Super Soil Recipe Ideas & Input

[NexusLH]

Hey y'all. Just wanted to get everyone's input and ideas on super soil recipes. As of my first grow, I am using this recipe mix for every 10 gallons (split into 2 5-gallon buckets)

1/3 good, clean black dirt or peat moss
1/3 worm castings
1/3 perlite
(I use that for pretty much all sizes from little pots to 60-gallon drum)

1/2 cup blood meal (N-P-K) (12-0-0)
1 cup bone meal (N-P-K) (4-12-0)
1/2 cup dolomite lime
1.2tbsp Epsom salt (unscented & NO ADDITIVES)

Now this is my first grow with this mixture, so I will add updates as time goes on, but so far, no complaints. my plants are super healthy, and no signs of stress. If you wanted to use this recipe for a bigger quantity I would let your mixture "cook" for a week or so before use so you don't get any type of nutrient burn. If anyone else has any other recipes, please post I would love to try new things and get the most yield out of my plants

 

[Eledin]

Hello! Seems like theyre loving it! I would have added a source of potassium like kelp meal which also has a lot of other goodies like aminos, vitamins and enzymes. I also avoid blood meal because even when its labeled as a fertilizer for organic farming, the farm doesnt need to be organic, those animals are not well fed and also full of antibiotics which of course is not good for the plant but also for the microorganisms. As for bone meal, it has similar issues, quoting from google:

Bone meal is generally avoided by some gardeners due to concerns about its high lead content, potential to attract animals, and its impact on soil pH and mycorrhizal fungi. While it's a slow-release source of phosphorus and calcium, its effectiveness is limited in certain soil conditions and may not be necessary if those nutrients are already sufficient in the soil.

Reasons for Avoiding Bone Meal:

• High Lead Content:
  Bone meal, especially from older sources, can contain elevated levels of lead, which poses potential health risks if ingested or absorbed through the skin. <--- Always use a mask or a piece of cloth when adding ammendments. Most of them are dangerous to inhale but specially bone meal and perlite dust, perlite dust can give you silicosis.
  
  
• Animal Attraction:
  The smell of bone meal can attract dogs, foxes, and other animals, who may dig up gardens in search of the source of the scent.
  
  
• Soil pH Sensitivity:
  Bone meal is most effective in acidic soils (pH below 7). In alkaline soils, the phosphorus in bone meal may not be readily available to plants. <---- Specially important for people who think 7 ph is good for organic. There's a difference between good enough and good.
  
  
• Mycorrhizal Fungi Inhibition:
  Excessive phosphorus from bone meal can hinder the beneficial mycorrhizal fungi that help plants absorb water and nutrients from the soil.

 

[NexusLH]

Hello! Seems like theyre loving it! I would have added a source of potassium like kelp meal which also has a lot of other goodies like aminos, vitamins and enzymes. I also avoid blood meal because even when its labeled as a fertilizer for organic farming, the farm doesnt need to be organic, those animals are not well fed and also full of antibiotics which of course is not good for the plant but also for the microorganisms. As for bone meal, it has similar issues, quoting from google:

Bone meal is generally avoided by some gardeners due to concerns about its high lead content, potential to attract animals, and its impact on soil pH and mycorrhizal fungi. While it's a slow-release source of phosphorus and calcium, its effectiveness is limited in certain soil conditions and may not be necessary if those nutrients are already sufficient in the soil.

Reasons for Avoiding Bone Meal:

• High Lead Content:
  Bone meal, especially from older sources, can contain elevated levels of lead, which poses potential health risks if ingested or absorbed through the skin.
  
  
• Animal Attraction:
  The smell of bone meal can attract dogs, foxes, and other animals, who may dig up gardens in search of the source of the scent.
  
  
• Soil pH Sensitivity:
  Bone meal is most effective in acidic soils (pH below 7). In alkaline soils, the phosphorus in bone meal may not be readily available to plants. <---- Specially important for people who think 7 ph is good for organic. There's a difference between good enough and good.
  
