Soil Mix/Top Dressing Discussion

[GOOROO]

The current line up of soil that I'm using is a slightly modified moonshine mix. Mainly with added 3x coco to make it stretch. I haven't used this mix in over 6 months and am looking to go back and possibly make improvements.

1 bag of Ocean Forest 1.5 cuft
1 bag of Planting mix 1 cuft
1 bag of Light Warrior 1 cuft
3 bags of Canna Coco 4.5 cuft
+ Perlite 1 cuft
_________________________
Total 9 cuft

This is good enough for one maybe two waterings before the plants get hungry but acts as a great organic base which is living and can be feed.

For water I use straight tape bubbled for at least 24 hrs
with every watering I use
Calplex @ 2-4mls per gal
Protekt Silica @ 5mls per gal

Top dressing approx. every 7th day with a mixture of Peruvian sea bird guano, Mexican bat guano, and indonesian bat guano @ roughly a tablespoon per 2.5 gals of soil.

1 part peruvian sea bird 13 - 10 - 2
1/2 part indonesian bat .25 - 6 - .1
1/2 part mexican bat 5 - 1 - .5

give us an aproximate 18.25 - 17 - 2.6

or 4.6-4.3-.65

I think that this is right!
Please correct me if my logic is off with mixing the guanos.


anyways looking for input and further ideas. Open to any and all discussion.
Thanks

 

[Iron_Lion]

I have used this soil mix for years, I'd say the extra coco and perlite is not needed. LW is pretty much just coco, castings and chunky perlite. I have never had issue drainage, bags dry quick, always healthy roots.

The only improvements I have made with years of tweaking it hear or there is to recycle it. I have recently come up with a recipe that blows away the original mix but it is much more time consuming and has taken some time to get right.

 

[Bullfrog44]

Seems like your soil could have more nutes in it, but your guano ratio looks good to me.

 

[GOOROO]

I have used this soil mix for years, I'd say the extra coco and perlite is not needed. LW is pretty much just coco, castings and chunky perlite. I have never had issue drainage, bags dry quick, always healthy roots.

The only improvements I have made with years of tweaking it hear or there is to recycle it. I have recently come up with a recipe that blows away the original mix but it is much more time consuming and has taken some time to get right.

care to share?

Seems like your soil could have more nutes in it, but your guano ratio looks good to me.

the reason for the added coco is the fact that I want to be growing in 100% coco but want to have a solid organic base to it so that I can feed guanos etc...

If I used the mix straight then I wouldnt need to use guanos at all

 

[rrog]

I have recently come up with a recipe that blows away the original mix but it is much more time consuming and has taken some time to get right.

Yea... care to share?

 

[Bullfrog44]

the reason for the added coco is the fact that I want to be growing in 100% coco but want to have a solid organic base to it so that I can feed guanos etc...

If I used the mix straight then I wouldnt need to use guanos at all

Excellent idea, and thanks for clearing things up. Sounds like a sound approach.

 

[mad librettist]

the reason for the added coco is the fact that I want to be growing in 100% coco but want to have a solid organic base to it so that I can feed guanos etc...

in that case you want about 15- 20% worm castings or high quality compost

 

[OPT]

OPT

 

[GOOROO]

Iron lion were you using any dolomite in the mix either>???
seems it could use a lil calcium.

Mad Lib
I had been toying with the idea of adding more ewc to the mix but the fox farm products should have a solid amount and I like to throw a handfull on the top soil ever week or so right before top dressing with the guanos. Gives the guano something to stick to.

Is this a comparable method?

 

[mad librettist]

Iron lion were you using any dolomite in the mix either>???
seems it could use a lil calcium.

Mad Lib
I had been toying with the idea of adding more ewc to the mix but the fox farm products should have a solid amount and I like to throw a handfull on the top soil ever week or so right before top dressing with the guanos. Gives the guano something to stick to.

Is this a comparable method?

all that matters is that in the end your mix is 15-20% compost, whatever the source. It's worth working out how much you are getting from those bags
\

 

[GOOROO]

word any input on dolomite vs supplement cal mad?

 

[mad librettist]

never used a cal supplement

if you use lime, don't overdo it!

 

[Kozmo]

Here is a mix in tempted to use. Why? Because its what I have on hand.

1 part black gold potting mix
1 part Fox farm original planting mix
1 part Fox farm ocean forest
1 part large chunky perlite

Was only going to use a compost tea once a week(the mix is sold by KIS and I have purchased there upgraded compost tea brewer).

My watering method is a vague area for me and am considering 2.5ml/gal Dutch master root zone conditioner along with Flora nova bloom at 1/2 tsp per gal. This mix would be brought down to 5.6-5.8 pH from my municipals 7.6 tap water. I would use this mix from veg through flower.


I'm sure there are a lot of opinions and am open to all. The response to this I am hoping will guide me through to a good harvest.

My lights are HGl's SOL series and I am using air pots.
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