Organic Soil recipe recommendation?

I am trying to help my mother (with multiple sclerosis) grow her own medicine. That being said, I want to keep it stupid simple for her (just add water.)

Using Nutrients, I've never really had an issue. At first I tried General Organics and got pretty alright results. After using those up, I switched to Roots Organics and definitely noticed improvements in potency, no change in yield, but a definite loss in flavor. Unfortunately, both these lines are extremely sludgy and time-consuming to mix. They are especially difficult for my weak mother as she can't shake up gallons of water.

I've read multiple books, such as Ed Rosenthall's Grower's Handbook, Professor Lee's Intro to Growing Grade A Bud, and Finally The Rev's True Living Organics. I read this site and many others on a daily basis always trying to learn something new.

So guys, I've recently tried building soils based on the advice of this site (of course), reading through multiple recipes.

My last two batches of soil yielded really poor results, low yields and short plants. First I tried Sunshine Advanced Mix #4 6.0 CU FT, using the following recipe:

1 lb fish bone meal
.25 cup dry molasses
.125 cup azomite
.25 lbs kelp meal
.5 lbs feather meal
.5 lbs blood meal
.125 cup dolomite lime
8 lbs worm castings
.125 cup Epson salt
.25 cup rock phosphate
.25 cup oyster shell flower

R/O water, 7 ph, 10 TDS (starting from 550 out of my tap...lol)

I amend twice during flower with Sunleaves tea guano:
2 tbsp Mexican bat guano into 2 gallons bubbled for 48 hours (half their recommend amount.)
1/8 cup dry molasses
then 2-3 weeks later
4 tbsp Indonesian bat guano into 2 gallons, bubbled for 48 hours (also half recommended amount.)
1/16 cup dry molasses
I was barely yielding 2 oz a plant under a 1000 watt Eye Hortilux and a 600 watt Eye Hortilux, 8 plants total.

I then tried 3.0 CU FT of Sphagnum Peat Moss and a 8 dry qt of perlite with the same recipe as above, with the intent that it would be stronger.

In veg, I used Sunshine Pro Mix #4 with
5 ml Budda Grow
5 ml Trinity
5 ml Ancient amber
5 ml GO CAL-MAG
Under two ViparLED 450w panels. (Since replaced with 4x8 T5 Fixture as the LEDs were sent back under warranty and never returned by Vipar...see my other thread if you want to know more..)

Transplanting into flower and my second batch of organic soil (3-4 weeks vegging, approx. 12-24 inches depending on strain), my plants were starting to burn to shit after a week.

I then pulled every plant, rinsed their root mass, and re-transplanted them into empty Sphagnum Peat Moss (+ 8 qt dry perlite). They recovered, but, based on their looks, are going to yield about the same as always. I am feeding all the plants R/O and 5ml General Organics CAL-MAG (per gallon) except for one. I fed one plant the whole Roots Organics and noticed the buds were definitely fatter than the rest of the plants, but the flavor and smell significantly went down. It's as if it smells "peppery" instead of sweet. I have attached a photo of that plant. The strain is Pineapple Funk, in week 7. It is currently showing 5-10% amber so I am flushing it as of now.

A fellow grower, who also uses Roots Organics, has "peppery" smelling plants and I highly dislike the taste. His smoke is very harsh and his joints constantly go out, despite a 2-week flush with purely water. He is convinced his weed is amazing and he sees my plants and refused to listen to what I have to say regarding flavor. I have a volcano and his weed barely puts out 2-3 bags per .5 gram. My weed usually gets 4-6 bags depending on the strain. When I've going to the dispensary, requesting their most potent, I get 10+ bags easily and have to stop the session cause I'm too damn high and sweaty (lol)

I guess my goal is just to get 4-6 oz a plant, well within the realm of reality, whilst maintaining that SWEET, candy-like flavor you only get from organics. Does anyone have any recommendations as to how I should change up my soil?

