bulk soil mixing methodology?

[Papulz]

Howdy everyone, got tons of work starin me in the face and was curious how everyone likes to approach their amending.

i have just under 40 yards of soil to amend with dry ferts.

this is divided into 48 diy smart pots, which are 4' diameter

my mix is hp pro and ewc, and is quite wet.

I see some options, wondering what other people think?

1. shovel/fork manual mixing each.

2. heap up all of the soil and mix with bobcat or somethin.

3. maybe using a drill or mixer inside of each pot?

4. use a concrete mixer

thanks for readin.

 

[OrganicBuds]

I would try to create a layered mix and use a bobcat to mix it up. I just mixed up 6 yards of soil with additives and it took me around 6 hours to get the soil delivered, mixed up, and wheel barrow-ed into my back yard. All mixing was done by hand, so in other words, your job would be huge if done by hand.

Concrete mixer would be nice, however it would not fit 40 yards, so you would have to figure out how to cut down your amendments accordingly.

 

[Papulz]

howdy, thanks for the reply!

yeah i'd figure it at a 7-10 days for 2 people if not more for hand mixing.

I have my ferts premeasured and mixed into bags for each girl, as this was what we did when we installed the pots. dry peats a helluva lot easier to mix.

 

[CanniDo Cowboy]

howdy, thanks for the reply!

yeah i'd figure it at a 7-10 days for 2 people if not more for hand mixing.

I have my ferts premeasured and mixed into bags for each girl, as this was what we did when we installed the pots. dry peats a helluva lot easier to mix.

Hey Pap...Over the years, Ive tried just about all the methods you listed including a paint mixer on the end of a drill and all resulted in either an uneven mix, a helluva lot of work or just a waste of time & effort. I figure if you had access to a tractor/bobcat you'd already be on it and not posting here. LOL Renting either will cost ya around $200 smacks a day if you dont. The concrete mixer is a good option but unless you have a large one, the process can drag on, not to mention having to create an exact mix 4 different times or so, to fill each pot...And of course, not too many folks have a large concrete mixer layin around either.

If your soil isnt too wet, you might try the method Ive been using for a few years, very old school but effective. I lay down an apprx 20ft by 20ft heavy duty tarp (the larger the tarp, the more soil you can process at one time, making things go quicker) close to my garden area, spread my soil around 2 to 4 inches deep (give or take) over 1/3 of the tarp (apprx 16ft x 5 ft) , holding back a few feet from the tarp edges. Carefully using a rake, I lightly work in my dry nutes, evenly into the already spread soil, making sure not to rip or hook the tarp.

If you have 2 guys, each grab the tarp at opposite ends of one side and pull towards the middle, doubling it over, forcing the soil to "roll" being careful not to pull the soil off the tarp obviously! LOL Hit it with the rake to knock it down, and then grab 2 different sides of the tarp and do the same thing, working your way around the tarp while rolling and mixing the soil. Pull the tarp diagonally also. Basically, youre using the tarp to mix the soil.

Usually, I figure how much soil it takes to fill the individual Smart Pot so when I load the tarp and am done mixing, the whole mix not only fills one pot but insures a consistent mix each time. If i'm working with 100 gal pots, the tarp mixes the contents quick and by constantly using a rake or hoe to "finesse", the process goes pretty quick. When you get the process down, you'll find it takes less time to do the mix than it does to wheelbarrow it all to the pot so make sure to place your tarp strategically! CC

PS...Youll know if your loading too much soil onto the tarp, trust me...LOL

 

[Papulz]

howdy cannido, thanks for postin.

i work in the 530 foothills, so as you can guess from our weather my pots are maxed out with moisture.

a friend was strongly advising me to use your tarp method as well.

i dont own a cat or mixer... but can rent a tow behind concrete mixer for 150$ a day or 500 a week.

or rent a cat for 200-300 a day.

a friend has a Rhino with dump bed that i can use for a bit, im leaning toward utilizing that in conjunction with the tow behind mixer.

thoughts?

 

[PuReKnOwLeDgE]

I just got done busting my ass doing about 800gallons by hand, sucked my ass. I have been brain storming this myself and aftee reading your post I did some research and plan tod o some more. I have put thought into this before but I think I am getting somewhere. Here is a unit on youtube that does 4 yards at a time. So far best I have seen but I am going to keep looking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdgjP6zFSrw

Here is the company and their choices, a 2 yard and a 4 yard.

http://www.ellisproducts.com/product.php?cat=22&submitted=1


I just emailed to see how much these are going for, the 4 yard mixer. Looks like a solid simple product, could save my back. I am highly interested int his machine, almost as much as I am the twister trimmer lol

 

[OrganicBuds]

Pureknoledge - I bet they cost around the same, the twister and the soil mixer.

My method when I mixed up 6 yards of soil was dump it on the ground in a thin layer. First 2 yards of compost, then 2 yards of lava rock, then 2 yards of peat and coco. Then on top of that layered mix I added my dry ferts thin and evenly across the top. Then I start at one end and take small scoops strait down into the pile, ensure I get all layers in one scoop. Then I make a mound, scooping and mixing as I go. Once your thin layer turns into a mound, you are pretty well mixed up by this point. Like I said before, took about 6 hours for 6 yards.

 

[CanniDo Cowboy]

Pureknoledge - I bet they cost around the same, the twister and the soil mixer.

My method when I mixed up 6 yards of soil was dump it on the ground in a thin layer. First 2 yards of compost, then 2 yards of lava rock, then 2 yards of peat and coco. Then on top of that layered mix I added my dry ferts thin and evenly across the top. Then I start at one end and take small scoops strait down into the pile, ensure I get all layers in one scoop. Then I make a mound, scooping and mixing as I go. Once your thin layer turns into a mound, you are pretty well mixed up by this point. Like I said before, took about 6 hours for 6 yards.

