First time Sunshine Mix #4 user

ice minus · Wednesday at 7:05 AM

Hi, fellow Canucks!

Canadian Tire has Sunshine Mix #4 on clearance! at an ATL, $3 a bag! Marked down from waaaay more. It's absolutely soaking wet, though

after what I'm guessing is a disappointing season of sales for them, they seem to have media for sale at waaay less than I've seen elsewhere.

Was hoping to scoop an insane deal on ProMixHP but that seems to be the last holdout and isn't on sale yet

So, I bought all of the SS#4 my local has left. And am officially here for help. I grabbed 4 bags at about $3 each which just to put into perspective, the previous media and only media I've used to date is the KIS Mix at a whopping $30-35 a bag. For equal 7gal size!

Just wanted to start a thread to hear from anyone familiar with this stuff, and where to go with it!

I added 3 TBSP per gallon (so 3TBSP x7 for 7gal) Gaia 4-4-4 , along with soil inoculant, Yucca, insect frass, compost trio, castings. And sprayed down with Inocucor LAB microbes. Then placed into the sun to bake! Few days later and now I'm at the stage of pics attached.

I am hoping this is activating both the dry amendments and the soil itself but I have posted the question in a previous thread which got a ton of replies (super grateful btw!) and it sounds like I'd be wrong, because it takes 2-4 weeks.

Just looking for some first hand experience beginner tips for this stuff from the best forum I'm on.

ICMAG and this forum in particular have been not only patient and friendly but most importantly hasn't ridiculed me as an admitted total noobie !

Huge thanks again as always and I always go over any and all replies

Tynehead Tom · Wednesday at 7:49 AM

Been using sunshine#4 since i first learned to grow in 89.
Not sure what you are targetting for a soil mic but sunshine 4 is soilless mix meaning no nutrients.
The only thing I add to it is buffers...... Granulated Gypsum and Dolopril.
At least for indoor anyways.
I feed general hydro nutes.
I don't use organics indoors but outdoors I only use organics.
Again not sure what you are targetting with the ammendments you have added but the sunshine mix itself is not soil, it is sterile.
my soil mix is
sunshine mix
compost (Black Gold)
sheep manure
bonemeal
gypsum
dolopril

Creeperpark · Wednesday at 11:24 AM

ice minus said:
Hi, fellow Canucks!

Canadian Tire has Sunshine Mix #4 on clearance! at an ATL, $3 a bag! Marked down from waaaay more. It's absolutely soaking wet, though

after what I'm guessing is a disappointing season of sales for them, they seem to have media for sale at waaay less than I've seen elsewhere.

Was hoping to scoop an insane deal on ProMixHP but that seems to be the last holdout and isn't on sale yet

So, I bought all of the SS#4 my local has left. And am officially here for help. I grabbed 4 bags at about $3 each which just to put into perspective, the previous media and only media I've used to date is the KIS Mix at a whopping $30-35 a bag. For equal 7gal size!

Just wanted to start a thread to hear from anyone familiar with this stuff, and where to go with it!

I added 3 TBSP per gallon (so 3TBSP x7 for 7gal) Gaia 4-4-4 , along with soil inoculant, Yucca, insect frass, compost trio, castings. And sprayed down with Inocucor LAB microbes. Then placed into the sun to bake! Few days later and now I'm at the stage of pics attached.

I am hoping this is activating both the dry amendments and the soil itself but I have posted the question in a previous thread which got a ton of replies (super grateful btw!) and it sounds like I'd be wrong, because it takes 2-4 weeks.

Just looking for some first hand experience beginner tips for this stuff from the best forum I'm on.

ICMAG and this forum in particular have been not only patient and friendly but most importantly hasn't ridiculed me as an admitted total noobie !

Huge thanks again as always and I always go over any and all replies

Hello friend, if you are going to use a soil-less mix like Sunshine or Pro Mix, it's important to keep a steady feed with every watering from the beginning to the end. I use a low ppm with every watering and keep a steady EC.