[moses wellfleet]

Frank seeing as I am planning no till/recycled can I leave out the dirt from the original mix and replace with peat moss? I am going to get a point where the soil becomes dense anyway due to peat breaking down and small amounts of soil that are in EWC being continually added.

[dank.frank]

3 gal dirt / earth / topsoil / nursery soil (unfertilized)
1.5 gal coir
2.5 gal peat
3 gal aeration (chunky perlite, lava rock, permatil, etc.)
1 gal EWC


Are you saying skip the 3 gallons of soil in the above mix and replace that with more peat moss?

I wouldn't recommended it. That "personal potting medium", in my opinion, is pretty much a perfect media...

If you want to go with a more peat based recipe, then follow the base mix that Phillthy used listed in that same post:

1/2 - bale Pro Mix Bx
1 - bag FFOF (or equivalent 1.5 cu ft bag)
1/2 - 30# bag EWC
5 gal additional chunky perlite


It gets to the point where you re-invent the wheel enough to where it is no longer even the same mix...it's just loosely based on.

That aside, if you are going for a no-till, I'd still want that SOIL/EARTH in the media. Real dirt gives cannabis a much better flavor in my opinion and then you are starting with local soil fauna and more humic material, etc, that simply adding more peat moss.

You're total volume will shrink as time goes by. Every 3rd run or so, when you want to add something back into the soil, to fit what seems to be your concept, just do so as a mixture of 70% peat moss and 30% EWC with whatever amendments you need. Then you'll gradually be working in more peat as the coir and other materials in the mix decompose more fully.

Personally, when I'm adding material back to the soil, I'll use compost - aged oak leaf/pine needle/grass/weed/old plant material that has fully compost to what is more or less a black soil - minus a few still distinguishable pine needles or larger twigs - you know, compost.

Anyway, I'll mix whatever I'm adding to re-amend the soil with about a 1/2 gallon or so of a mixture compost and EWC and put that across the bed or container surface as a top dressing. I usually do this at the end of a cycle before putting new plants in place.

I'll never suggest you take actual DIRT out of a potting mix. I don't care for soilless mixes in general and while yes, certainly, peat will eventually break down into substance we more identify with as "dirt", but why wait?



dank.Frank

[moses wellfleet]

Ok understood. No I want to follow your mix exactly. Anyway I have access to some great dirt outdoors in a pine forest I know of. When you say coir, are you talking about the 5kg blocks of coconut fibre that you soak in water to loosen. I can get those but they come with residual calcium nitrate from the rinsing process to remove salts. Would the calcium nitrate be a problem I can rinse it more?

[dank.frank]

You should be able to find inert coir or untreated. The brand I buy has to be rinsed heavily before use, but they do donate a large portion of proceeds to the world wildlife fund, so...



dank.Frank

[moses wellfleet]

And I guess adding the dirt helps a lot with moisture retention!

[dank.frank]

Well, I suppose it really depends on what you add as soil. Some soils are more loamy...some more sandy...more clay, etc. Some things you buy as "soil" are really manure/peat/compost mixes and the only thing that separates them from "potting soil" is the absence of perlite.

I'm really not against going out in the yard and digging a few gallons of soil and sifting it and using that for the input. Other who live in the city may not have such options and purchasing something is their only choice...

I like having soil in a mix simply because I think cannabis grown in actual soil has a better flavor. At first you can see the individual components of the mix but over time it all blends into a nice black, crumbly, fluffy loam.



dank.Frank

[moses wellfleet]

I remember well Philthy's alpha diesel grow, best pics ever. Was that a similar soil to this? Would a medium with more aeration yield more, while this recipe is more aiming for quality, is it accurate to say that?

[dank.frank]

The Alpha D grow was in his base soil that I list in that same link.

1/2 bale Pro- Mix Bx
1.5 cu ft bagRoots Organic soil
1/2 bag EWC (wiggle worm)
5 gallons additional chunky perlite

Same amendment recipe.

Phillthy had greater yields than my own for numerous reason, relating primarily to wattage and environmental control. Otherwise, he just preferred a lighter, more airy soil than I do. Preference. But I wouldn't make such a direct statement related to a single factor. Yield is the reward for getting it ALL right.



dank.Frank

[Stonecutter]

This has been a really interesting and useful discussion.

Thanks very much Moses and Frank.

Regards,
Stonecutter.

[moses wellfleet]

Originally Posted by Stonecutter

This has been a really interesting and useful discussion.

Thanks very much Moses and Frank.

Regards,
Stonecutter.

It ain't over yet, we gonna bother d.f some more.