Tutorial Organics for Beginners

[K.J]

Just a quick note for those who want a "water only" soil mix. I'm using the LC's #1 plus the bone/blood/kelp ferted mix with my clones and so far I've only given them pure water and they're doing FANTASTIC. I plan to use water only, with a little LK thrown in every other watering, for the remainder of the grow.

 

[3rdEyeWonder]

Hello all...

I prepared some LC's #1 but added the wrong amount of dolomite lime, giving it roughly half of what is recommended...

The presumed ladies are still in the seedling stage, although I've taken two of the bigger ones and placed them in 8" pots...the rest are still in 16 oz cups...

#1 Since I didn't add enough, should I be watching the PH on those particular two as well as the micros the lime would have taken care of? Can I top dress their soil a little with it now?

#2 I went back and added the remainder to complete the recipe in the big mix....Does the lime mix in well easily? It practically disappears so I can't judge how well it's mixed like the perlite...And when you mix initially, you kind of layer it with the parts, so I didn't worry about it then...Now I just dumped what was left out on top and mixed as best as I could..Should be ok, right?

#3 I know you're not supposed to let the soil completely dry out, but you still go by the lifting pot method, no? Say it does dry out, and the beni's die, they'll just come back when it's ferted again, no? Sounds like a stupid question but hey, I'm new to this..

Appreciate your time fellas! Can't wait until I taste some organic bud already...

 

[McSnappler]

Just a quick note for those who want a "water only" soil mix. I'm using the LC's #1 plus the bone/blood/kelp ferted mix with my clones and so far I've only given them pure water and they're doing FANTASTIC. I plan to use water only, with a little LK thrown in every other watering, for the remainder of the grow.

Good to know, water only is one of my main goals with organics.

 

[jasonk]

GrizzleB-
The best way to use it (Neptune's harvest) is to bubble some worm casting or compost tea along with molasses and Liquid Karma. Then just before you water, pour in the Neptune's Harvest and use it right away. Use 1 cup worm castings or compost in five gallons of water along with molasses and/or Liquid Karma @ 1 tbs./gal. of water. Great stuff.
And oh yeah, if you can get three bottles, get the green bottle of 0-0-1 seaweed and use it along with your 5-1-1 fish emulsion. Works great for germinating seeds and rooting clones as well.
Burn1

Hey B1, sorry to bring up an old post, but I'm reading through and cant find any more information on this. I'm planning on buying some Neptune's harvest, going with LC's soiless mix #2 with the Neptunes harvest and fish fert. What is the benefit of the extra EWC and Molasses and/or LK?

Where do you get LK?
Anyone know a reputable online store that has the Neptune's and LK and maybe ships to Canada too??

One more question: A local nursery has a bottle of Power Worm liquid EWC (as well as some type of bat guano) for hydro use, can't find the soil mix yet. Would this work?

THANKS!

 

[minds_I]

Hello all,

B1, can molasses (dry and liquid) be used to amend LC's mix for potassium instead of kelp meal?

minds_I

 

[Congobongo]

Will guano be to "hot" to put rooted clones into? I'm thinking about trying a SOG style next and was wondering if I could put guano into the soil so I don't have to transplant.

 

[vonforne]

Hey B1, sorry to bring up an old post, but I'm reading through and cant find any more information on this. I'm planning on buying some Neptune's harvest, going with LC's soiless mix #2 with the Neptunes harvest and fish fert. What is the benefit of the extra EWC and Molasses and/or LK?

Where do you get LK?
Anyone know a reputable online store that has the Neptune's and LK and maybe ships to Canada too??

One more question: A local nursery has a bottle of Power Worm liquid EWC (as well as some type of bat guano) for hydro use, can't find the soil mix yet. Would this work?

THANKS!

I do not like to add ingredients to the tea after the brewing process but some do. I add it before with the EWC and molasses.

http://www.planetnatural.com/site/index.html

This is one I used when I lived in the states. They have LK.

Here is Neptunes themselves

http://www.neptunesharvest.com/

Liquid works also if it is all that is around. You get more benefits with the EWC if it is in the soil.

V

 

[vonforne]

Will guano be to "hot" to put rooted clones into? I'm thinking about trying a SOG style next and was wondering if I could put guano into the soil so I don't have to transplant.

No to the first one and are you talking about top dressing in the current containers with the guano?

V

 

[Congobongo]

No to the first one and are you talking about top dressing in the current containers with the guano?

