Thinking up a soil mix for my next grow, critisism welcome!

[fonzee]

Hi all!
I want to mix soil for an upcoming grow of cannabrocolli. Pot size 50 liter, auto irrigation.
Location is Thailand, and grow is fully legal.

Base of the mix is coco. It is very available and in very good quality.
I wash it and seperate 90%+ of the fibers and use them for mulch.
The base mix is
90% coco
8% worm castings
2% compost mixed with active charcoal
Total amount should be 2 cubic meters, so
1800 liter coco
160 liter worm castings
40 liter compost

To this, the lime mix I want to make is
5kg azomite
5kg gypsum
5kg dolomite
15kg oyster shell powder
From this lime mix, i intend to mix one third, 10 kg, into the base mix and store the rest.
I expect to pH to rise from the ash, so reducing amounts

For feed, this is the mix I propose
5kg crab meal
5kg shrimp meal
10kg small fish meal
5kg palm ash
I debate using kelp powder, but it is very expensive
From this feed mix I intend to mix 15 with the base mix, and keep the other 5kg to add as topdress as needed


I believe the key ingredient would be good and fresh worm castings, but would love your insight about this thing

Thanks!

 

[Creeperpark]

Hi all!
I want to mix soil for an upcoming grow of cannabrocolli. Pot size 50 liter, auto irrigation.
Location is Thailand, and grow is fully legal.

Base of the mix is coco. It is very available and in very good quality.
I wash it and seperate 90%+ of the fibers and use them for mulch.
The base mix is
90% coco
8% worm castings
2% compost mixed with active charcoal
Total amount should be 2 cubic meters, so
1800 liter coco
160 liter worm castings
40 liter compost

To this, the lime mix I want to make is
5kg azomite
5kg gypsum
5kg dolomite
15kg oyster shell powder
From this lime mix, i intend to mix one third, 10 kg, into the base mix and store the rest.
I expect to pH to rise from the ash, so reducing amounts

For feed, this is the mix I propose
5kg crab meal
5kg shrimp meal
10kg small fish meal
5kg palm ash
I debate using kelp powder, but it is very expensive
From this feed mix I intend to mix 15 with the base mix, and keep the other 5kg to add as topdress as needed


I believe the key ingredient would be good and fresh worm castings, but would love your insight about this thing

Thanks!

Looking good friend. Will that mix need to be supplemented during the grow? Do you add amendments during preflowering?

 

[chilliwilli]

Interresting mix, why so little compost and worm castings? Is it better for your warm and wet climate maybe less prone to get mold?

In europe you can get kelp cheapest at carp feeding stores.

 

[fonzee]

Looking good friend. Will that mix need to be supplemented during the grow? Do you add amendments during preflowering?

Hi bro, thanks for chiming in!
I dont know if it will be needing supplements, its experimental and will definitely need watching. I hope it will be perfect as is.
My main amendment in preflowering is wood ash, it helps change the gear into flowering. For a 50 liter pot I usually use 0-2 tablespoons - sometimes flowering seems transitioning well enough without it.
I put the wood ash under the dripper.
While doing selections I usually try to keeps conditions even for the plants so I can know how to adjust the next grow better. If I do put something singularly, I write it down.

Amendments I use collectively are worm castings slurry, nettles steep tea and sometimes compost tea- but only when I make my own compost.
Didnt find nettles for cycle.
EM and worm juice are available and seem to work nice. I use EM only at the start of the veg soil

Interresting mix, why so little compost and worm castings? Is it better for your warm and wet climate maybe less prone to get mold?

In europe you can get kelp cheapest at carp feeding stores.

Hi chilli, thanks for your critisism!

I think its more than enough organic matter. The composting will start off by the amendments and the coco will deteriorate with reuse - adding even more organic matter.
I nature a very rich soil is 4% organic matter, so I dont think I need more than 10% unless it is meant for water retention. I use automated watering, I just water when needed in the amount needed and can do without retention.
The extra air should pay off, and with degradation of the coco would naturally decrease after 2-3 seasons.

How cheap is cheapest? A 5 kg bag here is 3600 baht, 91 euro, shipping included
Its imported, so very expensive compared to the other parts
All other parts except Azomite are locally sourced, and cheap.

I am looking for local alternative for kelp

 

[chilliwilli]

A 5 kg bag here is 3600 baht, 91 euro, shipping included

Iirc something like 20-25 euro without shipping. I always got ccmoore crunchy kelp.

I think its more than enough organic matter. The composting will start off by the amendments and the coco will deteriorate with reuse - adding even more organic matter.

Thx wasn't meant as critisism just curiosity.
Yeah reusing and reamending the soil will build up lot's of organic matter.

The compost part in my mix comes from some terra preta based soil. In this soil is also something like 1% dust from roofing tile production. They put it in because ceramic is also found in original terra preta and they think its necessary to make terra preta work.

 

[fonzee]

Iirc something like 20-25 euro without shipping. I always got ccmoore crunchy kelp.



Thx wasn't meant as critisism just curiosity.
Yeah reusing and reamending the soil will build up lot's of organic matter.

The compost part in my mix comes from some terra preta based soil. In this soil is also something like 1% dust from roofing tile production. They put it in because ceramic is also found in original terra preta and they think its necessary to make terra preta work.

Compost vary greatly, i judge it by smell more than science
Terra preta is very heavy IIRC

 

[eastcoastjoe]

Hi all!
I want to mix soil for an upcoming grow of cannabrocolli. Pot size 50 liter, auto irrigation.
Location is Thailand, and grow is fully legal.

