My soil Mix Opinions Wanted

[dirrtyd]

I have been cooking this mix for about two weeks now I have three variants of it that I will be using this year. Can you help me for the future as what could have been added or taken away thanks for your advice. All comments welcome

1.5 cu ft of patio plus
1/2 cup blood meal
1/2 cup bone meal
2 cups diatomaceous earth
1 cup greensand
2 cups dolomite
2ltrs sand
2ltrs perlite
1 cup bulb food 3-8-8 with Mycorrhizae and humic acids
10lbs worm castings
¼ cup of soluble kelp
½ cup Jamaican guano
½ cup Mexican guano

 

[guest2012y]

More kelp,I'd throw in another 3/4 of a cup. Back off the Diatomaceous 1 cup,and if the bulb food has anything synthetic in it,I would ditch it. What is Patio plus? Is it amended with anything? If so take that into consideration when adjusting the proportions of the other stuff. That's my 2 cents.

 

[big ballin 88]

I believe if you use DE you can back off some on the sand also. I agree with Capt. Cheeze more kelp.

 

[Zendo]

I think the bulb food 3-8-8 is Fox Farms Peace of Mind / Happy Frog,

Ingredients: Feather Meal, Bone Meal, Sulfate of Potash Magnesia, Bat Guano, Rock Phosphate, Kelp Meal and Gypsum.

 

[dirrtyd]

Thanks for all the input. The patio plus has kelp,wormcastings,chicken manure ,perlite and bat guano. I will start a journal when I start using this soil trying to get some smart pots at the moment.

 

[vonforne]

Isn´t Patio Plus by Kellog Organics?

V

 

[dirrtyd]

Well V on the bag it says all natural it does not specifically say the word organic. Yes to answer your original ? it is by Kellogs. Would love to hear your thoughts on the mix.
Dirrty

 

[NUG-JUG]

How does soluble kelp differ from dry kelp meal? I use 2 3\4 cup Espoma kelp meal in about 4 cu ft. of mix. Also I'd add some seed meals next time imo

 

[VerdantGreen]

your mix is less than 10% perlite. i would use 20-30% perlite or equivalent. sand is ok as long as it is sharp sand but i would ditch it and replace with perlite if you can afford it.
also beware of using a complete soil with ferts in it and then adding loads more ferts.
best to use raw ingredients such as peat/coir /topsoil and then you know how many ferts are in it because you have added them all yourself

cheers

V.

 

[dirrtyd]

Verdant I will ad more perlite Oh the soil did come with some in it. I forgot to mention that earlier I will go an edit the ingredients. Verdant it is an organic sand that I used. This is a trial run so I will know what to use less or more of at the end. As I stated earlier I will start a journal when I transplant into this mix. The plants will be coming out of a airoponics setup. The roots will be well established prior to them going in the pot at least six to eight inches long. Nug I'm not sure of the difference where do you buy the epsoma kelp meal? Also what seed meals are you referring too and what does it give to the equation?

 

[NUG-JUG]

Nug I'm not sure of the difference where do you buy the epsoma kelp meal? Also what seed meals are you referring too and what does it give to the equation?

I buy all espoma products at my local home and garden store. My suggestion is to add maybe a 1\2 cup of either alfalfa\flaxseed\cottonseed meals (or a 1\3 of each) to diversify the sources of N. Especially if kelp meal is hard to find where you are.

 

[dirrtyd]

I thought that kelp was for the K? any others have any advice not long now till 4/20 when i go outside.

 

[FunkBomb]

I would simplify and have just the base, dolomite lime, and an whole lot worm castings. The plants will still do just as well.

-Funk

 

[dirrtyd]

I will see in the next mix since mine has already been cooking for three weeks. If I have some extra soil I will try with just dolemite and worm castings.

 

[Stoned Crow]

We all seem to keep our soil recipes close to our hearts, mainly because if you decide to grow organic, you figure out what works for how you grow. I keep earthworm casting and kelp (dried and liquid) very close to my heart. They are two additives that just seem to prevent and fix all sorts of problems. SC

 

[dirrtyd]

Thanks Sc I will remember i have some soluble kelp now. I ws wondering about ground up seaweed you get at the chinese store.

 

[dirrtyd]

The results

The results

Thanks for the advice guys here are some pics of my gurls. comments welcome

 

[grapeman]

Thanks for the advice guys here are some pics of my gurls. comments welcome

LOL - they look great.

 

[dirrtyd]

The Stalks

The Stalks

Grapeman beleive me in my research alot of folks gave advice indirectly. The gurls are now 4ft tall and round. here are some stalk pics. Dirrtyd

 

[dirrtyd]

1.5 cu ft of patio plus
1/2 cup blood meal
1/2 cup bone meal
4ltrs of perlite
1 cup greensand
2 cups dolomite
1cup of oyster shells
1cup of alfafa meal
1 cup bulb food 3-8-8 with Mycorrhizae and humic acids
10lbs worm castings
¼ cup of soluble kelp
½ cup Jamaican guano
½ cup Mexican guano

This is the mix that I will be using this year the one last year produced lbers. So this one should do just as well or better.sone indgredients have been taken out and others added.dirrtyd