What type of potting mix?

[Craven_au]

Gday guys hoping you could help this organic outdoor noob out.

I'm looking for a easy not too complex potting mix recipes my source Bunnings they have pretty much everything just not blood meal or bone meal separately.

I went there today, some of the potting mixes looked like they would do the job, i guess they all could. But what one or combination to use.

what picked my interest was 3 different types and cow manure.

Black gold potting mix
A sugarcane potting mix
and one containing gypsum
add some perlite blood & bone dolomite lime and cow manure and i think i have a good mix what do you guys think?

 

[Craven_au]

I took the day off because off a cold and did some reading.

like to thank SilverSurfer_OG for starting Organic Fanatics - Australia great thread man R+ helped me heaps.

LC’s Soiless Mix 1 looks like the one for me.
5 parts Canadian Sphagnum Peat or Coir or Pro-Moss
3 parts perlite
2 parts worm castings or mushroom compost or home made compost
Powdered (NOT PELLETED) dolomite lime @ 2 tablespoons per gallon or 1 cup per cubic foot of the soiless mix.

I have some blood & bone with potash to add to the mix. I also have Natures Own Guano Grow 10-10-2 & Bloom 1-9-1 do you think i maybe over doing it?

 

[High Country]

I'm no expert in the organic field but have used Yates Pro Mix from Bunnings in the past for maintaining mother plants. It has slow release fertilizer in it, water crystals and it smelled good too. Seemed to do the job and still use it for mums.

Funny you couldn't get blood and bone from Bunnings cos my nearest store has heaps of it. I'm not in to complicated soil mixes and find most of the high quality potting mixes will do the job just fine.

 

[Mountain_Monkey]

How much are you looking at growing? I usually grab a few bags of perlite the same number of vermiculite and a slab of coco which I give a really good rinsing out to get all the salts and slow release ferts out and mix the lot together. I've found you get really fast growth and it isn't as fussy as either of the 3 when used on their own or a per/ver mix. It doesn't dry out as quickly either, something about the mix keeps a bit more moisture in, I think it's the coco mixing in and acting as a bonding agent almost which has this effect. I don't know if it's what you would consider using (plus it's not all that cheap compared to the alternatives) but for me it's done the job and pretty well I might add.

 

[Craven_au]

I'm no expert in the organic field but have used Yates Pro Mix from Bunnings in the past for maintaining mother plants. It has slow release fertilizer in it, water crystals and it smelled good too. Seemed to do the job and still use it for mums.

Funny you couldn't get blood and bone from Bunnings cos my nearest store has heaps of it. I'm not in to complicated soil mixes and find most of the high quality potting mixes will do the job just fine.

how it been HC its been awhile, they do have blood & bone, just not blood meal or bone meal if i have it right you can get them separately and mix it up your self 2parts bone 1part blood.

I Just can't find the stuff.

 

[Craven_au]

How much are you looking at growing? I usually grab a few bags of perlite the same number of vermiculite and a slab of coco which I give a really good rinsing out to get all the salts and slow release ferts out and mix the lot together. I've found you get really fast growth and it isn't as fussy as either of the 3 when used on their own or a per/ver mix. It doesn't dry out as quickly either, something about the mix keeps a bit more moisture in, I think it's the coco mixing in and acting as a bonding agent almost which has this effect. I don't know if it's what you would consider using (plus it's not all that cheap compared to the alternatives) but for me it's done the job and pretty well I might add.

Just 2 nice size plants outdoors in 2x40L Styrofoam boxes.

Why do you use vermiculite? I know it holds water well but so does coco. why not just more coco?

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

Sounds like you on the right track Craven

Thanks for the props yeah LC's#1 rocks. Outdoors it does great it just dries out very fast. This can be used to our advantage because it will feed lots too. If you hook up a simple drip system and use a manual timer for say 1-2 hours of dripping per day (or maybe more in heat waves) then it almost grows itself

Of course if your tap water is no good then forget about that unless you got rainwater tank.

You will be doing very well if you can find just bone meal... its only available as blood n bone every where i have looked.

