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building bulk soil pre mixed vs self assembled

9

914safbmx

Member
so with the lack of good quality locally available composts and all other supplies (i'm in rural maine) its almost seeming like it would be easier to buy a bunch of pre mixed stuff in bulk. i wish i could figure out a way to just ship in most of the stuff i need but i'm too far out in the woods for stuff like that to work out. most of the grow stores i can drive to can get pallets of pre mixed stuff from roots organic and build a soil etc etc. i wish i could get KIS organics products over here, they have great prices on their "commercial growers mix" but they seem to only distribute in the northwest. if i were to go the route of building everything from scratch, i dont think i'd really save a significant amount of money even, given the costs applied when u consider how difficult it is to obtain most of these things one by one. really bulk peat is the only thing i can get my hands on easily...

i really wish i could build it all myself to keep a close eye on the inputs. anybody have any tips for deep woods guys like me? or on the other side of things, any experience with good mixes that i should shop around for? all the stuff that i like is crazy expensive, and the affordable mixes are either vague about ingredients or are just plain sketchy
 
E

Easy7

Active member
Veteran
When possible shop local.

Shipping on soil and ferts gets so damn expensive, super duper fast. I'd only ship what is a specialty item or not cheaper locally sourced.

This has been a hobby of improvising for lot's of things. Then it comes to the net and legalized and suddenly it's all gotta be perfect? Nah, it's a weed.
 
G

Guest

I have read a ton of places that the Coast of Maine line of composts and soil is among the best anywhere. Wish I could source it in the mid-west.
 
9

914safbmx

Member
Easy7 said:
When possible shop local.

Shipping on soil and ferts gets so damn expensive, super duper fast. I'd only ship what is a specialty item or not cheaper locally sourced.

This has been a hobby of improvising for lot's of things. Then it comes to the net and legalized and suddenly it's all gotta be perfect? Nah, it's a weed.
Click to expand...

did i not just write a whole bunch about how i dont have any local options? also since when is it "lame" to be picky about your inputs? i'm just trying to keep everything top notch for the patients. I did my time being resourceful and making the best of what i could get, that was before i was a medical grower. now quality comes before all else.

and to the guy saying coast of maine, of course i've used the lobster compost!! its left me generally unimpressed. i'll be using some local lobster and other ocean composts but really want to bring in some stuff from out of town too.
 
troutman

troutman

Seed Whore
Growing cover crops will help build soil over time.

Clovers for nitrogen fixation and winter rye for carbon buildup is a good mix.

Using a mycoproduct with it's bacteria and fungi will also help you build soil a healthy soil.
 
h.h.

h.h.

Active member
Veteran
Not many kelp fields here in Colorado. It has to be imported. The fish meal plant has shut down due to no fish and I won't even mention oyster flour though I just did.

Kelp4Less is a cheaper non OMRI source. While they claim to keep OMRI standards, they are not certified and will tell you so upfront. I trust their products but can't legally call them organic.

If you want the amendments, you have little choice but to pay the price or find a local alternative source. If you want to do business as a caregiver, you have to take care of the overhead or have the skills to make substitutions. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. It's a business like any other.
Bite the bullet or find something else to do.
 
led05

led05

Chasing The Present
stewart169 said:
I have read a ton of places that the Coast of Maine line of composts and soil is among the best anywhere. Wish I could source it in the mid-west.
Click to expand...

It is pretty good stuff, they sell it here in the grocery stores (Wegmans), end of year if not sold out it goes on sale for less than half normal, only time I'd ever pay for it personally but it's one of the better line of bagged stuff I've come across

For East coasters, this is the best place I've found to offer and ship amendments, quick shipping and place doesn't up charge on shipping like near everywhere else

I have no affiliation, just appreciate how they run a business

http://www.7springsfarm.com/
 
K

KIS

Active member
914safbmx said:
so with the lack of good quality locally available composts and all other supplies (i'm in rural maine) its almost seeming like it would be easier to buy a bunch of pre mixed stuff in bulk. i wish i could figure out a way to just ship in most of the stuff i need but i'm too far out in the woods for stuff like that to work out. most of the grow stores i can drive to can get pallets of pre mixed stuff from roots organic and build a soil etc etc. i wish i could get KIS organics products over here, they have great prices on their "commercial growers mix" but they seem to only distribute in the northwest. if i were to go the route of building everything from scratch, i dont think i'd really save a significant amount of money even, given the costs applied when u consider how difficult it is to obtain most of these things one by one. really bulk peat is the only thing i can get my hands on easily...

i really wish i could build it all myself to keep a close eye on the inputs. anybody have any tips for deep woods guys like me? or on the other side of things, any experience with good mixes that i should shop around for? all the stuff that i like is crazy expensive, and the affordable mixes are either vague about ingredients or are just plain sketchy
Click to expand...

