Need advice on this soil mix.

[CheifnBud2]

Ok, this is for outdoors. heres the plan.

1 part fox farm ocean forest.
2 parts peat moss.
2 parts perlite.
2 tsb powdered dolomite lime per gallon.
1 tsb blood/bone meal per gallon.

Does that sound like it will work well?

 

[guest2012y]

Where's the kelp meal,compost,EWC??..... remember 1 cup of powdered dolomite per cubic foot of peat,not overall soil mix...especially if you aren't going to incorporate EWC or compost. You'd be better off with a good compost over the foxfarm bagged soil mix....

 

[CheifnBud2]

well weve already decided foxfarm is part of the mix, because of the results weve had with it.

How much kelp meal and how many tsb PER GALLON for the peat moss?

Thanks for the input.

 

[guest2012y]

When you say "part".....what is the volume of 1 part?
1 to 2 tablespoons of dolomite per gallon of peat.

I'd use 1 1/2 cups kelp meal per 5 gallons of soil mix...but remember to take into consideration the amount of any nutes/ferts in the foxfarm. I highly recommend getting some (if any) amount of EWC or compost in there.

 

[CT Guy]

I'm not sure why you're sold on the Fox Farm. I'm with CC, get some high quality earthworm castings in your mix.

 

[CheifnBud2]

ok how bout this...

1 part fox farm
1 part EC
1 part perlite
1 part peat moss ( what kind do you reccomend, baled or miracle grow enriched?)
1 cup kelp meal per 5 gallons
1.5 tsb dolomite lime per gallon
1 tsb blood and bone meal per gallon.

to be watered with RO water.

 

[Vincent VanGrow]

Hey Chief,

That's a whole lot of Kelp meal there. Try 2 TBS per gallon and see how that works. You can always add more, but you can't take....you know the rest. Fox Farms is known to use cheap fillers and poor quality ammendments, but I'm going to let you come to your own conclusions on that. If I may suggest from my own personal experience, go out and buy some Alfalfa meal this second. I've been using for over a year now, and it really is an amazing product for the organic gardener. As a top dressing, it's outstanding. Alf teas with EWC are incredible. Of course mixing it in with your soil works wonders, but make sure you cook it down for a couple of weeks. Be sparing with it, it WILL burn your plants, but only if your careless with it. Start with 1 TBS per gallon when ammending and go from there. Less is more...

Get some minerals in there ASAP. Soft rock phosphate is common everywhere, Azomite is harder to find, but well worth it, gypsum, glacial rock dusts, and a bunch more. Minerals are very, very important for maximizing growth, health, yield, flavor, etc...you get the idea.

Good luck

 

[Scrappy4]

Here's an idea, use the fox farm on some plants, and the new mix on the others. That way you could see how each works in comparison.......scrappy

 

[guest2012y]

"That's a whole lot of Kelp meal there."
Not really considering the 4 month or longer breakdown rate of kelp meal,it's minimal NPK rating,and it's being used outdoors where it's properties will be a bit more leached away in the surrounding soil than in pots..it's only 1 1/2 cups in 5 gallons of soil mix. Of course the amount you add to the mix is depending on what's in the foxfarm...which probably has some kelp meal.
I've used kelp meal around the 1 1/2 cup per 5 gallon rate in my outdoor holes give or take a half cup for over 15 years.......I'm pretty confident it's just fine.

 

[CT Guy]

I also agree that alfalfa meal is a must-have along with the kelp....

 

[CheifnBud2]

OK ive decided...
1 part fox farms.
2 parts Peat moss.
1 part earthworm castings.
2 parts perlite.
10 tablespoons of kelp meal per 6 gallons.
5 tablespoons blood meal per 6 gallons.
10 tablespoons bone meal per 6 gallons.

to be watered with RO and rain water. mabey some liquid karma at 1/2 tsb per gallon for first watering.

2-3 tablespoons less on each of the ammendments because i dont want the soil to be too hot.

what bloom ferts do you guys recommend, or will i need any?

 

[guest2012y]

You have the bone meal,but could also incorporate other types of phos that have a different release rates. Maybe throw in some hard AND soft rock phosphate both,fish bone meal,etc. That would be good,just hit the soil with an ACT every couple weeks.....and have some EWC on the side for topdressing if any issues develop.

 

[Iron_Lion]

imo that is way too much lime, fox farm is already pH balanced, not much amending needed there.

also my suggestion for peat is get fox farm planting mix, its pretty much an already ph balanced mix of peat, guano and ewc, takes the brain works out of it.

I've been using fox farm soil mixes for years and I know it doesnt need much.

also, I thought bone and blood was bad to use outdoors because it attracts animals.

 

[GanjaSnake]

Hey Chief,

That's a whole lot of Kelp meal there. Try 2 TBS per gallon and see how that works. You can always add more, but you can't take....you know the rest. Fox Farms is known to use cheap fillers and poor quality ammendments, but I'm going to let you come to your own conclusions on that. If I may suggest from my own personal experience, go out and buy some Alfalfa meal this second. I've been using for over a year now, and it really is an amazing product for the organic gardener. As a top dressing, it's outstanding. Alf teas with EWC are incredible. Of course mixing it in with your soil works wonders, but make sure you cook it down for a couple of weeks. Be sparing with it, it WILL burn your plants, but only if your careless with it. Start with 1 TBS per gallon when ammending and go from there. Less is more...

Get some minerals in there ASAP. Soft rock phosphate is common everywhere, Azomite is harder to find, but well worth it, gypsum, glacial rock dusts, and a bunch more. Minerals are very, very important for maximizing growth, health, yield, flavor, etc...you get the idea.

Good luck

You should see what bunny poo does for ya

Since they basically eat alfalfa meal, they help start the breakdown process. I'll use a cup of dried bunny poo in a 10gal mix! Good shit!

 

[michael68]

You should see what bunny poo does for ya

Since they basically eat alfalfa meal, they help start the breakdown process. I'll use a cup of dried bunny poo in a 10gal mix! Good shit!

Yep, I use local rabbit manure quite a bit. Throw some around my plants and water for a feeding.

 

[CheifnBud2]

final idea.

final idea.

OK ive decided...
3 parts Peat moss.
1 part earthworm castings.
2 parts perlite.
3 table spoons alfalfa meal per 6 gallons.
5 tablespoons of kelp meal per 6 gallons.
3 tablespoons blood meal per 6 gallons.
7 tablespoons bone meal per 6 gallons.
4 tablespoons dolomite lime per 6 gallons.

to be watered with RO and rain water. mabey some liquid karma at 1/2 tsb per gallon for first watering.

 

[CT Guy]

Still no alfalfa meal? Your local feed store should have it, and it's cheap. Totally worth the time to source....

 

[CheifnBud2]

ok, add a cup of alfalfa meal per 6 gallons i guess. LOL.

 

[Bullfrog44]

How are you guys coming up with these combinations and quantities?

 

[SmokinErb]

I'm with bullfrog. I still don't quite get that part. I was going to run with a LC's mix, but that's just bone/blood/kelp.

From my understanding different things are available at different times. So I'm assuming you want some P and K in there that's a slow release to last you throughout flower as well?