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A little soil mixin help?

20sackzack

20sackzack

Member
So I'm putting together a cootz mix for this years outdoor and I have a couple questions. Right now I have the compost and aeration parts mixed together currently being rained on. I still need to mix in the peat and all the other goodies. While I originally wanted to source all my ingredients locally, I decided to go with buildasoil for all the amendments because of convenience and lack of time.

My mix so far consists of:

2/5 yard of crushed lava pumice
1/5 yard rice hulls

1/5 yard oly mtn fish compost
1/5 yard stutzman chicken compost
1/5 yard Heritage worm castings

5 large boxes of buildasoils cc nutrient kit
(One box makes 9cuft of soil)

And here is my first question. I picked up 3 3cuft bags of sunshine peat. Should I use all 3 bags? I have heard the 3cuft bags expand to 6cuft which would give me 18cuft total. Does this sound right?

I have read that coot wets his peat before mixing. Would this be worth doing since my pile of compost and pumice is already wet from the rain?

Also does anyone have any good techniques for mixing soil by hand. I know a yard and a half isn't that much but it's definitely more than a little lol. Thanks for any input! :biggrin:
 
heady blunts

heady blunts

prescription blunts
Veteran
hmm the 3.8 cubic foot bales of canadian sphagnum peat moss are the ones that expand to around 6 cubic feet and need to be wetted before mixing.

i've never used sunshine so i don't know if it expands or not, but it is peat moss, coco coir, perlite, dolomite lime, mycorrhizae, and a wetting agent.

if you haven't opened the sunshine i'd almost take it back. with the pre-combined CC kit you won't be able to adjust for the lime...may not be an issue but it also might...

CSPM is wicked cheap this time of year. you should be able to get 3.8 cuft bales for under $20 a piece. you will need a wetting agent tho. i recommend yucca extract (related to aloe vera, not the yuca/manioc/cassava root at the grocery store).

i've always muscled through the mixing. i use a large tarp and a square shovel.

-fluff and wet peat
-add compost and aeration elements
-mix well
-separately combine all dry amendments and mix well
-combine dry amendment mix with base mix.
-mix
-mix
-mix

i usually spread everything thin out to the edges of the tarp, then add the ingredients in even layers, and throw it back in the center by lifting the tarp edges. i shovel it back out thin and repeat several times for each "mix" step.
 
20sackzack

20sackzack

Member
heady blunts said:
i've always muscled through the mixing. i use a large tarp and a square shovel.

-fluff and wet peat
-add compost and aeration elements
-mix well
-separately combine all dry amendments and mix well
-combine dry amendment mix with base mix.
-mix
-mix
-mix

i usually spread everything thin out to the edges of the tarp, then add the ingredients in even layers, and throw it back in the center by lifting the tarp edges. i shovel it back out thin and repeat several times for each "mix" step.
Click to expand...

This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. Heady you the best :biggrin: thanks!
 
B

blue_tick

HEADY

YOU SAY YOU WET THE PETE FIRST THEN AMEND WITH DRY GOODS. DOES THIS MAKE IT EASIER? I MUSCLE THREW IT MYSELF AND IT WORKS ME. 500 GALLON.I USE PROMIX BX. IF IT MAKES IT EASIER THAN I NEED TO APPLY IT THIS WAY. I HAVE BEEN MIXING IT ALL TOGETHER THEN WETTING IT


PEACE
 
Hemphrey Bogart

Hemphrey Bogart

Active member
Veteran
Uh, oh. I haven't wet down my mix at all....I've been mixing everything dry, outside on a big tarp and then wrapping it up like a burrito for a week or so. If the mix got wet, I'd have a hell of a time dragging the tarp to my holes.

I know now it's recommended to wet the peat down (thanks for the tip, heady!) but I was just gonna wait until I fill the holes.

Hope I don't mess it up because it's all still dry, lol. Oh well.

HB.
 
heady blunts

heady blunts

prescription blunts
Veteran
ah i just assumed it was a sunshine #4 bale. yea that looks like straight CSPM.

so wetting raw peat helps avoid the hydrophobic tendencies rearing their head later and causing PITA issues like dead spots or all your perlite floating to the top when you water.

its' not the end of the world if you don't do it first. it's just a time and PITA saver.

the best wetting agent i've used is yucca extract. as far as i understand it, it is high in saponins which alters the surface tension of water allowing it to penetrate hardpan and hydrophobic soil. i used to use aloe with some success too although it has lower saponin levels than yucca.

there's a product from nectar of the gods called hygeia which is basically a little extract with molasses and water. i found pure extract by the hydro nute company "RAW" that is very good quality and has lasted us forever. we add it to most waterings and foliars. a very small amount goes a long way.

in a pinch i've wetted peat by throwing it in a tote bin with some water and putting the lid on, then mixing it every few hours for a day or so. it does not cooperate tho.

separately from the wetting step, at the very end after thoroughly mixing all ingredients i brew an aerated compost tea (ACT) and use that to water the whole thing. that moistens the soil mix and inoculates it with a ton of extra biology. a real kick start IMO.
 
heady blunts

heady blunts

prescription blunts
Veteran
uh... a pinch? haha.

i'm not good at measuring stuff. with the nectar of the gods product i'd probably splash an oz or two in 5 gallons of water.

with the RAW yucca extract powder i use---no joke---like an eighth of a TEAspoon for 5 gallons of water. shit goes FAR.

if iput too much the water will feel slippery like there's dish soap in it. another way to vaguely gauge how concentrated you've made it is by agitating the water---shake or vigorous whisking---you should see some soap-like bubbles form on the surface. if i get a thick foam it's probably too much. if no bubbles i add a little more
 
20sackzack

20sackzack

Member
I will pick up some yucca extract and use it on my peat. I actually already mixed in one of the bags and it seemed alright. The compost and aeration pile has been getting rained on for the last week so it was already wet when I mixed in the first bag of peat. It has continued to pour so I think it is getting pretty saturated.

Does 3 3cuft bags sound like the right amount? So far I have 3/5 yard compost and 3/5 yard aeration so I think this will get me close to the right ratio.
 
20sackzack

20sackzack

Member
Pics for fun

Compost, 5/16 lava, rice hulls and a little peat lol
71ino2.jpg


Buildasoil nutrients and some more peat
zkfzw4.jpg
 
heady blunts

heady blunts

prescription blunts
Veteran
lookin good zack!

ya if you have time the peat will eventually absorb moisture in a cooperative environment. the yucca is a time saver.
 
20sackzack

20sackzack

Member
Just wanted to put up some pics of my progress

The pile in front is what a 3 cubic foot bale of expanded sphagnum peat moss looks like. Pretty amazing how much it expands actually.
2v17re9.jpg


Peat mixed with compost and aeration prior to adding nutrients.
14njk8i.jpg


Nutrients on top of the thoroughly moist pile
erz7lg.jpg


Mix, mix, mix, mix, mix, mix and mix some more
33pftaf.jpg


Smells like sweet chocolate oceany goodness
350m161.jpg
 
B

blue_tick

20sackzack

looking good bro. little work and you have it. i am getting ready to do the same thing around 500 gallon worth. once a year is more than enough for me lol


peace
 
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