Roots Organics Soil In my HomeMade Wic System!

[2bBlAzEd]

I am going to give Roots organics soil a try http://www.aurorainnovations.org/soil.html,

I am a newbie to outdoors but consider myself a pro indoors. I read pretty good reviews about it, What do you think? All I can say so far is this soil drains really well, I am about to start some Mexican Sativas in my homemade wic bucket soil system and transplant out to the woods... I have picked some pretty good spots for the sativas, If this soil works out I have sum Really Good Genetics that Ill give a try.

 

[2bBlAzEd]

Here are some pics.

 

[rckymtnthuglife]

Roots is a great bagged soil. Four cycles ago I ran just straight roots all the way to the end of flower. Ran into some cal-mag issues that were difficult to resolve. At this point I use roots as a base for LC's mix and I also add lime, 5-5-5, kelp meal, alfalfa pellets, soft rock phosphate and greensand. Let me know if you'd like the exact recipe. Bottom line is add a tablespoon or two of dolomite lime per gal and you'll be good to go.

 

[2bBlAzEd]

Thanks so much for the info! This is my first rodeo with this stuff definitely need some advice with organics... Yes I would like the recipe!

 

[h.h.]

RO is very nice soil. It doesn't have a lot of nutrition in it though, thus you have to amend it. I mix it 50/50 with FFOF and then add some dolomite and extra perlite along with a bit of char. This last batch I added a little bit of EWC.

 

[2bBlAzEd]

Have you used Botanicare's cal mag? I use it in hydro. Maybe that will help me with my soil?.

 

[h.h.]

I used a little Flora Nova with the above mix and might have thrown a couple of teaspoons of Epsom salts on top when watering. Haven't tried the Botanicare. Really didn't need it.

 

[Maina]

what is your wic made out of? Does the wic coil up threw the poting mix or is it a straight shot? would you say 1 wic for every 5 gallons of soil?Im thinking 50 gallon smart pots on pallets in swamps doing this NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[NUG-JUG]

what is your wic made out of? Does the wic coil up threw the poting mix or is it a straight shot? would you say 1 wic for every 5 gallons of soil?Im thinking 50 gallon smart pots on pallets in swamps doing this NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You're gonna haul pallets into the swamp? Not saying I wouldn't try it though lol..

 

[2bBlAzEd]

I went to the dollar store and purchased some tikki torch wics for pretty cheap,then went to home depot got the 5gal bucket, and a hanging basket for plants (lt fitted just perfect inside my 5 gal without falling through(fits just as well my 5 gal netbaskets do for my hydro systems). Used a sharp knife to make the holes for my wics (be sure not to make your holes to big for the wics)then made a bunch a tiny drainaige holes then I put the wics (I use about 4-5 wics) in the holes and leave them so they stand straight into the soil, no coiling but I suppose you can if ya wanted they can lay flat as well no biggie, I then fill the buckets full of water so that the wics are sitting maybe a half inch into the water giving 3 to 4 inches of space between the water level and the bottom of your plant basket because you will need to still hand water from up top from time to time this will leave enough space for draining water to fill the extra space. My soil always stays moist but not drenched and that's super important here with a hundred plus degree weather!

 

[2bBlAzEd]

I like your idea though with the pallets and smart pots but damn that's a lot of work but well worth the pay off in the end!!! Hope my info helps.

 

[calstar]

very nice simple system

 

[2bBlAzEd]

Thanks calstar, yeah I put it together after reading a lot of different post from the awesome members here on ICMAG! I Just wanted a system the would not dry out real quick in the case I was not able to water them for a day or so in this high heat!

 

[habeeb]

RO seems a little heavy to me. also as someone said, you always need to add lime, 1- 1/2 tbsp should take care of any problem.. also good to add perlite and EWC, and some rock dust. if you want to add bone or blood go ahead as its not to hot of a soil, but keep in mind your sativas nutes requirements, as it seems my NH are very happy with the mix, but my other strains need way more food.

I just moved, and this stuff seems ok, very light on nutes, but its a mix, your gonna need to add nutes or bottles nutes after 1 week... I just like the bigger bags then other mixes.


also I love to know how wick systems work more. I thought nute mixes get stale after 2 days, and isn't the plant always changing, so every watering you need to adjust?? I would love how people use wick systems, as in theory it does not add up to me, but I know wick systems were very popular back in the day.

 

[2bBlAzEd]

Ok, first of all in my system its pretty simple not much you should have to add up to make since, let me explain. My system is using soil so the soil provides the nutrients and i just fill the bucket with plain water when they get thirsty the water is available to the plants via wicks. Now lets say if I was going to use it like a hydro system I would have to use rockwool, growrocks, pearllite as the medium in the top half of the bucket(hanging basket) and then fill the buckets up with a Nutrient based solution, and of course if you did not want the nutrient base solution to get stale after 2days you would need an air pump/air stone to oxygenate the solution. Hope that helps out habeeb.