Potting mix help <newbie. pls be gentle!>

I would like some advice regarding my potting mix please. I am in SE Asia doing an outdoor grow in a fabric greenhouse, and will create my own organic mix for pure Sativa. At this point, the mix I am considering (keep in mind it needs to be a DIY mix):

Peat moss 40%
Perlite 25%
Worm castings 20%
Vermiculite 10%
Mountain stone 5%
Bone meal 1 tbs/gallon
Dolomite lime 1 tbs/gallon
Epsom salt 1 tbs/gallon

Should I also include a compost to my mix in addition to worm castings, and if so, what type?

I will feed with fish fertilizer in veg, and blackstrap molasses in flower, amending soil periodically with worm castings, bone meal, and Epsom salt.

Any pointers/guidance appreciated.

Personally, I'd remove the vermiculite and would add in some sort of compost. What ever is the cleanest, fully composted source. Fish, crab ect would be great.
Adding topsoil(if clean is available) you could skip the stone and would add some diversity to the mix.

Thanks furnz.

Do you think 25% perlite the right amount should I remove vermiculite? And what % compost should I aim for roughly?

All looks good,crazy hot in this green house?Youll want more food for bloom, 12 weeks?.Lime is 1 cup per cuft/7.5g.
If your castings are fresh your good.
Mix up your soil so It can cook for awhile before you plant.

Also if this to be used again some sort of rock dust,volcanic if you can find or glacier even dust from a rock quarry.@4cups/cuft.

Tropical Grower said:

Thanks furnz.

Do you think 25% perlite the right amount should I remove vermiculite? And what % compost should I aim for roughly?

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I would reduce vermiculite and increase perlite myself but if using lots of compost with plenty of chunky organic matter then extra perlite for drainage isn't as needed. Vermiculite is handy for low water conditions as it holds water more than perlite. Also a great place for beneficial microbes to inhabit but lots of organic matter in the mix does that even better.

Being in SE Asia can't you just go for a hike in the mountains and come home with a bale of bud? What's the law there? 40 years ago when I was a cab driver/owner in Calgary I knew a driver named Papu from Pakistan who when he got all pissed up and high at parties would lament ever leaving home. He'd tell us about walking thru fields of 12ft pot plants and fist sized chunks of hash for pennies while rolling up a $20 oz of Mexican brick weed and passing Js around until it was all gone. He turned to booze as the pot was shit then and I begged him to give that up or he'd never earn enough to make it back home. Don't know what ever happened to him but I hope it had a happy ending.

Thanks Myke and MedUser!

Yes it is very hot inside greenhouse, outdoor temp is 28-35c, inside greenhouse can reach over 40, I do have a fan running 24-7. I have it partially shaded by a tree which also helps a little! I am mid my first ever grow currently (entering flower shortly), and wanted opinions for my 2nd run once this one has finished, wanting to find out if I should tweak my mix.

My current plants seem to love the temp, pure Sativa are a strong and tolerant strain as I have discovered, no heat stress and looking very healthy. They do however take forever, I am still at veg stage after planting just over 3 months ago, and I think they are beginning pre flower stretch now. I envisage flower will take at least 16 weeks, but I am guessing on that one.

MesUser I do actually live in a village in the mountains, however I would be be shot and buried for stealing so much as a coconut

Any tips for my mix/growing under the above conditions gratefully received, ty guys.

Tropical Grower said:

Thanks Myke and MedUser!

Yes it is very hot inside greenhouse, outdoor temp is 28-35c, inside greenhouse can reach over 40, I do have a fan running 24-7. I have it partially shaded by a tree which also helps a little! I am mid my first ever grow currently (entering flower shortly), and wanted opinions for my 2nd run once this one has finished, wanting to find out if I should tweak my mix.

My current plants seem to love the temp, pure Sativa are a strong and tolerant strain as I have discovered, no heat stress and looking very healthy. They do however take forever, I am still at veg stage after planting just over 3 months ago, and I think they are beginning pre flower stretch now. I envisage flower will take at least 16 weeks, but I am guessing on that one.

MesUser I do actually live in a village in the mountains, however I would be be shot and buried for stealing so much as a coconut

Any tips for my mix/growing under the above conditions gratefully received, ty guys.

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BIG pots like 25g min,heat is no problem just need lots of soil to keep moist.Cover with a mulch and youll do fine.

Tropical Grower said:

Any tips for my mix/growing under the above conditions gratefully received, ty guys.

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I just used a bit of everything in my outdoor grows. Peat based ProMix for about half then our garden compost that has lots of chicken manure in it from our chickens, composted steer and sheep manure from the store. Greensand, gypsum, bone meal and a bit of blood meal. They seem to be growing nicely and as they are autos are half way thru flowering now. Mine are out in the open in the ground but one in an 8gal pot.

Very nice, though I have to say what stands out the most is those stunning sunflowers! I see you have your chair nicely positioned to sit and have a chat with your plants

Tropical Grower said:

Very nice, though I have to say what stands out the most is those stunning sunflowers! I see you have your chair nicely positioned to sit and have a chat with your plants

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Sit and hunt thrips more likely but it's just a folding plant holder I was using for my potted auto plant.

Spot the lizard! 12/12 light cycle fast approaching, so hope they will begin to flower soon. Ignore the hygrometer which is faulty, its 28.5 degrees in there now. Humidity is correct though - we had some heavy rain today.

I tried asking this one on another thread but no response - do we remove all "sucker branches?". I have a lot of 1 to 10 inch new branches growing off the main one, and I assume they should all be chopped, even the ones at the top?

I cant spot the lizard,driving me nuts! ha.

myke said:

I cant spot the lizard,driving me nuts! ha.

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The first picture, on the edge of the pot. Just a baby so not easy to spot

I found a 3 foot snake in the greenhouse the other day, sniffing around near my plants - how dare he. My area is in the mountains so plenty of wildlife. I saw a 4 meter snake in my garden a few months back, now that was a very scary moment, thankfully he moved on swiftly. There are also big monitor lizards nearby, the biggest I saw was approximately 4 foot - they tend to wonder off when confronted by humans so not scary at all.

The strangest discovery however was a turtle, which must have found its way here from the lake about half a km away - I returned it of course! Never a dull moment in this part of the world

Tropical Grower said:

The first picture, on the edge of the pot. Just a baby so not easy to spot

I found a 3 foot snake in the greenhouse the other day, sniffing around near my plants - how dare he. My area is in the mountains so plenty of wildlife. I saw a 4 meter snake in my garden a few months back, now that was a very scary moment, thankfully he moved on swiftly. There are also big monitor lizards nearby, the biggest I saw was approximately 4 foot - they tend to wonder off when confronted by humans so not scary at all.

The strangest discovery however was a turtle, which must have found its way here from the lake about half a km away - I returned it of course! Never a dull moment in this part of the world

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I have found the lizard. I can now sleep in peace tonight.

Ha,was looking at the last pic. As far as lolly popping usally the bottom 1/3,but your in a green house and sativa plants so youll get light throughout.I think they look OK the way they are.

As they flower youll see whats shaded so remove that.See how full they get.My guess is they'll grow 5 feet more yet.

myke said:

As they flower youll see whats shaded so remove that.See how full they get.My guess is they'll grow 5 feet more yet.

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I hope not! The bigger ones are approaching 4 feet now, and I only have 2-3 more feet above them lol... May have to bend them over and put some more bamboo up.

Thanks!