I like the idea of using stone in place of perlite for aeration. In my mind, the trace minerals in the rock are going to help, and it adds a little red to my plants' diets. :D
Would you recommend lesser worm castings in lieu of something else? All of my research has lead me to believe that a higher ratio of worm castings has little negative effect, and mostly positive.
After doing some more research, I am not adding the rock phosphate to the mix. It does not seem to be soluble in soil above 5.5 pH, and too much P can be detrimental to the microbe population.
I will definitely pick up some dolomite lime; how much would you say to use for the mix above? I am picking up a soil meter tomorrow, so that will help immensely.
I am growing outside in containers, so I assumed I was to use the fert mix measurement for new containers.. would this not be the case?
So sorry for the many questions..I really do not have many in-person resources around..
If the stone works as aeration then more power to you. I use Pumice and ricehulls but anything is fine. I personally use what is cheapest. Perlite rises in the soil over time so I try to avoid it.
Naw the worm castings are fine. I would use 30% castings for my soil. You nailed it though, castings won’t hurt your plants.
I would mix it in as you suggested following the new container directions. If you add a bunch of other amendments in you should be wary of adding too much good stuff.
So I’m no expert. I’m learning as you are. I have been following the “Coots mix” and so far I really like the results.
Here’s the recipe:
1/3 aeration
1/3 manure
1/3 peat moss
Per Cubic foot add:
1 cup Crustacean Meal
1 cup Kelp Meal
1/2 cup Neem Cake (I use 1 full cup)
1/2 cup Karanja Cake (I can’t find this locally so I skip it and supplement with neem meal)
1 cup Basalt (I add 2 cups)
1 cup Gypsum
1 cup Calcium Carbonate (Ag Lime)
I will also add bokashi, KnF LAB, and mosquito dunks into my soil when mixing it. Bokashi and LAB will break everything down quickly. the dunks kill off gnats before they even have a chance.
some fun things to add:
Bokashi
Malted barley
Em1
Coconut water
Silica (rice hulls break down into silica)
Aloe