Mr. Homegrown
Well-Known Member
Hello everyone. First off let me start by saying I called the thread "...DIY Soil and WW Grow" because I made these seeds. I just thought it was catchy But the soil recipe is in here for anyone interested. So lets get started with the seeds...
Here's a pic of the ww seeds I made from my last grow. The ten on the right are the first ones I selected to germinate. The parents were ordered from Nirvana.
When I germinate seeds I soak them in a glass of room temp water for 3-4 hrs. I then use the paper towel method except that I use a washed butter tub to make a humidity dome for them. I use a sharp knife and make around 4-8 slits in the lid gently twisting the knife back and forth as to widen the slit a little. I put the square of paper towel in the tub. I then use a heating pad with a thick bathroom towel. I fold the towel up into a square like twice as big as the bowl. I put the towel on the heating pad with the tub in the center. I then fold up the towel around the tub as to insulate it. I usually turn up the pad to HI for about 10-20 min then down to low. After a few hours the lid will start to condensate and keep the paper towels moist. Every time I closeup the lid, after checking on them etc., I crack it open a little and exhale a big breath or two in it. The extra shot of Co2 seems to help get them going faster. I have had seeds germinate in 24 hrs doing this. Some pics below.
After countless research and some past experience I had decided to make my own soil for this latest grow. I wanted to make a soil light enough I could start seedlings right in and add my nutrients later. I began this back earlier this summer. Knowing MJs love of a sandy loamy type soil, I came up with the following recipe.
This is for 55 gal. of soil and figures are derived on a per gallon basis:
55% Perilte (Course & mediun/fine mixed about half of each)
28% Peat Moss
14% Regular Sand/ Beach sand (Lowest clay content one can find)
3% Green Sand
6.9 c. Lime
3.5 c. Worm Castings
3.5 c. Bat Guano
3.5 c. Kelp
1.7 c. Espom Salt
8.0 oz. Mighty Myco (beneficial micro organisms)
I mixed it all up very well and moistened it in a kiddy pool. I let it stand in new black garbage cans for about 4 weeks. I then emptied everything back in the pool and remixed it again well. When I checked my Ph it was like 7.2 so I added some garden sulfur, re mixed and let it sit for another 2 weeks. My ph at the time of sowing seedlings was at 6.7 and I see now after testing it is very stable, youll see in the pics.
The plants have shown some slight nut. burn but it has been very slight as you will see. If a person is worried about it I would cut the worm castings and guano by maybe a quarter. They got their first feeding last Saturday of AN Grow, Micro, Bloom, and some Maxi Crop at 285 ppm and 6.5 ph.
This soil is pretty light. I had lost like 4 seeds in one day because my light dried the soil out much faster than I had thought it would. To remedy the problem I covered the pots with saran wrap until the seedlings were above the soil then removed it. It made it into a humidity dome. The top 1 or so dries quick but the lower retains the moisture very well between watering.
I did not fill the pots all the way up with soil figuring for some stretch like I normally get (just an inch or maybe two) so I could add more later is why they are down a little bit. But I have not got any so as to explain that. One seed did not come up, but other than the ones that dried out to fast, all the rest did. I do have one that seems to be taking his time, it was the last to come up out of the replanted seeds its great to make your own!!
I took these next pics the other day. Seems I have something quite unique happening. One of my plants has naturally developed 2 tops! I have never seen this! The first pic is of them all and that special one is in the far right corner. You can kind of see it. None of the plants have been topped yet.
These next 3 are of that plant its self.
Pretty cool huh! I'm hoping it's a girl. Been having dreams of fimming again. Hello Budz...lol. Here is a pic of my most vigorous plant. It was the one in the far left corner in that first pic.
Well that pretty much brings me up to date so if anyone has any input please feel free. This is my first journal here on RIU
Here's a pic of the ww seeds I made from my last grow. The ten on the right are the first ones I selected to germinate. The parents were ordered from Nirvana.
When I germinate seeds I soak them in a glass of room temp water for 3-4 hrs. I then use the paper towel method except that I use a washed butter tub to make a humidity dome for them. I use a sharp knife and make around 4-8 slits in the lid gently twisting the knife back and forth as to widen the slit a little. I put the square of paper towel in the tub. I then use a heating pad with a thick bathroom towel. I fold the towel up into a square like twice as big as the bowl. I put the towel on the heating pad with the tub in the center. I then fold up the towel around the tub as to insulate it. I usually turn up the pad to HI for about 10-20 min then down to low. After a few hours the lid will start to condensate and keep the paper towels moist. Every time I closeup the lid, after checking on them etc., I crack it open a little and exhale a big breath or two in it. The extra shot of Co2 seems to help get them going faster. I have had seeds germinate in 24 hrs doing this. Some pics below.
After countless research and some past experience I had decided to make my own soil for this latest grow. I wanted to make a soil light enough I could start seedlings right in and add my nutrients later. I began this back earlier this summer. Knowing MJs love of a sandy loamy type soil, I came up with the following recipe.
This is for 55 gal. of soil and figures are derived on a per gallon basis:
55% Perilte (Course & mediun/fine mixed about half of each)
28% Peat Moss
14% Regular Sand/ Beach sand (Lowest clay content one can find)
3% Green Sand
6.9 c. Lime
3.5 c. Worm Castings
3.5 c. Bat Guano
3.5 c. Kelp
1.7 c. Espom Salt
8.0 oz. Mighty Myco (beneficial micro organisms)
I mixed it all up very well and moistened it in a kiddy pool. I let it stand in new black garbage cans for about 4 weeks. I then emptied everything back in the pool and remixed it again well. When I checked my Ph it was like 7.2 so I added some garden sulfur, re mixed and let it sit for another 2 weeks. My ph at the time of sowing seedlings was at 6.7 and I see now after testing it is very stable, youll see in the pics.
The plants have shown some slight nut. burn but it has been very slight as you will see. If a person is worried about it I would cut the worm castings and guano by maybe a quarter. They got their first feeding last Saturday of AN Grow, Micro, Bloom, and some Maxi Crop at 285 ppm and 6.5 ph.
This soil is pretty light. I had lost like 4 seeds in one day because my light dried the soil out much faster than I had thought it would. To remedy the problem I covered the pots with saran wrap until the seedlings were above the soil then removed it. It made it into a humidity dome. The top 1 or so dries quick but the lower retains the moisture very well between watering.
I did not fill the pots all the way up with soil figuring for some stretch like I normally get (just an inch or maybe two) so I could add more later is why they are down a little bit. But I have not got any so as to explain that. One seed did not come up, but other than the ones that dried out to fast, all the rest did. I do have one that seems to be taking his time, it was the last to come up out of the replanted seeds its great to make your own!!
I took these next pics the other day. Seems I have something quite unique happening. One of my plants has naturally developed 2 tops! I have never seen this! The first pic is of them all and that special one is in the far right corner. You can kind of see it. None of the plants have been topped yet.
These next 3 are of that plant its self.
Pretty cool huh! I'm hoping it's a girl. Been having dreams of fimming again. Hello Budz...lol. Here is a pic of my most vigorous plant. It was the one in the far left corner in that first pic.
Well that pretty much brings me up to date so if anyone has any input please feel free. This is my first journal here on RIU