Alright, so im going to do an outdoor grow this year and i need help with choosing soil. I have the holes dug already, would it be best to put the soil in now so it can aclimate with the native soil thats already there? Or should i wait? I dont plan on making my own mix, but getting a name brand and adding some stuff in with it. What brand is good (i hear fox farm?) and what should i add to mix in with the soil to get it in the best shape?
Also, for the first 2 weeks, after germination, i plan on putting them in a certain soil (in small cups) to help the seedlings then ill transfer them into the other soil in the ground Would MiracleGro be good for that?
do not get miracle grow! there are plenty of better soils. plain soil with bone/blood meal added in would probably be the cheapest and better then MG. fox farms ocean forest, roots organic, happy frog, just to name a couple are your more expensive but much much better quality soils
Price isnt an issue Is it recommended that for the first 2 weeks after germination, i use a different soil to help the plant start up, then transfer it into the hole with the fox farm?
Most miracle gro soil has "continuous release" ferts in it, that will kill your plant for sure. If you HAD to get miracle gro, get the organic choice, it doesn't have the continuous release ferts in it
"Your own mix" usually means adding stuff to a commercial base soil mix. Personally, I like Edna's Best organic as a starting point. Fox Farm always makes decent stuff as well. Avoid soils with any chemical fertilizers already mixed in. Never use Miracle Gro chemical fertilizer. That goes double for seedlings. Seeds & germinated seeds should always be started in an inert substrate like peat or seed starter mixes. They can handle or even benefit from certain organic ferts like Maxicrop when used at a low concentration, but these are supplied manually. Always use the same liquid that was used to germinate them when planting seedlings. They're ready to transplanted into a nutritious soil mix with Worm Castings, an organic source of Phosphorus and/or similar additives when the single-bladed leaves are fully formed and the first three-bladed leaves just start to form between them.
Alright So i plan on doing the towel trick, waiting for them to pop, then popping them in some cups with a seed started mix, then ill cut the bottom of the cup and put it into the big hole. Should i fill the holes i have dug out (2.5x2.5) with the fox farm/perlite/everything else now or should i wait?
i think you should wait. i feel that if it rains or just natural all the goodness in the soil will be flushed out. i would say wait
Alright I have a bunch of organic cow manure that i bought it november sitting around, think i should do anything with them?
hmm could lead to a bad fungus nat problem. i would say no. bugs love smelly poop there could already be some in there
Alright, now this is gonna be a dumb ass question, but I haven't done shit in the garden ever. I get the perlite/lime/soil, dump it in the hole, best way to mix it together would be? Just turning with a shovel?
better to mix it up before putting it in the hole. and yes with a shovel is fine. i use an old ice chest and mix everything up nice in there
i just add lime to my soil. keeps your ph good. but bone/blood meal are good to add to. one is great for veg and the other for flower