Container for cooking soil
- Thread starter Grower899
- Start date
Rasta Roy
Well-Known Member
Depending the components you have access to, or have already purchased...you might not even need to cook your soil friend!!! I can give some advice if I know what you're working with!
But as far as cooking goes if you do go that route...a storage tote with some drainage holes drilled into the bottom and top sides will do to make sure you get enough air. And bonus you just need a another tub to throw that one in for leechate and you've got a worm bin built when you're done. And then you don't gotta do shit but add fresh castings and worm teas.
But as far as cooking goes if you do go that route...a storage tote with some drainage holes drilled into the bottom and top sides will do to make sure you get enough air. And bonus you just need a another tub to throw that one in for leechate and you've got a worm bin built when you're done. And then you don't gotta do shit but add fresh castings and worm teas.
Right now my mix is gonna be equal parts peat moss, perlite, and half ewc half compost. Amendment wise i have kelp meal, alfalfa meal, tomato tone, and bat guano. Also have some dolomite lime, and azomite rock dust. Gonna make a green mulch to go in as well.
Richard Drysift
Well-Known Member
I use bigass tote bins; they are 60gal I think but you could use any size bin or even an old cooler will work. A large smart pot could work but I think it's easier to mix up soil with a shovel in a hard sided container. Don't worry the microbes don't care what they are in just keep the dirt moist and they will be happy.
I like to use 2 bins; one is either "cooking" or contains finished recycled mix while the other is left unamended for young clones or seedlings. I keep both hydrated with lids on loose and add worm compost plus any leftover tea and/or organic solids caught in the strainer. Once the finished mix is all gone from transplants I amend the other tote and leave it to cook down for 30 days. Then more spent root balls get tossed into the empty one & the circle is now complete.
I like to use 2 bins; one is either "cooking" or contains finished recycled mix while the other is left unamended for young clones or seedlings. I keep both hydrated with lids on loose and add worm compost plus any leftover tea and/or organic solids caught in the strainer. Once the finished mix is all gone from transplants I amend the other tote and leave it to cook down for 30 days. Then more spent root balls get tossed into the empty one & the circle is now complete.
Rasta Roy
Well-Known Member
Leave bat guano out for teas and just mix all that up. You'll have a good mix of readily available nutrients, and some slow release nutrients although they will be available pretty quick and will probably last about 4 weeks, maybe 6. But any left over alfalfa, kelp, with the guano should cover any late feedings your plants need!
Just my two cents! If your soil is already rich in humus and fast release organic fertilizers, you only need to let it cook if you over do it on your nitrogen inputs, which you don't have to.
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Well I just finished my mix, 5 gal peat moss, 5 gal coarse perlite, 2 gal compost, 3 gal ewc. 6 cups azomite, 2 cups lime. 1 cup tomato tone, 1 cup alfalfa meal, 1 cup bat guano, 2 cups kelp meal. Pretty much followed a beginners mix from another site, minus a different amendment or two.
I may not let it sit for that long then. I don't need it for at least a couple weeks though, but was gonna let it sit for a month or more.
So no guano in teas? Just curious as to why? As far as leftovers I do have plenty for topdressing/teas. Although I need to get around to getting that air pump so i can actually make the tea.
I ended up going with a 30 gal, holds 2 cuft with enough room for me to mix and not get it everywhere. That's my plan, to recycle root balls and reamend as needed. I only have the one bin right now, but I'll eventually get that second one. I have some happy frog I'm gonna use for clones/seeds atm.
Rasta Roy
Well-Known Member
Yes guano in teas!!
No guano in your soil mix!!! But its a little late for that lol.
Guanos highly water soluble nature make them great for teas, but a waste of money In a soil mix.
Ahhh whoops. Lol I def read that one wrong. Ah well either way I have plenty left for teas.
Nutes and Nugs
Well-Known Member
I've been recycling in the bag the soil came in but it's getting worn out.
Got two trash cans and I'm gonna use the bigger one.
Is there an auger that would fit on a electric drill to till the
soil once a week?
Looked briefly last week but didnt see any.
Maybe a paint mixer?
Got two trash cans and I'm gonna use the bigger one.
Is there an auger that would fit on a electric drill to till the
soil once a week?
Looked briefly last week but didnt see any.
Maybe a paint mixer?
Not sure there man. I mixed mine by hand. Was only 2cuft of soil though.
Actually yeah there seem to be plenty. Go on amazon and search "mixer drill attachment"
greasemonkeymann
Well-Known Member
no need to till it weekly man, not unless it's getting rained on or something.
my favorite thing to store or age cycled soil in, is a big ass smartpot. Drains perfectly and you don't need to worry about it going anaerobic or losing nitrogen to ammonia gas-off.
smartpots are great for wormbins, composting and aging soil.
in my experience I don't prefer plastic containers for soil aging or recycling
DonTesla
Well-Known Member
I would trade your guano for a rabbit and you be set for life for poop lol
I mix in 30gal totes too, works great. But a big fabric pot would be awesome indeed. I use those strong ones you can stand on and put a couple 1 inch holes in the lid, or like 10-20 quarter inch holes. Sprinkle with a bit of oatmeal (organic, ground) and cover in a moist warm area and watch out for beards, mon they coming
EDIT: I usually ignore for ten days at a time, and then if really furry with a puffy thick mycelium outbreak, then very very gentle fold it in, or a trick I like to use now, fill it part way, grow fuzz, top up with some more soil, grow more fuzz, till-free, growing fresh new mycelium each layer of a homogenous mixture .. I like to create and grow couple layers of fungus, just like how nature do. They're the main workers and reachers and communicators under the surface, even more than worms, although I'm not sure they sleep either!
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projectinfo
Well-Known Member
Any updates on this guys?
Im about to start mixing in totes this weekend.
Poke holes all over a tote, put it in a non holey tote.
fill with the mix add some kashi let a mycelium mat form, fold it in.
Wait a month or two . Fuck the hand mixing weekly.
Ive got two ish months befor i can plant them so i dont mind waiting a bit compaored to hand mixing 150gallons of soil weekly .
And when this is ready to plant . Would you mix this up and loosen it one final time or just let the mycelium and microbes go undisturbed and just stick the plant in ?
Thanks
Im about to start mixing in totes this weekend.
Poke holes all over a tote, put it in a non holey tote.
fill with the mix add some kashi let a mycelium mat form, fold it in.
Wait a month or two . Fuck the hand mixing weekly.
Ive got two ish months befor i can plant them so i dont mind waiting a bit compaored to hand mixing 150gallons of soil weekly .
And when this is ready to plant . Would you mix this up and loosen it one final time or just let the mycelium and microbes go undisturbed and just stick the plant in ?
Thanks
Greenthumbs256
Well-Known Member
that's the exact way I've been doing mine for years! works great only mix a few times total! but I do like to mix it one more time really good before I start using it, the mycelium does really good when mixed up into the soil! at least that's how I like to do it!
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Greenthumbs256
Well-Known Member
heres some mycelium porn for ya guys!
projectinfo
Well-Known Member
hy is the netpot on top like that
Greenthumbs256
Well-Known Member
no that's just a place holder for where my plant is going to go! the net pot or wick pot is on the bottom!