Hey Org...Yea, sometimes ya just gotta git to it n do it. LOL Those commercial mixers are nice but I'm not sure the cost would justify the short pre plant time use. It seems a fella could mix 40 yds in one day no sweat, but then what do you do with it the rest of the season? Looks like a great machine but I'm sure the cost is in the $1000.00'. if I had money to burn, yea I'd have one...Not sure I would compare a Trimmer to a mixer. Mixing soil, even by hand and at the worst, is over in a few days. A Trimmer, if youre into that sort of things, can save weeks and weeks and weeks...LOL

I own a big tractor but unfortunately, it isnt really ideal for mixing soil unless you have a hard level area or concrete slab on which to mix. If the ground isnt level and firm, you end up scraping up native soil and all that comes with it- rocks, weeds etc. The Worm Farm in Chico uses a Bobcat on a shed covered concrete slab. They are probably the best and quickest Ive seen at the tractor mixing method but the concrete slab makes all the difference cause the tractor bucket can float to the slab, not having to worry about major dirt divots...CC

 

[SeaMaiden]

I'd hit it with a tiller, since we already own a tiller. I'd have it laid directly onto the ground (40 yards of dirt is a FUCKING SHIT-TON of dirt!), create furrows, then till in.

 

[supermanlives]

concrete mixer for sure.compost tumblers work too. i once had a big round ball. open cap addd ingredients and roll around. cement mixer is best tho. just buy a mixer. you can get decent ones for like 500$ or cheaper if you go smaller

 

[Papulz]

c-mixer and the rhino/wheel barrow for haulin is what im currently leanin toward indeed.

loving the helpfulness and attitude here, great vibes thanks much for all the recommendations.

 

[CanniDo Cowboy]

I'd hit it with a tiller, since we already own a tiller. I'd have it laid directly onto the ground (40 yards of dirt is a FUCKING SHIT-TON of dirt!), create furrows, then till in.

LOL...yea, 40 yards is a lot of dirt. About 4 ten-wheeler dump trucks worth...The BIG grow-leagues for sure. A fella ought to have a pretty fair mixing plan in place or spring planting will pass you by while youre still workin on a good heart attack...lol CC

 

[OrganicBuds]

I don't see how a cement mixer would help......now a cement truck would be different.

 

[PuReKnOwLeDgE]

Should hear something back early this week on pricing, it is something I would consider. I am still young and it could save my back over the years. Also I can rent it out to help pay the cost and upkeep.

 

[PuReKnOwLeDgE]

Search soil mixer on ebay, there is a 1 yard mixer for 5700.00, a 2 yard for 8500.00. Something like this is for sure going on my dream sheet of stuff to get whether I keep running soil or not, will be an asset in my later substaniable lifestyle years.

Here is a half yard mixer, this will be more up my alley. I basically must have this unit ASAP lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_VRWmP_x-4

I am going to guess it to be in the 3-4K range based on the ebay prices for 1 and 2 yard.

 

[SeaMaiden]

I've never seen a cement mixer that held more than what appears to be, say... 100 gallons volume. I can see someone spending days, if not weeks, mixing FORTY CUBIC YARDS of dirt with one of those things. Gotta shovel it UP into the mixer before you can dump it, too.

LOL...yea, 40 yards is a lot of dirt. About 4 ten-wheeler dump trucks worth...The BIG grow-leagues for sure. A fella ought to have a pretty fair mixing plan in place or spring planting will pass you by while youre still workin on a good heart attack...lol CC

Exactly! I get my soil in 5-10yd increments, and when moving and mixing by hand...? I'm preparing to get another 2yds, even that will be dealt with using the tiller.

You could look at it as a great way to get in shape, too. Just hope whoever's doing the mixing & moving has a good back, oy!

 

[Papulz]

go big or go home right?

i got a good deal on promix last year. =)

not sure if i want to go for the big mixer rental or just buy a smaller one.

i figure with a 4 cf mixer @ 10 minutes per batch thats roughly 40 hours of mixing.

since on the surface it seems like a monumental task, I've been looking at it as an incremental piece by piece accomplishment.

4 cf is just under 5 - 5gal buckets so it seems like a reasonable pace as far as the shovel feeding goes.

OR

with the a 1 or 1.75 yd tow behind mixer i could theoretically mix most of it in maybe 2 days.. the constraining factor being the manual loading of thousands and thousands of pounds of wet peat.



sidenote : I do the DIY smarties nowadays because I've tried to plant in ground after amending @ my site and I couldnt even cover gas expenses with those results.. hence all the mix in the pots.

 

[PuReKnOwLeDgE]

Ok the 1/2 cubic yard mixer with an inclined conveyor belt at Pack Manufacturing is 6500.00! Damn, I was seriously hoping for the 3-4K mark, 6500.00 is alot...If it will last me until the end of time maybe. Oh and that is without frieght cost, I would just drive and pick it up most likely.


The video link on this page is sexy.

http://www.packmanufacturing.com/12batchmixer.html

 

[ghettochild]

all that ganja make you lazy?

 

[SeaMaiden]

Oh. My. God.

Ok, so over the past week I've received two delightfully unexpected loads of wood chips, partially composted (quite warm, woot!). I SERIOUSLY could use a bucket loader. I've been moving the chips around by hand, 5gal buckets at a time, and it looks as though I haven't moved a thing.

Each load is 10yds, so I now have 20yds of wood chips to move around the property. Even the arches of my feet are sore today, LMAO! It's been a looooong time since I've been able to do work like that and I can feel it.

Pureknowledge, have you Craigslisted?