DRM Ranch
Member
I've just completed a couple plants in mildly amended soil with chem nutes, the results were fine however I did not exactly enjoy the process.
So doing a bit of research I have compiled a bit of ingredients to work with and a recipe to follow on my next grow. I'll get to that in a few.
One realization I came upon was that I'm not interested in doing a no till, cover crop, worms in the soil type grow. I respect the process I'm just not there yet.
Another thought came to me during my research, hot super soils (even composted) are rough on young plants, so why not use a diluted amendment soil for initial seedlings and ramp up the amendments as the plants are transplanted.
That said; I will go Rapid Rooter, 16oz., 32oz., #1, #2, #3 final.
The soil composition I settled on is a modified version of the SubCool soil with each transplant getting a more fully amended recipe. I plan to water water feed with Alaska Fish Fertilizer, Cal Mag+, and enzymes (RO as the base) for the feed portion, just Cal Mag+ and enzymes for water days.
-The Recipe-
SS#4 (10 2/3c)
Perlite (5c to 2 2/3c)*
Composted Chicken Manure (1/3c to 2 2/3c)*
EWC (26.3g to 213g)*
Fish Bone Meal (3.84g to 31g)*
Blood Meal (3.53g to 28.5g)*
Bat Guano (3.53g to 28.5g)*
Calcium Dust (1.73g to 14g)*
Dolomite Lime (0.49g to 4g)*
Azomite (0.24g to 2g)*
Epsom Salt (0.26g to 2.1g)*
Powdered Humic Acid (0.04g to 0.34g)*
*I left out the 3 measures in between for simplicity of typing this on my phone, they are even increments.
It should be obvious that a good digital scale is needed to mix these small batches of soil. Mine easily measures down to hundredths of a gram, and wasn't all that expensive.
I am using very finely powdered Dolomite Lime, and the epsom salt I dissolve in RO water to evenly distribute it into the soil. The nearly not there level of humic acid just needs a good mixing in and will do its thing.
Each batch is left to compost for a month prior to use, mixing the batches of soil periodically will improve the dispersion of amendments. It is important to keep the soil from becoming dry or overly wet while this process is going on.
For 25 plants; cups and quarts will need 3.125gal each, #1 through #3 will require 18.75gal each. So that is five containers with five unique soil mixes. I like 5gal buckets for the smaller batches and 32gal trash cans for the larger ones. The quantity of soil truly depends on actual container size and how full you plan to fill them every transplant.
My logic at this point is that if I notice a particular deficiency or excess at some point in the grow I can modify that soil mix for the next grow. Each transplant is expected to last two weeks, except the last which will last the entire flowering. One goal is to reduce the need for adjusting teas and allow a simple organic nutrient solution to be used for the entire grow.
The nutrient solution is in my opinion unable to cause burn at full strength, however I will use it in lower concentrations in an effort to determine how well the soil is doing.
I will not be adjusting pH, monitoring PPMs, or making any effort to adjust the nutrient solution or water unless there is a dire need to save a plant. .
I realize this is just a starting point, and dialing in will be needed to match the strains I am working with. The expectation is that corrections if needed are best made to the layer of soil that caused the issue.
I certainly do want input on the plan, and I will answer any questions I can along the way.
Questions I feel will come up include but are not limited to;
-Has each layer been depleted of nutrients at the point where the plant is transplanted?
-Has the soil been depleted of all nutrients at the point of harvest?
-Was the grow easy and trouble free at all stages?
-Did the plants produce as well as I expect?
My expectations are;
-Clone to #3 nursery container in 70 days.
-No nutrient burn.
-No premature yellowing in flower.
-0.9 to 1.0g/W under HID at 12:12 for 70 days
Should be a walk in the park...
DRM Ranch
So doing a bit of research I have compiled a bit of ingredients to work with and a recipe to follow on my next grow. I'll get to that in a few.
One realization I came upon was that I'm not interested in doing a no till, cover crop, worms in the soil type grow. I respect the process I'm just not there yet.
Another thought came to me during my research, hot super soils (even composted) are rough on young plants, so why not use a diluted amendment soil for initial seedlings and ramp up the amendments as the plants are transplanted.
That said; I will go Rapid Rooter, 16oz., 32oz., #1, #2, #3 final.
The soil composition I settled on is a modified version of the SubCool soil with each transplant getting a more fully amended recipe. I plan to water water feed with Alaska Fish Fertilizer, Cal Mag+, and enzymes (RO as the base) for the feed portion, just Cal Mag+ and enzymes for water days.
-The Recipe-
SS#4 (10 2/3c)
Perlite (5c to 2 2/3c)*
Composted Chicken Manure (1/3c to 2 2/3c)*
EWC (26.3g to 213g)*
Fish Bone Meal (3.84g to 31g)*
Blood Meal (3.53g to 28.5g)*
Bat Guano (3.53g to 28.5g)*
Calcium Dust (1.73g to 14g)*
Dolomite Lime (0.49g to 4g)*
Azomite (0.24g to 2g)*
Epsom Salt (0.26g to 2.1g)*
Powdered Humic Acid (0.04g to 0.34g)*
*I left out the 3 measures in between for simplicity of typing this on my phone, they are even increments.
It should be obvious that a good digital scale is needed to mix these small batches of soil. Mine easily measures down to hundredths of a gram, and wasn't all that expensive.
I am using very finely powdered Dolomite Lime, and the epsom salt I dissolve in RO water to evenly distribute it into the soil. The nearly not there level of humic acid just needs a good mixing in and will do its thing.
Each batch is left to compost for a month prior to use, mixing the batches of soil periodically will improve the dispersion of amendments. It is important to keep the soil from becoming dry or overly wet while this process is going on.
For 25 plants; cups and quarts will need 3.125gal each, #1 through #3 will require 18.75gal each. So that is five containers with five unique soil mixes. I like 5gal buckets for the smaller batches and 32gal trash cans for the larger ones. The quantity of soil truly depends on actual container size and how full you plan to fill them every transplant.
My logic at this point is that if I notice a particular deficiency or excess at some point in the grow I can modify that soil mix for the next grow. Each transplant is expected to last two weeks, except the last which will last the entire flowering. One goal is to reduce the need for adjusting teas and allow a simple organic nutrient solution to be used for the entire grow.
The nutrient solution is in my opinion unable to cause burn at full strength, however I will use it in lower concentrations in an effort to determine how well the soil is doing.
I will not be adjusting pH, monitoring PPMs, or making any effort to adjust the nutrient solution or water unless there is a dire need to save a plant. .
I realize this is just a starting point, and dialing in will be needed to match the strains I am working with. The expectation is that corrections if needed are best made to the layer of soil that caused the issue.
I certainly do want input on the plan, and I will answer any questions I can along the way.
Questions I feel will come up include but are not limited to;
-Has each layer been depleted of nutrients at the point where the plant is transplanted?
-Has the soil been depleted of all nutrients at the point of harvest?
-Was the grow easy and trouble free at all stages?
-Did the plants produce as well as I expect?
My expectations are;
-Clone to #3 nursery container in 70 days.
-No nutrient burn.
-No premature yellowing in flower.
-0.9 to 1.0g/W under HID at 12:12 for 70 days
Should be a walk in the park...
DRM Ranch
Last edited:
