards. If 39 is easier so that its 13/13/13 that would be good enough. Any suggestions for cost effectiveness on what aeration to use or what peat or even if anyone knows where to get good compost in that quantity in northern oregon that would all be helpful too. Thanks in advance, I look forward to being a regular grasscity organics team member
I would look at Aurora, Premier, or Sunterra Peat. I've used all on a commercial scale, currently I go with Sunterra due to the price point. There's Doug and NW Redwoms for earthworm castings, and Oly Mountain Fish Compost coming out of Belfair, WA. I would suggest mixing a small amount and seeing how you like it. Personally I use 50% peat, 34% pumice, and then 16% compost. You should try a few different ratios and see how they perform for watering, plant response, etc....before committing your entire 40 yards. Feel free to send me a DM if I can be of service. Thanks!
Thanks man, ya theres also a lady in the dalles lisathewormlady.com I bet doug's are better though, out here in the desert water retention is huge, especially here where the wind never stops blowing it seems. We're like 70 miles east of the dalles. What would the amendments extrapolate to or what is the amount per yard?
20 yds peat 14 yds pumice {or lava} & 6 of compost/EWC would be the equivalent of 50/35/15 using less compost is a good suggestion since many yard-sourced composts will be too high in K
Well figured id get in on some hood river orchard compost since mom lives in parkdale and my brother in milwaukie, if I cant get it in hood river ill invade coot territory and swoop up some, to go with a (or a couple) pallet(s) each malibu and oly. Some biochar or aeration as well. What I was more referencing was the neem/karanja/kelp/alfalfa/rock dust/mbp amounts for 40 yards.
well, your lookin @ 27 cf per yd. i use the full measure of the Ca amendments like oyster gypsum & crab meal. as well as basalt. but i use 1/2 of glacial dust {mine's colorado} neem kelp alfalfa. it's good to drive Ca but many recipes are much too hot on NPK
Ok so id be looking at roughly 180 3.8cf bales of cspm 150 lbs each neem/karanja, kelp, crustacean, alfalfa meals 500 lbs each glacial rock dust, basalt dust, oyster shell flour, and gypsum Does that seem about right?