Alternative Super Soil Ammendment question

I am planning on getting away from bottled nutes and want to start by doing half and half in my room to compare and decide before i fully switch. Currently using General Organics and promix with some light ammending. I would like to move towards water only though so here's what I'm thinking.

I want to use this (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Jobe-s-8-lb-Organic-Proven-Winners-Plant-Fertilizer-09728/203649777) as a base ammendment, along with a few other ammendments like kelp meal, EWC's, some guano and glacial rock dust.

It contains: Feather Meal, Bone Meal, Sulfate of Potash, and Composted Poultry Manure

-plus some other ingredients/beneficials. I have a bag at home I'll post later with ALL the ingredients since there doesnt seem to be a webpage anywhere with all the info.

Do you think it will work well enough?

Its cheap and easily/widely available and seems like a great starting mix.

Here is the full list of ingredients. It is 4-2-3 and contains protein hydrolysate from feather meal, composted poultry manure, sulfate of potash, bone meal.
Also Contains:
Bacteria:
Arthrobacter globiformis, Arthrobacter simplex
Azotobacter chroococcum, Azobacter paspali, Azospitillum lipoferum
Streptomyces griseoflavis, Psuedomonis fluorescens
Endomycorrhizae:
Glomus intraradices, Glomus etunicatum
Ectomycorrhizae:
Pisolithus tinctorius, Scleroderma cepa, Scleroderma citrinum, Scleroderma geastrum, Laccaria laccata, Laccaria bicolor
Archaea:
Nitrosopumilus maritimus

Nobody? I'm sure I can make it work but any suggestions or advice would be nice, since we all think in different ways and methods vary.

GreenSummit said:

Nobody? I'm sure I can make it work but any suggestions or advice would be nice, since we all think in different ways and methods vary.

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Grab the Rev's book on Total Living Organics. Start with the base mix.

I would say your on the right track. I use something similar, Espomas Plant Tone. Its a great medium amendment and also brews a nice tea.
My base mix:
1 part each-peat moss, EWC and perlite. To this I add 1 heaping tablespoon of the Garden Tone and 2 tablespoons of Dolomite Lime per gallon of base mix. Then let compost a minimum of 2 weeks, This carries most strains easily 4-6 weeks. Then as the plants need additional nutrients I just brew a tea using the Garden Tone. Sometimes adding things like Epsoms Salts, Fish Emulsion, Kelp ect as needed. Be patient your first few grows as it can take a bit of time to get everything tuned in the way your garden likes it.

^^^ ive been playing around a little with espoma's garden tone myself. thanks for the advice- do you think the glacial rock dust would work well enough as a calmag supplement? it would just need a longer cooking time right?

i feel like i know all the answers but this is uncharted territory for me. i learned mostly by doing lots hydro and have since moved to promix and general organics. i am enjoying this learning process much more though.

I have never used the rock dust. I use dolomite lime instead. That along with the EWC takes care of calcium and magnesium needs. The only reason I use Epsoms salts from time to time is to help balance the calcium content of my well water.

eidt: just checked out GRD and it appears to me it would be a fine substitute for dolomite. And yes 2 weeks is a short cook, 4 weeks or so would be much better.

I would say just use some rainbow mix or even growilla or theres a new product out its called mr bs green trees it has everything you could want in it. Its also got mycorrhizae in it to help break down everything to be available to the plant. Ive been using rainbow mix for awhile but as a topdress and have had great results.

jackbog said:

I would say just use some rainbow mix or even growilla or theres a new product out its called mr bs green trees it has everything you could want in it. Its also got mycorrhizae in it to help break down everything to be available to the plant. Ive been using rainbow mix for awhile but as a topdress and have had great results.

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i thought about this. however, 1) i would prefer to mix my own and 2) i think i can get away with this cheaper by mixing it all myself

I use this with great results.
http://www.easygardener.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=226

jamboss said:

I use this with great results.
http://www.easygardener.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=226

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thanks for this, looks very very similar to what i have (obviously same company and all) just a granulated version. im going to the local garden store tomorrow for some additional stuff, going with alfalfa meal, kel meal, guano and greensand also. (i know the greensand wont do much for me here, but all my soil is being recycled into a vegetable garden upgrade project)

I have been using Jobe's quite a bit lately. Seems to work great. They have several different ones with various levels of the base nutrients. I use 2 different ones. for veg and flower.

Consider building an all-natural soil, recycle it. Better and much cheaper. What's wrong with that?

GreenSummit said:

^^^ ive been playing around a little with espoma's garden tone myself. thanks for the advice- do you think the glacial rock dust would work well enough as a calmag supplement? it would just need a longer cooking time right?

i feel like i know all the answers but this is uncharted territory for me. i learned mostly by doing lots hydro and have since moved to promix and general organics. i am enjoying this learning process much more though.

Click to expand...

No, the rock dust does not replace dolomite lime for cal/mag or pH.

Use both as both supply necessary things. Get the dolo lime at HD, it's ~$4.50 for a 40lb bag. 1cup/cf of mix, or 2tbl/gallon of mix. You can get by without the glacial rock dust, but the lime is a *must have*.

No experience with the Jobe's, but have been using the Espoma for a number of years, mostly the Garden Tone. Good stuff.

Wet