soil compaction

[shuswap]

im using my organic mix in 10 gallon pots and want to lessen the compaction of the soil and to aid the wet dry cycle .has anyone added coco with good results or perlite,not sure how either help or nt with the whole organic biology of the soil

 

[Eureka Springs Organics]

I prefer rice hulls as when you are "done" with your soil you can compost all of it. Also rice hulls are a waste product of the rice industry where as perlite is not.

That being said whatever is the cheapest where you are is what you should use. Around here perlite is almost as cheap as rice hulls.

I hate perlite though. It is a pain in the ass. I would have to be financially forced to ever use it again.

 

[Granger2]

If you're going to reuse your soil, especially if you're going to reuse it a number of times, I'd go with perlite cuz it won't decompose. I don't really like perlite, but it does the job I need it to do, hold air when medium is wet. I like putting about an inch of coco on top of the mix to keep the perlite from floating up. Tip:I have a very large woven plastic bag of Perlite. Before use, I use a sprinkling can to water it enough that the top layer will be wet. This tames the dust. Don't breath perlite or any other dust.

If you're not going to reuse your mix, rice hulls may be your best bet. Good luck. -granger

 

[shuswap]

I hate perlite as much as the next guy but I also have done some research and ive read more negatives using rice,heres a good link explain what im seeing over and over when googling it..
http://www.perlite.org/library-perl...ite/Rice-Hulls-Vs-Perlite-And-Vermiculite.pdf

 

[Eureka Springs Organics]

The negatives you point out are from perlite.org. You think they may have an agenda?

Rice hulls take about 3 years to break down in soil. So when recycling every few years you may want to add some more.

 

[Eureka Springs Organics]

I got used to the price of rice hulls being so cheap in the South. $200 a ton. That is a lot aeration. There was another place that sold it $200 for a 16' trailer load 4' deep.

I use to be biased for pricing reasons. Then it just grew on me, and I can't imagine not using it.

Sometimes you can get composted rice hulls locally for cheap. A great alternative to standard parboiled rice hulls. Usually $30 a yard.

 

[Eureka Springs Organics]

I finally looked over that perlite.org info, and it is just propaganda. I suppose they should point out how much heat energy it takes to make perlite. Rice Hulls is a sustainable by-product. Perlite.org can't ever say that.

From my experiences rice hulls performed a bit better than perlite. There is not a huge difference, but a noticeable one.

I did trials with perlite vs. rice hulls, and the rice hulls performed as well or better than the rice hulls.

These were potting soil tests in 5 gallon containers growing multiple different types of vegetables.

Vegetables was not code word for Cannabis either.

 

[Midnight Tokar]

I used rice hulls in my last grow (bought from ESO). I mixed it to a ratio of 25% in my organic mix and I've got to say they worked better than any grows I did with perlite. It drains very well and holds plenty of air. I used 3 gallon bags and watered every 2nd or 3rd day depending on strain and stage in growing. Very easy to tell when to water and you don't have all that perlite floating to the top of your soil.
I am re-using my soil and just add a little more rice hulls to bring it back to the same fluffy texture.

 

[umbralindigo]

Hey shuswap, what kind of compost or humus part are you using?
I have a friend recently and noticed that his top of pots were drying to the point of almost clay like craggy dryness. We were running very similar mixes and same nutrients added to the mixes. I have not seen my mixes doing this same thing. I have also grown in coco with a nasty dry stunting effect happen. He used some subpar compost and didn't mix the correct amounts as he said, and this is my assumption on why he is having these issues.
It seems to me, the temperature of the root zone, and water used/temp of water used, and last but most important quality of compost and quantity used in mix is what his problem is.
Make sure you get some top quality compost or EWC and mix it as close to 1:1:1 as possible, and if your aeration is variable in size, it will create
Also, did you use potting soil from a bag, or mix your own? A wetting agent on the peat is pretty necessary for the peat not to gain a hydrophobic quality.
Good luck man. Hope this helps somehow

 

[umbralindigo]

Can't edit, but I meant to sat, if your aeration is variable in size there will be plenty of oxygen to facilitate soil building

 

[Eureka Springs Organics]

If you use mulch then you should not have any drying issues with your soil. It will help to keep the root zone moist while also adding the amount of usable soil for the roots themselves.