  
• Mycorrhizal Fungi Inhibition:
  Excessive phosphorus from bone meal can hinder the beneficial mycorrhizal fungi that help plants absorb water and nutrients from the soil.

Thanks for the info! I will definitely find more alternatives as I get more experience. This is my first grow ever, and I tried to Google as much as possible before starting. I ph my water and try to keep it at about a 6.5, so I haven't had any issues I know of, but I am interested in how different nutes affect the plants growth and final yield.

 

[Eledin]

I added another note mentioning the use of masks or a piece of cloth to cover your mouth and nose. Inhaling those dusts can give you health problems real quick, specially bone meal if it comes from old animals and perlite dust. They will do fine, I dont think anything I said will be a problem but its good info to know. 6,5 or slightly less is what I aim for during veg and then 6,5 for flower, you did your research well. While 7 is acceptable for organic because microorganisms poop the nutrients in an available form for the plants, a lower ph in many cases facilitates the intake of nutrients and when youre looking to optimize all parameters everything counts.

 

[NexusLH]

I added another note mentioning the use of masks or a piece of cloth to cover your mouth and nose. Inhaling those dusts can give you health problems real quick, specially bone meal if it comes from old animals and perlite dust. They will do fine, I dont think anything I said will be a problem but its good info to know. 6,5 or slightly less is what I aim for during veg and then 6,5 for flower, you did your research well. While 7 is acceptable for organic because microorganisms poop the nutrients in an available form for the plants, a lower ph in many cases facilitates the intake of nutrients and when youre looking to optimize all parameters everything counts.

Thank you! I had no idea the littlest things had such a big impact!

 

[NexusLH]

Any Tips on LST?

 

[Eledin]

They can have an effect or none at all. Its like an equalizer, when you want to move a parameter up, you need to move the rest accordingly or you wont see any difference and you can also cause problems. The most basic example would be pushing light intensity without pushing nutrients enough. First, you need to know if your plant can handle that much light, if it can then you need to feed her more otherwise it will get hungry.

 

[Eledin]

Any Tips on LST?

I dont do a a lot of LST hopefully someone will chime in for that. But what I can tell you is that whenever you do something, be LST or defoliaton or lollipoping, do it the same day and dont touch them again for 1 or 2 weeks. One common mistake when puting your plant under stress is to do it over several days instead of one. That can stunt them and if in flower the stress could cause them to herm.

 

[NexusLH]

I dont do a a lot of LST hopefully someone will chime in for that. But what I can tell you is that whenever you do something, be LST or defoliaton or lollipoping, do it the same day and dont touch them again for 1 or 2 weeks. One common mistake when puting your plant under stress is to do it over several days instead of one. That can stunt them and if in flower the stress could cause them to herm.

Good to know. Thanks! I'm definitely not touching them for another 2-3 weeks. these pics are taken 3 weeks into veg, and that's when I topped and defoliated, so now I'm just gonna sit back and watch them grow!

 

[Eledin]

How tall is your tent? When I top them I always wait for 6 nodes because my tent is 6 feet tall and it can handle it but I also use a net to bend the top stems so all the lowers and uppers are more or less on the same level, to avoid unmature buds and popcorn buds (which I still have to remove a few of).

 

[Eledin]

If you use a net Im pretty sure you can wait for more nodes before toping and then you use the net so they dont get too tall. That will give you way better yields.

 

[NexusLH]

How tall is your tent? When I top them I always wait for 6 nodes because my tent is 6 feet tall and it can handle it but I also use a net to bend the top stems so all the lowers and uppers are more or less on the same level, to avoid unmature buds and popcorn buds (which I still have to remove a few of).

