Thanks wetdog, so you've been using peat, perlite and pine bark mulch all in the same quantities/ratio? Then you add just a lil lime and EWC compared to how much soil your making? I'm gonna be planting 2 week old sprouts in 3 gallon pots next time so how will I know how much EWC and lime to put in? I know that the lime helps with pH so I'm worried about over or under doing it. Just got a new 600w hps setup so I'm thinking about starting fresh with some new babies in some wayyyy better soil. I think I made a mistake not using legit soil. Fuckin Lowes... thanks again wet.. you got any grow journals going?
I like to add ewc every 3rd week roughly as a top dress or anytime a plant looks off, a handful or two of ewc with a nice drink of water to wash it down and a week later they always seem to look happier =). And makes room for more worm poop in my bins =P I had forgotten to add ewc into a small mix I made and cycled, ewc are so universal you can add em any time in a variety of ways. Love this place, since this season was my 1st indoor, finding this awesome group has provided a wealth of info, to the point that when I 1st joined, I joined with plant probs, have not posted one plant problem since, I owe it to living soil and the fine intelligent folks here with very informative posts. Thanks GCO!
No, not exactly in the same ratios, since I learned by trading sweat labor and it was all an eyeball thing. Still is mostly, but it ends up a bit over 2cf (wheelbarrow full). Very roughly, it's: 1 1/2 buckets peat moss fluffed out and no clumps 1 bucket perlite 1/2 bucket pine bark mulch A heavy 1/2 1/2 bucket Vermicompost A light 1/2 2 cups of lime The buckets are the 5 gal buckets from HD or Lowes. The pine bark mulch is the smallest size available, like the size of the end of your pinky. This will give you just a bit over 2cf by a couple of gallons, but close enough to measure any amendments for 2cf. Wet
So if I can't find ewc or vermicompost can I just mix some ff ocean forest with some more perlite and peat moss then add ewc as a topdress if I find some eventually?
Not a good idea. Humus is the driving force, the engine if you will, behind our soils fertility and the plants growth. If you lack that you will face multiple problems along your course. Compost from local nurseries will work in a pinch, but spend majority of your time sourcing quality humus over other amendments.
What's up man? I've used pine bark mulch in my mixes at 5-10% of my mix almost all the time. It's cheap. I was reading the other day if you hit the 20% mark, it will drastically reduce pythium from taking hold. I've been leery of going over 10% with a C source like pine bark mulch. What kind of lime are you using? Anyhow cool to see this.
How much bokashi should be mixed in per cubic foot? should I mix it separately as a separate group, like the glacial rock dust, or would it fall under "Food" "Fix-it" or "Mineral" mix? Also the liquid EM-1 version of bokashi, how much should I mix in? I have 3 x FBE(fermented botanical extract) 5 gallon buckets topped with Russian comfrey leaves soaking in spring water for weeks. I have 5 gallons of compost tea brewing but I could do a batch in 30 or 50 gallon barrel instead, using the Boss Hog aerator instead of the KIS 5 gallon bucket aerator. I drove 11 hours round-trip to pick up a half-ton of EWC from some worm farmers. Now I have a big old pile of worm castings in the yard, looks like several cubic yards worth to my eyeball estimation. So I know how to mix in my Food, Fix-it, and Mineral mixes. I know how to mix in my aeration amendments(rice hulls, pumice, lava rocks, perlite, vermiculite--although its tough to source the pumice and lava rocks around here). I know to add 4-5 cups per cubic foot of glacial rock dust. But as far as Bokashi, EM-1, and myco powder, all I have to go on so far is reading the instructions on the label. I can study GrassCity further to seek information LD said about how to add Bokashi, EM-1, and mycorrhizal powders(Organic, non-GMO Food and Produce Delivered - Azure Standard, Organic, non-GMO Food and Produce Delivered - Azure Standard). But if any of you kind folks can weigh in with some of the answers, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you kindly, Bill Densoyle
Hey Bill Not sure if you realized it but you are responding to a thread from 2014! Check out the “ No Till Revisited “ thread for more current info. A lot has changed