organic soil question

werejammmin420

Well-Known Member
I'd live to make my own soil and use as much as i can thats free, these are all the things I can get hold of!
-Seaweed
-cow manure
-horse manure
nettles
Tea bags

would these go in a mix ? If so what to add?? I don't mind spending abit of money on additives as i'll be reusing it! Thanks in advance.
 

MustangStudFarm

Well-Known Member
I am kind of new in the organic section, but everyone told me to get a worm bin. I have had it for 3-4 months. Lots of things go in there, and it seems to be the best thing that you can do at home! I would check out the vermicompost section.
My problem now is that I have to train and top because my canopy is going crazy!!!
 

werejammmin420

Well-Known Member
I am kind of new in the organic section, but everyone told me to get a worm bin. I have had it for 3-4 months. Lots of things go in there, and it seems to be the best thing that you can do at home! I would check out the vermicompost section.
My problem now is that I have to train and top because my canopy is going crazy!!!
I have a worm farm and not had it for long, cheers for the advice i'll have a look. Can you post a picture of your plants ? Cheers
 

DonPetro

Well-Known Member
I'd live to make my own soil and use as much as i can thats free, these are all the things I can get hold of!
-Seaweed
-cow manure
-horse manure
nettles
Tea bags

would these go in a mix ? If so what to add?? I don't mind spending abit of money on additives as i'll be reusing it! Thanks in advance.
Those things would be best composted first. Then mixed in proper proportion with whatever you choose to make a base mix with.
 

Dr.StickyFingers

Well-Known Member
I would consider adding finely ground up fish bones (or any bone), shells of crabs/lobster/etc.,

rock dust, lime, perlite (or other aeration amendments) are a must and you're gonna need to buy it probably

In terms of composting there are too many things you can add
 

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Those things would be best composted first. Then mixed in proper proportion with whatever you choose to make a base mix with.
I agree, and it's crucial to compost with that much manure.
I'd live to make my own soil and use as much as i can thats free, these are all the things I can get hold of!
-Seaweed
-cow manure
-horse manure
nettles
Tea bags

would these go in a mix ? If so what to add?? I don't mind spending abit of money on additives as i'll be reusing it! Thanks in advance.
If you can get seaweed you can probably get some crab shells, may take some time, and it's a chore to pulverize them unless you have a burly coffee grinder, You need aeration that part is very important.
The nettles you can either make a good tea out of or you can compost that with your manure, it also works well as a topdress later in growth.
For probably less than a hundred dollars you could get a good setup of minerals, amendments and a thing of promix hp (not ideal but ok for budget grows)
if you are re-using the soil i'd add some bio-char too, it's cheap and it works as an aeration also.
Get some minerals too, again for re-using soil I think it's a good idea to get minerals and amendments that breakdown at different rates, like greensand for example.
If money wasn't an issue, i'd go with volcanic rock over perlite for aeration. Neem meal is a must, so is crab meal or at least oyster meal, good source of worm castings (homemade is best)
I recently had to make a new batch of soil i'll be using over and over (my landlord tossed a bunch of my soil :wall:) Anyways this is what I put in my mix, and you can change SO much of this, it's just what I like
aeration I use bio-char, pumice, oyster shell and volcanic rock
Greensand, rock phosphates, basalt, azomite, and oyster meal for my minerals
Neem meal, crab meal, insect meal (haven't tried yet, see thread regarding insect frass), kelp meal.
For teas I use comfrey and dandelion (works INSANE), standard AACT.
In the past I have used (and with good results) rabbit and alpaca manures, bat guano, seabird guano, etc
One thing you don't have which is the cornerstone for a successful organic grow is a source of humus/microbes/fungi etc.
That's were either a good EWC source or a good leaf compost comes in.
 

werejammmin420

Well-Known Member
I agree, and it's crucial to compost with that much manure.

