What's THE BEST organic soil mixture?

So, I'm going out today to get some lovely soil and transplant my babies into bigger pots.

I can't find any place around that sells FoxFarm or any of the other "recommended" soils for growing cannabis.

What's the best homemade mixture I can make with things readily available from a place like Lowe's?

All the bagged soils I've bought ended up being too chunky (sticks and bark, WTF?). I want something fluffy and airy, but packed with yummy stuff for my plants.

Any advice? Recipes?

https://www.rollitup.org/subcools-old-school-organics/44686-subcools-super-soil.html

Sub knows what's up!

Edit: You might not be able to find all that stuff at Lowes...but a garden store/nursery should have it all.

Thanks, Jerry, that does look like an awesome mix.

Problem: I only need to fill a few pots, so I don't want to have to buy 10 different bags of stuff to mix in large quantities. Although, I guess I could store it in a spare trash can the way Subcool does and use it all year long.

Anyone else have a simpler recipe?

The best commercial organic mix I have ever used is made by Intervale.

However, as you asked about homemade recipes (good for you), here's mine.

1 part compost
1 part garden soil (sterilized if you prefer)
2 parts peat moss
1/2 part perlite
1/2 part vermiculite

Thanks, johnny! That's more along the lines of what I was looking for. Last time I mixed compost and potting soil and was less than thrilled with the results. I'll bet if I'd added some peat, perlite, and vermiculite it would have been much better!

I know Miracle Gro isn't generally accepted as being "good" for growing cannabis, but if I used MG and mixed it with the peat, perlite, and vermiculite would it be okay?

I'm afraid my potting soil choices are limited to either Miracle Gro, or the generic "organic" soil I got last time that was full of stick and bark.

Also, what if I substitute blood meal and bone meal for the potting soil and compost? Maybe some bat guano? Or would that be too hot for my babies?

doobnVA said:

Thanks, johnny! That's more along the lines of what I was looking for. Last time I mixed compost and potting soil and was less than thrilled with the results. I'll bet if I'd added some peat, perlite, and vermiculite it would have been much better!

I know Miracle Gro isn't generally accepted as being "good" for growing cannabis, but if I used MG and mixed it with the peat, perlite, and vermiculite would it be okay?

I'm afraid my potting soil choices are limited to either Miracle Gro, or the generic "organic" soil I got last time that was full of stick and bark.

Also, what if I substitute blood meal and bone meal for the potting soil and compost? Maybe some bat guano? Or would that be too hot for my babies?

Click to expand...

I'm not a Miracle Gro snob, so I say use it if you choose. It will replace the garden soil in my recipe. Another good substitute is greensand or builder's sand.

Also, the perlite/vermiculite are interchangeable. I usually will use what I have on hand. For example, if I have no vermiculite I will use all perlite in the recipe (1 part perlite).

Other amendments should be added carefully. Ingredients like blood meal, bone meal and guano can be added, but no more than 1 tablespoon each per quart of mix. To be certain, a good organic dry fertilizer like Fox Farms Tomato and Vegetable is excellent.

I have found that you have to take other peoples recipes and adjust it to suit what you have available. Go ahead and add the blood and bone meals..... worm castings are the 'shit' for growing your ladies too. All you have to consider is the amount of available nutrients you are adding and really good drainage. With a good soil mix, you won't really have to feed them until you start flowering.

I use promix (although I am just going to start from scratch next time) and add extra perlite, then i add a bit off worm castings and blood meal.... I am still tweaking my recipe. Greensand is great to use if you can find it. But I suggest starting with a good base. I would pick the organic mulch you tried last time and seperate all the sticks out of it... then add your perlite, meals and whatever else you want.

As a beginner, start with Johnny's recipe, but don't be afraid to mess with it. It's the only way you are gonna get comfortable with your personal technique. I hope this helps. GOOD LUCK!

Thanks again everyone!

I start my babies in sphagnum/vermiculite and they've done really well, it's transplanting them into the potting soil that I haven't had much luck with.

I think I'm going to experiment a little, maybe try out a "soilless" mix. Peat, vermiculite, blood meal, bone meal, and earthworm castings? I figure I can use the last three to brew up a fertilizer "tea", too, right? To add once the ladies start flowering, perhaps?

What do you guys think?

coco is very good 10 quid a bag

I just read up on that coconut coir stuff.. I figured it was for hydroponics, but now I see you can use it in a "soilless" mix. Looks like it might be better than peat, as peat is typically a bit acidic for growing cannabis.

I might pick some up, if they have it. Looking like I'm not going to be able to get the earthworm castings, at least not without hunting down a TRUE garden supply store.

I think I've pretty much settled on blood meal, bone meal, a bit of lime (if I end up using the peat) and either peat or coconut coir. This basically leaves me without a source of potassium, though.

what can I add for potassium besides greensand, in case I can't find any?

Coco coir is more neutral than peat, which is acidic. However, I have never had a problem.

One advantage soil growers have is that constant PH monitoring is not required. Adjustment only becomes necessary if a problem arises.

Get the right combination from the start and you are good.

Okay, so I managed to find blood AND bone meal (hooray!), so I went ahead and picked up both. The peat moss they had for sale had miracle-gro time release ferts mixed in with it, wtf? So I just went ahead and got some of the MG "organic" potting soil (peat, compost, chicken poops aka "poultry litter") and some perlite.

Also, FINALLY got myself a ph/moisture/light meter. Took the ph of the soil I *had* been growing in. Surprisingly, it wasn't acidic at all like I'd expected but rather alkaline instead. I also found that the readings were different depending on where the meter was in the soil. Is it normal to have acidic spots and super alkaline spots in the same soil?

doobnVA said:

Okay, so I managed to find blood AND bone meal (hooray!), so I went ahead and picked up both. The peat moss they had for sale had miracle-gro time release ferts mixed in with it, wtf? So I just went ahead and got some of the MG "organic" potting soil (peat, compost, chicken poops aka "poultry litter") and some perlite.

Also, FINALLY got myself a ph/moisture/light meter. Took the ph of the soil I *had* been growing in. Surprisingly, it wasn't acidic at all like I'd expected but rather alkaline instead. I also found that the readings were different depending on where the meter was in the soil. Is it normal to have acidic spots and super alkaline spots in the same soil?

Click to expand...

I think I know the tool you are using. It does all three reading depending on where the switch is at, right? Tow prongs and a analog meter? it's ok for moisture and light but I wouldn't trust it for acidity. Notice how the ph changes if you leave it in one spot for awhile? If it's the one I am thinking of, I have it and am not content with it. However, with a good soil mix... you won't have to worry too much about ph as long as you don't go crazy with nutes. Or that's the story I am sticking to so far....