JustBlazin
Well-Known Member
It's peat based i believe but at least one line also has coco coir in it.
Official Gaia Green Grow Method
- Thread starter GiovanniJones
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weedstoner420
Well-Known Member
I thought the whole "coco and dry amendments" thing didn't work out because folks interpreted it as literally just coco and dry amendments. You need worm castings or some other form of humus as a microbe source, to break down those dry amendments so the plant can use them.
I don't think there's anything wrong with using coco instead of peat in a super soil mix. Check out the thread called "airpot bed" in the Indoor Growing section, that grower is using a coco-based mix and seems to be doing pretty well... https://www.rollitup.org/t/airpot-bed.1085120/
I don't think there's anything wrong with using coco instead of peat in a super soil mix. Check out the thread called "airpot bed" in the Indoor Growing section, that grower is using a coco-based mix and seems to be doing pretty well... https://www.rollitup.org/t/airpot-bed.1085120/
JustBlazin
Well-Known Member
It can be done for sure. I just see more consistent success with peat based soil.
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Week4@inCharge
Well-Known Member
I agree, peat holds moisture a lot longer than coco does. Might be the reason for the success.
cannapotimus
Well-Known Member
I personally found using coco as a base ended up having a bunch of calcium deficiencies. I seem to remember reading something about it after switching back to peat moss. I’m sure there’s ways around it but peat is just much easier to work with.
Stoner42002
Member
Okay thanks I’m on my second time growing right now and mixing liquid nutes just ain’t for me Mr cannucks is how I learned sadly Gaia green living soil cant be bought in the us and I had read pro mix was a really good substitute and I know with dr amendment just follow the instructions and it usually goes smoothly opposed to liquid nutes gotta correct ph in the water ppm etc
Stoner42002
Member
I’m new to growing I just know Gaia green living soil can’t be purchased in the us and I have been ready and watching you tube videos and a few different people say pro mix is a good substitute and works with dry amendments opposed to coco I’ve heard pro mix is considered soilless medium it’s all confusing when you get deep into it’s why I decided to ask on here find out from others with experience can’t always trust what google says
Week4@inCharge
Well-Known Member
Big thing I've learned and your all over it I'm seeing is the use of compost and/or earthworm castings. Just like you mentioned in a super soil type mix, which would be a third of your pot mixed in.
weedstoner420
Well-Known Member
That GG living soil is basically a pre-mixed blend with peat, coco, perlite, compost, worm castings, and presumably their dry amendment blend. Afaik, Pro-mix is usually just peat (and/or coco) and perlite, so you'd need to add your own compost and dry amendments (there are plenty of dry amendment blends out there similar to the Gaia Green stuff).
Technically, "soil" is a mix of sand, silt, and clay, with some organic matter thrown in there. Almost all the "organic soils" that weed growers use are technically soilless mixes and should really be called "potting mix".
My 2 cents
Stoner42002
Member
Yea I plan to use pro mix hp that has myco in it too with the Gaia green 4-4-4 and 2-8-4 do you have any good compost recommendations that I can mix with the pro mix I’d rather do something someone else has done before or similar then try to come up with my own idea and ruin the plants lol
Stoner42002
Member
Yea I learned to grow from watching you tube and wanna do it like me cannucks but he’s Canadian so some of the stuff he uses I have to substitute and it gets so confusing lmao
Week4@inCharge
Well-Known Member
I was a huge Cannucks fan at the beginning, makes the best YouTube vids for sure. It was talking to some respectful members here that got me going in the right direction. At every phase of the grow. You'll lose some plants, that's a guarantee, and all part of the experience. Just keep going if you want to learn something. And that will be more than you bargained for.
weedstoner420
Well-Known Member
This stuff is really good and my local hardware store sells it: https://organicmechanicsoil.com/product/organic-mechanics-worm-castings/
It's pretty pricey but my grow is small so a 5 lb bag is usually more than enough for a round.
Hopefully others could chime in if you're looking for larger quantities. I think the general consensus around compost or worm castings is that homemade (or locally sourced, not in a bag) is best.
Stoner42002
Member
Yes I had planned to add some worm casting to pro mix but when I hear the word compost I think what my grandparents had in the compost bin with fruit peels egg shells etc and I got a feeling it’s not the same lmao but I’ll definitely check that out my grow is small the state I’m in just made it legal for medical weed patients to grow 7 mature and 7 immature so imma start out with 4 plants I got 2 goin right now with just 70:30 coco and pearlite and liquid nutes but I forget if I fed last time or just watered after so long so I’m definitely gonna switch to dry amendments just trying to get a good idea going so far the biggest issue I have is over watering during the seedling/sprout stage and a lil over feeding during veg so I’m wanting to switch to the dr amendment here’s a pic of one of the girls I got in flower right now too
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Stoner42002
Member
Yes he’s who got me wanting to grow and started so far I haven’t lost any plants I’ve had 1 that sprouted then just didn’t grow and died like 2 weeks after sprouting so probably just a. Faulty seed and I have 2 in flower right now and one getting ready to switch to flower in couple weeks just got its first topping done only things with mine I don’t like is my stems are about as thick as a pencil maybe slight thicker but I’ve also started in clear seedling pots which I plan to change up next time as well I’ve heard silica is good for thick stems I’m hoping doing pro mix Gaia green worm castings and dolomite lime could help closely mimick me cannucks
Week4@inCharge
Well-Known Member
Stuff looks killer, wish my local hardware had some of that.
weedstoner420
Well-Known Member
The pic on the website is actually pretty accurate. It's literally straight up tiny balls of black gold, no wood chips or other crap I've seen in other bagged castings, and always has been quite moist still when I've gotten it.
I think they're based out of PA so might just be an east coast thing, but I've also gotten it shipped when the local Ace hardware was out of stock...
Week4@inCharge
Well-Known Member
Ace Hardware.. well shit, I have one here, maybe they can ship that to this store maybe? Sure wouldn't mind giving it a try.
SlightlySyko
New Member
Hey guys! Im a relatively new grower, I have maybe 3 small tent grows under my belt, all with nutrients in bottles and foxfarm ocean forest for my soil. I have had relatively good results trying that method but would like to try this organic method to see what kind of difference it makes. I see a lot about premixing soil and amendments, I was just wondering what kind of timeframe id be looking at when preparing it. Would promix hp, gaia amendments, and worm castings be enough for me to do a water only type of grow? or should I also add things like mychrorize, kelp meal, fishbone meal, etc? Also does anyone know if adding wet molasses via watering is any better than or equal to dry molasses being added to the soil initially?
Week4@inCharge
Well-Known Member
Loaded question, on initial setup let the dry amendments "cook" for a month before planting/using. mix in about 1/3 of worm castings and/or compost. Need that carbon in there for the "organic" to work. Your fine with just the gaia green, keep it simple. And don't over do it with the wet molasses, stop using it after week 6 of flower. I'd only use it maybe once every two to three weeks. It can fuck up your soils pH if over done. Tablespoon to a gallon. The Mycorrhizae, just use that on initial planting, it will slowly proliferate on it's own. Not the end of the world if you forget to add it but seems to help/speed up growth.