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What type of soil are you using ?
- Thread starter gotnoname
- Start date
T
Teddybrae
Micro irrigation? 100 litre pots? You mean growing in "... the field"? Why not?
I use the local soil (red basalt) and amend it with manure, propriety compost, dolomite to the correct pH, fine gravel to loosen soil (am remote so Coco Coir expensive, rare here, vermiculate expensive).
Have photos of my process if yr serious ... but have to upload them yet.
I use the local soil (red basalt) and amend it with manure, propriety compost, dolomite to the correct pH, fine gravel to loosen soil (am remote so Coco Coir expensive, rare here, vermiculate expensive).
Have photos of my process if yr serious ... but have to upload them yet.
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Scale up from whatever you used in your small garden. There is a place somewhat local to here that will clone soil recipes and deliver.
https://alparonesource.com/
PDX Dopesmoker
Active member
There was some stuff in the Slownickel thread and some other ones about testing and amending native soil, I think I remember seeing some stuff in one of the guerrilla growing threads. Sounds like you're planning on growing an acre or maybe a little more, you could really break the bank on soil if you're growing that much weed in containers, its a dozen truckloads at least.
St. Phatty
Active member
I find a lot of grow supply places have at least 2 brands, Foxfarm and a few others.
I've been using G&B. Use G&B potting mix in the bottom of the pot, then G&B potting soil on top. For med. plants other than Cannabis.
When I use G&B for Cannabis, I supplement using manure for N, wood ash for K, and bone meal for P.
3 cubic feet of the potting mix is $10, 2 cubic feet of the potting soil is $9.
I also use the potting mix as kitty litter because the cats made it very clear they like it. I have to put wire mesh over indoor med. plants to keep the cats out.
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Teddybrae
May I suggest you use your 'field' soil in your pots? Pots make Moisture control easier than in the field. You could amend the soil with manure and whatever else it needs ... then fill yr pots. How you mix is the central issue if you use pots and field soil.
Like ... mixing soil is time consuming and laborious. And you will need to let the mixed soil sit in the pots for a while before planting ... for a couple of months maybe so that pH stabilises thru the mix.
Like ... mixing soil is time consuming and laborious. And you will need to let the mixed soil sit in the pots for a while before planting ... for a couple of months maybe so that pH stabilises thru the mix.
thanks for the advices !
-currently getting a promix copycat for 17$ per bales (3.7 cuft ) could be cheaper on big order.
-IMO potting native soil would be too much work (digging+pourring).
-Having the soil tested and amended is doable and probably the most cost efficient !
-Would 100gals+peat mix provide a significant yield/quality increase ?
-currently getting a promix copycat for 17$ per bales (3.7 cuft ) could be cheaper on big order.
-IMO potting native soil would be too much work (digging+pourring).
-Having the soil tested and amended is doable and probably the most cost efficient !
-Would 100gals+peat mix provide a significant yield/quality increase ?
Id say shop locally, you can get bulk for cheaper
you can always add stuff to it like extra perlite and what not
you can always add stuff to it like extra perlite and what not
T
Teddybrae
If I was to do 100gals (450 litres) amended soil I would expect +2lbs per plant conservative. Fat three meter plants.
It would be unprofessional to go any further with this talk, without knowing what the field is made off. Soil sampling is cheap, and the only way to know what the amendments would be. I would really want to amend the ground though, by scattering and ploughing in. It's a lot easier than using tubs.
Do you have lots of water?
Do you know how to divide your field by a grid pattern, or into geographically similar areas, to get a sample from various locations.
Do you have lots of water?
Do you know how to divide your field by a grid pattern, or into geographically similar areas, to get a sample from various locations.
I would die for some loamy sites. How bad can they be? You really should spend $200 on field samples before ploughing money into containers. $200 is nothing to you. Knowing whats in your field is priceless.
I spent years breaking my back with bags of compost. When I came round to the idea of actually checking the sites, most wanted Bonemeal. Half some K. One asked for Bonemeal and K, plus some Mg and the PH picking up. Dolomite Lime was the 3rd amendment there. It was a lot easier than I imagined. I spent less money targeting just what I needed, and carried 90% less to. That was the first year. Now I just need to put back what the plants use.
If your legit, you could get an agronomist in. We have a couple here. They might tell you what to get tested for, and then look over the results and offer ideas what amendments you should make. That was the hard part for me. You can't just get the elements singularly, it would break any bank. The Dolomite lime for instance, is straight out the ground. It's magnesium limestone. 10% Mg and 20% Ca. I had been sourcing Ca from bonemeal to on that site. So I was getting my Ca from two sources, one of which also offered Mg and the other lots of P. Knowing what comes from what, and what can't be used with what, is a headache for a newbie. I likely made mistakes. You should get an agronomist's help at your scale. I put on a good show, but chuck most of it. I have no budget for professional help.
One user actually goes by the handle agronomist, so might be one...
I spent years breaking my back with bags of compost. When I came round to the idea of actually checking the sites, most wanted Bonemeal. Half some K. One asked for Bonemeal and K, plus some Mg and the PH picking up. Dolomite Lime was the 3rd amendment there. It was a lot easier than I imagined. I spent less money targeting just what I needed, and carried 90% less to. That was the first year. Now I just need to put back what the plants use.
If your legit, you could get an agronomist in. We have a couple here. They might tell you what to get tested for, and then look over the results and offer ideas what amendments you should make. That was the hard part for me. You can't just get the elements singularly, it would break any bank. The Dolomite lime for instance, is straight out the ground. It's magnesium limestone. 10% Mg and 20% Ca. I had been sourcing Ca from bonemeal to on that site. So I was getting my Ca from two sources, one of which also offered Mg and the other lots of P. Knowing what comes from what, and what can't be used with what, is a headache for a newbie. I likely made mistakes. You should get an agronomist's help at your scale. I put on a good show, but chuck most of it. I have no budget for professional help.
One user actually goes by the handle agronomist, so might be one...
CrushnYuba
Well-known member
I would die for loamy soil also. It hardly exists here.
Another thing you need to keep in mind is your climate and rainfall during your grow season. Since you said rain catchment is an option, it sounds like you are not in a place like California. If you are getting lots of rain in the middle of your season, i would want to get those roots raised up and in a well draining potting mix.
In California where our season is lonnng, we have no rain all season, and we have uber sun, we benefit from having unlimited root space because the plants get bigger here then anywhere else. Here the best thing to do lots of the time is to do both. Till and amend your native soil. Put a light potting mix on top of it. You will get the benefit of both. You can put your top potting mix In a low wide smart pot, bed, or just a damn pile of soil on top (mounds).
Another thing you need to keep in mind is your climate and rainfall during your grow season. Since you said rain catchment is an option, it sounds like you are not in a place like California. If you are getting lots of rain in the middle of your season, i would want to get those roots raised up and in a well draining potting mix.
In California where our season is lonnng, we have no rain all season, and we have uber sun, we benefit from having unlimited root space because the plants get bigger here then anywhere else. Here the best thing to do lots of the time is to do both. Till and amend your native soil. Put a light potting mix on top of it. You will get the benefit of both. You can put your top potting mix In a low wide smart pot, bed, or just a damn pile of soil on top (mounds).
