Soil mix ratios - please help

Discussion in 'Growing Organic Marijuana' started by Leapfrog, Feb 21, 2009.

  1. I am having a hard time getting someones expertise on mixing ratios for the below listed ingredients.

    You are welcome to suggest more and/or different ones from the ones listed below but I'd prefer if you would stick with the list below.





    These are the ingredients I have so far:

    composted cow manure (in 40lb bags)
    Bone meal
    Blood meal
    Epsom salt
    Peat Moss (in bails)
    Dolomite (powder)
    Worm castings (I am unable to get the amount needed)


    I am still discussing to go with the two available Bat Guanos (for vegging and flowering) since $$'s can quickly become an issue.


    or the Jack's Classic Plant Food (cheap)

    "All Purpose 20-20-20" for vegging

    and

    "Blossom booster 10-30-20" for flowering




    So what is your input on all this?

    ANY suggestions/improvements/mixture ideas are very welcome!





    Again ratios are for a 25 Gallon container.



    PS: The mixing ratio ideas per 25 Gallon container I have come up with so far:

    40lbs Composted Cow manure
    1.5cu ft Peat Moss
    1.5 cups Blood Meal
    1.5 cups Bone Meal
    1.5 cups Dolomite (powder)
    1 cup Epsom Salt

    not sure about the Bat Guano - if use use it I will probably use it as a tea (and not soil amendment) as per specs.
     
  2. This might help man,
     

  3. Thanks mels for the link.

    Seen it before and had put it in to consideration for the ratios I posted to wards the bottom of my op.
     
  4. Fair enough mang sorry I can't help moor I am a noob when it comes to organics, I just cheated and bought biobizz soil :eek: Best of luck with your grow.
     
  5. #5 cantharis, Feb 21, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 21, 2009
    For what it´s worth, Leapfrog - this is my mix. I have to make the most of what I can get locally - some things, like perlite, are hard to find and expensive.

    I base it on a peat substrate that is widely available here. To 10 small spadefuls of substrate, I add 2 of horse shit and 1 of wormcasts, 3 of sand and 1 of volcanic rock chips. 5 dessert spoons of crushed eggshell (my organic lime). Rule of thumb for lime is an ounce to a gallon. This gives me a nutritious and well-draining compost. I don´t add epsom salts to my mix, but give it in liquid form a couple of times in the season.

    I reserve the right to add to and substitute any of the above without notice.
     
  6. I simply use LC's soil mix #1 and altered it a bit and it works wonderfully.
    6 parts pro mix or sunshine mix
    3 parts coarse perlite
    1.5 parts mushroom compost
    1.5 parts composted manure and humus
    1 part earthworm castings
    1tsp hydrated lime or 1tbsp dolomite lime
    water the whole batch with a gallon of water with 10ml of LK and 1tsp of molasses.
    stir it up good and let it sit for 2 weeks while turning it every few days before using it.

    I use botanicare PBP Gro and Bloom and I know it is not considered 100% organic but it is organic enough for me and simple to use while providing great results. Just got some silica blast to try out and add to the mix.
     
  7. #7 ElDiablo, Feb 25, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 25, 2009
    Cantharis,
    How would you adjust this mix if you had a large bag of cheaply purchased Perlite? If you have ever used Perlite that is. I am trying to decide on the mix I will use in containers this year. My stock in the shed so far is Peat, mushroom compost, goat manure, and Perlite. What would the master of containers do with these ingredients?
    Eldiablo

    PS - Sorry for hijacking Leapfrog.
     
  8. #8 LumperDawgz, Feb 25, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 25, 2009
    ElDiablo

    Generally the professional 'blank soil' mixes like ProMix or Sunshine Mix use 70% peat moss and 30% of an aeration aggregate like perlite, vermiculite or pumice. Heck - pea gravel is probably better and definitely less expensive. Those percentages can fluctuate as much as 10% more aggregate with (obviously) 10% less peat depending on the specific mix. These companies post that information at their web sites for growers to choose the best mix ratio for the type plants that they're growing.

    It's the conventional wisdom among cannabis growers that more aggregates are necessary. Your call.

    I can't recommend you using mushroom compost though many others will disagree with me. You might want to do some research online and draw your own conclusions.

    Regardless - on the agents that you wish to add to the base soil mix of peat and whatever you opt for, mix the additional agents at the same ratio - maybe even use 10% more on the aeration agents and cut back on the mushroom compost, goat manure, etc by the same amount.

    That's the basis of the 'Cornel Mix' that was developed at Cornel University 70 years ago and with some modifications it's still the basis of most potting soils.

    HTH

    Back to the pea gravel - I would make the argument that this is a better option than the perlite, pumice or vermiculite because the mineral content contained in the gravel will help feed the micro-herd in your organic soil mix. And it's less expensive! Did I mention that?

    I would definitely add kelp meal to your soil mix. 1/4 cup per 5 gallons of soil is all that you need to use.

    LumperDawgz
     

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