Building my Own Living Soil.. yeah a Supa Soil! Help me build it!!!!!

[Trae1170]

Hey everyone,
I am looking to make my own super soil with the ingredients that I already have or are inexpensive and I can purchase locally (South Carolina). My biggest question is how do I determine how much fast release vs slow release NPK should I add and what are the main amendments for micronutrients. Looking at so many other super soil recipes on the Net and reading articles contradicting one another I am a little overwhelmed.
Does anyone have a Excel spreadsheet for building a soil with the proper NPK with both fast and slow release nutrients and micros?

So I will tell you what I want and how much I need and I will let the forum chime in on what I should get or add.

1. I need to make approximately 250 gallons of super soil.
2. I am planting 50 plants outdoors
3. 5 gallons of soil per plant
4. Plants will be in a wooded area that is cleared for sunlight
5. A friends property that will help water and feed the plants

• I purchased about 1000 pounds of 3 year old composted cow manure.. it was cheap (about $90) (I will start by using a 55 gallon drum and filling it 5 times and this will be my compost base.
• Blood Meal - 6lbs
• Bone Meal - 7lbs
• Gypsum - 20lbs available
• Lime - 20lbs available
• Crushed Oyster Shell- 20lbs available
• Epsom Salt - 8lbs
• 3 50lb bales of Alfalfa hay - I will use as a light mulch around each plant with wood chips on top
• I will add Mykos to the root ball when I plant them (they will be about 45 days old when Planting them about 3-4 weeks after the soil is mixed.

I am thinking about adding: Granular Humic Acid, Feather Meal and Kelp Meal?

I have 16lbs of Epsoma Organic Fertilizer 5-3-3 that I will use for top dress for Veg. I have not purchased anything for Flower or a Flower booster yet.


So........ to go with 250 gallons of composted manure, how much of each ingredient should I use? What other ingredients should I add?
Due to the Qty. of soil I need, I want to steer away from Bat Guano and Worm Castings due to cost.

Let me know, I am hoping to start mixing on Sunday (03/05/2023)!!
Peace,

 

[Tremojem]

Well Brother, let me be the first to say. .good on you.

I am a FFOF guy. Only four grows and I am leaning towards Coco and even a Coco hybrid, consisting of both Coco and living soil, which in itself is a contradiction...lol.

Forgive me, as I am new to this and may not have all the facts, regarding methodology and terminology.

Okay, so my answer to you is this.

Seek out Dan or anyone from "Build A Soil".

There are a couple more resources similar, but they escape me now.

You can't go wrong with either, but best to you. I am on the same journey. You're just ahead of me.

 

[Trae1170]

Well Brother, let me be the first to say. .good on you.

I am a FFOF guy. Only four grows and I am leaning towards Coco and even a Coco hybrid, consisting of both Coco and living soil, which in itself is a contradiction...lol.

Forgive me, as I am new to this and may not have all the facts, regarding methodology and terminology.

Okay, so my answer to you is this.

Seek out Dan or anyone from "Build A Soil".

There are a couple more resources similar, but they escape me now.

You can't go wrong with either, but best to you. I am on the same journey. You're just ahead of me.

Thank you for the comments. I have looked at a number of super soil recipes from Subcool's to Build-a-Soil and a few in between. I am trying to base mine on theirs but trying to get my Nitrogen without using bat guano and using less Worm Castings due to cost.

 

[Tremojem]

Just to keep it interesting. I too want to eventually use a living soil. Just not there yet. I see benefits in the journey. Meaning that I would like to gain the knowledge from as many different growing methodologies as I can. This gained knowledge will contribute to success, if I am able to retain it and apply it effectively. Additionally, it is enjoyable and satisfying. And yes, it can be frustrating. Without challenges there is no learning. So, I will continue on my path and someday I will take advantage of my coffee grounds, egg shells, food scraps, etc., for my compost and ultimately my living soil. I dig sustainability and that's where I am headed.

Best to you.

 

[Garbage_bear]

Wouldn’t the composted manure have nitrogen?

 

[Trae1170]

Wouldn’t the composted manure have nitrogen?

Yes it does, but nowhere near the levels that bat guano or worm castings have.

 

[Trae1170]

I am posting my update. Last week I was able to make my soil mix, below is how I made my soil, I will see in a few weeks what the breakdown is.

• Apprx. 250 gallons of Cow Manure Compost (3 years old)
• Blood Meal - 9lbs
• Bone Meal - 10lbs
• Lime - 1 1/2 cups
• Epsom Salt - 3 cups
• Granite dust - 3 cups
• 3 - 40lb bags of Mushroom Compost
• 3 cu ft Sphagnum Peat Moss
• 3 - 2 cu ft bags of shredded wood chips
• 2 - 2 cu ft bags of Wood Compost
• 1 - 20lb bag of Chicken Manure
• 9 cups of Fossilized Shell Flour
• 25 gallons of used coco coir (used last year for my vegetable garden)
• 2 - cu ft Pearlite
• 1 - 3 cu ft bag of Happy Frog Soil Conditioner
• 3 50lb bales of Alfalfa hay - I will use as a light mulch

I still want to get some Kelp Meal and Alfalfa meal but we will see.

The shredded wood chips and wood compost, coco coir, Pearlite and Happy Frog I already had laying around so it was not any cost. So I ended up spending about $200 plus what I already had which probably would have been another $100.
After about 3 weeks I will take a sample to Clemson College and have them do a soil test to tell me NPK and breakdown of the mix. I will adjust if needed based on their results.