Tutorial Organics for Beginners

[heady blunts]

definitely need to cook supersoils based on blood bone and guano.

I plant straight into a mineralized (coot style) mix.

I agree if you're unsure how to properly re amend best to go light and suppliament along the way with topdressing and teas. you won't be able to flush insoluble amendments if you add too much.

can't go too wrong with lots of kelp and some good compost when you recycle.

 

[FinestKindToo]

Hey guys, thanks for the responses. Probably should have mentioned that I am growing indoors.

flboy: That will work great for me in the warm months, but seeing as I'm in northern New England, not so great in the winter, unfortunately.

Granger2: I will definitely do a soil test; I've run them before on other mixes I've done at a nearby University. Problem is getting a decent representative soil sample while they are still in the pots, so I have some lead time to get it cooking before the next round is ready. Any suggestions for that?

Heady: Haven't checked out Coots mixes yet. Thanks for the tip.

 

[amneziack]

over my last grow i really got into organics and it converted me for good, i could not believe the terpenes my girls developed. the aact's and top feeding worked amazing. i'm looking on a new set up soon where i want to add more amendments.

the plants will be vegged in a smaller pot in allmix with added mykzo

then added into a 15 litre smart pot an bloomed for 2 weeks till ready to flip.


33% biobizz allmix
33% worm humus - plagron or local
20% extra perlite/ 13% plagron play pebels

Amended with

alfalfa
kelp
bat guano
dolomite lime - ( very small amount )
epsom salt - ( very small amount )

there's are the ingredients i have on hand.

will be feeding AACT's - aloe vera+molases in veg. aloe coconut water - biobiz bloom - top max in flower.

is the ratio of humus - soil and airation right?

will i benfit alot by ordering some azomite rock/ trace minerals.

and some oyster or crab meal. i can get fish meal or biobiz fish mix if i need.

thanks guys

 

[Phenome]

A pH of lower than 6.7 will greatly reduce N fixation. http://nmsp.cals.cornell.edu/publications/factsheets/factsheet39.pdf
In your situation you want the nitrogen fixating bacteria oxidizing your ammonium to nitrates (really one species convert to nitrite, then another species to nitrate). Quick life span plants prefer nitrates.

 

[RuggedTrees420]

As for organic mediums..I throw in 1 cup of dolomite lime per 7.5 gallons of my base and I DO NOT WORRY ABOUT PH FROM HERE OUT.

Dolomite works wonders in peat based mediums, the CalMag content I consider a plus, but it's magic lies in its PH ability. You can also top dress with some, this way any liquid going through the soil has already been PH neutralized.

I add my cup then top dress with a little extra as it won't burn, and I don't worry about PH.


I've never owned a PH meter in my life, if you use enough lime in your medium you will be fine.

Cheers!

 

[krood]

hey guys, I'm about to mix my first amended mix, Dank.Franks article on soil and amendments really pushed me to give this a shot. so I'm going to try to follow as closely as possible to what he recommends, doing a double batch. As well as using the phillthy mix as a base
these are the ingredients and doses of what i have
1 bale sunshine number four (the article said to use promix, but my understanding is they are pretty close and it is all i could get.)
30 lb ewc
1 large bag ffof
1 c alfalfa meal
1 c dry molasses
2 c kelp meal- the stuff at the shop i go to was called "killer kelp"
2 c blood
2 c bone
1 c seabird guano
4 tbsp sul-po-mg
1 c azomite
2/3 c dolomite
2/3 c gypsum
1 1/3 c oyster shell flour
2/3-1 c diatomaceous earth
giant heaping bag of fine perlite

i also have high phos guano, but i wasn't planning on putting it in the soil
what are your guys thoughts? anything else i should add? I'm going to start mixing tomorrow. thanks for any input everybody.

 

[Kozmo]

I like to use oyster shell instead of dolomite.

 

[Koondense]

I'm putting together some stuff for my first indoor soil mix.
Thinking of

BioBizz AllMix 30-40%
Coco fibers 30-40%
Vermicompost 15-20%
Perlite 20%
Mycorhizza

Still not sure about the ratios.

Could someone comment on this mix, should I add anything else?

 

[TheyCallMeJJay]

I'm putting together some stuff for my first indoor soil mix.
Thinking of

BioBizz AllMix 30-40%
Coco fibers 30-40%
Vermicompost 15-20%
Perlite 20%
Mycorhizza

Still not sure about the ratios.

Could someone comment on this mix, should I add anything else?

I've never seen these components in action. I would follow the original post to the T. And then venture off. But if you must, do so as a side test.

Burn 1's original post is guaranteed no matter which one you choose.

