Amendment ratios for 40/40/20 soil mix same as for 1/1/1 Coots mix?

[RenaissanceBrah]

I'll be trying a modified version of the 1/1/1 Coots mix, and changing it to 40/40/20 (as online some have said they get better long term results this way, with the 20% being the compost portion, as it prevents soil compaction after a few years).

Was just wondering if I need to adjust the soil amendment ratios for the 40/40/20 mix, versus the original 1/1/1?

(40% pumice, 40% peat moss, 20% Bu's Blend and/or Worm Castings).

Here's my 1/1/1 soil amendment mix:

Base Mix (1/1/1)
10 gallons Malibu's Bu's Blend
10 gallons Canadian Sphagnum Peat moss
10 gallons Pumice (or Lava Rock, or Perlite)

Amendments
4 Cups Kelp Meal - Down to Earth
4 Cups Crab/Crustacean Meal - Down to Earth
4 Cups Malted Barley Powder - KIS Organics
2 Cups Gypsum
4-6 Cups Basalt (1.42 Liters) - KIS Organics
6-8 Cups Activated Biochar (1.9 Liters) - Buildasoil
4 Cups Oyster Shell Flower

--------------------

Thank you for any feedback.

 

[Fallguy111]

You're fine, I do a similar mix but I push more castings and a bit less amendments. I look at the recipe as a rough outline, things change depending on availability and how the plants are presenting.

 

[Reap911]

Looks good to me bro.

Worms? Springtails?

I would look at adding some beneficials into the mix to get the biology kicking. Some bacterua and fungi will do any soils some good.

 

[RenaissanceBrah]

You're fine, I do a similar mix but I push more castings and a bit less amendments. I look at the recipe as a rough outline, things change depending on availability and how the plants are presenting.

Thanks - I noticed it's not an exact science, so many variables, as long as more or less things are there, nature will use them.

Another question I had was - if planting in the ground, should I mix in native soil with my supersoil?

Made a post about it here if you might have any feedback about that. Thanks in advance for any help

 

[RenaissanceBrah]

Looks good to me bro.

Worms? Springtails?

I would look at adding some beneficials into the mix to get the biology kicking. Some bacterua and fungi will do any soils some good.

I have a organic worm bin going, I feed em food scraps as well as organic amendments like kelp, malted barley, etc. Didn't list it, but also going to mix in worm castings as part of the compost ratio.

What kind of beneficials would you add to get the biology going, any specific products or ingredients you'd recommend?

 

[kratos015]

I'll be trying a modified version of the 1/1/1 Coots mix, and changing it to 40/40/20 (as online some have said they get better long term results this way, with the 20% being the compost portion, as it prevents soil compaction after a few years).

Was just wondering if I need to adjust the soil amendment ratios for the 40/40/20 mix, versus the original 1/1/1?

(40% pumice, 40% peat moss, 20% Bu's Blend and/or Worm Castings).

Here's my 1/1/1 soil amendment mix:

Base Mix (1/1/1)
10 gallons Malibu's Bu's Blend
10 gallons Canadian Sphagnum Peat moss
10 gallons Pumice (or Lava Rock, or Perlite)

Amendments
4 Cups Kelp Meal - Down to Earth
4 Cups Crab/Crustacean Meal - Down to Earth
4 Cups Malted Barley Powder - KIS Organics
2 Cups Gypsum
4-6 Cups Basalt (1.42 Liters) - KIS Organics
6-8 Cups Activated Biochar (1.9 Liters) - Buildasoil
4 Cups Oyster Shell Flower

--------------------

Thank you for any feedback.

Go easy on the kelp meal, adding too much leads to more harm than good. I'd add half, then top dress as needed once every 1-2 months. A little goes a long way.

Be mindful of your water source and whether or not it has Calcium in it. The Crab Meal, Gypsum, and OSF is loads of Calcium already. You could omit the Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) entirely, in my opinion. The Crab Meal and OSF have plenty of Calcium, and the Basalt has plenty of Sulfur.

To answer your question, whether you use the 1:1:1 or the 40/40/20 method, the amount of amendments used is the same. Everything looks good.

I have a organic worm bin going, I feed em food scraps as well as organic amendments like kelp, malted barley, etc. Didn't list it, but also going to mix in worm castings as part of the compost ratio.

What kind of beneficials would you add to get the biology going, any specific products or ingredients you'd recommend?

