Base Soil

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The3rdMan

Well-Known Member
I'm looking to create my own potting soil that would function as a base soil (similar to happy frog or ocean forest) and could be used to make something like a Coots Mix or Super Soil. Normally, I use Ocean Forest but there seems to be a shortage here, so I decided to stop relying on the bagged soils. The most expensive component is Worm Castings and ends up making the homemade mix (below) similar in cost to premium bagged soils.

Anyway, here it is and any suggestions for improvement would be great or a recipe of your own.

ItemCommentQty
Peat MossLocally Acquired at HD, Lowes, etc.5 Gallons
CompostLocally Sourced at Nursery3 Gallons
Worm CastingsNPK .5-0-0 2 Gallons
Chicken ManureNPK 3-2-3 .25 Cup
Kelp MealNPK 1-.5-2.0.25 Cup
Alfalfa mealNPK 2.5-.5-2.0.25 Cup
GreensandPotassium &Trace Minerals2 Tbsp
AzomiteTrace Minerals2 Tbsp
PerliteAeration2.5-3.0 Gallons
 
T

The3rdMan

Well-Known Member
OrganicBudz said:
more P and K. Mineralized phosphate (high p guano) n insect frass
Click to expand...
Thank you. This is a base soil, a soil that can be used "As Is" for potted plants around the house or as a "Base Soil" to create an organic super soil. Why do you suggest more P & K and how much more?
 
IIReignManII

IIReignManII

Well-Known Member
The3rdMan said:
Thank you. This is a base soil, a soil that can be used "As Is" for potted plants around the house or as a "Base Soil" to create an organic super soil. Why do you suggest more P & K and how much more?
Click to expand...
You dont have any high phosphorous, calcium, or sulfur inputs...whether its bone, fish bone, seabird guano, doesnt really matter too much. Neem and Crab have a nice of NPK along with the kelp you're already using. Langbeinite is also an option for more K, sulfur and magnesium. Gypsum is another sulfur and calcium source you should consider. Lime or Oyster shell for calcium and pH but be really easy on that stuff. Lime will raise soil PH and sulfur will drop it
 
T

The3rdMan

Well-Known Member
IIReignManII said:
You dont have any high phosphorous, calcium, or sulfur inputs...whether its bone, fish bone, seabird guano, doesnt really matter too much. Neem and Crab have a nice of NPK along with the kelp you're already using. Langbeinite is also an option for more K, sulfur and magnesium. Gypsum is another sulfur and calcium source you should consider. Lime or Oyster shell for calcium and pH but be really easy on that stuff. Lime will raise soil PH and sulfur will drop it
Click to expand...
 
R

rkmcdon

Well-Known Member
I think you're fine with your peat:compost:aeration ratio, but personally, I would increase aeration to 5 gallons to give you a 1:1:1 ratio.
At 1:1:1, your mix will make 15 gallons of base soil, which is 2 cu ft. I recommend you increase of few of your amendments accordingly. Mainly:
Kelp meal 2 cups.
That brings this to 1 cup per cuft. Kelp meal gives you a ton of nutrients and trace minerals
Similarly, i would increase the alfalfa meal to 1-2 cups
Greensand 2 cups
Azomite 2 cups
This brings your rock dust component to 2 cups per cuft

You could run that as your soil and probably do well, though I would personally add neem at 1 cup per cuft. I'm also a big fan of bio-live if you have access to it.

My current recipe is:
1:1:1 Peat:EWC:Aeration with my aeration being roughly 3:2:1 pumice:rice hulls:biochar
to my base I add:
2 cup per cuft of basalt
1 cup per cuft each of gypsum and oyster shell
1 cup per cuft each of Insect frass, biolive, neem and kelp
2 cups per cuft ground malted barley
 
T

The3rdMan

Well-Known Member
Based upon some ideas I got, I decided upon this recipe: Essentially, it is a lighter version of Coot's Mix.