I was given TWO bags of Ocean Forest and TWO bags of Happy Frog today for free (awesome co-worker!) Should I just use those and give up on trying to make my own recipe? The fellow grower I mentioned above uses a 50/50 mix of those, amending with Roots Organics and worm castings, yielding half pounds all day. The unfortunate problem, like I mentioned, is his flavor is lacking severely and his smoke is very harsh, while being much less potent.

I want to share with you my add-water-only soil mix. I rarely share the recipe for this special mix but since you are helping the sick i feel no worries.

Base Mix approx. 3 cubic feet

6 gallons black earth

4 gallons coconut coir

3 gallons worm castings

1 gallon steer manure

4 gallons perlite



Amendments:

1 cup alfalfa meal

1 cup kelp meal

1 cup neem meal

1 cup blood meal

1 cup granular bone meal

1 cup dolomite lime

1 cup crushed eggshell

1 cup greensand

1 cup granular rock phosphate

1 cup dry, all-purpose nutrient

3 cups Zeolite

2 cups brown rice

Pretty intensive mix but it is amazing and only gets better when recycled and re-amended. Good luck.

Read at least the first few pages of the Recycled Organic Living Soil thread.

P-

@DonPetro
Good looks my man; I will have to try that recipe.

I have a couple questions:
Regarding "black earth", a google search gives me "Chernozem" or humus-rich soil (between 7-15%). Do you have any recommendations as to where I might obtain that? My local home-Depot and Lowes have the worse selections--but there's always the possibility I didn't see it since I wasn't looking.

What "all-purpose" nutrient do you use?

Lastly, do you plant clones into that hot of soil?

@Pattahabi
Yessir, I will do so (again) right now.

I prefer the 'black earth' over other potting soils for its structure and high humus content. Many brands carry a product called black earth and can be found for very little $.

@DonPetro

Am I able to plant clones directly in this soil without burning them?

After mixing, let it sit for about a month. After that, yes you can plant rooted clones into this mix.

I've had soil sitting since 4/20 and it STILL burns my plants; hence why I'm trying to tweak or thin-out the ~30 gallons of soil I already have mixed.
After planting into 100% organic (mixed) soil, it burned the shit out of my fully vegged plants; I know it will rape clones. I had a 50% organic /50% peat moss mix , but in two layers (verse mixed thoroughly.)

I just planted a Blaze plant into 40% organic / 60% peat moss and mixed it up good (instead of layers.)


After I'm out of soil, I'll definitely try your mix.

Scharfschutzen said:

I've had soil sitting since 4/20 and it STILL burns my plants; hence why I'm trying to tweak or thin-out the ~30 gallons of soil I already have mixed.
After planting into 100% organic (mixed) soil, it burned the shit out of my fully vegged plants; I know it will rape clones. I had a 50% organic /50% peat moss mix , but in two layers (verse mixed thoroughly.)

I just planted a Blaze plant into 40% organic / 60% peat moss and mixed it up good (instead of layers.)


After I'm out of soil, I'll definitely try your mix.

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I've never burned a plant using this mix straight from seedling to harvest. Let me know how it goes.

I keep my recipe really simple with each recycle. Just my favourite sources of NPK and mineral ammendments. I keep those simple too, azomite dolomite and bath salts depending on how the soil is doing. I used to use a bucket load of ammendments but realized its no need, if the soil gets recycled and you look after its consistency and use the odd tea i witness no difference. Also when recycling its better to add a bit less and then replenish with top feeding or a tea.

The blaze strain I planted in 50/50 seems to be doing fine. I noticed some yellowing of the lower leaves so I pulled those but other than that the plant is as bushy as the same strain with Happy Frog/Ocean Forest 50/50 + Roots Organics full line under CFLs.

I should post some pictures for comparison really quick.

When you notice leaves yellowing, try to resist the urge to pull them off. It does actually stress the plant out when you do this.

