Somewhat but mainly they're used as an aeration amendment like Perlite or Vermiculite or whatever. Being a plant material there also other benefits as it relates to soil biology and chemistry.
So after following all this information, I have to ask. Can one over ammend the soil? My plan was to add my list of ammendments to the rest of the FFOF that I have (might as well use it up right?) I stocked up with some ammendments that I mentioned a while back. Azomite, Greensand, 5-5-5 general fert happy frog (I had this prior to learning about the Espoma plant tone), alfalfa meal, oyster shell lime, EWC and kelp meal. I have approximately .75 cuft left and was planning to add 1 cup of each ammendment but is this too much stuff to add to a soil that already has stuff in it or should I just cook it longer? Im planning to let it cook for approx 3-4 weeks.
SubCool's 'mix' <snerk> uses 15 lbs. of amendments - meaning that he has little confidence in the soil(s) that he's using. On that point we agree - he recommends crap potting soils so back to the 'you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear' The key word here is amendment - get the base right and the need for amendments will fall off quickly. "Worm Castings" - solves everything completely and totally. LD
Go buy some Canadian sphagnum peat moss. The best stuff is readily available and very cheap. Most hardware stores in my neck of the woods have the Premier brand. After that, I would roll with something like this: 40% peat 30% perlite 30% EWC Any FFOF laying around. When it's gone, don't buy more. After that, all of the other ammendments would be added based on the total volume on hand. I'm interested to know exactly what is in your 5-5-5 fertlizer. A few of the individual components you bought are probably redundant. Assuming your lighting and circulation is on point, you should be kicking ass very soon. Also, forget about pH until you start making your own lacto cultures.
Sorry it took me so long to get back to you FunTime. I just got back in town tonight. Road trip with the wife and kids, always a great time. I hope my teens never outgrow that. I jotted down the stuff that my 5-5-5 is derived from. Its not quite as much as the stuff in the Espoma brand plant tone but this was what I had purchased a while back. Feather Meal Fish Meal Fish Bone Meal Alfalfa Meal Sulfate of Potash Magnesia Blood Meal Bat guano Kelp Meal Gypsum So yeah, I can see now what you mean by things being redundant here. Should I leave the 5-5-5 out of my mix and just use it as a top dress? Last thing I wanna do is not use the individual ammendments I spent so much time rounding up. Also, I am going to just grab some peat tomorrow and just try to do this thing right based on you all's advise. Only thing that I worry about with that is that I read somewhere here that some peat brands are treated with a "wetting agent". I dont know what that is so I am googling it to find out. I also took Jerry's advise and broke down and just purchased a big bag of EWCs...so yeah, Im following the blue print as close as I can here.
I found a new potting mix at my local Farm and Feed Store today. At $3.99 for 1.5 cu/ft, I thought it worth mentioning. I called LD and told him about it and he remembered seeing it at his local Farm Store for $5.99 per bag. Plus, it's about time to bump this thread Here's the lowdown on it. It's called NuLife and looks to be well thought out.
Would this organic soil be fine for growing ? Its called osmocote organic vegie and herb soil. It contains the following features any help would be great thanks Grasscity This blend of organic composted material is designed to improve the soil structure and create strong root systems. It is enriched with: Osmocote Controlled Release Plant Food that feeds plants for up to 4 months. Gypsum - a natural clay breaker. High Calcium prevents blossom end rot of tomato and capsicum. Composted manure, blood and bone, seaweed, fish and molasses that stimulate micro-organisms and earthworm activity. Hydraflo2 wetting agent added to ensure uniform wetting and rewetting of mix.
The biggest issue here is that I believe this company/manufacturer is indirectly owned by *shudder* MONSANTO. Dont support them! jerry.
Please read this Sticky/Thread before you buy that product, and then make your own informed, educated decision. thanks - http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/929840-gravity-monsanto-heads-up-sticky.html jerry.
