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Please help me fix my outdoor soil recipe

ELBURRO

Member
Like blueberry said you should think of maybe doing light dep you will be able to finish all the strains you have and the quality will be aaa.
 

soil margin

Active member
Veteran
I've got a couple extra grow tents lying around from indoor days and I'm wondering how that might work out for light dep. Wouldn't be that hard to just zip/unzip the roof piece and let it hang from one side during the daylight hours. I'm sure you could mcguyver something similar from home depot on the cheap.

I think with almost any 'realistic' light dep setup from a convenience standpoint, you are going to lose some amount of lateral daylight when the sun is closer to the horizon as a sacrifice for not having to setup vertical light blocks/walls everyday. That's just an insane amount of work if done on a large scale.
 
C

Cep

It's really the only way to pull those genetics in for sure though. They can be done with pvc high tunnels and super sun blocker tarps for a reasonable price. Growing those varieties full season in Maine is a recipe for heartache imo.
 

Snype

Active member
Veteran
Guys I can't find the Glacier Rock Dust or the Oyster Flour.


Should I get the powdered Azomite or the crystally one?

My last formula called for:

240 Cups Glacial Rock Dust
120 Cups Gypsum
120 Cups Oyster Flour

When I use the Azomite do I still use Gypsum? If I also am using Gypsum, do I need the pellets or the powder? Can someone give me a new formula that has how many cups Azomite and what other substitutes that I need to replace the Oyster Flour?

Again here's my recipe but I can't find Glacial Rock Dust or Oyster Flour:

36 Cubic Feet SPGM Peat Moss
36 Cubic Feet Top Soil
24 Cubic Feet Perlite
24 Cubic Feet EWC
240 Cups Basalt or Glacial Rock Dust
120 Cups Gypsum
100 Cups / 50 Pounds Oyster Shell Flour (1 pound=2 Cups): http://www.groworganic.com/oyster-shell-lime-50-lb.html
60 Cups Blood Meal
120 Cups Bone Meal
60 Cups Kelp Meal
60 Cups Neem Meal

I'm so close....
 
Guys I can't find the Glacier Rock Dust or the Oyster Flour.

did you try peaceful valley in GV? they ship as well...
http://www.groworganic.com

When I use the Azomite do I still use Gypsum? If I also am using Gypsum, do I need the pellets or the powder? Can someone give me a new formula that has how many cups Azomite and what other substitutes that I need to replace the Oyster Flour?

more variety the better... greensand/azomite/gypsum/oyster flour/soft rock phosphate is a good combo.

a general rule of thumb i always followed is 1 cup per cubic foot
 

Snype

Active member
Veteran
When I use the Azomite do I still use Gypsum? If I also am using Gypsum, do I need the pellets or the powder? Can someone give me a new formula that has how many cups Azomite and what other substitutes that I need to replace the Oyster Flour?

As for Azomite, do I use the powder or the crystally version?

As for Gypsum, do I use the pellets or the powder?
 

SmokeyTheBear

Pot Farmer
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I think using blood meal and bone meal is a big no no. I used to use it when I was young and didn't know any better. From my experience the plants ended up being pulled up around 75% of the time. Animals smell the fresh dug up dirt alone and are intrigued even without blood and bone meal. Worm castings are just as good of a source of nitrogen without all that smell to animals.
 

Brother Bear

Simple kynd of man
ICMag Donor
Veteran
One way i have found to keep the animals away from the blood/bone in a outdoor mix is to make sure the mix has sat for a few weeks at the min, two months if i can. And i put the soil mix outside in my plots a few weeks/months early (with no plants in it) as well, this spring i have plots ready i set up last fall :tiphat:

I also skip the EWC, and add mushroom compost instead. I'll mix about 30% native soil in with my mix and this provides all the EWC needed in my area.
 
L

Luther Burbank

Gypsum is a good source of sulfur, but go light because of the mg. Azomite or any glacial rock dust is interchangeable really however not interchangeable with gypsum. I'm surprised you can't find oyster flour. Chicken grit is just as doable. The only difference between pellet and powder is uptake time. The more surface area the quicker the breakdown. Pelleted might last a couple seasons in mineral terms for gypsum or lime, powdered you'd go lighter but burn through more in the year.

I continue to be a fan of bone meal for n, p and ca. CalPhos however is a viable replacement.
 

Snype

Active member
Veteran
Guys I hope I can get specific rates from you outdoor veterans. I guess from what some of you are saying, I would get the powdered versions of Azomite and Gypsum. How many cups of powdered Gypsum do I need and how many cups of powdered Azomite Powder do I need for my mix below?

