Organic Noob

Yah, I'd advise you to completely restart your learning process...its all wrong. On the first page of the organics section is ITG's beginner thread...I can't believe you haven't read it yet...

 

There is no humus source in what you have listed. Maybe in the soil, but do you know how much is in that bag? That is what we consider the heart of our soil. You will need quality source for humus. Source locally. Craigslist is a good start "compost" or "worm castings".

As far as amendments. My big ones that I will not grow without are neem meal, alfalfa, kelp meal, shellfish meal, and rock dust. These are not "one trick ponies". They serve other purposes as well as nutrition.

If your looking to grab some bags, mix some soil and go, then you may be setting yourself up for problems. I look at it like this. It's like building a house if your foundation is solid the less problems you will have. If your foundations is fucked then everything above it is going to be wrought with problems that need to be overcome.

The basic soil recipe around here is;

40-50% pro-mix or sunshine
25-30% humus (quality compost or EWC)
25-30% aireation

Amendments 2-3 cups per cf
Minerals 1 cup per cf
Rock dust 1-5 cups per cf

If your going to reuse soil why not know what's in it before reammending? Teas IMHO should be used sparingly and only as a tool not a feeding regime.

You'll also need to unlearn everything you thought you knew from the hydro world. I'm constantly unlearning. I am by no means an expert, but ever since I went this route I will never go back. Best yield and quality. I feel like such a sucker knowing what I know now.

Check the attitude at the door. Kesey was trying to help, granted it could of been phrased better. This is a nice little corner of the web with very helpful people. Not like other places I've seen. Lets keep it that way.

Welcome to the GC organic community.

SF

 

Jflow, it's always a gamble counting on getting both proper nutrition and even more importantly, proper levels of soil microbes when buying overpriced, overrated & oftentimes poorly constructed soil from those companies you listed.

Though bags state there is this and that in them, we never know how much of or of what quality this and that is - thus the "make your own" mentality.

A fine and effective soil can be constructed with peat, castings/compost and some nutrition and you'd be way ahead of the game.

Like SF said - welcome to our organic corner of the web.

J

 

Nearly all pre-bagged soils are under-ammended, so that in order for you to finish your plants you need a bottle, which conveniently enough they also produce

 

I'm a noob to organics too...just wrapping up my first all organic grow with results way beyond my expectations.

'Like it' or not, it is what it is....simply put you can't accomplish what you want with what you listed. There are some very basic things though that Jerry was kind enough to post in his organic obsession thread a short time ago that are few and cost effective...lemmo go find it and I'll quote it here.

Don't give up....it's well worth it

 

Found em.
If you start with these, then accumulate more amendments as you grow in the knowledge of what gives the best results and pick up those things along the way to amend your used soil you're going to end up with a killer mix.

I started my mix with what I could find/afford while in the middle of a grow using FF products. As time went on and I read/learned more I picked up a few more things here and there as funds allowed and went with it for this last grow. Killer. While this grow was going I found and added a few more things (fish feather meal and crab meal, things like that) and I'm ready for this next grow to knock my socks off

 

This should help

http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/988488-ready-grow-bagged-soil.html

Also look into the epsoma "tones" for organic fertilizer available at most lowes, ace, Home Depot.

If you combine organic soil with SIPs and you'll never look at your pH pen ever again. Water only.

 

Hey what do you guys think about mixing native soil with soil you make?

 

Depends what your native soil is. I would use small amount for inoculation of BIM in the soil but I'm no expert.

If the compost is quality I would shit can the HF and get some epsoma tomato tone and roll with it. You may need to get some perelite or lava to lighten it up depending on the compost. I would let it cycle before you use it. 3-4 weeks or more. That will give you enough time to build a couple of SIPs for a test run

BTW - sounds a hell of a lot better. Plus your wallet will thank you as well. If you can, find some kelp meal, alfalfa, and EWC to have on hand.

IIRC, Chunk did an all kelp meal grow a couple years ago. It worth a look if you can find it.

 

You can cultivate indigenous microbes through far better means than adding native soil to your container soil, I don't see much benefit from adding native soil when its not necessary..

 

5 pounds won't be nearly enough. Use around a third compost and a third ProMix as your base soil. I'm pretty sure Home Depot or Lowes sells the Epsoma Tomato or Garden Tone fertilizers as Sticky Fiskars suggested - use two or three cups of this added/mixed in to every cubic foot (7.5 gallons) of the compost/ProMix base and you're done.

The Epsoma fertilizers are blended organic ferts. Once it's all mixed up wet it thoroughly and set it aside to nutrient cycle/compost for a month - 3-4 weeks if possible. This lets the fertilizer break down into usable plant food.

I would highly suggest, tho, that you get a little bag of kelp meal and switch a cup of the Tomato or Plant Tone with a cup of kelp meal. You can probably get this right next to the blended fertilizer - Epsoma makes this, too.

A simple mix like this made with three or four ingredients will work just fine for you and be a good entrance into real organics. The reason the compost is so important is because this is where all your soil life/bacteria will come from. It takes these bacteria to break down all your organics into usable plant food and organic compounds. Without it your fertilizer just won't break down and your plants will starve or burn from the fertilizer that hasn't broken down.

After the mix sits for 3-4 weeks you can plant. At this point if you can, get some worm castings and topdress with some castings too. This is as simple as it gets - just keep your plants moist with water from start to finish. Since you hopefully already have a little kelp meal, once your plants are established, soak some kelp meal - an eighth of a cup per gallon and soak it for a few days to a few weeks and water that in a few times during the grow.

Keep reading. I can't stress that enough. This will work, and it will work well but there is room for improvement.

J

 

It's VERY important to use high quality castings and compost - these two items are what an organic soil is based upon.

IF you use these items, some peat and an organic fertilizer you'll do just fine for your first mix and this will work much better than bagged soil - but make sure you wet it and then be patient while the soil bacteria breaks down the fertilizer. If you don't it stands the chance to burn your plants, so be patient and plan ahead for your next round as well. The longer a soil mix has to cycle the better off you'll be.

Another advantage to organic gardening (besides ease of use and producing very high quality products) is that we are able to continuously re-use our soil - big savings.

J