First time soil mix, did I screw up?

[mtnxbiker]

So I'm getting ready for my first grow and I just finished mixing the soil,
here's what I used for my mix:

6 Parts soilless mix (similar to sunshine #4)
2 Parts perlite
2 Parts earthworm castings
2tbs/gal Lime
1tbs/gal Blood meal
2tbs/gal Bone meal
1tbs/gal Kelp meal

Mixed together and moistened using Liquid Karma at 1tbs/gal

What I didn't realize is that lime and dolomite lime are different. I couldn't find dolomite lime so I used regular lime. It states 91% calcium carbonate, 30% calcium, less than .5% magnesium carbonate, or something along those lines...

Will this be okay? Do I need to add something else? Or should I start over?

I will be starting from seed if it makes any difference.

 

[BurnOne]

I'd start over. If that's hydrated lime, it won't provide the much needed Mg and Ca the plants need. Look on the bag, it will sAY DOLOMITE OR DOLOMITIC IF INDEED IT IS. aND BE SURE TO USE POWDERED OR PULVERIZED DOLOMITE OR IT WON'T MIX WELL ENOUGH.
uSE YOUR LOCAL yELLOW pAGES TO CALL AROUND FIRST AND SAVE SOME GAS.
bURN1

Sorry for the caps, I hit cap lock

 

[Pimpslapped]

Hey BurnOne, I think it might be calcitic lime. Is that as much of a problem as Hydrated? I'm not really familiar with the calcitic, but did see a bag of fast acting lime that had calcitic lime listed as the component. I'm sure it's lacking in Mag, but other than that would it necessarily be bad?

Just curious on that one.

 

[BurnOne]

Not sure man. Why chance it I always say. We're only talking a few $$$ here.
Burn1

 

[mtnxbiker]

I think pimpslapped nailed it. All the bag says on the front is "Lime", and I bought it from a hydroponics shop. It's brownish in color and it looks like finely crushed rock (it's not powdered). Also says something about fast acting if I remember right. Will 2 tbs/gal of this stuff be too much calcium or can I just add some magnesium and call it good? If so, how would you recomend adding magnesium?

 

[Pimpslapped]

I think pimpslapped nailed it. All the bag says on the front is "Lime", and I bought it from a hydroponics shop. It's brownish in color and it looks like finely crushed rock (it's not powdered). Also says something about fast acting if I remember right. Will 2 tbs/gal of this stuff be too much calcium or can I just add some magnesium and call it good? If so, how would you recomend adding magnesium?

Wish I could help you, but that's way out of my level of knowledge. I'm just a raw beginner. The simplest solution and probably the 'safest' would be to scrap that soil batch and start a new one from scratch. But that can be a real pain in the arse, so I dunno man.

As for adding MG... I see epsom salts reccomended for helping with in grow defs... but adding magnesium to the soil, without overloading your calcium could be problematic. I wouldn't even know where to start.

** Edit: Might wanna check out 'Sul-Po-Mag'... if you wanted to try and keep the already mixed dirt, that might be an option.

 

[Mr Celsius]

I can't answer your questions, but I can tell you how to answer them yourself. Why don't you check the ph run off of the water coming out of the mix? Also if your lacking in the Mg department, just use some epsom salts (foliar or in the soil).

 

[mtnxbiker]

Just measured the pH at 6.5 after 1 day of the soil composting. I think that sounds about right, but I'm not sure how long it takes the lime to start acting.

 

[TheOneWill]

I haven't mixed my nutes and I did exactly how LC's Soiless mix said. Using the same Fast Acting Lime. But I might need to find some dolomite lime when I transplant the plants later on in time. Just throwing in my 2 cents. Also wheres a good place to get a PH meter?