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Hello all, I want to amend some E.B. Stone Recipe 420 soil and I'm a beginner...

LaOtraDroga

LaOtraDroga

Member
I am a hydro grower that has converted to soil. I'm done with spending a lot of money when there's a better way. I want to add extra amendments to a pre mixed potting soil but have concerns with amending this mix. I did not want to make it hot and wanted some input on how much is too much. I want to feed just water to my plants and not use ferts anymore. I have used FFOF with botanicare PBP nutrients in the past. I have also used FFOF with just water. I want better success with a more organic approach. I would like to hear what the experts here would like to express. I am ready to absorb your knowledge. La Otra Droga...
 
S

Sat X RB

Mate, I converted a cuppla seasons ago but I 'm not an expert yet.

one thing I 've noticed over this time tho'is the number of purchased soil users who get into trouble either at transplant or when they first add nutes (organic or otherwise).

this seems to be because the purchased soil they use has already been amended by the manufacturer ... and crazy things happen when more nutrition is added.

so I guess what I 'm saying is research the soil you buy. find out how it's made and what it's pH is. (there is info on the web which points to an unscrupulous soil maker in the UK who collects brick dust from demolition sites to include in his mix!!!)

in any case it's a good idea to let yr mix sit for a while to allow any potential chem interactions to settle down before planting.

cheers from the Land of Oz.
 
LaOtraDroga

LaOtraDroga

Member
Thank you for the feedback Sat X RB! I wanted to start with a non amended potting soil mix but that's not in the cards right now.
 
R

RanchoDeluxe

Member
If you're done with spending money when there's a better way.....

Study the ROLS sticky.

FTI has a great potting soil 101 thread.

I've got a thread where the soil/tea recipes are consolidated.

Neo can catch you up on IPM.

Make your own soil and acquire the best humus/compost/ewc that you can...plan on making your own.

Be prepared to look at the natural world around you in a completely different way.

Good Luck
RD
 
LaOtraDroga

LaOtraDroga

Member
Thank you RD! I am so tired of giving money to these snake oil peddlers! HAHAHA! I have EWC, Humus soil, Azomite, bone and blood meal, alfalfa meal, and lime. I have been reading a few stickys and I'll admit...my brains overloaded with information. I do not know where to start and my margin for error is limited. I've spent the last 8 months trying to learn soil and how to grow a better product.
 
LaOtraDroga

LaOtraDroga

Member
Ok FunTimesIndeed... I'm gonna return this pre mixed eb stone and get peat moss and kelp meal. If theyonly have liquid kelp is that ok? And which soil mix and which ratios should I base my first mix on?
 
O

Old_Headbanger

You could literally build the best soil in the world just from reading the first page of each thread ranchodeluxe listed. Thats what i did. I follow instructions and copy what other people are doing here in the organic soil thread. That ROLS sticky has more information, references and Links in it than I could ever imagine what to do with. I just keep reading and reading and reading. All the info is here.

Building your own soil, following the guidelines given to you in the threads mentioned, will make you wonder why you ever did anything else.
 
FunTimesIndeed

FunTimesIndeed

Member
You want plain old kelp meal. Like Rancho and Mr. Banger said, just skim over that stuff and it will become apparent what you need to do moving forward.

You're going to love it.
 
C

ClackamasCootz

Expired
Veteran
Build your own soil & save money. More importantly you'll have a much better garden because you have control on the materials.

Not all EWC are created equal by any means. Raw Sphagnum peat moss never hits bagged potting soils so just with that one single component you will have a better potting soil.

CC
 
R

RanchoDeluxe

Member
Real quick man.

50% peat
25% ewc- the best you can get , should be moist and at least have cocoons
25% perlite or crushed lava rock or both

1tbs per gal kelp meal, alfalfa meal,crab meal, oyster shell

That will work just fine...but I like to add 4tbs glacial rock dust, 1tbs basalt, 1tbs bentonite.
 
LaOtraDroga

LaOtraDroga

Member
I cannot find oyster shell but have dolemite lime. Is this a decent route to take @ 1 TBS per Gal? I just found a way to get fresh oyster shells! When I get them I plan to boil them dry them out then smash em!
 
xmobotx

xmobotx

ecks moe baw teeks
ICMag Donor
Veteran
i only use dolo lime if its applied w/ gypsum and oyster

if you are using crab you can count the Ca in that towards your "liming"

the oyster shell i use is the kind for chicken grit which is actually kind of course ~so; yes you can crush shells your self but these guys are reco'n oyster flour

the thing is, it's best not to go w/ straight dolo lime & you can even exclude it! ~a lot of your plant based amendments {kelp, neem, alfalfa, et al} have your mag and EWC actually has a lot of Ca too
 
Last edited:
LaOtraDroga

LaOtraDroga

Member
RanchoDeluxe said:
Real quick man.

50% peat
25% ewc- the best you can get , should be moist and at least have cocoons
25% perlite or crushed lava rock or both

1tbs per gal kelp meal, alfalfa meal,crab meal, oyster shell

That will work just fine...but I like to add 4tbs glacial rock dust, 1tbs basalt, 1tbs bentonite.
Click to expand...
RanchoDeluxe... how long should I let this mix sit before I use it on my angels? I made the mix yesterday and was curios. I was informed it was ready to use but I'm unsure and cannot make errors in my garden.
 
xmobotx

xmobotx

ecks moe baw teeks
ICMag Donor
Veteran
LaOtraDroga there are those who would say you could plant directly in to that mix ~i m not among them/i would go by smell

if it gets an acrid ammonia-like smell wait till that dissipates

if it gets a musky mildew smell let it dry a little {it's too wet} and wait till that smell dissipates

keep it moist but not wet/it should be ready anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks {you use the rates RD reco'd?}
 
LaOtraDroga

LaOtraDroga

Member
xmobotx THANK YOU KINDLY! I appreciate the advice of the community here. There is actually very feint smells and the soil is moist. I turned the soil mix with a shovel and rake for about 30 minutes in the midday sun.
 
dreadlock

dreadlock

Member
hi laotradroga, hope you good..also in the process of starting up a soil, just wanted to let you know your not alone..have fun & all the best :)
 
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