Ok, so I want to try my hand at mixing my own soil. I have some good compost, good top soil, and dried/composted chicken poop. All this is from my own yard/chicken coop/compost pile. First, with an organic mix should I pH test the soil prior to planting in it, and if so is my goal to still be around the 6.5 mark? I tested some of my mix with my probe and it's showing to be pH 7-7.5, a small sample wetted well with my water from my well which is a ph 6+- (using litmus paper) and the run off water from the test looked to be ph7 (also testing with litmus paper). Should I be concerned about my soil being a little high, and if so what organic matter can I add to my soil mix to bring it down a bit? I know my soil mix is full of nutrients, I want to make sure my plants and use what's available and not be locked out. I'm planning on starting them inside, them moving outside where they can enjoy the abundance of natural light available. I have one plant going now in a store bought mix, enjoying the natural light, but I'd really like to try my hand at mixing my own. I just wasn't sure if going organic changed things as far as the pH goes. Any help/advice would be much appreciated.
A good organic soil based on quality compost like you are describing does not require checking and adjusting pH. Let's look at it like this - if you were to throw some tomato plants in a nice pile of your compost would you bother checking and trying to adjust the pH?you do need to make sure that your compost is mature before you add it to a soil mix though. You should not be able to tell what it used to be and it should be a rich, dark and crumbly consistency. Make sure everything drains well. J
Cool, that's what I was hoping to hear. The compost is on it's third year and looks like dirt so I'm gonna say it's ready to grow in. Seeds are planted, now to see how this goes compared to the store bought soil I used before.
I'm curious to see the response to that as well, but I would think it would depend on whether you were on city water or well/fresh water. I think the biggest reason pH turns into an issue is when using a non living soil/chemical fertilizers, from what I'm understanding a living soil balances itself naturally. Course I could be completely off base with that, but that's my thought anyway. I don't have to worry about ph as I already know my well water is in the correct pH range anyway, although I suppose it could change as more melt-off occurs but I'd think it should stay pretty close to what it is now.
A soil based on quality compost and organic matter need not have the waters pH adjusted or checked prior to wetting the soil. In reference to the poster below you's question about city/town water, I used it for years myself without any issues. It IS important to check and adjust when using hydroponic nutrients - not so with organic soil. I couldn't imagine going through that in my vegetable garden... J