Yes. If the right balance of materials are there to begin with. If not, you have to amend and adjust.
dank.Frank
dank.Frank
wow you guys put a lot of work into your soil. My recipe is
2 bags bar harbor
1/2 bag lobster composted
hand full of blood/bone meal
2 handfuls of Hollytone
1 handful of Dol lime
Thin layer of Warm casting over the top.
add perlite and mix
if to heavy add more perlite and mix
I don't measure additives don't even have a measuring cup lol
then again I don't measure nutes either just a splash of this and that
after almost 30 years you get a feeling for what a plant wants or needs
Just wanted to give an update, the mix that I used that had a lower PH did not do any better in fact growth went to a complete stand still, so I think it was more of an issue of too much woody/sticks stuff added, not properly ammended - maybe a calcium issue. Here is my new recipe, wanted to share it and open to approval from you guys before I mix it and let it sit for 1 month and then run some side by side tests again.
Super Duper Soil
1 Cubic Foot = 7 Gallons
BASE
[ ] 3G PRO MIX HP (Recycled) (30% Perlite)
[ ] 2G Perlite
[ ] 1G Compost
[ ] 1/3G Guineapig Droppings
[ ] 1/3G Horse Manure
[ ] 1/3G Earthworm Castings
AMMENDMENTS
[ ] 1 Cup Bonemeal
[ ] 1 Cup Kelp Meal
[ ] 1 Cup Oyster Shell
[ ] 1 Cup Dehydrated Molasses
[ ] 1/2 Cup Alfalfa Meal
[ ] 1/2 Cup Blood Meal
[ ] 1/2 Cup Glacial Rock Dust
[ ] 1/4 Cup Azomite
Hi Paulie, i am no guru by any means and am on the low end of the learning curve as i have only made the switch to the organic side over the past couple years. I think the best advice i could give you would be to keep it simple. Start with a basic, proven recipe and adapt from there as you learn and observe what the plants are telling you.
You mention needing precision and I believe you are putting too much pressure on yourself. Soil is very forgiving, much more than hydro and will give you a chance to correct any issues that arise.
I did my first run or two with a preset, basic mix and it did well. I then made a couple of additions and have just put together my first mix from scratch and hope it works well again.
Good luck.
Your base mix is
2g peat/3g perlite/2g compost and poo.
First how old are the horse and guinea pig poo, sorry if I missed this info.
Second that's lot of organic matter and a full cup of kelp. You could have way too much K in there.
Thirdly, your calcium is calcium phosphate from the bone and carbonate from the oyster. Combined with the carbonate water. I think you might be setting yourself up for high ph and insoluble Ca.
My friendly advice would be more peat, less compost, add gypsum. Or just keep killing it with promix and pbp