36 Cubic Feet SPGM Peat Moss
36 Cubic Feet Top Soil
24 Cubic Feet Perlite
24 Cubic Feet EWC
60 Cups Blood Meal
120 Cups Bone Meal
60 Cups Kelp Meal
60 Cups Neem Meal

My last formula called for:

240 Cups Glacial Rock Dust
120 Cups Gypsum
120 Cups Oyster Flour
But I can't find Glacial Rock Dust or Oyster Flour. Can I substitute only Azomite and Gypsum or do I also need anything else to replace the Oyster Flour that I can't find? I'm a complete newbie and don't know what a little of this or a little of that means. I need exact rates for my formula above. Please also remember that I need rates for the powder versions and not pellets. Thanks in advance.


I'm so close.... :yummy:
 
snype,
with 3700 posts you should be a master... i dont see why you keep triple posting everything. if you read through some of the threads stickied here you will find the answers..
 

Brother Bear

Simple kynd of man
ICMag Donor
Veteran
A quick google search will bring up your needed supplies. Here is a link for Oyster Shell Flour. Far as the rock dust goes, There is a really nice mountian stream a few miles from me. I go there and find the very fine sand that catches in the bends of the stream and carry buckets out with me of that. The finer the better. You got a place like that near you ? Or here is another link.
 

Snype

Active member
Veteran
snype,
with 3700 posts you should be a master... i dont see why you keep triple posting everything. if you read through some of the threads stickied here you will find the answers..

I've read through plenty of threads and am getting conflicting answers to my questions. When growers need expert hydro help, I give them the answers that they need and send them on their way. All that I'm asking is:

How many cups of powdered Gypsum do I need and how many cups of powdered Azomite Powder do I need for my mix below?

36 Cubic Feet SPGM Peat Moss
36 Cubic Feet Top Soil
24 Cubic Feet Perlite
24 Cubic Feet EWC
60 Cups Blood Meal
120 Cups Bone Meal
60 Cups Kelp Meal
60 Cups Neem Meal

I don't understand why this question is so difficult to outdoor growers who have been doing this for years. I have access to Gypsum and Azomite but don't even know if I'm supposed to use powder or the pellets. I don't know if I'm also supposed to substitute something because I won't have the Oyster Flour. I can't order anything through the mail. There's no time and also no place to ship anything where I am. I originally started with Burn Ones formula in the Organic For Beginners thread and you guys said that formula has problems and not to use the Dolomite so I'm coming to you guys needing help for a soil that just sitting waiting for me to mix it today or tomorrow. So that's why I keep triple posting everything because I still don't have the information that I need. The questions are so simple. I won't be using Oyster Flour.

1. Can I just use the Azomite and Gypsum or do I also need something else?
2. How many cups of Azomite powder do I use in the above formula?
3. How many cups of Gypsum powder do I use in the above formula?

Those 3 questions seem pretty easy for guys who do this. I'm a hydro guy, you guys are soil guys.
 

Snype

Active member
Veteran
Snype you'' be styling with that soil mix.

If you want the cheap cheap soil check out this guy in maine rocking out with loam, compost, and perlite!

http://forum.grasscity.com/outdoor-grow-journals/1040895-maine-12-plant-grow-wide-open-field.html

Have you used 30gallon smart pots in maine before. I'll be rocking out 30 long season this year in western maine also!!
Never used smart pots before and I'm a newbie to outdoor. I had some plants last season but I had no idea what I was really doing. I already bought all my ingredients to make this years soil but I don't know what rates to use of Gypsum Powder and Azomite Powder. That's the only thing holding me back. Some people here were saying not to use Dolomite and I only have access to Gypsum and Azomite. I don't know how to pH my soil so that I don't have problems later. I just want to be able to add water when they need it. This is what I have so far:

36 Cubic Feet SPGM Peat Moss
36 Cubic Feet Top Soil
24 Cubic Feet Perlite
24 Cubic Feet EWC
60 Cups Blood Meal
120 Cups Bone Meal
60 Cups Kelp Meal
60 Cups Neem Meal

I have Gypsum Powder and Azomite but I don't know how many cups of each one to add to my mix. I also can't find Oyster Flour and don't know if I can get away without using it because I'm a newbie to organics. I'm a hydro guy. Just looking for someone to tell me how much Azomite and Gypsum Powder to use and If this will be to fix the pH and keep it right for the entire grow.

Sounds like you got some nice things going on! I hope we have a good season this year!
 

Snype

Active member
Veteran
Ok I've been doing some research on trying to understand what these products do. It seems that Gypsum doesn't fix pH and either does Azomite but I need some minerals and trace elements. I'll use Azomite and drop the Gypsum because I also think that I have to add some form of Lime to fix the pH and if I add the Gypsum I feel like I'll have too much Calcium in my mix and I still need Lime to pH the soil which is also high in Calcium. So I guess I'll go with:

36 Cubic Feet SPGM Peat Moss
36 Cubic Feet Top Soil
24 Cubic Feet Perlite
24 Cubic Feet EWC
240 Cups Azomite
120 Cups of some sort of Lime

60 Cups Blood Meal
120 Cups Bone Meal
60 Cups Kelp Meal
60 Cups Neem Meal

Hopefully this will work but if you think it's a problem, please let me know.
 
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