Living soil super soil?
- Thread starter Yungtune
- Start date
I’ve heard kelp meal is good also ?
NewGrower2011
Well-Known Member
Look into neem & karanja, educate yourself on the controversy around using neem. I like the neem for its pest prevention aspects.
Alfalfa and Kelp are common choices as well. This last time I did look to ensure I had some slow release N in there to help fade for flower without running out of steam too early.
Alfalfa and Kelp are common choices as well. This last time I did look to ensure I had some slow release N in there to help fade for flower without running out of steam too early.
NewGrower2011
Well-Known Member
I've also been using malted barley in my mixes and top dressing along with bokashi (or similar).
meangreengrowinmachine
Well-Known Member
There are a lot of different inputs to get to a well balanced soil... or there are kits you can buy on build a soil or places like it that have all of those amendments combined and uou can add it to your base mix and go from there. Personally I built my own.
NewGrower2011
Well-Known Member
Also this time around I've been looking at bird guano instead of bat since they destroy bat colonies to mine the stuff versus scraping bird shit off the rocks to harvest the seabird guanos. Down To Earth was what I was meaning to get but it wasn't labeled for sale in my state but the Roots Organics version was - and it comes in both granular or powder form (slow vs fast release). Just seems like a little more ethical choice.
I’ve been going off this seems legit worm castings blood meal neem kelp meal bone meal so far not all of them but some that I named I’ve been listing to make my own Ik I need more tho
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NewGrower2011
Well-Known Member
Definitely pay some attention to your ratios, i.e. Mulders chart. Too much of 1 thing can throw the others off and make them unavailable or locked out. I.e. too much Ca isn't necessarily a good thing. I was going a bit heavy on my OSF for instance before I realized you can have too much.
KrazySkunk
Member
Gents, after doing a lot of homework I came up with the fallowing soil recipe and just wanted the opinion of more experienced growers out there. Any advice would be much appreciated.
My Soil recipe –
1 bag Organic Mechanics Biochar Blend - Already has Zeolite, Azomite, Bone Char, Kelp and alfalfa meal, and worm castings.
1/2 bag - Black Gold Potting Soil or equivalent
(1) 5 gal. bucket of peat moss -
(½) a 5-gallon bucket of perlite
1 cup Gypsum - 23% calcium and 17% sulfur, which means that it can provide a source of calcium without raising pH levels. It helps improve drainage by aerating the soil, neutralizes plant toxins, and removes sodium from the soil. The sulfur reacts with water and forms a weak sulfuric acid that frees up calcium.
1 ¼ Cups Neem seed meal - Add 1-1/2 Tbsp per gallon of soil, rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur and calcium.
¾ cup of Crab Meal — is a natural source of calcium (12.0%), nitrogen (4.0%) and many trace minerals. Also, contains chitin which encourages the growth of organisms that inhibit harmful pest nematodes.
Use 1/4 cup of Aloe Vera juice/extract/whatever term you want to use to 1 gallon of water so dampen the mix and help promote living soil. Also can be used as a foliar spay.
Mix together and let soak / cook for 1 week before using...
My Soil recipe –
1 bag Organic Mechanics Biochar Blend - Already has Zeolite, Azomite, Bone Char, Kelp and alfalfa meal, and worm castings.
1/2 bag - Black Gold Potting Soil or equivalent
(1) 5 gal. bucket of peat moss -
(½) a 5-gallon bucket of perlite
1 cup Gypsum - 23% calcium and 17% sulfur, which means that it can provide a source of calcium without raising pH levels. It helps improve drainage by aerating the soil, neutralizes plant toxins, and removes sodium from the soil. The sulfur reacts with water and forms a weak sulfuric acid that frees up calcium.
1 ¼ Cups Neem seed meal - Add 1-1/2 Tbsp per gallon of soil, rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur and calcium.
¾ cup of Crab Meal — is a natural source of calcium (12.0%), nitrogen (4.0%) and many trace minerals. Also, contains chitin which encourages the growth of organisms that inhibit harmful pest nematodes.
Use 1/4 cup of Aloe Vera juice/extract/whatever term you want to use to 1 gallon of water so dampen the mix and help promote living soil. Also can be used as a foliar spay.
Mix together and let soak / cook for 1 week before using...
KrazySkunk
Member
I've yet to get all the ingredients myself, but I'm anxious to try it out.
MR. GiggleShitz
Member
Sounds like a nice mix. I would go the dolomite over gypsum route but that's just me.
Only thing I would add to it would be rock phosphate.
2cents-
Only thing I would add to it would be rock phosphate.
2cents-
KrazySkunk
Member
I was looking into both, but from what I understand the rock phosphate takes so long to break down that it won't be viable in time for it to provide anything.
The only reason I went with the gypsum over the dolomite was that it won't effect the ph.
The only reason I went with the gypsum over the dolomite was that it won't effect the ph.
MR. GiggleShitz
Member
Looking forward to seeing your results. Should be amazing.
On a side note once your colonies of fungi are established some species with make avail the Rock Phosphate as Calcium Phosphate thru the symbiotic carb exchange. The fungi produce oxalitic acid that makes the phos not only avail but transports it to the roots in exchange for the carbs produced.
I've found in containers that by the time I reach heavy flowering my colonies are well established.
On a side note once your colonies of fungi are established some species with make avail the Rock Phosphate as Calcium Phosphate thru the symbiotic carb exchange. The fungi produce oxalitic acid that makes the phos not only avail but transports it to the roots in exchange for the carbs produced.
I've found in containers that by the time I reach heavy flowering my colonies are well established.
KrazySkunk
Member
It is very intriguing how it all works, and trying to create the best symbiotic process is a fun and some times rewarding challenge. The great thing is that we can tweek the recipe as we learn and constantly improve it. The hardest part for me is having the patience it takes to see the final results. Looking forward to more insight and organic formulas to creating the best low cost growing media I can make. Another project I want to start soon is doing my own composting, but there again it takes time. The downside for me is that I live in a very dry and hot climate without much vegetation readily available. But we make do with what we have.