Hey, I have heard that turning the soil often helps the cycling giving it fresh air, esp in the beginning. I don't think one would need drain holes in the box of soil as you won't be watering it more than to keep it damp.
Is it bad if the soil mix kinda stinks a week into "cooking" there is fish bone meal, and fish meal in it and that stuff stank rite outta the bag so I'm guessing that's probably the reason the mix is stinking. Any issues I mite have besides the unpleasant smell, and will it go away after everything breaks down?
Do you mean fishy smell? If it smells sour or rotten then your mix has gone anaerobic. If you mean fishy then yes it should go away shortly, if you've added Alfalfa then even quicker.
Hey, Please expand that response about how adding alfalfa will making bone and fish meal smell go away faster. I appreciate the help understanding why; as well some pointers about some other ideas I have heard about adding neem as a nitrification inhibitor as well I would like to hear about how adding gypsum might capture the N as it is gasing out of the cycling soil. Or am I on the wrong page? Would one also find that adding a carbon source like alfalfa hay shaken so that most of the green was out would do to the soil as it is changing? Or am I just still confused about what's happening? Yes, that's obvious. Anyway, have a nice rainy day !
Alright So i have gotten some ingrediants for my soil mix and was wondering about proportions and if i need to add anything else. I'm not trying to get too complicated: -Humus/Manure mix -Spaghnum Peat Moss -Bone Meal and Blood Meal -Lime -Soil acidifier I wanted to add some Natural Perlite and Rock dust but i haven't found anything in local stores yet. Would love to hear some feedback,advice, whatever!
Dr earth alfalfa meal is inoculated with pro biotics including lactic acid bacteria. That specific strain of bacteria is a great deodorant and is very important for nutrient cycling and overall microbe/soil health. Once more its very easy to make yourself. Search lactic acid bacteria on youtube and youll find many videos on how to make your own pure serum and you can water it right into your soil or use it as a foliar spray. A little goes a long way and it lasts for up to 3yrs
Homemade Lacto Culture Best link for that easy. . Basically Alfalfa is going to bump up the bacteria numbers so the fish products are broken down more rapidly. I add gypsum anyways, where did you see its effects on the Nitrogen Cycle?? Also didn't know that about Neem Seed Meal either! Geez I guess I am behind. Sunny skies around these parts! HaGGarD