Oh yeah? I was always under the impression the plant wastes energy trying to repair.
To clarify, It was one leaf at the bottom that was yellowing from the cloner. Since being in soil no more yellowing has occured.

I totally forgot pictures (lol)
I'll get some later tonight.

Here is a picture of the plants side-by-side.

The organic-based soil is in the larger container, being fed only R/O.
The 50/50 Happy Frog/Ocean Forest plant has been receiving 5ml Roots Organics Budda Grow, Trinity, Surge, Ancient Amber, Extreme Serene, Amino-Aide, and 5ml General Organics CalMag.

Both plants have been vegging since 10/4.

Organic looks bigger and better but are they from clone or seeds if cline the organic

They are from clone.

I agree, I am trying to break my mom's boyfriend's attitude of growing (non organically, using bottles that say "organic) He's been at it for over 10 years and I have less than a year under my belt, therefore he discredits what I have to say.

Scharfschutzen said:

They are from clone.

I agree, I am trying to break my mom's boyfriend's attitude of growing (non organically, using bottles that say "organic) He's been at it for over 10 years and I have less than a year under my belt, therefore he discredits what I have to say.

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damn youngster no it alls prove him wrong as I watch along. We could then rub it in his face

Not much is actually organic. Natural yes.
I don't think Happy frog is 100% organic. Maybe 100% natural ingredient but they were not all organically grown.

anzohaze said:

damn youngster no it alls prove him wrong as I watch along. We could then rub it in his face

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Haha I'm sure he feels the same way. From my perspective, it's almost comparing apples to organges. Each style of growing will have pros and cons.

Again, though, I just want an easy solution for my mother as she physically cant mix up nutrients. She also eats organically, gluten-free etc. So I don't see why her medicine should be the exception.

He pulls off every yellowing leaf. He says cfls are superior to MH in veg, as the cfls produce more resins. The last one, my favorite, flushing is optional. I watch him relight joints on daily basis. If he wants to view me as a "know it all", thats fine. I simply want a conniseur-grade product and I can promise you his is far from that.

Scharfschutzen said:

Haha I'm sure he feels the same way. From my perspective, it's almost comparing apples to organges. Each style of growing will have pros and cons.

Again, though, I just want an easy solution for my mother as she physically cant mix up nutrients. She also eats organically, gluten-free etc. So I don't see why her medicine should be the exception.

He pulls off every yellowing leaf. He says cfls are superior to MH in veg, as the cfls produce more resins. The last one, my favorite, flushing is optional. I watch him relight joints on daily basis. If he wants to view me as a "know it all", thats fine. I simply want a conniseur-grade product and I can promise you his is far from that.

Click to expand...

This is how it is for me too...

My neighbors have been growing for years and I'm newer to it so I must not know anything. This year marks my 4th harvest ever, best one too...

Last year my one neighbor had nitrogen toxicity his whole grow, the other had powdery mildew that killed his plants.

They're not allowed over at my place but we still talk and they doubt much of what I say. I'm just a young whippersnapper after all...

This year I got us all the same clones and are doing our separate grows. It will be very interesting to see how it goes. I think they're doing a miracle grow mix, I'm using rrog's organic mix...

I grew outside this year using simple teas and topdresses, and those two guys were hella impressed with the quality, size, and vigor of my outdoor plants. They had never seen plants so healthy and produce so much. I hope to mirror that inside and show them how it's really done.

I also think it'll be very interesting to see how the different grower's techniques effects the outcome because we all started with identical clones.

Lastly, the finished product will be different because of how we trim and dry/cure the buds! I think next year these guys might want me to show them how I dried and cured because they were very impressed with my outdoor smoke and they thought the process was finished once the plant got chopped.

All in all it'll be a good experience. I've learned a lot from them, some of which was so obvious I'm surprised I missed it myself, and I hope that they can get over my youth and also learn from me.

Happy growing!

Sorry for the novel but I could relate!