This is what I struggled with.
I am cheap, and have everything I need on my property (almost) to grow an effective garden. I figured there had to be a way to dial in the particular and heavy needs of cannabis with what I have available!
It's possible, I think. But each person's access will be different based on their local conditions. As far as I can tell, the best approach is to pay attention to folks who build their own soils with local inputs, note how their climate/sources/goals compare with yours, and learn from multiple people simultaneously--always keeping in mind that their particular circumstances will be something you can learn from,
but not copy exactly.
My #1 prime example is
@kratos015 . I learn a lot from reading his posts, but do almost nothing he does because his available inputs and local climate are completely different from mine. But his words ring in my head all the time: work
with what you have, not against it.
Sure, this isn't a straightforward recipe. I wish it were that easy. But for me it's rewarding to build a soil completely from scratch. As I build confidence and knowledge, I move further and further away from store-bought inputs. As of now, I'm down to gypsum and 4-4-4 (excluding IPM tools). I bet I can cut both those out in the near future.
It takes time and effort, but if your goal is to get as close as you can to self-sufficiency it's not a futile goal!
Hiring an expert, if possible, is a great idea! Hopefully it's help from a soil scientist rather than a bro grower!