 

[heady blunts]

krood---

looks like you've got an nspb/philthy mix started there, but are the amendment numbers for the entire volume of that base mix? seems too low if this is the case, but too high if it were per cuft or something.

sunshine #4 is comparable to promix, yes. i believe they add coco where as promix is just peat. both are screened, sterilized, wetted, and have perlite added.


KD---

no reason to add mycorrhizae to the mix. it only colonizes living roots so it's more likely the spores will be consumed before they have a chance to infect if you mix it in. better to apply directly to roots during transplants. i also coat my seeds when planting seeds.


in general---

i'd keep the EWC at more like 10% and include the highest quality thermal compost you can find (coast of maine, oly mountain, malibu biodynamic are good quality bagged brands) for the rest of your compost input. it'll save you a bit of money plus (IMO) improve the structure of your mix over just EWC.

this is especially true if you're using shitty EWC like wiggle worm. that stuff sucks.

 

[Koondense]

I know those are proven mixes, it's unfortunate I can't get all the parts.
My mix will be made from easily available sources which should work well together in my opinion.
The pH won't be far from neutral, it may just need a bit of dolomite for a bit higher pH.

Vermicompost - pH 6.8, NPK 23-13-5.5
Coco - pH 6,5-7

I read the BioBizz allmix is a complete mix and can be too hot for seedlings, so I want to keep it lighter with adding perlite and coco. Vermicompost will be also used for the teas, in flower I'll add BioBloom by BioBizz + aminoacids, vitamins and molasses.

Is there a real downside to an unproven mix like this, are some parts uncompatible or is it juts a thing of routine? I can't find any reason why this shouldn't work great.


@headyblunts
I always use mycos outdoors and I'll add just a bit in the top layer with lighter soil for the seedling.
Too bad I'm in Europe so I can't get those you suggest. I'll take a look into Plagron BioSupermix, should be a good amendment.

The wormcastings I got are the best around so no fear over shitty product.

 

[TheyCallMeJJay]

I know those are proven mixes, it's unfortunate I can't get all the parts.

Which ones are you having problems with? These should be very easily attainable.

The ones you've posted seem like they'd be harder to obtain

 

[Koondense]

Well for most meals(kelp, bone, blood) I gotta drive quite a lot to get them.
My local hydroshop stocks Plagron and BioBizz, so it's easy to pick one of these. They have the guano(high P,K) and I like how the Plagron BioSupermix sounds.

I already have coco fibers, mycos and the vermicompost, thinking of a prepared soilmix that would fit. BioBizz Allmix seems the best organic soil available so I think I should have a base with it.
Coco+perlite will be added for lightness and better root spread while mantaining a stable pH.

The main idea is to have a rich enough soil for veg, leter when needed adding a bit of BioBloom(or some other product of same qualities) in flowering. I will probably be adding a compost tea on base of the vermicompost and a guano of some sort.

 

[atticflowers]

Great info here Tagged!

 

[heady blunts]

KD---

comb over some of VerdantGreen's threads. i believe he uses a modified LC mix and he's in the UK. he's very knowledgeable about organic soil building.

i think he mostly hangs out in his private breeder forum nowadays.

 

[Koondense]

Thanks HB, I'll go check his posts for more info.

Cheers

 

[TheyCallMeJJay]

Well for most meals(kelp, bone, blood) I gotta drive quite a lot to get them.
My local hydroshop stocks Plagron and BioBizz, so it's easy to pick one of these. They have the guano(high P,K) and I like how the Plagron BioSupermix sounds.

I already have coco fibers, mycos and the vermicompost, thinking of a prepared soilmix that would fit. BioBizz Allmix seems the best organic soil available so I think I should have a base with it.
Coco+perlite will be added for lightness and better root spread while mantaining a stable pH.

The main idea is to have a rich enough soil for veg, leter when needed adding a bit of BioBloom(or some other product of same qualities) in flowering. I will probably be adding a compost tea on base of the vermicompost and a guano of some sort.

Ahhh ok I understand. I'm assuming you've walked in to some nurseries. Basically places that sell shrubs, grasses, and trees.

I'm not at all surprised the hydro shop doesn't carry meals. Very low mark up.

 

[Koondense]

Yup.
Mixing the soil mix at this right moment

 

[MrTea]

Grow store without organic fertilizers? Fuck even home depot carries epsoma

 

[Phenome]

I would go 90% loam ( equal sand,silt,clay) 10% compost.I would make the compost with 45% autumn leaves and small twigs and sticks for the carbon. Add 45% grass clippings then 10% alfalfa meal for the nitrogen.
I would use the same compost for aact's then add mycorrhizae at the end.