V

Basically I would be putting my rooted clones (from a bubble cloner) into LC's Mix #1 with the guano recipe instead of bone/blood/kelp for the food. That way instead of just putting the rooted clones into the naked LC's mix, I can just plant the clones in the container they are going to finish in.

 

[Dopeboy668]

Hi all. I was jus wondering if anybody else here uses hyponex soil from Wal-Mart as there base to add other organics and amendments and such instead of the sunshine mixes or pro-mix or whatnot. Iv'e been using it for a couple years now as my base with great results. It's a fine sifted rich black consistency. Reason I ask is cause its only $.99 for 10#'s and like $1.89 for a 40# bag. Very very cheap stuff and easily available to anybody near Wal-Mart (everybody). Peace.

 

[Dopeboy668]

Actually after thinkin bout it somemore I geuss if you added the hyponex soil I was talkin bout it would no longer be a "soil-less" mix. But it does still work great I can tell you from experience.

 

[BurnOne]

Hey burnone,
I'm just wondering, I need about 10 gal. more of soil to be able to transplant into the pots i'm using, but I don't have the time to mix up another batch(I used recipe 1), can I get a bag of fox farms or black gold and use that to make up for any soil I need to add when I transplant? I would use it for the upper layers of soil if that makes any difference.
Thanks.

BurnOne

Before you answer Huey69's question, I wanted to interject that the 'Black Gold' soil that he mentioned is manufactured by the same company which does the whole 'Sunshine Mix' series, i.e. it's made from very good products. Their packaging plant is about 5 miles up the road from where I live where they pack all the various Sunshine mixes, Black Gold, and other products sold at HomeDepot & Loews.

So he's starting out with a very nice mix product - light years ahead of FFOF, IMHO.

HTH

CC

BurnOne

The only reason that I explained 'Black Gold' is that back in the 1980's (long before the whole FFOF deal), this 'soil' was the 'pot grower's soil of choice' and they were based here in the PNW.

I'll say this - when the corporation which owns Sunshine Mix bought the 'Black Gold' operation - they definitely improved this product.

As you know, I mix my own soil and I'm pretty 'anal' about the ingredients in my mix. Having said that, the 'Black Gold Soil' product line is a very good soil mix. Like the LC mixes I'd add the nitrogen and phosphorus amendments like the LC mixes, but basically you're starting out with a top of the line product and for cheap money. The current price around Portland is $10.00 per 2 c.f. for their organic mix - not a bad deal all in all.

HTH

CC

Those mixes are mostly plain old peat with a little perlite thrown in. Use it the same as you would use Pro Mix in LC's mixes. Definitely use 2 tbs. powdered dolomite lime per gallon of final mix. Also use some sort of humus like 20% worm castings or home made compost. Why mess up a good thing?
Burn1

 

[BurnOne]

Hello all...

I prepared some LC's #1 but added the wrong amount of dolomite lime, giving it roughly half of what is recommended...

The presumed ladies are still in the seedling stage, although I've taken two of the bigger ones and placed them in 8" pots...the rest are still in 16 oz cups...

#1 Since I didn't add enough, should I be watching the PH on those particular two as well as the micros the lime would have taken care of? Can I top dress their soil a little with it now?

#2 I went back and added the remainder to complete the recipe in the big mix....Does the lime mix in well easily? It practically disappears so I can't judge how well it's mixed like the perlite...And when you mix initially, you kind of layer it with the parts, so I didn't worry about it then...Now I just dumped what was left out on top and mixed as best as I could..Should be ok, right?

#3 I know you're not supposed to let the soil completely dry out, but you still go by the lifting pot method, no? Say it does dry out, and the beni's die, they'll just come back when it's ferted again, no? Sounds like a stupid question but hey, I'm new to this..

Appreciate your time fellas! Can't wait until I taste some organic bud already...

You can't top dress dolomite. It must be in contact with the soil and be moist to work. I'm not a big fan of letting the mix dry out. I always keep my mix moist. You should be fine with the seedlings in the 16 oz. cups.
Burn1

 

[BurnOne]

Hey B1, sorry to bring up an old post, but I'm reading through and cant find any more information on this. I'm planning on buying some Neptune's harvest, going with LC's soiless mix #2 with the Neptunes harvest and fish fert. What is the benefit of the extra EWC and Molasses and/or LK?

