The growing large plants, outdoors, thread...

[Yes4Prop215]

im also wondering how vermifire works compared to black gold and some of the other soils. its usually around 200 cheaper per pallet and its made locally real close by so real easy to get. one of my soil guys says that he prefers to use the regular vermicrop soil and amend it himself instead of the vermifire. vermifire will burn plants a bit on transplant it seems a bit hot. the regular vermicrop is awesome for veg starts, real fast growth and nice fluffy texture that reminded me of Coco.

I'm looking for some bagged soil to mix/top dress my NorCal blend as well as have some lying around for greenhouse projects. i need about 30 more yards and due to the cramped nature of my terraces, i can't use a bobcat or else id crush all my mounds…so gotta bring in the bags and do it one by one just like the old days!

 

[bamboogardner]

im also wondering how vermifire works compared to black gold and some of the other soils.

As soon as I have the report from the lab, I will post it here. To explain what I did prior to sending off the sample, I took one cup of soil from 20 100 gallon containers that had Vermi Fire new in it last year. I mixed these all up in a large bucket. Then I took one cup of the mix and made sure it was dry. Then I took a brand new bag of Vermi Fire and took out one cup of that new soil. I mixed the one cup of old with the one cup of new. That is the sample I sent off to be analyzed.

So theoretically I am mixing my one year old soil with new at a ratio of 50/50. This works for me since I am moving to 200gal smarties. Wanted to do the mound/trench thing this year but ran out of time, and I have plenty of gophers too. The Smarties have the advantage of eliminating gopher problems, and I don't think I will get dinged too much on yield because of them. Disadvantage being they dry out quicker and add 2 feet of vertical height.

I'll post the report as soon as I get it. In that manner we can all discuss it. The lab should receive it tomorrow, (monday) and since they are back east, should not be swamped by previous soil samples since the whole area is still frozen east of the Rockies, and hopefully I will get the results this week.

For those wondering, Vermi Fire can also be purchased by the truckload, with a 20 yard minimum. Way cheaper than either the totes or bags. Either way, expensive as heck.

 

[Backyard Farmer]

I've seen a smart pot with a gopher hole in the bottom of it.

The mounds are about 2' tall too

 

[Stank J.P.]

I've seen a smart pot with a gopher hole in the bottom of it.

The mounds are about 2' tall too

I have gophers like a motherfucker and they will go right through the bottom of a smartpot. I put some kind gopher-wire or screen under mine to stop them now. Can I get you guys to check this link and see what you think about this thing for a greenhouse kit to do starts and dep?
http://www.amazon.com/Outsunny-Port...id=1393191868&sr=8-15&keywords=greenhouse+kit

 

[Classic Seeds]

there is a company called doyourownpestcontrol.com they have the real sonic repellors in industrial strength they chase all the under ground pests away same with the above ground ones safe toxic free pest removal .if you got power you can run these and stop most critters from munching roots or leafs above ground aloha cls ps I have a friend who used to use the shotgun shell traps we now call him 3 fingered pete they work but also blow up in your hand setting them if your not super carefull if you use the traps stay with the snap type they will not waste your hand or hurt a pet you just dig out the entrance in any hole and place them and bury them and if the marker is sticking up time to empty the your trap good luck what ever your solution

 

[Stank J.P.]

Alright, here we go. Let me know how this soil test looks.
View attachment Soil-20140224-53062.pdf

 

[Backyard Farmer]

Yes4prop , bring in the bobcat, pile the soil that's on the terrace mounds now in one spot and bring you new soil in and rebuild the mounds. It'll be faster than messing with bagged soil or any other option even if it seem initially crazy to scoop the soil that's there In To one pile, the advantage of using heavy machinery can not be beat

 

[25ftGreatWhite]

vermifire is HEAVY in coco. vermifire and smartpots means a whole shitload of water.

 

[milkyjoe]

you will never catch me using vermifire...but to each his own.

 

[OrganicBuds]

Yea, EWSF soil would be the first choice, but I am afraid when I get to filling pots the soil will be so far back logged that it wont happen this year.

 

[bamboogardner]

Yea, EWSF soil would be the first choice.

Who is EWSF?

 

[Yes4Prop215]

earth worm soil factory…OB go put down some money now and dave can hold it until you are ready. I've had to delay my deliveries by two weeks because of the rain…if i can't get it all in tmro before the storm then i gotta wait another 2-3 weeks. the rains turn my soil staging area into a muddy mess and the big trucks will get stuck.

 

[Yes4Prop215]

Alright, here we go. Let me know how this soil test looks.
View attachment 256525

thanks for the results, thats with the vermifire correct, not vermisoil.

looks super high in potash…what do y'all think about that mix.

vermifire is HEAVY in coco. vermifire and smartpots means a whole shitload of water.

im also skeptical of going with vermifire for full season…seems like great choice for indoors. looks like black gold is the best bagged soil to go with..

 

[Backyard Farmer]

I can guarantee that Dave won't be running out of soil, ever.

 

[milkyjoe]

What bothers me about the soil test...besides the too high K...is the lack of organic matter and the high pH combined with high sulfur. How the fuck does that happen.

Then you have low micros (most of them) that will not get taken up in that high pH soil.

This is a PM/mold disaster waiting to happen.

 

[Stank J.P.]

What bothers me about the soil test...besides the too high K...is the lack of organic matter and the high pH combined with high sulfur. How the fuck does that happen.

Then you have low micros (most of them) that will not get taken up in that high pH soil.

This is a PM/mold disaster waiting to happen.

This is exactly why I wanted the test and input from those wiser.
Yes4prop this is not the vermifire it is a modified tom hill mix that I threw together minus the chickie poo and instead of bagged dirt I was using a local topsoil places "blended topsoil." I will post the results again so others can chime in (without download.)
Milky would you try to add/ remove stuff in this mix or just start over?

 

[Backyard Farmer]

Stank , I would start over

 

[milkyjoe]

That explains the low organic matter. The strange thing is how did the tcec get that high? What else is in there. It also explains the insanely high P level...all that bone meal.

If you want to work with it you could add peat to it. That will lower the pH and the H will kick some of the K off the cation exchange sites. With that much sulfur you can water to runoff which will reduce some of the levels. The peat will also increase the organic matter (carbon) level.

You need to get some micros in there...basalt, azomite, kelp, things like that.

You are also short on Mg. And you do not want to add more sulfate...so that one is going to be tough. I would include epsom salt in foliars if I were going to use this soil.

edit...but yea, if you can afford it start over.

 

[Stank J.P.]

Thanks for the replies guys. I added 15 pounds of kelp meal to the yard I had and hand mixed it. I wonder if I sent out a wack sample by not mixing it good enough? Either way, basically I have between two and three grand to throw into soil this year(looking to do 24 200 gallon girls) and am trying to nail something down in this price range. Am I asking too much for the cash I can shell out?

 

[milkyjoe]

This video explains perfectly why balance is so important

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39t4tdc_ldg

Both the soil and the plant can only hold so much mineral. And when you reach that if you have too much of one you cannot have enough of something else.

If one number is wrong, all numbers are wrong.

You can make those numbers if you find good compost and are willing to mix your own (a shitload of work). Something like 40% Premier Peat, 40% compost and 20% some drainage amendment (lava rock, perlite) plus amendments and you might make it...but it would be close.