Base of the mix is coco. It is very available and in very good quality.
I wash it and seperate 90%+ of the fibers and use them for mulch.
The base mix is
90% coco
8% worm castings
2% compost mixed with active charcoal
Total amount should be 2 cubic meters, so
1800 liter coco
160 liter worm castings
40 liter compost

To this, the lime mix I want to make is
5kg azomite
5kg gypsum
5kg dolomite
15kg oyster shell powder
From this lime mix, i intend to mix one third, 10 kg, into the base mix and store the rest.
I expect to pH to rise from the ash, so reducing amounts

For feed, this is the mix I propose
5kg crab meal
5kg shrimp meal
10kg small fish meal
5kg palm ash
I debate using kelp powder, but it is very expensive
From this feed mix I intend to mix 15 with the base mix, and keep the other 5kg to add as topdress as needed


I believe the key ingredient would be good and fresh worm castings, but would love your insight about this thing

Thanks!

I would ditch the azomite unless you are looking to add high amounts of aluminum. Also, why so little castings ?
CEC of Coco is already lower than Peat moss so probably want to add more organic matter to raise it a bit.

 

[fonzee]

I would ditch the azomite unless you are looking to add high amounts of aluminum. Also, why so little castings ?
CEC of Coco is already lower than Peat moss so probably want to add more organic matter to raise it a bit.

Hi eastcoastjoe! Thanks for your input

Maybe I put less azomite then. I wanted it for trace minerals.

CEC of coco or peat is low, and not relavent compared to the organic matter. I dont think coco is lower CEC than peat moss.

The dolomite should add some CEC.
But my main point is that organic matter will build up with the degradation of coco, and I dont want CEC too high. IME, peat doesnt degrade as fast as coco coir.
Once the soil is up and running, I sometimes top dress, also with worm castings, and it will take the CEC higher.
If I put a mix with too much CEC to begin with, I will have stuck minerals that are there before the plant activated and balanced the soil, and the local microbes kicked in.

Common CEC values (meq/100g):
Organic matter - 200-400
Dolomite -100
Coco - 20 - 80 (guess mine is in the lower range as it is quite raw)
Peat moss - 15

 

[PadawanWarrior]

Hi eastcoastjoe! Thanks for your input

Maybe I put less azomite then. I wanted it for trace minerals.

CEC of coco or peat is low, and not relavent compared to the organic matter. I dont think coco is lower CEC than peat moss.

The dolomite should add some CEC.
But my main point is that organic matter will build up with the degradation of coco, and I dont want CEC too high. IME, peat doesnt degrade as fast as coco coir.
Once the soil is up and running, I sometimes top dress, also with worm castings, and it will take the CEC higher.
If I put a mix with too much CEC to begin with, I will have stuck minerals that are there before the plant activated and balanced the soil, and the local microbes kicked in.

Common CEC values (meq/100g):
Organic matter - 200-400
Dolomite -100
Coco - 20 - 80 (guess mine is in the lower range as it is quite raw)
Peat moss - 15

Peat does have a higher CEC than coco.

Peat vs Coco Coir

This can be a hotly debated topic among growers as to what's the best media for growing plants. In this article, I'll weigh in with my opinion on the subject as there are Pros and Cons to both.

www.kisorganics.com

 

[fonzee]

Peat does have a higher CEC than coco.

Peat vs Coco Coir

This can be a hotly debated topic among growers as to what's the best media for growing plants. In this article, I'll weigh in with my opinion on the subject as there are Pros and Cons to both.

www.kisorganics.com

I didnt find any about CEC there, just a comparison that is pretty irellevant here as coco is MUCH more renuable amd cheap.
While google gave me CEC numbers that show coco being slighty higher in CEC than peat, they are both much lower than organic matter.
The actual CEC would highly depend on the texture of the coco / peat. Raw coco have much lower CEC than washed and used coco
My coco is pretty raw, I seperate the coir from the fibers myself.
If the coco would stay as is, maybe the CEC is low, but as it decompose, the organic matter levels will rise, and so will the CEC - and faster than with peat



Most comments here say my organic matter too low, so I will keep some casting ready for topdressing and keep an eye

 

[fonzee]

Here is todays before and after coco wash

 

[eastcoastjoe]

CEC of coco or peat is low, and not relavent compared to the organic matter. I dont think coco is lower CEC than peat moss.

10% organic matter is close to a field soil. If your trying to build an organic soil that you don’t need to rely on adding liquid fertilizer, why not increase your CEC from the start by adding more organic matter ?

Coco does NOT have a higher exchange capacity than Peat Moss. I was trying to offer some advice but you seem to have it all figured out. Happy growing

 

[fonzee]

10% organic matter is close to a field soil. If your trying to build an organic soil that you don’t need to rely on adding liquid fertilizer, why not increase your CEC from the start by adding more organic matter ?

Coco does NOT have a higher exchange capacity than Peat Moss. I was trying to offer some advice but you seem to have it all figured out. Happy growing

Sorry for being hard

To me, peat and coco are both so low in CEC that they dont count much. My coco is as low CEC as it gets, i think.
We used to call them hydro haha
I had coco based soil reused for 2 years, it turned heavier than I like

How much castings would you recommend to mix in the soil and how much as top dress?
The castings will probably come from a cow poop worm farm