Dear ol" Thankful Grower!
Well-Known Member
right on brother thats the one thing about living off the land. Use what you got.
Recycled Organic Living Soil (ROLS) and No Till Thread
- Thread starter headtreep
- Start date
firsttimeARE
Well-Known Member
Ive been reading up on organic growing for a little bit now. Still learning but this sounds expensive.
I want to run 12 plants outdoors in 10gal fabric pots. Id need 18CF. Following coots mix and sourcing all the amendments online im at $180 just in amendments.
Need 3CF EWC, 6CF pumice (can I use expanded clay pebbles) and 9CF CSPM.
EWC 30lb bags are about $30 and 4 are needed thats $120 there.
CSPM is cheap $11 / 3CF so $33
Pumice is expensive. I can find drainage rock for $8/CF
Any tips on ways to save?
I want to run 12 plants outdoors in 10gal fabric pots. Id need 18CF. Following coots mix and sourcing all the amendments online im at $180 just in amendments.
Need 3CF EWC, 6CF pumice (can I use expanded clay pebbles) and 9CF CSPM.
EWC 30lb bags are about $30 and 4 are needed thats $120 there.
CSPM is cheap $11 / 3CF so $33
Pumice is expensive. I can find drainage rock for $8/CF
Any tips on ways to save?
bobrown14
Well-Known Member
I saw rice hulls at 8 bucks for 7 cubic feet online.
Try local nursery they will likely have their own soil mix that all you need to do is add amendments and aeration. They may have a mix of peat moss and ewc/compost as well just add aeration. Most nursueries have this bulk mix in hand as well as bagged compost like Coast of Main lobster compost or BU Blend from the west coast.
Also another good source locally is your local feed store. They will have minerals and also kelp meal.
Clay pebbles are probably the most expensive aeration choice. If you have them on hand tho fer sure use them but dont expect to be able to re-use them in a dwc.
Rice hulls are the cheapest aeration. Then perlite then the rest. Rice hulls have the advantage of breaking down over time which is good and probably a lot better at sustainability if thats on your radar.
Try local nursery they will likely have their own soil mix that all you need to do is add amendments and aeration. They may have a mix of peat moss and ewc/compost as well just add aeration. Most nursueries have this bulk mix in hand as well as bagged compost like Coast of Main lobster compost or BU Blend from the west coast.
Also another good source locally is your local feed store. They will have minerals and also kelp meal.
Clay pebbles are probably the most expensive aeration choice. If you have them on hand tho fer sure use them but dont expect to be able to re-use them in a dwc.
Rice hulls are the cheapest aeration. Then perlite then the rest. Rice hulls have the advantage of breaking down over time which is good and probably a lot better at sustainability if thats on your radar.
firsttimeARE
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the tip on rice hulls. When you say feed store do you mean animal feed? Closest thing I can think of is tractor supply? I do have a nursery nearby
bobrown14
Well-Known Member
Tractor supply not a feed store really unless you're growing chickens or cats and dogs.
Feed store same place farmers buy seed and also minerals and FEED for their animals. Usually they sell in bulk but it depends. Some places are pretty hip and break stuff down for hobby gardeners etc.
Feed store like a candy store for farmers.... lol make you wanna buy a tractor. Also might be able to source some compost there.
Feed store same place farmers buy seed and also minerals and FEED for their animals. Usually they sell in bulk but it depends. Some places are pretty hip and break stuff down for hobby gardeners etc.
Feed store like a candy store for farmers.... lol make you wanna buy a tractor. Also might be able to source some compost there.
firsttimeARE
Well-Known Member
Not sure if I have any near me. I have a lot of farms near me. Maybe ill just ask them where they get their stock from
firsttimeARE
Well-Known Member
Forgive my ignorance but what on my list is animal feed?
firsttimeARE
Well-Known Member
My local hydro store had pretty much everything. They were out of rice hulls but a 50lb bag he said is $40.
I found some for $13 online but $30 shipping. 50lbs is 7CF so a little more than I need. Only need 5.3CF being that im making 16CF of mix.
firsttimeARE
Well-Known Member
For sure! Hell if I enjoy this who knows. May ditch hydro for something more eco friendly.
m4s73r
Well-Known Member
Tell me more. Give me a run down of how you built your bed! That bed looks SOLID.
SouthernSoil*
Well-Known Member
Id be interested to know what everyone thinks of these mixes
This is what most of the premixes look like down here in South-Africa
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mix 1 :
Organic Compost, Vermicompost (worm castings), Sphagnum Peat Moss, Coco Coir, Perlite, Biochar, Kelp Meal, Alfalfa Meal, Bone Meal, Soft Rock Phosphate, Insect Frass, Dolomite Lime, Gypsum, Basalt Rock Dust, Zeolite, Malted Barley, Diatomaceous Earth, Humic Acid
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mix 2 :
Substrates:
Compost, Vermicompost, Coco peat, Sphagnum peat moss (sustainably harvested) and perlite.
