So I got the 3.8 cu ft bag from buildasoil, it comes with the nutrients/minerals and you add your own aeration/compost/sphagnum peat moss.
I was going to just dump everything onto a tarp and mix it, but I was thinking I’d rather mix it up inside each individual pot.
It calls for....
Nutrients:
(Use at 2.5 Cups Per cubic foot of soil or about 5-6 Tablespoon per gallon of soil)
Minerals:
(Use at 4 Cups Per Cubic foot of soil or about 1/2 Cup per gallon of soil)
Lastly, would you suggest I do the basic or do you suggest I do a little less compost?
33% sphagnum peat moss
33% Red Lava Rock
33% compost
You'll be fine dumping everything into a tarp and mixing, the caveat being that your source of compost has to be of the highest quality. Texture specifically when sourcing compost.
When you grab a handful of compost, it should clump together when you close your first and stay clumped when you open your first. Then, you should be able to poke the clumped compost with your finger and it should fall apart nicely. It should be similar to peat moss/coco in texture, light and fluffy. And if you're not finding yourself enjoying the sweet earthy musk of the compost, it isn't very good.
- If you have a compost that meets the above requirements, the 1:1:1 ratio will do just fine.
- If your compost is poor-mediocre, run 40% peat/40% aeration/20% compost.
Bad quality compost will clump in your soil mass, resulting in dry spots and making it difficult for your roots to move freely. You can always top dress with more compost, but you cannot take it out.
Compost is no different than soil, if its commercially produced it will likely be mediocre. When Coots says "high quality compost", he typically means compost/EWC that one has produced themselves.
BAS blend itself is good, don't really need to change much with it and its a good base to start with. As you get more grows with it under your belt, you'll know what does and doesn't need to be changed.
Remember, Coots soil is just a base for us. It is meant to be tailored according to our own personal grow environments, situations, and choice of plants. The appeal in Coots soil is how easily you can tailor it to suit your own needs. Get a few runs with it in first, then you'll have more answers. Attempting to do anything perfect on your first time often leads to heartache or even inaction.
You got this Kind Sir.