Recommendations for a soil mix

[CT Guy]

Hey, I thought I'd get some advice on here. I'm putting together some potting soil for my container plants (all types of vegetables) and was hoping to get some help on amounts of ingredients.

Here's what I've got access to for ingredients (I know, I'm spoiled):

Alaska Humus
Fungal Compost (we make ourselves)
Humic Acid (Tera Vita SP-85; 85% humic acid by content)
Seaweed (Nature's Essence SEP)
Mycorrhizae (Salt of the Earth gave me a sample)
Perlite
Pumice
Organic Alfalfa meal
Gypsum
Calpril
Bone meal


and
Our "Foods" (Nutrients are 80% organic ingredients and 20% natural minerals derived from sulfate of potashmagnesia, feather meal, soymeal, kelp, and alfalfa meal) in the form of brown granules



I'm looking to make up it up in 25 or 50 gal. increments. I've got all the above ingredients in any amount. I was going to make my own best guess and then thought it might be fun to throw it out to the icmag crew. Thanks!

 

[ngen]

wow, your veggies get a better soil than alot of peoples canna, very nice.

But how do you go about making that fungal compost? A link or something would be appreciated.

 

[guest2012y]

Looks like a good custom mix. Especially for veggies,surely this will grow some tasty ones

 

[Clackamas Coot]

Soil Amendments

Soil Amendments

CT Guy

Looks like you shop and the same place that I do! LOL

RE: Alfalfa Seed Meal

I use 3 components for the Alfalfa meal portion, i.e. linseed/flaxseed meal, soybean and alfalfa meal. The proportions are 2x alfalfa, 2x linseed/flaxseed meal and 1x soybean. All are organic non-GMO products. I also add 1x shrimp/crustacean meal, 1x neem seed meal and .5x bokashi bran that I make up and is pretty non-standard but that's another story.

RE: Perlite

I use pumice because it's cheaper and is available in 1 c.f. bags mined down in Southern Oregon. The perlite comes in 4 c.f. bags and they ALWAYS rip on me sending f*(*L&%# perlite granules going everywhere.

RE:: Bone Meal

I began using organic fish bone meal (out of British Columbia) from a cite in Jeff's book. I don't have my copy at my desk but I can get the exact quote if anyone's interested.

RE: Gypsum

Based on the famous PNW gardener/author Steve Solomon and his writings, I use a lime mix that includes equal parts of dolomite, gypsum and oyster shell flour.

Other than that it appears that you've learned quite a bit here at ICMAG!!!



Seriously - a nice list of products to work with. Living in the rain does have its rewards, eh?

CC

 

[CT Guy]

CC,

are you suggesting that I need to go source a few more products for my soil for my veggies? Couldn't I make a decent mix just with the ingredients on hand? I was hoping to get by with what I had on hand, since it would only take me a few minutes to throw it all together in the compost tumbler at work and mix it to bring home for the weekend. After all, they're just container veggies!

ngen,

The fungal compost is comprised of woody materials and the process is somewhat proprietary, as we combine a variety of ingredients and methods to obtain the highest biological activity we can. I sell it through my work for making tea, but it would work great in a soil mix as well I think (just too expensive for the avg person). Think of it as comparable to the Alaska Humus, but with more fungal content.

Any recommendations on amounts?

 

[CT Guy]

Should I use a combination of the perlite and pumice?

On a side note, I'll be feeding them with various samples I have of different bloom and grow products from tradeshows that I need to use up (organic of course) and also the seaweed extract and LC-10+7 liquid humate.

 

[guest2012y]

Just a note. I never skimp on my veggies,they basically get the same mix as my herbs except a bit more topsoil of course. Truly amazing harvests,very delicious,healthy,vigorous,veggies. Always top notch produce flying out of our gardens. I can't see you having any problems CT. Happy gardening.

 

[Clackamas Coot]

Should I use a combination of the perlite and pumice?