This is an incredible thread. Thank you, everyone. I do plan on making my own mix someday but given space issues in my condo and lack of time, having a solid resource for pre-bagged stuff is great. I am confident that with this thread, Jerry's Organic Obsession , all of the guides for AACTs, and the wealth of info on pretty much everything under the sun on organic growing, I am going to have an excellent second grow. My local nursery carries the full Gardener & Bloome line of soils and Dr. Earth amendments (yay!). I saw Chunk mention the Blue Ribbon soil with the Tomato/Herb ferts and later, but the guy at the nursery pointed me at the Planting Mix when I mentioned I was looking for Dr. Earth's Homegrown Soil. Is there are preference between the two? They also have the "Harvesting Mix". Thanks again!
Pro-Mix ultimate organic mix. Canadian product from Premier Horticulture. Ingredients include Canadian sphagnum peat 65-75%, sea based compost from composted shrimp shells and seaweed, limestone, perlite, mycorise. Omri approved for organic gardening, which dont mean shit, I don't see a USDA certification. I purchased and posted this because I think this mix will be available EVERYWHERE, I picked up a 1cu. bag at a big box store (menards) for $5.99. I won't know if its a good stand alone mix because its going in with the rest of my amendments,peat,perlite, and compost. If I had to use it alone I would add something for airation. BeZ...V
I was excited to find this thread. I checked out that N'Rich stuff and from what I can see, it's a soil enriching compost, not a soil. Am I wrong? Or, is it just that although N'Rich is marketed as a soil enricher, it can actually be used as a complete soil all on its own? Anyway, If I'm not wrong, would a truly viable soil be using the Garden and Bloom and mixing in the N'Rich with it? Help.
d20 I think if you look at the bag of n'rich you will see it says compost and potting soil. KELLOGG N'RICH® All Natural Soil Enriching Compost •All natural planting mix & mulch for most garden & landscape needs •Helps keep soil moist, regulates soil temperature & deters weeds •100% Satisfaction Guaranteed!Available Sizes: LD if, being just compost will I indeed need to add to it.
LD We are talking now soil to grow our maturing plants in but, what do you use to start your seedlings in? SS
@spiritsmoke - cool, thanks for the clarification. I went ahead and bought some G&B Potting Soil (Regular) & Kelp Meal. As this is my first grow, I just decided I'd keep things simple and let the plants tell me if they need something extra. I'll try and keep things more 'on-topic' from now on.
Without boring you with all of the links from Purdue University, Cornell University, Rodale University, Ohio State University, North Carolina State College (whew!) - vermicompost is what you want to use. Mix 2x of Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss and 1x vermicompost. If you feel that it's a bit heavy then add some aeration amendment of your choice. Any are fine except I wouldn't recommend using Vermiculite. Water this with a Kelp & Alfalfa meal tea with the following recipe: 1/2 cup Alfalfa meal 1/8 cup Kelp meal (not dry powdered seaweed extract but Kelp meal) Add this to about 3 gallons of water and stir it every few hours or better yet is to stick an airstone into it to keep things bouncing around. Do this for about 24 hours and strain the plant material out and hydrate your mix. Both of these meals contain amino acids, enzymes, compounds and elements that facilitate root production and in conjunction with the vermicompost you will have a strong seedling. Strong seedlings = strong plants = strong cuttings = blah, blah, blah, blah.... HTH LD
So, after reading this thread and some others, I've got a couple of questions: The first one is of clarification. When you say "ready-to-grow bagged soil," do you mean that it can take a plant from seedling to harvest without any user-added amendments? Also, I'm thinking about going with Roots Organics soil, after talking to an employee at a local store about it. With this soil specifically, would I be good to go all the way through a growth cycle of an autoflower? What about a long-flowering sativa? Also, when I say "good to go," I realize that many of you experts would add your own amendments for that perfect crop. For the newb that I am, am I likely to be successful growing in just the above mentioned soil?