ItemCommentNPKQty
Peat Moss5 Gallons
Compost3 Gallons
Worm Castings.5-0-02 Gallons
Karanja Cake4.65-.95-1.25.25 Cup
Kelp Meal1.0-0.1-2.0.25 Cup
Crustacean MealNitrogen, Phosphorus, Calcium4-1-0.25 Cup
Basalt Rock DustParamagnetic Rock Dust from lava flow that is high in micronutrients.50 Cup
GreensandPotassium &Trace Minerals2 Tbsp
AzomiteTrace Minerals2 Tbsp
GypsumCalcium, Sulfur.25 Cup
Oyster Shell FlourCalcium Carbonate.25 Cup
PerliteAeration25%-33%
 
T

The3rdMan

Well-Known Member
rkmcdon said:
I think you're fine with your peat:compost:aeration ratio, but personally, I would increase aeration to 5 gallons to give you a 1:1:1 ratio.
At 1:1:1, your mix will make 15 gallons of base soil, which is 2 cu ft. I recommend you increase of few of your amendments accordingly. Mainly:
Kelp meal 2 cups.
That brings this to 1 cup per cuft. Kelp meal gives you a ton of nutrients and trace minerals
Similarly, i would increase the alfalfa meal to 1-2 cups
Greensand 2 cups
Azomite 2 cups
This brings your rock dust component to 2 cups per cuft

You could run that as your soil and probably do well, though I would personally add neem at 1 cup per cuft. I'm also a big fan of bio-live if you have access to it.

My current recipe is:
1:1:1 Peat:EWC:Aeration with my aeration being roughly 3:2:1 pumice:rice hulls:biochar
to my base I add:
2 cup per cuft of basalt
1 cup per cuft each of gypsum and oyster shell
1 cup per cuft each of Insect frass, biolive, neem and kelp
2 cups per cuft ground malted barley
Click to expand...
Okay, thanks.
 
L

loco41

Well-Known Member
The3rdMan said:
Based upon some ideas I got, I decided upon this recipe: Essentially, it is a lighter version of Coot's Mix.

ItemCommentNPKQty
Peat Moss5 Gallons
Compost3 Gallons
Worm Castings.5-0-02 Gallons
Karanja Cake4.65-.95-1.25.25 Cup
Kelp Meal1.0-0.1-2.0.25 Cup
Crustacean MealNitrogen, Phosphorus, Calcium4-1-0.25 Cup
Basalt Rock DustParamagnetic Rock Dust from lava flow that is high in micronutrients.50 Cup
GreensandPotassium &Trace Minerals2 Tbsp
AzomiteTrace Minerals2 Tbsp
GypsumCalcium, Sulfur.25 Cup
Oyster Shell FlourCalcium Carbonate.25 Cup
PerliteAeration25%-33%
Click to expand...
I think this one looks better for sure, can't really go wrong following coots style. Like @rkmcdon you definitely have room to bump things up to start if you want, but starting with these ratios I think you will see happy plants as well. I've grown a lot of random plants in pretty much the exact same soils and never really had anything fail unless I neglected and didn't water them. Even aloe with a little extra aeration thrived.
 
T

The3rdMan

Well-Known Member
loco41 said:
I think this one looks better for sure, can't really go wrong following coots style. Like @rkmcdon you definitely have room to bump things up to start if you want, but starting with these ratios I think you will see happy plants as well. I've grown a lot of random plants in pretty much the exact same soils and never really had anything fail unless I neglected and didn't water them. Even aloe with a little extra aeration thrived.
Click to expand...
Yes, I think so. And I'm seeing what @rkmcdon presented above has similarities to Coot's too.
 
W

Wetdog

Well-Known Member
The3rdMan said:
Yes, I think so. And I'm seeing what @rkmcdon presented above has similarities to Coot's too.
Click to expand...
First thing *I* would do is get a worm bin started. This is, perhaps, THE most important thing you can do AFA organic growing. The quality of 'homegrown' castings is far above ANY bagged castings, even the most expensive. BUT, it does take a couple of months before a new bin becomes established. After that, it's off to the races. Cost is usually under $50, including the worms and the DIY totes for the bins.

I use a sorta base mix for bedding (peat, perlite, pine bark mulch, dolomite lime), and mainly feed used coffee grounds and comfrey leaves after freezing.

My mix is essentialy the same as rkmcdon's, but I start with closer to 40% perlite and with the pine bark fines added it get's closer to 50% aeration. Inadequate aeration/drainage causes so many problems that look like other problems when it's just lack of oxygen to the roots. Very few things grow well in mud and that's pretty much what you have with inadequate aeration.

I've been making my own mix, from scratch, for right at 48 years now since I was first taught it in 1972. Lots of hard won experience over those years, especially after switching to organics in 2009/2010. Organic requires more aeration than chem nutes!

BTW, I have zero experience with any bagged soil mixes or compost.

HTH some
Wet
 
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