Advice would be don't skimp out on finding Earthworm Castings, Humus Manure mix makes me think Composted Manure Mix, which doesn't fall under the term Humus. Get your hands on some Kelp Meal and Alfalfa Meal, it might save you some money, time, and energy to start going to Farm Stores instead of "Grow" Stores. Rock dusts can be found @ farm stores also, check under Chicken Stratch if your able to grind it yourself. Grave / Counter top Granite Stores will gladly let you take all the piles of granite muck for free.
My Mix Is Done, everything i wanted in it..just got to let it cook for 3 or 4 weeks 6 Gal Pro-Mix HP 5 Gal Coco 4 Gal Perlite 2 Gal Vermiculite 2 Gal Earth Wormcastings 1 Gal Peatmoss 1 Gal Cow Manure 1 Gal Organic Herb & Vegtable Soil 2 Lit Mushroom Compost 15 Tbs SuperGrowMix 8 Tbs MarineCuisin (FoxFarm) 10 Tbs Bat Guana (Mexican) 5 Tbs Bone Meal 5 Tbs Urea 15 Tbs Kelp Meal 15 Tbs Alfalfa Meal 20 Ts RareEarth 5 Ts Blood Meal 10 Tbs Mycorhize 5 Tbs Diatom. Earth 14 cups Rock Dust 10 Tbs greensand
Some numbers I've collected these are approximate, so.... Alfalfa Hay: 2.45/05/2.1 Apple Fruit: 0.05/0.02/0.1 Apple Leaves: 1.0/0.15/0.4 Apple Pomace: 0.2/0.02/0.15 Apple skins(ash) : 0/3.0/11/74 Banana Residues (ash): 1.75/0.75/0.5 Barley (grain): 0/0/0.5 Barley (straw): 0/0/1.0 Basalt Rock: 0/0/1.5 Bat Guano: 5.0-8.0/4.0-5.0/1.0 Beans, garden(seed and hull): 0.25/0.08/03 Beet Wastes: 0.4/0.4/0.7-4.1 Blood meal: 15.0/0/0 Bone Black: 1.5/0/0 Bonemeal (raw): 3.3-4.1/21.0/0.2 Bonemeal (steamed): 1.6-2.5/21.0/0.2 Brewery Wastes (wet): 1.0/0.5/0.05 Buckwheat straw: 0/0/2.0 Cantaloupe Rinds (ash): 0/9.77/12.0 Castor pomace: 4.0-6.6/1.0-2.0/1.0-2.0 Cattail reeds and water lily stems: 2.0/0.8/3.4 Cattail Seed: 0.98/0.25/0.1 Cattle Manure (fresh): 0.29/0.25/0.1 Cherry Leaves: 0.6/0/0.7 Chicken Manure (fresh): 1.6/1.0-1.5/0.6-1.0 Clover: 2/0/0/0 (also contains calcium) Cocoa Shell Dust: 1.0/1.5/1.7 Coffee Grounds: 2.0/0.36/0.67 Corn (grain): 1.65/0.65/0.4 Corn (green forage): 0.4/0.13/0.33 Corn cobs: 0/0/2.0 Corn Silage: 0.42/0/0 Cornstalks: 0.75/0/0.8 Cottonseed hulls (ash): 0/8.7/23.9 Cottonseed Meal: 7.0/2.0-3.0/1.8 Cotton Wastes (factory): 1.32/0.45/0.36 Cowpea Hay: 3.0/0/2.3 Cowpeas (green forage): 0.45/0.12/0.45 Cowpeas (seed): 3.1/1.0/1.2 Crabgrass (green): 0.66/0.19/0.71 Crabs (dried, ground): 10.0/0/0 Crabs (fresh): 5.0/3.6/0.2 Cucumber Skins (ash): 0/11.28/27.2 Dried Blood: 10.0-14.0/1.0-5.0/0 Duck Manure (fresh): 1.12/1.44/0.6 Eggs: 2.25/0.4/0.15 Eggshells: 1.19/0.38/0.14 Feathers: 15.3/0/0 Felt Wastes: 14.0/0/1.0 Field Beans (seed): 4.0/1.2/1.3 Feild Beans (shells): 1.7/0.3/1.3 Fish (dried, ground): 8.0/7.0/0 Fish Scraps (fresh): 6.5/3.75/0 Gluten Meal: 6.4/0/0 Granite Dust: 0/0/3.0-5.5 Grapefruit Skins (ash): 0/3.6/30.6 Grape Leaves: 0.45/0.1/0.4 Grape Pomace: 1.0/0.07/0.3 Grass (imature): 1.0/0/1.2 Greensand: 0/1.5/7.0 Hair: 14/0/0/0 Hoof and Horn Meal: 12.5/2.0/0 Horse Manure (fresh): 0.44/0.35/0.3 Incinerator Ash: 0.24/5.15/2.33 Jellyfish (dried): 4.6/0/0 Kentucky Bluegrass (green): 