Since you mentioned us, I'm working on a E. Coast mixing facility and actually have a call in to Coasts of Maine. I've heard great stuff for years about their products. To be fair though, I've heard great stuff on the internet about other products that never really held up to the claims. I do know they have a "supersoil" mix as well but haven't tried it or heard from anyone using it. I think they call it Stonington's or something like that.

I'm hoping to get a sample of their compost to throw under the microscope and put up on youtube here soon.

Frey's in PA is a place that may have bulk ingredients like the peat, perlite, compost, etc....in bulk. I'm not sure if they are direct to consumer but they make some base mixes too, including the ones from Coasts of Maine.
 
E

Easy7

Active member
Veteran
No need to be injured.

There is probably more local than you are willing to work with. Just because most growers work a certain way, doesn't make it a law. The only reason people put so much in soil is they have plant or square foot limits. That and crappy local soil.

To me medical mj looks like another over priced pharmicutical. Should cost no more than $0.25 a gram to produce good indoor organic. Cheaper chem bud or way cheaper outdoor. I get a bit pissed at these trust fund kids that make a millions dollars growing 'medical'. Like it's a charity to break the law and make loads of money. Yes a lot of people benefit from using cannabis. Only the sellers benefit from charging top dollar for product. Not a whole lot different than pharmaceutical cartels. Is it a drug business or actually helping people?

I learned how to grow weed to get away from dealers, not become a dealer. That 's what most growers online were. Just people wanting some smoke to deal with life.
 
J

jidoka

Active member
Could be true. I don’t know. Give me a wk I am headed to a place that tested it. Those are definitely things you look for
 
Kygiacomo!!!

Kygiacomo!!!

AppAlachiAn OutLaW
stewart169 said:
I have read a ton of places that the Coast of Maine line of composts and soil is among the best anywhere. Wish I could source it in the mid-west.
Click to expand...

yep that is what i use coast of maine lobster compost,coast of maine plantium grower mix and stonington fertilizer added with a few amendments Ewc, neem,bat guano& seabird guano,azomite & baslat rock dust. it works great and grows super healthy plants. i love coast of maine products.
 
S

St. Phatty

Active member
914safbmx said:
so with the lack of good quality locally available composts and all other supplies (i'm in rural maine) its almost seeming like it would be easier to buy a bunch of pre mixed stuff in bulk.
...

i really wish i could build it all myself to keep a close eye on the inputs. anybody have any tips for deep woods guys like me?
Click to expand...

I suggest taking a class in Hot Composting at the community college, or reading a book about it.

Basically to learn to formulate your own KILLER soil.

The first part is to learn to mix nitrogen (manure) & carbon (wood chips) rich feedstocks.

It helps if they are steaming to begin with.

It doesn't have to be hot - it just de-composes a lot faster, into plant food, 10 weeks instead of 3 years.


I also got some great soil this year by digging up a winter creek-bed that had a madrone tree or 3 embedded in it.

The land was logged, they left some madrone trees at the bottom of a crevice, etc.

I used a 6 foot crow bar and broke up the rotten tree. Got about 2 cubic yards of what smells like earthworm castings but I think it's more like termite castings. Still I can tell it's very good dirt.


My guess is, you have some fantastic forest humus built up in places in the woods near your garden. 1 or 2 feet thick.

In my case I was doing a geological survey and also some wildfire control, found some rich veins of natural forest super soil.

Which seems to accumulate in crevices in the mountain-side.
 
FunkBomb

FunkBomb

Power Armor rules
Veteran
If you're in rural Maine call up Coast of Maine. They can easily send you pallets or a dumptruck of whatever you need. Their products are amazing. I'm so glad their products are sold at Country Max stores now.

-Funk
 
G

Guest

I dont know if the link for this works. I saw one grower on a different site that used this but never got a full end of grow report. Plants looked super. Grower said and pics showed it was very good stuff. Stonington Blend. There are a few youtube things a couple years old on it. Maybe if led or KIS happen to go there and can post some results that would be great. Im all about the water only or very few feedings for a grow. I fall into the class of growers who tend to end up loving their plants too much and feeding too much. Im all about the KISS method. Not to be confused with KIS but want to find the water only soil or as close as I can to keep me from fucking it up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTja8BzOsvM&index=5&list=PLaQ4wILz8Y9rUeBbCt2_gwXHHiVTyVree
 
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