Any Quick Thoughts on My Soil Recipe?

[rrog]

This is a recipe designed to have air pumped from below. I'm trying 1/2 the grow with air and the other 1/2 without. The soil formula for both is:

35% rough coco
20% humus
12% big Vermiculite
10% big Perlite
6% medium coco
Amendments

I assume soil formulations are like opinions and everyone will have their own preference. I don't have time to acquire a lot of exotic ingredients, and I have all of the previously listed materials. I'm not thinking there's a tragic flaw in the recipe above, but I thought I'd throw it out there just in case.

Thanks for any quick thoughts.

 

[Sam the Caveman]

Looks fine to me, but the numbers only add up to 83% total. I think everyone will have their own recepie that they prefer based on their own experience, so to each his own.

I use (rough percentages) 20% each of coco, peat moss, composted cow manure, humus and perlite. A little more perlite and a little less of the others plus amendments.

 

[rrog]

Thanks Sam

 

[TACOE]

Total is 82%. I would up the perlite. What are you using for humus and amendments?



I mean 83. Sam said it

 

[rrog]

37% Coarse Coco
7% medium Coco
10% Coarse Perlite
12% coarse Vermiculite
20% Humus

Balance of volume is Blood meal, Bio Tone, Kelp, Worm Castings, and bone meal. Some Epsom salt, myco madness and a pinch of lime as well.

This worked well before and I'd like to see about keeping this formula the same. Assuming there's not a glaring problem with this recipe, then the only variable is that three pails had air and the other three had no air. Soil and seed genetics are the same.

 

[vonforne]

Hey rrog, looks good to me. Might want to use some Citric acid in the water to help with the P. Coco causes problems with this.....IMO.

Keep us posted on how that medium you made turns out.

Are you just watering with out a nutrient tea or something?

V

 

[rrog]

Hello V. Thanks for your thoughts also. I treat the coco by soaking in boiled RO water with CalMag+, pH to 5.2. Many boiled water Also acidic CalMag) rinses.

I plan to just use the amendments. If the 12 week SSH phenos show up, I would add tea later in flower.

Again I'd like to go with this soil mix to keep variables to a minimum. This is hardly a scientific comparison as it is. I'm just doing it to sort of show myself that the air isn't helping or helping enough to justify it.

This mix is going in 5 gallon pails. For these three non-aerated pails, I had planned to have the same lava rock res in the bottom of the pail. Perhaps also have a 1/2" dia pipe all the way to the bottom to allow me to measure the water level and have the ability to remove some if necessary. Other than that pipe, there would be no air pumped

 

[mad librettist]

Any Quick Thoughts on My Soil Recipe?

switch out the coco for something with internal porosity.


espoma soil perfecter is expensive but needs no screening.

 

[rrog]

Thanks MadL. The more I change the mix, the more variables I'll have. Unless there's a fatal flaw in the recipe (which I'm not hearing from the group) I would prefer to keep it as-is.

I'm going to look at the Epsoma product you mentioned, however

 

[Sam the Caveman]

I use the Biotone plus, it has beneficial fungi whereas the regular biotone doesn't.

 

[rrog]

I should have been more specific. The Biotone I listed is the Biotone Plus.

 

[mad librettist]

Thanks MadL. The more I change the mix, the more variables I'll have. Unless there's a fatal flaw in the recipe (which I'm not hearing from the group) I would prefer to keep it as-is.

I'm going to look at the Epsoma product you mentioned, however

yeah, it's more variables, but on the other hand it's one variable less: both media would be designed to work as applied. Right now you are comparing your OBBT mix to the same thing without the pump.

It's a bit like you are comparing 2 sail boats in two days on the same water, but with different wind.


just my .02$

 

[rrog]

I understand your point. Too late to overhaul the overall formulation, and not seeing the current recipe as fatally flawed. Frankly I thought I'd have more people advocating changes, so I think I'm good.

Doing 1/2 air and 1/2 no air is a last minute change and I'm only doing this to learn.

Ideally I'd have a super-soil mix with no air, then the above-listed mix with no air, and lastly the above mix with air.

Thanks to all for all the feedback.

 

[rrog]

switch out the coco for something with internal porosity.

espoma soil perfecter is expensive but needs no screening.

both media would be designed to work as applied. Right now you are comparing your OBBT mix to the same thing without the pump.

MadL, Your suggestion is a better approach. Are you suggesting I simply substitute all coco (coarse and medium) for the Espoma Soil Perfector? Volume for volume?

I could probably get that quickly. That's a change I could manage.

 

[mad librettist]

MadL, Your suggestion is a better approach. Are you suggesting I simply substitute all coco (coarse and medium) for the Espoma Soil Perfector? Volume for volume?

well you can always wait for me to try it. The 8th quarter of my perpetual gang is gonna be based on something like this.

 

[rrog]

Got it. Well, I figured if it was a simple exchange of coco for Espoma SP I could do that. I have to make the soil now and let it percolate for a couple weeks before planting. So I guess this time I'll have to go with what I have (coco).

I'll start a grow log in case anyone's interested.