Living Organics

[SteadyDoesIt]

what’s up organic gardeners.

My venturing out and trying to build my own soil mix right now, these are the stuff I managed to get so far.

I plan on going at a 1-1 ratio peat coco ,

Readygro is 55%coco45%perlite with trace amounts of ewc for the 1.75 cubic foot bag
Malibu compost at 1 cubic foot,
1 cubic foot peat moss ,

And the amendments above and just basalt.

I have live worms and a bag of castings I’m picking up mid Upweek.

I plan to flower out in 7 gallon containers so this batch my end up being just enough for my 4 plants. I would like to get by with top dressing and minimal teas.

I’m open to any advise or experiences you would like to share. I live in the city so I’ve never played around with soil or castings, but this living soil seems so interestingly me.

 

[Organikz]

You're going to need more aeration. Biochar could probably cover what you're lacking if you went 8 cup per ft3.

Coco is a peat moss substitute. A lot of organic gardeners prefer peat moss. It's going to be difficult to determine liming agent ratios.

Coco is neutral.

1.1.1
Aeration
Coco/SPM
compost/ewc

 

[Organikz]

Thinking more coco doesn't hold any nutrients. You're going to have a hard time retaining available nutrients

 

[SteadyDoesIt]

Thinking more coco doesn't hold any nutrients. You're going to have a hard time retaining available nutrients

Yea, even if I went 1:1 coco peat ?

Why do some growers have success with coco in organics? I’m just wondering. I don’t mind if I have to switch it up

 

[SteadyDoesIt]

You're going to need more aeration. Biochar could probably cover what you're lacking if you went 8 cup per ft3.

Coco is a peat moss substitute. A lot of organic gardeners prefer peat moss. It's going to be difficult to determine liming agent ratios.

Coco is neutral.

1.1.1
Aeration
Coco/SPM
compost/ewc

For liming agent I thought oyster shell would cover that no ?

 

[Dunge]

Seeing all those Down to Earth boxes makes me want to share my DTE heavy formula again.
https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/threads/super-soil-standard.82117/
I consider the DTE compost to be the microbial foundation of the blend.
In addition, my microbial tea includes alfalfa, neem meal, and seaweed.
Six off the shelf products, all in the mix. No partial product remains to confound future blends.

 

[chickenman]

We have 7500 sqft vegetable garden.
16 years been working soil amending with goat and chicken
Sent a soil analysis in and amended with humate nitrogen gypsum..
Will analyze again in spring to fine tune
Awesome veggies with few pests..

 

[SteadyDoesIt]

Seeing all those Down to Earth boxes makes me want to share my DTE heavy formula again.
https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/threads/super-soil-standard.82117/
I consider the DTE compost to be the microbial foundation of the blend.
In addition, my microbial tea includes alfalfa, neem meal, and seaweed.
Six off the shelf products, all in the mix. No partial product remains to confound future blends.

That’s great stuff , I’m staying away from guanos though. I have a great source of local ewc.

What are your thoughts on the coco peat 1-1 ratio?

 

[SteadyDoesIt]

We have 7500 sqft vegetable garden.
16 years been working soil amending with goat and chicken
Sent a soil analysis in and amended with humate nitrogen gypsum..
Will analyze again in spring to fine tune
Awesome veggies with few pests..

That sounds fun. Next season I plan to have a veggie garden with some tomatoes, peppers, etc. urban gardening for the win.

If you don’t mind, what type of soil did you start with? Or did you supernatural soil reached it status by it being reused ?

 

[SteadyDoesIt]

You're going to need more aeration. Biochar could probably cover what you're lacking if you went 8 cup per ft3.

Coco is a peat moss substitute. A lot of organic gardeners prefer peat moss. It's going to be difficult to determine liming agent ratios.

Coco is neutral.

1.1.1
Aeration
Coco/SPM
compost/ewc

Biochar used for aeration ? What about some lava rock? That’s easier for me to get

 

[BudBogart]

Biochar used for aeration ? What about some lava rock? That’s easier for me to get

Perlite is commonly available, widely used for aeration.

 

[Organikz]

Perlite is commonly available, widely used for aeration.

Perlite is ideal if you remix soil between cycles. I like the dual purpose of the biochar. The CEC of sequestered carbon is unmatched.

 

[BudBogart]

Perlite is ideal if you remix soil between cycles. I like the dual purpose of the biochar. The CEC of sequestered carbon is unmatched.

I quite agree. I made my own bio char from oak branches, charged it with nitrogen and had a blast doing it. Perlite is just easier and readily available. I don't actually use it in my garden. I don't like to see such obvious man made material mixed into my forest garden soil.

 

[SteadyDoesIt]

Perlite is commonly available, widely used for aeration.

Yea I can get perlite , I want to mix it up a little. Bu t I have some if all else fails.

 

[stiffneck]

That’s great stuff , I’m staying away from guanos though. I have a great source of local ewc.

I found a good local source of EWC also... Four 5 gallon buckets filled for $25.... I Think it's a good deal... one bag from the local gardening store runs $20.

DTE products are the bomb. No plastic bottles just throw that cardboard box in the compost pile... not to mention my flowers this year are bigger than years previous... :)

 

[BudBogart]

I found a good local source of EWC also... Four 5 gallon buckets filled for $25.... I Think it's a good deal... one bag from the local gardening store runs $20.

DTE products are the bomb. No plastic bottles just throw that cardboard box in the compost pile... not to mention my flowers this year are bigger than years previous... :)

my Wife won't let me have a worm bin because she says I don't eat enough healthy food to sustain a worm, but locally sourced ewc is usually far better stuff than stuff you buy at the store, whatever the cost. Good score!

 

[Organikz]

my Wife won't let me have a worm bin because she says I don't eat enough healthy food to sustain a worm, but locally sourced ewc is usually far better stuff than stuff you buy at the store, whatever the cost. Good score!

A fungal dominant vermicompost bin consisting of composted hardwood leaves is the best you can get. This fall simply pick your leaves up with a mower and bag them.

I use a 150g smartpot. I just throw some compost in there along with worms and throw leaves in. Adding a layer of lava rock and kelp meal and malted barley every 8 inches. I dump 10 pounds of.chicken manure to top that sundae

 

[BudBogart]

A fungal dominant vermicompost bin consisting of composted hardwood leaves is the best you can get. This fall simply pick your leaves up with a mower and bag them.

I use a 150g smartpot. I just throw some compost in there along with worms and throw leaves in. Adding a layer of lava rock and kelp meal and malted barley every 8 inches. I dump 10 pounds of.chicken manure to top that sundae

Hey, I'm gonna look into that. Leaves I got!,lol. Thank you.

 

[Dunge]

Adding a layer of lava rock and kelp meal and malted barley every 8 inches. I dump 10 pounds of.chicken manure to top that sundae

I attempted to put chinchilla waste in my worm bin and because of the volcanic ash we let him dust in, it distresses the worms.
Worried that the lava rocks might be a bit slicy for the worms.

 

[Organikz]

I attempted to put chinchilla waste in my worm bin and because of the volcanic ash we let him dust in, it distresses the worms.
Worried that the lava rocks might be a bit slicy for the worms.

pumice or lava rock is good. I have however seen worms recoil when they touch perlite which is a volcanic ash product. It is microscopic glass. That's what was going on there. Magma is good because it's mostly carbon. Basalt is crushed up lava rock.