Where do you get LK?
Anyone know a reputable online store that has the Neptune's and LK and maybe ships to Canada too??

One more question: A local nursery has a bottle of Power Worm liquid EWC (as well as some type of bat guano) for hydro use, can't find the soil mix yet. Would this work?

THANKS!

Worm castings offer humus (humic acids) to buffer pH. They also supply lots of microherd. Molasses is a carbohydrate that feed the microherd. It's like giving a kid sugar.
Liquid Karma has lots of good stuff in it.
I don't know anyone to ship to you except maybe Worm's Way.
I don't know anything about using hydro products. Stick to the recipe exactly if you want success.
Burn1

 

[BurnOne]

Hello all,

B1, can molasses (dry and liquid) be used to amend LC's mix for potassium instead of kelp meal?

minds_I

Hi Bro. How have you been?
Molasses isn't going to supply enough potassium IMO. Use seaweed or kelp.
Burn1

 

[BurnOne]

Will guano be to "hot" to put rooted clones into? I'm thinking about trying a SOG style next and was wondering if I could put guano into the soil so I don't have to transplant.

Well rooted clones are in fact mature plants. They can take nutes full strength.
Burn1

 

[BurnOne]

Hi all. I was jus wondering if anybody else here uses hyponex soil from Wal-Mart as there base to add other organics and amendments and such instead of the sunshine mixes or pro-mix or whatnot. Iv'e been using it for a couple years now as my base with great results. It's a fine sifted rich black consistency. Reason I ask is cause its only $.99 for 10#'s and like $1.89 for a 40# bag. Very very cheap stuff and easily available to anybody near Wal-Mart (everybody). Peace.

Actually after thinkin bout it somemore I geuss if you added the hyponex soil I was talkin bout it would no longer be a "soil-less" mix. But it does still work great I can tell you from experience.

Again, those store bought mixes are mostly peat with a little perlite.
Burn1

 

[otherwhitemeat]

Burn1, you are truly a treasure here at icmag. Anyone that devotes as much time to helping newbs deserves all the rep possible! I read about 75% of the thread so if I have questions, I HOPE that I've done you proud!

I have been using FFOF since I started growing (abt 18 months ago) and have found it to be inconsistent in quality. Sometimes, my plants grow big and beautiful and sometimes they develop premature deficiencies. The last batch I bought grew a hideous yellow mold on the soil surface after a week stored in tubs. I NEVER saw soil grow mold at all, let alone that quickly. I figured that healthy soil would never grow mold. My plants hate this batch.

Long story short, the hydro store guy doesn't give a lick about returns, even though FF has a 100% guarantee. I pay $25/bag for this stuff and have decided to make my own.

Since I am new to this, I am going to mix up enough LC mix to run two plants in LC versus two in FFOF, I will report back on this in a few months.

For now, here what I got and what I paid for it, I would LOVE some comments if I got the wrong stuff

LC mix #1:
$25 @ Agway 3.8 cu ft BM-1 Canadian (This is the only one I am not 100% sure on)
$30 @ Agway 20lb worm castings
$22 @ Agway 4 cu ft of perlite
$3 @ Home DePOT 20 lb bag of Dolomitic (pulv) Lime


Food source, Recipe #1
$9 @ Home DePOT 5 lbs blood meal (Vigoro) 12-0-0
$11 @ Home DePOT 6 lbs of bone meal (MG) 6-9-0
$10 @ Agway 10lb Greensand (Espoma)
$17 @ Agway 4 lb Kelp Meal (Espoma)


Total cost= $117 USD for all this! I am not sure what that equates to in FFOF weight/cost, but I am hoping to yield at least 100+ pounds.

Now, on to Teas....goodbye PBP!

 

[BurnOne]

owm-
That's it! That should make about 55 gallons of mix. That's about 7.5 cubic feet. Or about 5 bags of FFOF. 5 bags FFOF=$125. There is NO WAY FFOF can compare to the mix you're using. Not even close.
Put aside some plain LC's Mix to germinate seeds and root cuttings in.
Good luck.
Burn1

 

[otherwhitemeat]

Put aside some plain LC's Mix to germinate seeds and root cuttings in.
Good luck.
Burn1

You mean I can dispense with rockwool cubes too? Woohooo!!! This just keeps getting better!

My local hydro store overcharges for all this stuff. If anyone has an Agway near them, I HIGH-ly recommend checking them out. They had SOO much more selection and their prices were so much cheaper.