How much compost?

[Bullfrog44]

Mixing up a soil for a buddy today. He is being cheap and only wants to add compost to native soil for an outdoor grow. Can anybody tell me how much compost to add to native soil? The native soil is of good quality, but nothing has been amended other than naturally for years. This would be a great help, I didn't allow myself much time for research. Thanks everybody!

 

[mostnonymouse]

What type of compost? Manure? Plant compost? Bagged compost? You could just dig some holes and fill them with as much compost as you can and grow directly in it depending on what it's comprised of.

 

[soil margin]

Yes assuming it's high quality compost that has broken down into a soil-like material then go ahead and use as much as you have.

Animal manure and other high nitrogen composts should be amended into other soil at a 5:1ish ratio from what I've heard recommended. I haven't used manure yet personally.

 

[jaykush]

the more the better. big holes too.

 

[Microbeman]

^^^^^^^^

 

[guest2012y]

I have indeed grown a plant with no troubles in properly made compost alone.

 

[Bullfrog44]

You guys are awesome. I read your posts before getting started and I feel confident that what we did should produce some nice plants.

The compost being used is the best stuff I could find in my area. Here is the description...

Diestel Structured Compost delivers vitality to the soil. The ingredients are sourced directly from the Diestel family turkey ranch where turkeys are allowed to develop at a natural growth rate in a free range environment. The turkeys are antibiotic, hormone and chemical free. The carbon used to make the Diestel Structured Compost comes from forest trimmings from the Sierra Nevada Foothills. The compost is given time and consistent attention to develop into a dark brown, fresh smelling, living compost ready to add life and feed your plants. Diestel Structured Compost is completely finished and is OMRI listed.

U-Sack $4.50
Cubic Yard $86.00 Sold in 1/2 yard increments

We got a half yard of this compost, 5 cubic feet of 5/16's lava rocks, some mycrorize, and some Bio Life feed. We mixed about 60% compost to 40% native soil and mixed about 1 cubic foot of lava rock per plant hole. Each plant hole is about 65-100 gal. This filled up 3 holes and about 1 half of another. We have 8 holes all together we are trying to fill, so I think another half yard will do, maybe some extra lava rocks and native soil.

Anybody have anything to add for our next round planting that we should be doing in the next couple of days? Unless anybody see's anything wrong with this I might just stick with it. I have extra alfalfa and bone meal and things like that, but do we really need it?

Thanks again everybody, it really helped me out in a bind today. I have been trying to plan this out with this guy for months but he can't come up with the money. So I finally said F it and paid for it myself. All that for 75$, however they forgot to charge me for the lava rocks. I already called and left a message, I have to go back, I would look like an ass if they knew, lol.

 

[Scrappy4]

I have indeed grown a plant with no troubles in properly made compost alone.

While I'm not quite there yet anyway, I doubt I will buy more soil mixes. I've been composting my old soil mixes with my leaf/grass/weed/alfalfa compost, and every time I fill pots, I have more compost and less peat. If it wasn't for the perlite it would be hard to tell..".scrappy

 

[Bullfrog44]

This is outdoor or indoor scrappy?

 

[Scrappy4]

Mostly indoor but both. In my veggie garden (400sq ft) the plants got a shovel full of compost in each hole. Plus I have about a dozen tomatoes in smart pots outside, and an assortment of now outside herbs like basil, lavender, oregano, rosemary, sage, parsley. My indoor garden is small time, four 7 gallon pots, in flower, and four 2 gallon pots in veg. All the containers indoor and out have pretty much the same mix. The beauty of it all is how my yard waste is fueling all this compost, although I did buy alfalfa meal, and started it with bakashi. So for $24 in alfalfa meal, whatever the bakashi costs, my time and effort, I got probably 500 gallons of compost, cool eh? Scrappy

Edit- I have two bales of pro mix and several large bags of Ewc , plus extra perlite in there too

 

[mostnonymouse]

That sounds pretty awesome scrappy. You're going about it the right way. No need to give the grow shops your entire hard earned paycheck to grow a little smoke and veggies. Compost is King!

 

[guest2012y]

While I'm not quite there yet anyway, I doubt I will buy more soil mixes. I've been composting my old soil mixes with my leaf/grass/weed/alfalfa compost, and every time I fill pots, I have more compost and less peat. If it wasn't for the perlite it would be hard to tell..".scrappy

I just grew a plant in compost to see if it worked...no other reason. Compost is a key part of building proper functioning living organic indoor soil mixes.
I've been adding compost on every recycle at about 5-10% of the total indoor soil mix.
Having compost in the mix I don't have to add as much peat or vermiculite,the water holding ability of compost is excellent.

If you're out of EWC...topdress or make an ACT with compost and you'll get similar results.

Build that soil kids!!! It really does get better and better and better if you do it right....how much better can it get...I dunno.

 

[jaykush]

wow diestel compost is expensive where you are. i thought 50 was a lot where i am. it used to be 40 last year. for a full yard.

 

[Scrappy4]

I just grew a plant in compost to see if it worked...no other reason. Compost is a key part of building proper functioning living organic indoor soil mixes.
I've been adding compost on every recycle at about 5-10% of the total indoor soil mix.
Having compost in the mix I don't have to add as much peat or vermiculite,the water holding ability of compost is excellent.

If you're out of EWC...topdress or make an ACT with compost and you'll get similar results.

Build that soil kids!!! It really does get better and better and better if you do it right....how much better can it get...I dunno.

And how did the plant do compared with your others? Did you add aireation?

Good point on using compost instead of EWC, not normal advice for sure, but I believe a well made compost will beat a poor store bought EWC. It's too bad there is not on site testing for EWC at hydro stores, cause there seems to be a lot of junk out there. And now that EWC seems so popular, the profiteers are reaping ill deserved gains............scrappy

 

[Bullfrog44]

Jaykush - everything in the bay area is expensive. I live in a piece of crap small house that costs $600,000. So, yea. The compost is expensive. Good shit though.

 

[Bullfrog44]

Any other advice before I mix up the other holes on Saturday mourning?