 

[Craven_au]

Time to pass out still sick thanks 4 the reply's guys

 

[Mountain_Monkey]

I find it gives a more aerated feel to the mix so if I choose to pack the mix lightly I can (then as it compacts I can add something heavier to stop the stuff blowing away) and it also...works I guess??? I happened upon the mix by accident as I had a beautiful ver/per mix ready for use (man I hate! washing the stuff, never ends!) one day when I accidentally (blazed!) poured a load of cyco coco mix into it. I figured I may aswell add the entire bag of coco so I did and I've found it's a great indoor or outdoor mix and is not only reusable but seems to get better each use as it comes alive as roots break down in it etc. I'm really happy with it and even when I use hydro nutes with it I just make sure I flush whatever I am growing in it very well. It wasn't really a matter of choosing what went in but I see your point, may actually try that mix next time....

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

O yeah the organic gurus on here highly recommend using some good, local soil in the mix. Look for some sweet smelling forest humus etc in your area and carry some home

 

[Guest 114956]

if it comes down to it debco organic mix its at bunnings then just add the extras used many times..

 

[Craven_au]

Sounds like you on the right track Craven

Thanks for the props yeah LC's#1 rocks. Outdoors it does great it just dries out very fast. This can be used to our advantage because it will feed lots too. If you hook up a simple drip system and use a manual timer for say 1-2 hours of dripping per day (or maybe more in heat waves) then it almost grows itself

Of course if your tap water is no good then forget about that unless you got rainwater tank.

You will be doing very well if you can find just bone meal... its only available as blood n bone every where i have looked.

thank you SilverSurfer
Dries out fast you say, I don't like that, less perlite 2 parts 20% or 15% more coco i like that. I can also get free worm castings my tap water is good pH 7.

Your not wrong bone meal is hard to find, had a search and found that it can be found at pet shops and livestock feed store.
Looks like we sell it all around the world just not here why does that not surprise me

 

[Craven_au]

if it comes down to it debco organic mix its at bunnings then just add the extras used many times..

thanks m8 I don't know why they sell so meany different brand for. its like buying vitamins always gives me a headache.

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

Yeah you can go pure coco (if you wish) which will yield explosive growth with a dripper. But for 100% organic i would personally only use the Nutrifield brand as its pre-buffered for cal/mag.

You can add water crystals, dry seaweed chips, vermiculite, bio-char or humus (castings/compost) to retain water. Hempy buckets or some kind of wick system will work great with any coco based medium and allow for less waterings. So will LOTS of mulch.

But no getting away from the fact any container is gonna dry out fast in hot weather.

I had great success with LC's#1 and a drip last season. But it was a bad summer. If you in SA or anywhere its gonna get up to 40 degrees i would have white containers and some kind of heat shield.

In the ground is best way of dealing with really hot weather i reckon. That or a big res and a wick...

White Rhino in a 24litre hempy + drip. Think i got about 6oz off her form memory

 

[bonsai]

if it comes down to it debco organic mix its at bunnings then just add the extras used many times..

Use this instead of peat or coir in the LC's mix recipe. Works great outdoors, much better than coir. I often use the above as a base for potting mix. It's also B's cheapest mix. Win!

The slow-release ferts and water crystals in Yates, et all, aren't organic, and you asked for organic.

If you have trouble with soil drying out, swap half of the perlite for diatomaceous earth.

 

[Craven_au]

Yeah you can go pure coco (if you wish) which will yield explosive growth with a dripper. But for 100% organic i would personally only use the Nutrifield brand as its pre-buffered for cal/mag.

You can add water crystals, dry seaweed chips, vermiculite, bio-char or humus (castings/compost) to retain water. Hempy buckets or some kind of wick system will work great with any coco based medium and allow for less waterings. So will LOTS of mulch.

But no getting away from the fact any container is gonna dry out fast in hot weather.

I had great success with LC's#1 and a drip last season. But it was a bad summer. If you in SA or anywhere its gonna get up to 40 degrees i would have white containers and some kind of heat shield.

In the ground is best way of dealing with really hot weather i reckon. That or a big res and a wick...

White Rhino in a 24litre hempy + drip. Think i got about 6oz off her form memory

Been using NF coco and nutrients 4 some time now great stuff.
thanks 4 the advice SilverSurfer i have all i need 4 that drip system, hope i don't run into 2 many problems.

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

Too easy mate. The only problem i ran into was cold weather and a slight magnesium deficiency which was sorted with a couple of espom salt sprays.

I highly recommend the calcium phosphate recipe - roast eggshells and vinegar. Instructions in my organic fanatic thread