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Topsoil in the mix.
- Thread starter VerdantGreen
- Start date
Hey JK,
The % porosities, etc, for media (soil and soilless) are for growing in any conditions, in a container or not. I'm not sure what you mean by controlled? Though this stuff is a good bit less of an issue with 'in ground' growing in healthy soil; even though greater % air porosity has many benefits.
Have you read the Cornell U. Ornamental Science section "Media: Rooted in Success" I linked to? I think you would really like reading it. It covers all this stuff much better than I, and with good pics. Along with data for various media amendments like peat, etc, which alone is worth a read. Its not large and would take maybe an hour to read.
HTH
The % porosities, etc, for media (soil and soilless) are for growing in any conditions, in a container or not. I'm not sure what you mean by controlled? Though this stuff is a good bit less of an issue with 'in ground' growing in healthy soil; even though greater % air porosity has many benefits.
Have you read the Cornell U. Ornamental Science section "Media: Rooted in Success" I linked to? I think you would really like reading it. It covers all this stuff much better than I, and with good pics. Along with data for various media amendments like peat, etc, which alone is worth a read. Its not large and would take maybe an hour to read.
HTH
that's what i was assuming, just making sure. and i have read that before, its a good read for soilless mediums.
i was hoping you would say it is much less of an issue in ground as well. i feel that its better to match your soil to your environment when outdoors growing in the earth. you wont want water retentive soil where it rains all year around, but you would in a dry climate for example.
but yea well aerated soil performs much better no matter what or where the conditions
by controlled i mean, indoor environments that control everything from media, to climate, to lights, everything. same goes for greenhouses.
i was hoping you would say it is much less of an issue in ground as well. i feel that its better to match your soil to your environment when outdoors growing in the earth. you wont want water retentive soil where it rains all year around, but you would in a dry climate for example.
but yea well aerated soil performs much better no matter what or where the conditions
by controlled i mean, indoor environments that control everything from media, to climate, to lights, everything. same goes for greenhouses.
One thing I was just wondering about:
Where does all the topsoil/loam come from? It seems like 'harvesting' topsoil would be akin to clear cutting. Or are there loam farms who alternate fields they harvest from?
I'm gonna do some reading, I am pretty curious now. If anyone knows that would save me some time, thanks.
the major brand of loam in the UK - John Innes, makes the loam by stacking turf i think. you can do this in your garden too - whenevr you have to cut some turf, stack it in a corner, face down, for a year and you have some great loam/topsoil.
they also get it from excavations where the topsoil is removed for building and the like as far as i know.
as for why use it gd, it just feels right to me and my experience has supported this . it has to be properly amended though - coco and perlite is really good at compensating for topsoil when it comes to keeping it airy. we try so hard to recreate all the mechanisms of soil with all these different ingredients - why not add some soil?.
@ jaykush I was just lol'in at hh's comment about the rocky soil, will absolutely give this a good shake test. Great idea!
I imagine most soil components will layer right up & make IDing the separate layers much easier.
Got held up on gathering that red soil, but located another better source yesterday, will get on that asap.
I imagine most soil components will layer right up & make IDing the separate layers much easier.
Got held up on gathering that red soil, but located another better source yesterday, will get on that asap.
yea it works out great because you can get a rough percentage of the make up of your soil via the layers. as it does settle in layers and is easily noticed. then you can make a better guess as to what your soil needs to improve it.
if you keep the soil test, you can do one every year or so to see how it has improved. if you keep it long enough and under water. it becomes a miniature ecosystem. you can see different bacteria colonizing the layers that suit them best. PNSB makes the jars turn a nice red/purple color in the lower layers. i have had one so long algae grew on the water surface, died, and eventually made a thin layer for small plants to grow on the surface. practically a pond in a jar.
bump
Double bump^^
alright I'm in.
I really hope VG decides to come back. It's not looking good as he's pretty miffed.
I'm starting some soil meanwhile. I gotta get it done this week. I have perlite I'd rather not use, peat I don't mind using, a 14 gallon tub, and plenty of worm castings.
Ground is all nice and thawed all over and I am going out with mason jars.
So questions: how can I avoid the perlite? rice hulls are not around. What about the peat? how can I skip that? This is not as big a deal.
The plan is to set it outside, with some winter rye sown in there. Then I will mow and transplant.
anything at all to help would be appreciated. I want in on the real soil inside club.
I really hope VG decides to come back. It's not looking good as he's pretty miffed.
I'm starting some soil meanwhile. I gotta get it done this week. I have perlite I'd rather not use, peat I don't mind using, a 14 gallon tub, and plenty of worm castings.
Ground is all nice and thawed all over and I am going out with mason jars.
So questions: how can I avoid the perlite? rice hulls are not around. What about the peat? how can I skip that? This is not as big a deal.
The plan is to set it outside, with some winter rye sown in there. Then I will mow and transplant.
anything at all to help would be appreciated. I want in on the real soil inside club.
beejium
Member
hey mad librettist i think your question was answered before you asked.
VG please don't take offence to me butchering your post without consent.
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yeah, I'm exploring further to see if i can't avoid the peat and perlite, since it is so temporary. I hope not to disturb the soil too much in the coming years. Hang on I'm checking Microbeman's growing technique.
FlyinHawaiian
Member
My last soil mix was LC#1 with only EWC and the buds were so flavorless it was really disapointing, normally I have homemade compost added to the mix and that really helps. But its time to step it up a notch with volcanic topsoil. I used this site http://soils.usda.gov/survey/printed_surveys/ to see the kinds of soil on the island and I have volcanic (andisol) soil nearby, lucky me so im gonna go get some but what topsoil is the best? Under trees/forrest or in grassy pastures?
Agree^^^ Don't really want to leave big holes in an ecosystem that's been at work building itself up for thousands of years just to have a guy like myself to come along and leave a big ol' ugly crater. I Took my soil from a few locations in my backyard....diverse life exists in different spots.
what's in fafard topsoil? I got some of that, looked alright...
So I'm basically doing VG's mix now, only with chunks of DE instead of perlite.
So I'm basically doing VG's mix now, only with chunks of DE instead of perlite.
(i know it's small, hope you can read it)
lol Jay,
You can imagine from my posts just how much my situation has changed since we last spoke. Fertile soil? I'd have trouble just finding it around here without using a jackhammer, then I would get arrested for digging. I don't even own a shovel anymore! I had to give away almost all my worms, 90% of my castings, and half my bins.
Did I mention I live 4 floors up a building with no elevator?
pretty sure fafard wouldn't sell me a bag of shite, but I will do the jar test just to see.
I'm pretty sure the compost will need rescuing, since I came accross some anaerobic bags in the spring. My plan is to culture some good EWC, then use that to bring the fafard back to life. I'll use the microscope to check my work.