On a side note, I'll be feeding them with various samples I have of different bloom and grow products from tradeshows that I need to use up (organic of course) and also the seaweed extract and LC-10+7 liquid humate.

CT Guy

I misread what you were asking in the original thread.

You've got everything that I mentioned in your compost mix, i.e. cottonseed meal, kelp, etc.

The only thing I would 'change' is the use of perlite and replace that with pumice.

1. It would help out indigent workers in Oregon's Klamath Falls Basin
2. It would keep profits from rolling into Superior Perlite in Portland, Oregon and their unfair labor practices
3. Pumice doesn't float, i.e. it's heavy enough to remain in place providing aeration
4. Pumice weighs far more than perlite per volume meaning that by moving heavier bags around there's a certain 'manly-man' thing working here

In all seriousness, somewhere and sometime it's my recollection that I read a discussion about perlite vs. pumice from the CeC perspective and I believe that the pumice was deemed better for the microbial activity in the soil. I could be wrong.

Looks like you'll be growing some beautiful organic produce up there!

CC

 

[dune]

nice mix could u tell me the ratios on the lime mix or point me in the direction you found it?

 

[Clackamas Coot]

nice mix could u tell me the ratios on the lime mix or point me in the direction you found it?

dune

Let's say that for the amount of soil that you mix as a single batch, the amount of dolomite lime would be X amount.

Do a search for "steve solomon COF lime mix" and you'll find several references and some with slight modification. Whatever specific mix that you come up with, you would use the same "X" amount that you did when using straight dolomite lime.

My version of Solomon's mix is:

1x gypsum
1x dolomite
1x oyster shell powder (Solomon recommends agriculture lime - I disagree - no big deal)

CC

 

[dune]

ah now i remember reading this article. Why do you find the oyster shell powder better?

 

[Clackamas Coot]

Why do you find the oyster shell powder better?

Without boring you with all of the minutia, a compelling reason was that I purchase the oyster shell powder because the worms in my worm bins need calcium to maximize their reproductive cycle, i.e. makes for more worms.

So I had a 50 lb. bag sitting in the garage ($9.50) and it's organic. It's cheap. It was readily available. Frugality was the biggest reason.

A secondary reason is that the calcium in this product is available very quickly vs. other lime agents.

CC

 

[dune]

pretty much the same reason im waiting on my bag then. good to know im going in the right path.

 

[NUG-JUG]

I'm just starting gardening veggies and things so this thread is helpful to me. I have mixed up a mix that my herb gets, and basically mixed it into my 4by20 ft. bed along with extra compost, and some lime.

CC-I want to start using pumice, is the amount you add basically the same as perlite?

 

[Batboy]

I made the mistake of using the same soil mix in my 4x4 outdoor veggie garden as I do indoors. It is the beginners mix LC#2. Ratio of soil to EWC to perlite of 6-2-2. The soil ended up too light and fluffy for my wind-prone soil bed. Many gallons worth of soil ended up just blowing away. I don't know anything about pumice, but you should consider something heavier than perlite, and consider top soil and/or mulch as a way to combat wind-loss.

 

[Clackamas Coot]

CC-I want to start using pumice, is the amount you add basically the same as perlite?

Nug-Jug

Yes - 1 for 1..................

CC

 

[CT Guy]

CC,

I was given a big bag of perlite and pumice so I had both for free. I'll definitely buy pumice over perlite in the future if I need to purchase it. I ended up mixing up a soil mix this weekend, using a combo of both the pumice and perlite. I believe the CEC comment was from Secondtry, I searched for it the other day.

Now I just need to figure out how to incorporate all these new herbs into my cooking!

Thanks for the input!

 

[NUG-JUG]

Batboy-Good tip but a liitle mulch may help the blowing problem?

CC- Cool simple enough pumice it is. I just bought a bag of super chunky perlite at the dreaded grow store, and got had for $35 for a cu. ft.. ouch