Penguin's Organic Soil Recipe

[Penguin59]

Hi everyone!

Have just made up a new batch of organic soil that I will use for my next run and thought I would share my mix with all of you.

I'll just give you guys a quick break-down of the products and the method I use and show some pics. Feel free to comment or give any advice!


Soil Ingredients:

1. Organic Potting Soil (40%)
2. 5 in 1 Organic Manure Mix (30%)
3. Vermiculite (30%)

Plus ½ tablespoon of Dolomite Lime per Litre (2 tablespoons per gallon for our imperial unit friends)


I generally make about 35 litres (9 gallons) of organic soil mix at a time. This fills three, 12 litre (3 gallon) pots quite comfortably.



My Ingredients

This product is phenomenal. So many great ingredients all in the one bag!
I'm all about simplicity and removing guesswork and this product covers everything my girls will ever need

All mixed up with the lime sitting on top

Activate!

Method:


1. Into a large garbage bin, I just pour in each component of the soil mix one on top of the other and then mix them all together by hand.

2. Once the ingredients are all mixed up, I give the mix a big watering.

3. Immediately after step two is complete, I pop my next set of beans in some plastic cups with just regular potting soil. This lets the young seedlings grow up while the organic soil mix is settling outside and creating humic acid for the girls to later feed off.

4. I usually just let this mix sit for a couple of weeks by itself and I make sure it doesn't ever dry out. I give the mix a turn every second or third day to make sure all the "hot-spots" are removed and the soil mixes through evenly.

5. After a couple of weeks, the soil mix is ready for the seedlings in the cups to be transplanted into and there they stay until harvest. This makes it so that the girls are only ever transplanted once in their lives.


The best part about this method is that I only ever need to water the girls with plain water from seed all the way through to harvest!

Happy Growing!

 

[h.h.]

It sounds like you know what you're using and have used it before. I trust the 5n1 manures have all broken down adequately. If not, I'd be inclined to use it more as a top dress, but I don't know the product

 

[Penguin59]

Hi h.h.! Thanks for taking a look mate. I have used the 5 in 1 before and had some pretty good results. Although I would have no idea how to check whether the manures have broken down adequately or not.

It was always my understanding that adding moisture and letting the mix sit, encourages microbial activity in the soil which breaks down the soil components so that the nutrients become available to the plants. Am I off the mark here?

 

[howske]

You add any additives wile in bloom penguin. ??

 

[Penguin59]

Hi howske! Yes I am in fact guilty of adding a little something to the plain water during flower haha. I usually add about ½ teaspoon of black strap molasses per litre when I switch to flower but I add nothing during veg.

 

[h.h.]

Hi h.h.! Thanks for taking a look mate. I have used the 5 in 1 before and had some pretty good results. Although I would have no idea how to check whether the manures have broken down adequately or not.

It was always my understanding that adding moisture and letting the mix sit, encourages microbial activity in the soil which breaks down the soil components so that the nutrients become available to the plants. Am I off the mark here?

If you've had good results, it's broken down.
Most of the activity in your soil is near the surface where the oxygen is plentiful. Anaerobic activity in the depths of the soil, in my experience, tends to multiply the protozoa which can lead to a hot mix and a lot of nitrogen towards the end of your growth cycle. What they sell as composted manure over here would not go into my mix while manure that went through my compost pile would. It needs to be a finished product. It all depends on the supplier. Sound like you have a good one.

 

[Penguin59]

Hi everyone,

Well it's been two weeks since I mixed up the above soil mix so I thought I would chuck up a couple of pics of how it's looking now. Have just been keeping it moist and turning it every couple of days.



Filled in these two, 12 litre (3 gal) pots with the soil mix
The soil has the wonderful consistency of a spongy cake now

It's become so light and fluffy
The roots are gonna love it!

My girls will be transplanted into this mix in about a week's time. They haven't quite outgrown their cups yet.


I still have about 13 litres (3.5 gals) of soil mix left too. Might keep that for the veggie garden!

 

[wildgrow]

Got a link to your Rhino grow bro?

 

[Penguin59]

Hey wildgrow! Don't have a thread up yet buddy but will as soon as I flip the tent to 12/12 in 3-4 weeks.

Just letting the girls veg up at this stage; they are up to their 3 tier of leaves already!

 

[jerry111165]

3. Immediately after step two is complete, I pop my next set of beans in some plastic cups with just regular potting soil. This lets the young seedlings grow up while the organic soil mix is settling outside and creating humic acid for the girls to later feed off.

Penguin - Humic Acid?

J

 

[Neo 420]

"Once the decay is complete and the organic matter cannot be broken down further, we get what we know as humus. In other words, we get humus when humic matter reach the last stage of decay beyond which it cannot decay further."

Got some time on your hands?

What I think he meant to say was:
This lets the young seedlings grow up while the organic soil mix is settling outside and composting for the girls to later feed off.

You need high quality EWC and compost if you want humus (which will deliver your humic acids and humins)

Now if you had your own worm-bin and compost going.....