Amendments:
Alfalfa meal, Aloe meal, Basalt Rock Dust, Bio-Char (preloaded with microbes), Canna-Kashi, Calcitic Lime, Copper Powder, Dolomite Lime, Guano (seabird), Gypsum, Humic Acid, Fulvic Acid, Frass, Kelp Meal, Malted Barley, Manganese Oxide, Montmorillonite Clay, Soft Rock Phosphate & Zeolite.
Inoculant:
Cannabis Microbial Consortium.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mix 3 :
Coco Coir, Worm Castings, Perlite (30%), Volcanic Rock Dust, Bone meal, Gypsum, Fermented probiotic bran.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Im still leaning towards using neem Seed Meal and crustacean meal even though i cannot find it anywhere down here, i have been using peat/perlite/ewc with some teas i make to grow outdoors getting okay results but i as i spent so much money on the good quality peat & pumice i just cannot afford to mess it up as i really want to recycle it.
The neem is 20$ from amazon for a 5 LB bag at 40$ shipping down here but i don't mind paying it as i know everyone here swears by it. Regarding the crab meal, i have already bought a crab which is in my freezer, i will be processing its shell myself as i just gave up searching for it after numerous calls and research. How much crab meal & neem meal would be recommended tor 40 gallons of soil though ? thats the big question and how much will i have to re amend with neem and crab meal ? Will gladly appreciate some input. Thanks
This is what most of the premixes look like down here in South-Africa
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mix 1 :
Organic Compost, Vermicompost (worm castings), Sphagnum Peat Moss, Coco Coir, Perlite, Biochar, Kelp Meal, Alfalfa Meal, Bone Meal, Soft Rock Phosphate, Insect Frass, Dolomite Lime, Gypsum, Basalt Rock Dust, Zeolite, Malted Barley, Diatomaceous Earth, Humic Acid
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mix 2 :
Substrates:
Compost, Vermicompost, Coco peat, Sphagnum peat moss (sustainably harvested) and perlite.
Amendments:
Alfalfa meal, Aloe meal, Basalt Rock Dust, Bio-Char (preloaded with microbes), Canna-Kashi, Calcitic Lime, Copper Powder, Dolomite Lime, Guano (seabird), Gypsum, Humic Acid, Fulvic Acid, Frass, Kelp Meal, Malted Barley, Manganese Oxide, Montmorillonite Clay, Soft Rock Phosphate & Zeolite.
Inoculant:
Cannabis Microbial Consortium.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mix 3 :
Coco Coir, Worm Castings, Perlite (30%), Volcanic Rock Dust, Bone meal, Gypsum, Fermented probiotic bran.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Im still leaning towards using neem Seed Meal and crustacean meal even though i cannot find it anywhere down here, i have been using peat/perlite/ewc with some teas i make to grow outdoors getting okay results but i as i spent so much money on the good quality peat & pumice i just cannot afford to mess it up as i really want to recycle it.
The neem is 20$ from amazon for a 5 LB bag at 40$ shipping down here but i don't mind paying it as i know everyone here swears by it. Regarding the crab meal, i have already bought a crab which is in my freezer, i will be processing its shell myself as i just gave up searching for it after numerous calls and research. How much crab meal & neem meal would be recommended tor 40 gallons of soil though ? thats the big question and how much will i have to re amend with neem and crab meal ? Will gladly appreciate some input. Thanks
green_machine_two9er
Well-Known Member
I sure would do one of your mixes with no coco. Straight peat/aeration/ewc as base.
For 40 gallons roughly 5 cf. I would shoot for 2-3 cups nutrients per cf. so 10-15 cups between crab/ neem/ kelp or and meals really.
Well, I’m kind of new to this site ( lurked for years, just now participating) but I’m really active over on GC. I have a “ indoor Hugel bed “ thread over there that documenthe whole process. I’ll try to sum it up here...
Planter itself is pretty straightforward. 2x4 frame. Sheep fencing lining the sides and bottom. Landscaping fabric lining all of that. It’s a giant fabric pot basically!
I then followed standard Hugelkultur methods. Where I live I can easily source tons of cottonwood, aspen, and willow wood. It’s everywhere, and friending it in various rates of decay was a breeze. These species in particular will promote excellent fungal growth which is important for living soils.
I brought home enough to fill the bottom 4-5” with pieces ranging in diameter of 4” down to twigs. I have a huge pile of the same materials that have been chipped so I put a layer of about 2” over that. Next the I applied a 1-2” of lava rock to make sure I had aeration down low as things rotted away and turn to soil over the years. A bit of alfalfa meal sprinkled onto that layer just to keep the nitrogen good and available as it progresses.
that lest about 12” in the bed which was filled with a standard Coot style mix ( more of a 40/40/20 actually) and then mulched with more chipped material and other products.
It’s over a year old, and on it fourth (5th?) cycle. It just keeps getting better!
green_machine_two9er
Well-Known Member
The three little dots next to an arrow pointing down...
SouthernSoil*
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the reply man, so you would say 1 cup crab meal, 1 cup neem meal and 1 cup kelp meal per cubic foot ?