My tent is only 4 1/2 feet tall, but I lose about 1/2-1'' with lights and exhaust fan

 

[NexusLH]

I do have a net trellis as well, and I added just not in the picture (for aesthetic reasons)

 

[TannedViking]

I have no clue on super soil, gonna look it up to see how well it works and maybe try myself.

Now the LST part, for as far as I can see the cotys and the first 2 sets of leaves and node are gone, correct? So you have the 1 and 2 gone, 3, 4 and 5 are there.
A quick rule to not breaking your lady is wait 'till she can just about touch the side of your pot with the apex.

Usually an easy lst to make a spider would be to top from node 5 or 6 back to 3 so you have 4 branches, shaped like a +. From there you can choose to mainline or let het grow back up again, only pulling down a branch when it's taller than the others so everything is on the same spectrum when receiving light. All you are doing is allowing a lower branch to became a new main branch, so pick wisely! A stem will grow to support the weight naturally but in flower a hard branch can break when too heavy.

There's the less intense lst you'd use for autos. Just bent about 90 degrees, exposing the lowest nodes and then bending the apex and the lowest branch into a Y shape, much like a bonsai. Try to keep the apex at the same height as the new branch until they grow about the same in size and height.

You could monstercrop, but with limited space that can be dangerous.

I messed up mine a bit and then decided to improvise. Possibilities are endless if you know how to predict growth.

Here an example of getting that + shape

And one shaped as a Y (that i messed up a bit)

 

[NexusLH]

Now the LST part, for as far as I can see the cotys and the first 2 sets of leaves and node are gone, correct? So you have the 1 and 2 gone, 3, 4 and 5 are there.

Correct. I am very new to this so I have no idea what I am doing so most of it is trial and error

 

[TannedViking]

Correct. I am very new to this so I have no idea what I am doing so most of it is trial and error

That's half the fun :p since she's pretty high up already you can see if she would take to the spider shape, but my safer guess would be bend a bit and let it go. You can always top the new branch later.

 

[Illbill]

I have been running Subcools super soil for a few runs. The thing that holds me back on the super soil is the pot size. I’m not trying to spend 50-75 on soil after I already made super soil (which was expensive). I use 5 gallon pots and it gets me through 6 weeks of veg and the first 3 of flower. I usually feed for about the last 5 weeks. I veged a little less this time and I left room in the top of the pot to top dress at week 2 of flower with more super soil. Super soil is for people searching for quality over quantity. Ro water with leds kind of throws a wrench into things too. I have better results with bubbled tap water.

 

[NexusLH]

That's half the fun :p since she's pretty high up already you can see if she would take to the spider shape, but my safer guess would be bend a bit and let it go. You can always top the new branch later.

Like bend the main stem 90 degrees?

 

[TannedViking]

Like bend the main stem 90 degrees?

Since you topped, the 90degrees could cause weight problems.

Imagine doing this, the 2 tops growing on 1 side, growing in a bend and then straight up would most likely require supports later on.

Example you should probably not try to this extend:

If you bent her just a little less, enough for a lower node to get a full blast of light, you're fine. About 45degrees already does a lot and is a safer bet. The idea now would be to get the bend a bit lower so the stem itself can grow upward again, followed by the 2 tops which would grow upright without a bend. With 90degrees only the apex grows upward, leaving the rest bend.

It's quite hard to explain, hope it makes sense.

 

[NexusLH]

Since you topped, the 90degrees could cause weight problems.

Imagine doing this, the 2 tops growing on 1 side, growing in a bend and then straight up would most likely require supports later on.

Example you should probably not try to this extend:
View attachment 2463187

If you bent her just a little less, enough for a lower node to get a full blast of light, you're fine. About 45degrees already does a lot and is a safer bet. The idea now would be to get the bend a bit lower so the stem itself can grow upward again, followed by the 2 tops which would grow upright without a bend. With 90degrees only the apex grows upward, leaving the rest bend.

It's quite hard to explain, hope it makes sense

I get what you're saying. Thanks for chiming!