 

[umbralindigo]

Theres a good idear too Eureka! Mulching is pretty great.
I haven't been as most in season natural mulches i would use arent available and I did no dehydrating during the warm season.
I still do not see the drying out as my friend has or how shuswap is describing.

 

[bigshrimp]

Rice hulls are a solid ammendment - i am really happy with the texture of my soil with rice hulls. I would recommend them for loosening up a mix.

I've read that they take two to three years to breakdown, but seem to do it a little faster indoors.

They are great for recycled soil since you can just add a little in each time you reamend. This will be better than all of them decomposing at the same time.

I've never been able to get the same tilth from using expanded minerals/clays by themselves.

Edit -Excess magnesium in the soil can cause soils to constrict also, was lots of dolomite lime used?

 

[DinosaurCocks]

i was under the impression that the compaction of a soil was defined by the minerals in the soil and their amounts in relation to each other? i mean pure worm castings have no perlite or coco coir cubes, or clay balls in it, yet when moist its wonderfully airy yet holds a lot of water...because it's pretty balanced in it's mineral content right?

i could be totally wrong, ive been reading up on organics non-stop for about 2 months now and due to a hash oil habit i just kicked, a lot of it's kinda scrambled and iffy lol i can tell im going to be rereading a lot of the info ive already read...

 

[paint4420]

Dinocock I have to agree from my memory it is the ratio of calcium to magnesium you need it to be 7-10 parts Ca:1 part mg

 

[shuswap]

why I posted this question is that as u water soil it settles,more and more,using more perlite I don't really agree with,adding more ewc is good but does that help the soil from settling(compacting) I have been thinking of adding coco to my organic mix also to help the pot dry out quicker hoping to see watering more often ,maybe rice hulls would work,i didn't find a lot of good things about them but I haven't tried them either,i don't think there available in my area.

 

[Eureka Springs Organics]

why I posted this question is that as u water soil it settles,more and more,using more perlite I don't really agree with,adding more ewc is good but does that help the soil from settling(compacting) I have been thinking of adding coco to my organic mix also to help the pot dry out quicker hoping to see watering more often ,maybe rice hulls would work,i didn't find a lot of good things about them but I haven't tried them either,i don't think there available in my area.

Where are you at? I would always suggest going with things you can get locally, and at a reasonable price. Sometimes those two things don't go hand in hand.

 

[VerdantGreen]

the physical act of watering is what causes most of the compaction imo, so if you are having a problem then trying to water more gently will help.

Im in the UK where there is little choice of aeration amendments, so i use perlite at 30% - which i find works just fine and also makes my pots lighter to move around.

more peat in the mix will probably help as well.

coco i dont like because it messes with the nutrition somewhat ime, so you might have to tweak your mix if adding coco.

VG

p.s. it is worth remembering that the soil volume in the pot will be reduced slightly during the grow through the simple that the plant is using elements/minerals from the medium.

 

[VonBudí]

instead of rice would other grain hulls/husks work?

Im in the UK where there is little choice of aeration amendments

if others work then coops and brew stores could have a few options

 

[umbralindigo]

Hey dinococks, this is why i mentioned the humus base, or compost. I am firmly believing that the minerals imparted by the compost (as well as any rock dust) will be your deciding factor. Remember, when you have dry, craggy clay soil (clay naturally holding on to lots of minerals, yet cant release much of it) that Calcium Sulfate or gypsum is a preferred method of dealing with it. So if that is true, as sulphur is number one on list of nutrient uptake, and calcium is kingpin (along with phosphorus), the soil loosens because the sulphur is the catalyst to all other minerals. And so, the calcium fortifies the depleted for nutrient soil, and everything else falls into place.
That is my understanding. And thus, it would make sense to me to fortify with minerals and compost first before thinking about aeration.