Hey everyone. Long time listener, first time caller 
I'm looking at changing up our current "soil" mix and was hoping to get some feedback.
We grow indoor and currently use (recipe is from my former grower):
1 bale(3.8cuft) Promix MP
5 gallons ewc
1 gallon insect frass
4 cups azomite
3 gallons perlite
We mix fresh for each new crop and do not let the mix cook, usually planting 48 hours after mixing and watering in with RO>CalMag>Age Old Grow. We plant directly in the soil without layering soil at the bottom and coco choir on top. We are on municipal water so we water with RO water>CalMag and we feed with RO>CalMag>Age old grow/bloom every 3-5 days.
We get good results but i was wanting to try to boost my mix and start recycling it as well. After reading quite a bit here and a few other places, I was concerned my mix was oversimplified. Unfortunately the more i read, the more I want to add (the options are seemingly endless!). I finally settled on this mix below and was hoping to get some feedback from those with more experience than i have.
1 bale (3.8cuft) Promix MP (we already have quite a bit of this so I need to use it)
5 gallons ewc
1 gallon insect frass
4 cups azomite
3 cups fish bone meal
3 cups kelp meal
2 cups alfalfa meal(I put a little less of this in because I read to be careful as it could be "hot")
3 cups neem meal
1 cup gypsum
1 cup epsom salt
3 gallons perlite
My thought is to mix this fresh, then at harvest I'll no till this into a compost pile. Next crop will be another fresh mix and by the time that crop is harvested, the soil from this crop should be ready to reamend and reuse.
With this new mix i hope to have a fortified enough soil to change the feeding to RO>CalMag>Age Old Grow/Bloom>Molasses once a week without additional top dress or tea.
SO many questions!
1. The Promix has mycorrhizae and the ewc and frass have beneficial bacteria. Is this sufficient or do i need to consider adding Rhizobacteria or Trichoderma?
2. How does the amendment list look? Am i getting too "carried away"? Is it reasonable to expect some benefit from this or would i be just as well off sticking with my current, simpler mix?
3. How do the amendment proportions look?
4. Recommend any deletions, additions or substitutions to this list?
5. Should i be ok planting straight into this?
6. Can I reasonably expect this soil to be sufficient for the once a week feeding mentioned without teas or top dressing? Obviously i will monitor for a address any deficiencies as they arise. I'm just wondering if i need to go ahead and plan for a more frequent or different feeding schedule
7. Any obvious nutrient excesses or deficiencies stick out with this mix? (I was a little concerned about the combination of epsom salt and gypsum both because of the double dose of sulfur and because we use cal mag with our watering (3ml/gal) and feeding (5ml/gal)
8. I like sulfur for terps. Will the sulfur in this mix last through harvest or do i need to consider additions during the grow?
9. Is there much risk of fertilizer burn with this mix?
10. When its time to compost the soil, I'll cut the stalk at soil level. Is it beneficial to put the stalk and leaves through a chipper and add back into the compost pile?
I'm sure i'll have more questions, but that will get me started. Thanks for any and all help or criticism!
I'm looking at changing up our current "soil" mix and was hoping to get some feedback.
We grow indoor and currently use (recipe is from my former grower):
1 bale(3.8cuft) Promix MP
5 gallons ewc
1 gallon insect frass
4 cups azomite
3 gallons perlite
We mix fresh for each new crop and do not let the mix cook, usually planting 48 hours after mixing and watering in with RO>CalMag>Age Old Grow. We plant directly in the soil without layering soil at the bottom and coco choir on top. We are on municipal water so we water with RO water>CalMag and we feed with RO>CalMag>Age old grow/bloom every 3-5 days.
We get good results but i was wanting to try to boost my mix and start recycling it as well. After reading quite a bit here and a few other places, I was concerned my mix was oversimplified. Unfortunately the more i read, the more I want to add (the options are seemingly endless!). I finally settled on this mix below and was hoping to get some feedback from those with more experience than i have.
1 bale (3.8cuft) Promix MP (we already have quite a bit of this so I need to use it)
5 gallons ewc
1 gallon insect frass
4 cups azomite
3 cups fish bone meal
3 cups kelp meal
2 cups alfalfa meal(I put a little less of this in because I read to be careful as it could be "hot")
3 cups neem meal
1 cup gypsum
1 cup epsom salt
3 gallons perlite
My thought is to mix this fresh, then at harvest I'll no till this into a compost pile. Next crop will be another fresh mix and by the time that crop is harvested, the soil from this crop should be ready to reamend and reuse.
With this new mix i hope to have a fortified enough soil to change the feeding to RO>CalMag>Age Old Grow/Bloom>Molasses once a week without additional top dress or tea.
SO many questions!
1. The Promix has mycorrhizae and the ewc and frass have beneficial bacteria. Is this sufficient or do i need to consider adding Rhizobacteria or Trichoderma?
2. How does the amendment list look? Am i getting too "carried away"? Is it reasonable to expect some benefit from this or would i be just as well off sticking with my current, simpler mix?
3. How do the amendment proportions look?
4. Recommend any deletions, additions or substitutions to this list?
5. Should i be ok planting straight into this?
6. Can I reasonably expect this soil to be sufficient for the once a week feeding mentioned without teas or top dressing? Obviously i will monitor for a address any deficiencies as they arise. I'm just wondering if i need to go ahead and plan for a more frequent or different feeding schedule
7. Any obvious nutrient excesses or deficiencies stick out with this mix? (I was a little concerned about the combination of epsom salt and gypsum both because of the double dose of sulfur and because we use cal mag with our watering (3ml/gal) and feeding (5ml/gal)
8. I like sulfur for terps. Will the sulfur in this mix last through harvest or do i need to consider additions during the grow?
9. Is there much risk of fertilizer burn with this mix?
10. When its time to compost the soil, I'll cut the stalk at soil level. Is it beneficial to put the stalk and leaves through a chipper and add back into the compost pile?
I'm sure i'll have more questions, but that will get me started. Thanks for any and all help or criticism!
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