0.66/0.19/0.71 Kentucky Bluegrass (hay): 1.2/0.4/2.0 Leather Dust: 11.0/0/0 Lemon Culls: 0.15/0.06/0.26 Lemon Skins (ash): 06.33/1.0 Lobster Refuse: 4.5/3.5/0 Milk: 0.5/0.3/0.18 Millet Hay: 1.2/0/3.2 Molasses Residue (From alcohol manufacture): 0.7/0/5.32 Molasses Waste (From Sugar refining): 0/0/3.0-4.0 Mud (fresh water): 1.37/0.26/0.22 Mud (harbour): 0.99/0.77/0.05 Mud (salt): 0.4.0/0 Mussels: 1.0/0.12/0.13 Nutshells: 2.5/0/0 Oak Leaves: 0.8/0.35/0.2 Oats (grain): 2.0/0.8/0.6 Oats (green fodder): 0.49/0/0 Oat straw: 0/0/1.5 Olive Pomace: 1.15/0.78/1.3 Orange Culls: 0.2/0.13/0.21 Orange Skins: 0/3.0/27.0 Oyster Shells: 0.36/0/0 Peach Leaves: 0.9/0.15/0.6 Pea forage: 1.5-2.5/0/1.4 Peanuts (seed/kernals): 3.6/0.7/0.45 Peanut Shells: 3.6/0.15/0.5 Pea Pods (ash): 0/3.0/9.0 Pea (vines): 0.25/0/0.7 Pear Leaves: 0.7/0/0.4 Pigeon manure (fresh): 4.19/2.24/1.0 Pigweed (rough): 0.6/0.1/0 Pine Needles: 0.5/0.12/0.03 Potato Skins (ash): 0/5.18/27.5 Potaote Tubers: 0.35/0.15/2.5 Potatoe Vines (dried): 0.6/0.16/1.6 Prune Refuse: 0.18/0.07/0.31 Pumpkins (fresh): 0.16/0.07/0.26 Rabbitbrush (ash): 0/0/13.04 Rabbit Manure: 2.4/1.4/0.6 Ragweed: 0.76/0.26/0 Rapeseed meal: 0/1.0=2.0/1.0=3.0 Raspberry leaves: 1.45/0/0.6 Red clover hay: 2.1/0.6/2.1 Redrop Hay: 1.2/0.35/1.0 Rock and Mussel Deposits From Ocean: 0.22/0.09/1.78 Roses (flowers): 0.3/0.1/0.4 Rye Straw: 0/0/1.0 Salt March Hay: 1.1/0.25/0.75 Sardine Scrap: 8.0/7.1/0 Seaweed (dried): 1.1-1.5/0.75/4.9 (Seaweed is loaded with micronutrients including: Boron, Iodine, Magnesium and so on.) Seaweed (fresh): 0.2-0.4/0/0 Sheep and Goat Manure (fresh): 0.55/0.6/0.3 Shoddy and Felt: 8.0/0/0 Shrimp Heads (dried): 7.8/4.2/0 Shrimp Wastes: 2.9/10.0/0 Siftings From Oyster Shell Mounds: 0.36/10.38/0.09 Silk Mill Wastes: 8.0/1.14/1.0 Silkworm Cocoons:10.0/1.82/1.08 Sludge: 2.0/1.9/0.3 Sludge (activated): 5.0/2.5-4.0/0.6 Smokehouse/Firepit Ash:0/0/4.96 Sorghum Straw:0/0/1.0 Soybean Hay: 1.5-3.0/0/1.2-2.3 Starfish: 1.8/0.2/0.25 String Beans (strings and stems, ash): 0/4.99/18.0 Sugar Wastes (raw): 2.0/8.0/0 Sweet Potatoes: 0.25/0.1/0.5 Swine Manure (fresh): 0.6/0.45/0.5 Tanbark Ash: 0/0.34/3.8 Tanbark Ash (spent): 0/1.75/2.0 Tankage: 3.0-11.0/2.0-5.0/0 Tea Grounds: 4.15/0.62/0.4 Timothy Hay: 1.2/0.55/1.4 Tobacco Leaves: 4.0/0.5/6.0 Tobacco Stems: 2.5-3.7/0.6-0.9/4.5-7.0 Tomatoe Fruit: 0.2/0.07/0.35 Tomatoe Leaves: 0.35/0.1/0.4 Tomatoe Stalks: 0.35/0.1/0.5 Tung Oil Pumace: 6.1/0/0 Vetch Hay: 2.8/0/2.3 Waste Silt: 9.5/0/0 Wheat Bran: 2.4/2.9/1.6 Wheat (grain): 2.0/0.85/0.5 Wheat Straw: 0.5/0.15/0.8 White Clover (Green): 0.5/0.2/0.3 Winter Rye Hay: 0/0/1.0 Wood Ash: 0/1.0-2.0/6.0-10.0 Wool Wastes: 3.5-6.0/2.0-4.0/1.0-3.5 Plant - Based Alfalfa meal 3-0.5-3 Ca 8 Mg0.3 S 0.1 Corn gluten 9-0-0 ca 0 Mg 0 s 0 Cottenseed meal 7-2.5-1.5-1.5 ca 0.5 mg 1 s 0.2 Soybean meal 