Critique my simple dirt mix please.

Sean Price

Member

• Dec 17, 2011

• #1

Hello all, It's time for me to make more soil! Yes it's the middle of winter, but bad planning made it this way. I veg 6 kids in 1 gal smart pots, then transplant to 7..veg a few more weeks then I start 12\12. I lost my notes from the last mix I made but I think it was similar.

The base dirt;

3cf used soil
2cf sunshine 4
3cf worm castin's\compost
2cf perlite

so 10cubic feet (about 75 gallons) total base mix to this I plan to add;

Nitrogen

3 cups blood meal
2 cups fish meal

Phosphorous

5 cups bone
5 cups seabird guano

Potassium-

5 cups kelp meal

Other stuff;

10 cups rock dust (gaia green stuff)
10 cups oyster shell
3-4 cups azomite?


that's it! I top-dress ewc throughout the grow and water with seaweed and fish sylate a few times in veg.

 

Last edited: Dec 17, 2011

C21H30O2

I have ridden the mighty sandworm.

Veteran

• Dec 19, 2011

• #2

That is a pretty solid mix, personally I'd ditch the soil and sunshine mix and simply do 1/3 peat or coco, 1/3 compost, and 1/3 rice hulls or perlite if you already have it. Perhaps add some dolomite lime. Everything else looks good.

 

SilverSurfer_OG

Living Organic Soil...

ICMag Donor

Veteran

• Dec 19, 2011

• #3

Yeah chuck in some coco for sure, perhaps 25% of total medium. The organic matter will increase the water holding capacity and help fix the problem of dry spots in the pots. It is also great to recycle and lasts for 5 years or so.

I would also make up a small batch of bio-char... see my terra preta link for more info

 

Sean Price

Member

• Dec 19, 2011

• #4

Oh ya biochar! I knew i was forgetting something. I've read some of that thread, but have forgotten most of it..So some coco up in the mix eh? Ok cool I'll keep the used soil and ditch some of the peat bale for some coco.

 

SilverSurfer_OG

Living Organic Soil...

ICMag Donor

Veteran

• Dec 20, 2011

• #5

I believe if Jaykush read this he would also highly recommend some local soil too. Helps build up a living soil because your local microbes etc will be in the local soil. Find some nice sweet smelling stuff under a tree or from your back yard etc.

Good luck. O yeah and dolomite is a good call but i have learned the hard way not to use too much. I would recomend either the oyster shells or lime. Also biochar is gonna be on the basic (alkaline) side.... just something to be aware of

 

Sean Price

Member

• Dec 20, 2011

• #6

Yes jk, cc, darc mind, and capt. cheese helped me a lot in my previous icmag life. unfortunately my local soil is crap clay. i'm adding oyster shell at a cup per cubic foot. i don't use powered dolomite lime since i thought oyster shell was a better alternative.

 

LilMan72003

Active member

• Dec 20, 2011

• #7

If you can't use local site soil, purchase a bag of high quality top soil from either your local garden supplier, Home Depot, or online. I understand this isn't the most "sustainable" of choices, as opposed to using locally sourced materials, but still something I would suggest using for the reasons suggested by SilverSurfer

.02

Lilman

 

SilverSurfer_OG

Living Organic Soil...

ICMag Donor

Veteran

• Dec 20, 2011

• #8

I dont think you need too much, just a bit as a starter. Kinda like making sourdough bread.

You must have an inch or two of topsoil you can scrape off?, even if its just a few cupfulls.

Anyhoos merrry xmas grow some nice trees

 

Sean Price

Member

• Dec 20, 2011

• #9

SilverSurfer_OG said:

I dont think you need too much, just a bit as a starter. Kinda like making sourdough bread.

You must have an inch or two of topsoil you can scrape off?, even if its just a few cupfulls.

Anyhoos merrry xmas grow some nice trees

Click to expand...

Oh ok so the top-soil is sort of like an inoculant.. I definitely have some in a raised bed in the back yard..It's all coming back to me now..B.I.M..Gil Carandang. ICMAG rules (well this forum at least). Here's what the the last run looked like. Some S.a.g.e. It purpled from a lil chill..