need your opinion on my outdoor soil mix

[f424]

hi guys need your opinion on my soil mix

i'll need 280 litres of soil mix

base soil:

1/3 my native soil
1/3 home-made compost
1/3 perlite

additives:

0,7l alfalfa
0,7l kelp meal
0,7l fish meal
0,5l bat guano (high in P)


comment on my native soil: it was taken from the place where grows alot of nettles. in touch it feels spongy and nice aerated. here at my places people tell that its one of the best soils because nettles needs a good quality soil and it doesn't grow anywhere, just in few places.


i know that my soil mix isn't very diverse in components but that is because here where i live is very hard to get a lot of these organic things you guys talk about. i need to look for a lot of substitutes. sometimes i envy you that huge availibility of organic foods that you have there lol. where i live this 'organic gardening' industry is crawling yet, but i think that things are hopefully moving in the right direction.

i'm wondering about adding dolomite lime into my soil mix. i was using it last season i think it locks absorption of water. the water was percolating into the soil very slowly. it could be of course due to other factors that i didn't knew about.
because my soil will be used in outdoor growing and i will have reduced visits i'm considering using 'hydrogel'. i belive you guys call it here water crystals. i wanted to hear your opinion about this additive. i'm thinking it will be no more 'organic' soil when i add it but also i think it won't lock out the microbiological life in my soil.


when i'll get my soil mixed i'm gonna let it 'cook' probably in plastic container for about 2 weeks and then use it. what i want to ask in this aspect is, can i throw there a few red wigglers so they could make my soil better quality especially my compost?


ps. i'll use this mix for flower. for veg i think my base soil will be good enough.​

 

[OldSSSCGuy]

To me dolomite is more for steady pH control than nutrition. Kind of like perlite is for drainage... I would be cautious with the gel water retaining stuff. Its inert and safe (same stuff they use in disposable baby diapers). But it can also cause pockets of gel and uneven root development because of it. Good drainage and regular watering is better to me...

 

[RanchoDeluxe]

Looks like about 70 gallons of dirt or about 7 cubic feet. If it were me this is what I would do:

Base soil mix looks good I'd add: 1/2 cup kelp, High P guano, alfalfa. I would also try and add 1/2 cup oyster shell....forget dolomite lime. Try and source some rock dusts, even if this means collecting it from a rock crushing outfit or finding it yourself in local streams. The stinging nettles can be made into a great all around fertilizer for your plants as well. I would mulch w/ them.

For watering a good thick layer of mulch will help. I've had limited success by making a pinhole or two in a 5gal bucket w/ a finish nail in the bottom and placing them next to the plant. You can also bury the buckets and make wicks out of some rope.

 

[f424]

thanks guys great posts!

@RanchoDeluxe do you think this amount of additives you posted will be enough for 70 gallons of soil? Thats about 0,1% in total. Will it be enough for 'water till end' conception?
I can locate oyster shells in here no problem. Its rather calcium source than pH control right?
Rock dusts sound nice.. but can you tell me something more about them? What kind of dusts are the best? Granites, basalts or something else?
Great advices on them nettles! I'm gonna make some teas and mulch with them also. Seems like a great source of nutrients.
You convicted me on the 'mulch' idea. I will bring it to the game for sure but I still need to be more educated on this subject..

Thanks for responses mate, you really convicted me how much different organic nutrients are around me lol.

@OldSSSCGuy yeah mate I'll give up on this gel stuff. It seems there are much better solutions for my problem.

 

[RanchoDeluxe]

Hey sorry man. The amounts I recommended are for 1 cubic foot. Sounds like you are across the pond. I would try and ask W89 what he's been using for rock dusts. VerdantGreen and SilverSurfer could help ya out there too.

Despite all the myths out there....microbes are what control pH.

I always love the "will it be water only if I use this soil mix?" Well, are you growing a 12 foot tree in a 5 gal bucket or are you growing a 3ft plant in a 45gallon smart pot? The only real answer is...it depends man. Why not give them a stinging nettle tea once in awhile if your plants are surrounded by them anyway? I'm guessing you have a bunch of Comfrey in your area as well???? Another good one there.

 

[RicoT]

Looks like about 70 gallons of dirt or about 7 cubic feet. If it were me this is what I would do:

Base soil mix looks good I'd add: 1/2 cup kelp, High P guano, alfalfa. I would also try and add 1/2 cup oyster shell....forget dolomite lime. Try and source some rock dusts, even if this means collecting it from a rock crushing outfit or finding it yourself in local streams. The stinging nettles can be made into a great all around fertilizer for your plants as well. I would mulch w/ them.

For watering a good thick layer of mulch will help. I've had limited success by making a pinhole or two in a 5gal bucket w/ a finish nail in the bottom and placing them next to the plant. You can also bury the buckets and make wicks out of some rope.

Wouldn't 70 gallons be closer to 10 cu ft than 7? Just trying to clarify whether everyone is using 7 or 10 gallons for a cubic foot..?

 

[RanchoDeluxe]

^^^^^
Yeah man, you're right. Must have gotten fucked up going from metric to standard. Some people say 6.7something, some say 7gallons is a cubic foot. To make shit even more confusing in England I believe it's 7.5 per cu. ft. But yeah you're right...I was off a bit.

 

[DevilWeedSeeds]

Hey Rancho, check my sig link might be some good ideas there for to add out of my mix.

 

[John Deere]

I'm not a fan of perlite, especially outdoors. It floats in the soil and blows around and just looks gross. There are better choices available. I'm using (landscaping) lava rocks.