7-1.2-1.5-0.4 Ca 0.4 mg 0.3 s 0.2 Seaweed 0.7-0.8-5 Ca 0.2 Mg 0.1 S 0 Wood Ash 0-2-6 Ca 20 Mg 1 S 0 Kelp Meal 1-0-2 potash 0-0-30 Animal Based Blood meal 15-3-0 Ca 0.3 Mg 0 S 0 some are 12-0-0 Bonemeal 3.5-22-0 Ca 22 MG 0.6 S 0.2 Feathermeal 15-0-0 Ca 0 MG 0 S 0 Fish Products 10-6-0 Ca 6 Mg 0.2 S 0.2 Bonechar 0-16-0 Alask fish fert 5-1-1 Neptunes harvest 2-3-1 Mined Minerals Granite dust 0-0-4 Ca 0 MG 0 S 0 Greensand 0-1-8 Ca 0.5 Mg 3 S 0.1 Gypsum 0-0-0.5 Ca 22 Mg 0.4 S 17 Langbeinite 0-0-22 Ca 0 Mg 18 S 27 Dolomitic Lime 0-0-0 Ca 25 MG 9 S 0.3 Calcitic Lime 0-0-0.3 Ca 32 MG 3 S 0.1 Rock Phosphate 0-25-0 Ca 0 Mg 0 S 10 Zeolite 0-0-3.2 Ca 2.5 Ca 2.5 S 0 Azomite 70 trace minerals from A-Z Recycled Materials Coffee grounds 2-.3-.3 Ca .1 Mg .1 S 0 Grass clipings 4-1-3 Ca 8 Mg 3 S .5 Leaves .8-.4-.2 Ca 0 Mg 0 S 0 Sawdust .2-0-.2 CA 0 Mg 0 S 0 Compost 1-0.5-1 Ca 0.3 MG 0.2 S 0.3 Manures Chicken 2-1.5-.5 Ca 2 Mg .2 S .1 Cow .5-.2-.5 Ca .2 Mg .1 S .1 Horse .6-.2-.5 Ca .5 Mg .1 S.1 Sheep 1-.3-1 Ca 1 Mg .1 S .05 Jamaican bat guano 1-10-0.2 Mexican Bat Guano 10-2-1 Peruvian seabird guano 10-10-2 Indonesion Bat guano .5-12-2 Fossilized sea bird guano 1-10-1 Have fun playing with your amendments, I know I have....
Most agricultural forms of urea are bonded with formaldehyde often called ureaform. If it says 46-0-0 you can bet its not an organically marketed product. Urea is also used in bottled nutes as well. I doubt itll hurt your plants but i would suggest ommiting out of your next mix just for your microbes sake.
I think once the mix cycles it will be OK. But you already have some pretty good Nitrogen sources in your mix, so either way the urea is completely superfluous. GG
Urea is strong be careful. I'm making my mix for this outdoor run this year. My mix consists of Sunshine 4 Alfalfa meal Crab meal Fish bone meal Rock dust Ewc Compost Kelp meal Maybe something else.
doing making these recipes require cooking? im looking at doing the very first post on this thread with the pro-mix bx and the fox farm ocean forest. how long would it have to be cooked if so? i plan to use this om my very first grow i will be using cfls. I have done lots of research so i am prepared.
1. Most mixes require AT LEAST 30 days to cook... the longer the better. 2. There's better, more modern mixes. Jerry has covered the base mix a few times. If you're using promix and ffof a good base of materials would be... Kelp meal Ewc/compost/blm/humus Alfalfa meal Some kind of P amendment I prefer fish bone meal Maybe some kind of all purpose fertilizer (epsoma tomato or hf tomato is a good start.) The ewc/humus source is most important.
I need some more perlite in my mix, What can i add instead of perlite. i see some theads useing pumice, What is it & where can i buy it & also, when u guys say rice hulls is that any kind of rice