Ready To Grow Bagged Soil

MI W

The challenge isn't about the soil formula (necessarily) but how the product will be shipped, warehoused and distributed. That's where the problems develop in a living soil - sitting in plastic bags and are subject to heat = anaerobic conditions develop.

All of us have had the experience of buying even a 'good soil' and opening the bag and get a strong whiff that something isn't right.

And let me explain why the term 'organic' on a bag of soil or even on a bale of Sphagnum peat moss.

All peat moss arrive at the packing plant untouched, i.e. it's organic or qualifies as such under any certification agency. What you add to that will determine whether or not it remains 'organic'

Compost which has not been processed under 'the rules' (temps) then it would not meet the organic standard. When it comes to aeration amendments all of the ones used in commercial potting soil mixes, Perlite, Pumice and Vermiculite [with conditions], all meet the 'approved for organic food production' standard.

It's what is added to the basic soil mix that can also move the soil mix from organic to conventional (non-organic) - time-released synthetic fertilizers, wetting agents, etc. So Miracle Grow potting soils start out as organic but it doesn't take much to lose that designation.

At the end of the day a potting soil isn't about amendments, it isn't about aeration amendments (as to which one) - the only thing that makes a soil viable or not is the humus source. The best Sphagnum peat moss, hand-filitered glacial rock dust, virgin neem meal, blah, blah, blah can't fix bad humus.

I had a potting soil ready to go that was going to be sold through clinics with a 10% mark-up of the basic costs of materials, mixing and bagging. I gave up because I realized you cannot go up against the mindless stupidity that permeates the cannabis growing world in Oregon that somehow Roots Organic has a 'special source' of peat moss or whatever material or that FFOF has anything to do with an actual soil.

Time wasted.

LD

 

Keep It Simple Compost Tea Brewers and Composts

I happen to know this soil was based on conversations with LD. The ingredients are listed on the page, along with the brands of minerals and nutrients used. There's no synthetics in the mix and it would be easy for a beginning gardener to run it using water only. That being said it's more expensive, though I have taken it through 2 runs now with no additional nutrients (except the manufacturers recommendations of ProTekt, Seaweed, and LC-10+7 humic acid).

Also want to mention that it's stored in bins and not bagged until it's sold, preserving it's viability. They ship in plastic woven mesh bags that are breathable too.

Anyway, may be a good option for a beginning organic gardener that doesn't want to make their own soil.

You can also just purchase the nutrients/minerals and source the peat/pumice/ewc locally to save $ by getting their "nutrient pack" on the site.

Cheers,
CT

 

Yowsiers, that's some badass soil!

Pacific pearl oyster shell powder.. Is that the little brittle oyster shell mined from san fran bay mentioned back in a previous vermi thread?

 

Yes ...

 

Absolutely and the company, Jerico Products, has been pulling this ancient marine deposit for almost a century. Most of this Calcium Carbonate material ends up in livestock feed - poultry (eggs shells are also Calcium Carbonate, cattle, horses and pigs.

Some goes to supplement manufacturers where it's milled down even finer and is used in tablets, etc. as a Calcium source. If you were to go to a health food store and look at Calcium supplements you would find that the Carbonate versions command a higher price and there's a slew of reasons why that is.

All liming agents are mined from these ancient deposits. Limestone is Calcium Carbonate and Elemental Magnesium @ 2 or 3% and if you wanted a liming agent without Magnesium you could use Calcite Lime (aka Agricultural Lime) and it is like Oyster shell powder, it's Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) - no Magnesium.

Even the unnecessary and worthless Dolomite Lime is a mined ancient marine deposit that got confused and lost along the way.

Touching isn't it?

LD

 

Poor little wayward Dolomite ,

Thank you LD

 

Like a kid at the local grow store advised a customer as I was waiting to check out - "You want to make sure that you have enough 'dolomites' in the soil"

When I got up to the counter I asked the little tyke exactly what a 'dolomite' is or at least what he thought it was - "It's what they add to limestone"

Sure - why not

 

I'll have some of what that lil tyke is smoking please.

 

Ohh i didn't realize this is thread on indoor soil only, the organic section seems to have indoor and outdoor stuff as well. And no.. last season was my first time using it and i used it straight out of the bag. This year i might add some worm castings and whatnot.
FFOF is only a couple dollars more per bag.. if it has a better reputation than black gold i'd rather go with that. Either way outdoor plants aren't too picky, i'm sure whichever route i take they'll be happy and healthy.

 

FFOF doesn't have a good rep. Crap in a bag - guaranteed frustration and Doubiously organic.

I have used simplici-tea's fungal compost, as well as Cedar grove Topsoil (50/50 blend of sand and Cedar grove compost) and I am impressed with both, especially the Fungal compost. it was slimy and contained diverse materials, smelled wonderful and its undoubtedly super-dank stuff. it was pricey for me at $35 a .5 CF but im just poor thats actually a great price.

these are certified organic products I feel like i can trust. this is based on my impression, after surfing the CG website. I believe these products are distinguished from such as Gardener and Bloome soil building compost, which contains sewage sludge, dolomite lime, and other questionable elements. someone please inlighten me if i'm off on this 1.\

also can someone shed some light on the EWC scam, known as EWC's sold at commercial nurseries? They leave pallet's of EWC's stacked high outside all winter, 1 CF bags for $15.99, and I suspect that this product will cause gardeners some frustration right out of the bag in the upcoming spring. any opinions in this matter?

 

"it was pricey for me at $35 a .5 CF but im just poor thats actually a great price."

Wow - $70.00 a CF is a good price? Does this include expensive shipping or something?

Jerry.

 

Visa/MC thinks it's a damn good price!

 

Jerry it is kinda steep, i went to a nursery to pick it up, but i knew the cost involved and I really needed a quality compost, I don't have my own compost OP yet so it was the best way to get what I need. And this was the $35 .5 CF that would make my whole soil mix work, i'm convinced of it. The CG topsoil just looks like humus granules, or commercial EWC, and doesn't have the nice slime and smell, or complex texture the KIS compost does. I mixed 4 gallons of the KIS compost, 3 gallons of the topsoil, to 11 gallons pumice, 12 gallons sphagnum peat, and about 3 gallons of my amendment mix. so far so good but i am seeing some nitrogen deficiency. time to do some training before flower.

 

I've heard the KIS compost is good, I just didn't realize how expensive it is.

Its compost.

What makes it special? Don't get me wrong - I understand there's compost, and there's compost, it just seems pricey.

I suppose you (usually) get what you pay for though...

 

It's why we make our own, grow our own, eh Jerry?

 

I think that's the price because they've developed their compost to achieve optimum quality using a microscope and the available research. they have 1 tumbler, and its outdoors so the time frame window for composting is more narrow. I couldn't be happier TBH. Most of the locally available stuff is garbage compared to this.. I saved a small amount for germ'ing seeds. It's time to start those intederminates soon...