I need answers and opinions on my soil-mix I'm using for my current grow.

Hutmacher

New Member
Hey! I just wanted to gather some opinions and ask some questions on my soil since I'm always open for improvements and I'm pretty sure I'm far from being optimized when it comes down to how many different fertilizers I use.

For my seedlings I just use BioBizz Light-Mix with some extra mycorrhiza and now also DE.

My then go-to-normal mix would consist of: Canna Bio Terra Plus as a base (85%), then Worm Humus (~10-15%) and Diatomaceous earth (~2.5-5%). Besides that I apply extra mycorrhiza and always add 25g/10L of these pellets to the medium during the first transplant.

Depending on how often I plan on transplanting, and let's say it happens around 2ish weeks before flower I will add 50g/10L of 1-10-1 bat guano and around 20g/10L of 0-1-30 palm ash. If not I will just topdress it and will continue to top dress these two ingredients usually once more. Then I usually just stick to using BioBizz BioGrow(molasses) in flower maybe once or twice a week in small amounts for those quick carbohydrates. Then I also use Top Max.


Now to my questions:

Which ammendments would you guys consider to be bad or good, too much or too little?

I've been looking for a way to increase stem-thickness besides having a large fan and good genetics. I figured DE consists of 80-90% silica which is said to improve cell structure and nutrient uptake besides some other benefits. Is 2.5% in soil or about 250ml per 10L of soil enough/too much? Would rice husks be a viable alternative, they seem to only have around 20% silica? Or maybe something entirely different if I want stem-thickness? (organic only)


To my latest understanding, the humic and fulvic acid in Top Max is also beneficial in the veg phase since all it really does is increase nutrient uptake and soil health. Should I use it during veg as well but in lesser amounts? I've read about some people that do it.


Are there alternatives for Top Max which could simply be mixed into the soil? (I prefer just using my ~265ppm tap water without having to mix a bunch of bottles together.)


I have usually used BioBizz Bloom as well for my past grows, would there be any benefit to continue using it now? Since I know more isn't always better.


After the grow, I will continue using the substrate for my garden outside, I find mixed opinions on this.. Some say keep the roots for aeration, other people say remove them. If prefered, how would I remove them, cheaply, without harming the substrate?


Thank you all in advance for your input, I'm looking forward to it! :)
 

by2

Active Member
So I am no nutrient or soil expert so won't chime in on your nutrient regime.
But I do think that the rice husk takes a long time to decompose so don't think that the silica will be available for the plants for a long time. it's more for aeration. But don't take my word for it.

The roots is not a problem. I been growing 6 plants, one after the other in my soil pots and never removed any roots.
I just cut the plant as close to the soil as possible and then cover it up with a little bit of soil or EWC. I then pot the new plant just next to the old one. Never had a problem.

I guess you could remove them if you sifted the soil. Seems like a lot of work for nothing thou.
Why not just use enzymes so the roots break down. I use Cannazym in my coco grow. And I reuse the coco as well.

Good luck
 
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