No need, in my opinion. The humble little earthworm does plenty all on its own, the only thing needed is time and patience. Over time, as you top dress with castings, or add them into new soil blends, you'll end up with worms in your soil because of all the cocoons. They'll do all the work for you. Over the next few months-years, the worms will transform your 40/40/20 mix into the 1:1:1 ratio Coots made famous.

Another tidbit from Coots, sprinkle OSF all over whatever you feed to the worms. The OSF is great for grit, the worms will thank you for it in the form of explosive population growth and casting production.

All the best.

 

[PadawanWarrior]

Go easy on the kelp meal, adding too much leads to more harm than good. I'd add half, then top dress as needed once every 1-2 months. A little goes a long way.

Be mindful of your water source and whether or not it has Calcium in it. The Crab Meal, Gypsum, and OSF is loads of Calcium already. You could omit the Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) entirely, in my opinion. The Crab Meal and OSF have plenty of Calcium, and the Basalt has plenty of Sulfur.

To answer your question, whether you use the 1:1:1 or the 40/40/20 method, the amount of amendments used is the same. Everything looks good.




No need, in my opinion. The humble little earthworm does plenty all on its own, the only thing needed is time and patience. Over time, as you top dress with castings, or add them into new soil blends, you'll end up with worms in your soil because of all the cocoons. They'll do all the work for you. Over the next few months-years, the worms will transform your 40/40/20 mix into the 1:1:1 ratio Coots made famous.

Another tidbit from Coots, sprinkle OSF all over whatever you feed to the worms. The OSF is great for grit, the worms will thank you for it in the form of explosive population growth and casting production.

All the best.

Did you cut out the gypsum too? Before I thought you said it helped flush out the Ca or something. But I could be mis thinking what you said. I've tried to cut out most of the high Ca stuff too since my water's similar to yours.

 

[kratos015]

Did you cut out the gypsum too? Before I thought you said it helped flush out the Ca or something. But I could be mis thinking what you said. I've tried to cut out most of the high Ca stuff too since my water's similar to yours.

I've never used Gypsum, personally, however you are remembering correctly. Sulfates help break Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) down into separate molecules, allowing the Calcium, Carbon, and Oxygen to be absorbed by the plant and/or soil individually. Gypsum happens to be a sulfate and is very commonly used in large scale agriculture due to its affordability and abundance.

Langbeinite, which also contains sulfates, achieves the same results without adding extra Calcium into the mix, providing K and Mg in its place. Products like TM7 contain sulfates as well, but not in high enough concentrations to break apart Calcium Carbonate and other salts that can build up in soils.

I've relocated to a different state nearly 6 months ago and, ironically, my new water source is devoid of calcium. At least, according to my local water report it is. Kind of funny how I spent years pulling my hair out over excess Calcium in the form of Calcium Carbonate, only to have to now add Calcium to my mix due to my water lacking it.

Weed is illegal all around in the state I live in now, so I don't grow it anymore. That, combined with settling in from my move, is why I haven't been posting much. I'll now have to go back to using Dolomite Lime for my soil as a result of this when I get my produce garden going again this coming spring.

 

[PadawanWarrior]

I've never used Gypsum, personally, however you are remembering correctly. Sulfates help break Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) down into separate molecules, allowing the Calcium, Carbon, and Oxygen to be absorbed by the plant and/or soil individually. Gypsum happens to be a sulfate and is very commonly used in large scale agriculture due to its affordability and abundance.

Langbeinite, which also contains sulfates, achieves the same results without adding extra Calcium into the mix, providing K and Mg in its place. Products like TM7 contain sulfates as well, but not in high enough concentrations to break apart Calcium Carbonate and other salts that can build up in soils.

I've relocated to a different state nearly 6 months ago and, ironically, my new water source is devoid of calcium. At least, according to my local water report it is. Kind of funny how I spent years pulling my hair out over excess Calcium in the form of Calcium Carbonate, only to have to now add Calcium to my mix due to my water lacking it.

Weed is illegal all around in the state I live in now, so I don't grow it anymore. That, combined with settling in from my move, is why I haven't been posting much. I'll now have to go back to using Dolomite Lime for my soil as a result of this when I get my produce garden going again this coming spring.

I thought you mentioned something like that. That's actually pretty good news though that you now don't have to worry about too much Ca anymore. But I appreciate that you did, because I learned a lot from your quest, . Glad you're back around again,