If you can get seaweed you can probably get some crab shells, may take some time, and it's a chore to pulverize them unless you have a burly coffee grinder, You need aeration that part is very important.
The nettles you can either make a good tea out of or you can compost that with your manure, it also works well as a topdress later in growth.
For probably less than a hundred dollars you could get a good setup of minerals, amendments and a thing of promix hp (not ideal but ok for budget grows)
if you are re-using the soil i'd add some bio-char too, it's cheap and it works as an aeration also.
Get some minerals too, again for re-using soil I think it's a good idea to get minerals and amendments that breakdown at different rates, like greensand for example.
If money wasn't an issue, i'd go with volcanic rock over perlite for aeration. Neem meal is a must, so is crab meal or at least oyster meal, good source of worm castings (homemade is best)
I recently had to make a new batch of soil i'll be using over and over (my landlord tossed a bunch of my soil :wall:) Anyways this is what I put in my mix, and you can change SO much of this, it's just what I like
aeration I use bio-char, pumice, oyster shell and volcanic rock
Greensand, rock phosphates, basalt, azomite, and oyster meal for my minerals
Neem meal, crab meal, insect meal (haven't tried yet, see thread regarding insect frass), kelp meal.
For teas I use comfrey and dandelion (works INSANE), standard AACT.
In the past I have used (and with good results) rabbit and alpaca manures, bat guano, seabird guano, etc
One thing you don't have which is the cornerstone for a successful organic grow is a source of humus/microbes/fungi etc.
That's were either a good EWC source or a good leaf compost comes in.
Cheers for all the information! I'm pretty stoned now so will read it later, sorry.
Just 1 quick question, what would you do with live crabs if you could get them ?
 

werejammmin420

Well-Known Member
Actually fuck it, i want to learn! @greasemonkeymann if money was no issue and you wanted enough soil for 8 hempy pots (size that ud use in a 1.2x1.2 that you would use in a grow room (alternating pots so only 4 at a time in room) so the other soil can cook like a bitch lol
 

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Cheers for all the information! I'm pretty stoned now so will read it later, sorry.
Just 1 quick question, what would you do with live crabs if you could get them ?
ahh, I meant finding the shells of dead crabs, usually at most beach (at least around here) you can find shells all over the place, you can also crush other shellfish shells to replicate an oyster meal (haven't done that, but can't see why it wouldn't work)
I need one crucial piece of information..
8 hempy pots, at what size? How much are you needing for the entire 8 pots?
and it is a good idea to have two "sets" of soil, Although it doesn't need to be "cooked" after the initial setup, and even then depending on your ingredients, may not be needed, anyways I do like to plant an inoculated legume seed mix (the nitrogen fixing type) to grow in the harvested pots (right next to the stump) while I grow the next set of plants, and then repeat, and after about three or four harvests (maybe less if it's a fast grower), you'll need to start topdressing a lil more. Anyways in my mind the legume seed mix takes advantage of the existing soil web that the harvested cannabis had, not to mention its supposed to help "re-energize" the soil, don't toss the soil, don't till it, don't do anything except keep the pots watered while the legume seeds grow for a couple months, then harvest your other plants, and the old containers (with the legumes) trim the legume plant(s) and use it for a mulch, and wedge your new little lady into it, and it shoots off like crazy.
 

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
i'm also mulling around the idea of planting baby dandelion plants in my old soil, but from what I've read about dynamic accumulators it may not be advantageous at all, but at the minimum i'll have a good fresh dandelion mulch to use
 

werejammmin420

Well-Known Member
ahh, I meant finding the shells of dead crabs, usually at most beach (at least around here) you can find shells all over the place, you can also crush other shellfish shells to replicate an oyster meal (haven't done that, but can't see why it wouldn't work)
I need one crucial piece of information..
8 hempy pots, at what size? How much are you needing for the entire 8 pots?
and it is a good idea to have two "sets" of soil, Although it doesn't need to be "cooked" after the initial setup, and even then depending on your ingredients, may not be needed, anyways I do like to plant an inoculated legume seed mix (the nitrogen fixing type) to grow in the harvested pots (right next to the stump) while I grow the next set of plants, and then repeat, and after about three or four harvests (maybe less if it's a fast grower), you'll need to start topdressing a lil more. Anyways in my mind the legume seed mix takes advantage of the existing soil web that the harvested cannabis had, not to mention its supposed to help "re-energize" the soil, don't toss the soil, don't till it, don't do anything except keep the pots watered while the legume seeds grow for a couple months, then harvest your other plants, and the old containers (with the legumes) trim the legume plant(s) and use it for a mulch, and wedge your new little lady into it, and it shoots off like crazy.
To be honest i don't know what size, all i know is im growing in a 1.2m x 1.2m room and want the right size for the room baring in mind its just for pots
 

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
To be honest i don't know what size, all i know is im growing in a 1.2m x 1.2m room and want the right size for the room baring in mind its just for pots
well, if you are going organic you want two gallons per foot of growth, I understand you are metric, so that's eight liters per 30cms of growth (damn the stupid amercans for their measurements!!)
 

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
To be honest i don't know what size, all i know is im growing in a 1.2m x 1.2m room and want the right size for the room baring in mind its just for pots
so that would be eight 40 liter pots, maybe less if they are short indicas.
40 liters X 8 pots is 320 liters
so that's a pretty good amount of soil, more than the hundred bucks for the amendments...
Not sure if you can fit 4 of those pots in your space.
 
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