Clackamascoots Soil Mix From Rare Earth In Grass Valley

[Bulldog11]

Pretty sure you are looking at the last test post. That is for the oly mtn compost that is in the build a soil mix.

p.s. I recall reading that furrywall on eye cee mag posted up some test results of the south fork cootz mix from rare earth that did not test out as good as your batch. Maybe got a bad batch??

Yup, my internet is super slow, and bounces around when it loads. Skipped reports on me it it appears.

As to Furrywall's test, Jami did tell me at the time my numbers tested the best she had done as of yet. This was back in Feb-March last year when the mix was made.

 

[Bulldog11]

One extra thing I do with the soil, that may help, is I mix it up several times extra. I asked Jami if I could pay extra for better mixing, and she said they already do a slow and thorough mix incorporated in the charge. So in theory, it should be mixed well already.

However I can't get soil trucks on my property, so I have to dump my soil delivery up the street. (half mile) Then into my truck a yard and half at a time. Then into a wheel barrow one at a time. Then one wheel barrow into each pot, then move to the next pot. Not topping off until the next truck load of soil. Plus as I do all this if I see a clump or cluster, I break it up and mix it in.

Then when I take my soil tests, I take a scoop from every pot I fill, and put it in a 5 gal bucket. Then mix the 5 gal as I fill it.

Also, @leadsled did the lava rock get taken out of the soil tests done over at Eye See Mag? Jami told me that is how Michael Astrea and her are doing it. Not sure how that might effect things, other than higher levels of silica and sulfur. They crush those rocks before the test is done at Logan, so I can see why you wouldn't want that in your soil tests. As an un-crushed aeration amendment I don't think it would effect your soil ratios.

 

[leadsled]

One extra thing I do with the soil, that may help, is I mix it up several times extra. I asked Jami if I could pay extra for better mixing, and she said they already do a slow and thorough mix incorporated in the charge. So in theory, it should be mixed well already.

However I can't get soil trucks on my property, so I have to dump my soil delivery up the street. (half mile) Then into my truck a yard and half at a time. Then into a wheel barrow one at a time. Then one wheel barrow into each pot, then move to the next pot. Not topping off until the next truck load of soil. Plus as I do all this if I see a clump or cluster, I break it up and mix it in.

Then when I take my soil tests, I take a scoop from every pot I fill, and put it in a 5 gal bucket. Then mix the 5 gal as I fill it.

Also, @leadsled did the lava rock get taken out of the soil tests done over at Eye See Mag? Jami told me that is how Michael Astrea and her are doing it. Not sure how that might effect things, other than higher levels of silica and sulfur. They crush those rocks before the test is done at Logan, so I can see why you wouldn't want that in your soil tests. As an un-crushed aeration amendment I don't think it would effect your soil ratios.

Sounds like you are familiar with physical labor of large amounts of soil. :) Respect.
I do a similar thing. I also try to make sure it mixed well. I mix up an half yard a time. Then take from each half yard pile, then remix while adding to each bed or container. Did two lab tests to compare how even I mixed the amendments. Worked really well.

Re: aslo
I am not sure about the lava rock. I used growstone / rice hulls / pumic for aeration.
I test the soil base of compost amendments and peat, top soil etc, weight a gallon bucket worth, amend, then add aeration for that same reason.

 

[fishwhistle]

The best way ive ever seen someone mix soil in large commercial volume was when G.O.D. was selling soil,he mixed it in a 10 yard concrete mixer truck.

Not sure why all the soil yards dont use something along these lines.The archimedes screw can mix thoroughly in minutes what a couple guys on skiploaders would take days doing and it still wouldnt be mixed as well.

 

[kuz]

The best way ive ever seen someone mix soil in large commercial volume was when G.O.D. was selling soil,he mixed it in a 10 yard concrete mixer truck.

Not sure why all the soil yards dont use something along these lines.The archimedes screw can mix thoroughly in minutes what a couple guys on skiploaders would take days doing and it still wouldnt be mixed as well.

I got to keep an eye out for one of those. lol.

 

[Bulldog11]

 

[fishwhistle]

View attachment 554834

Grizzly screening plant,not made to mix at all just screen to size.

 

[ubi]

i got one of these for mixing

the 6cuft version.

 

[Patanjali]

$350-400 per cu yrd is not expensive imo. Like some said, this soil will get used over and over with little to no additional inputs. I used the same soil for over a year. I used a few teas, top dressed some ewc a few dry amendments. The only bottles I use are potassium silica, molasses, and karanja oil. After the initial soil, the continuing costs can be very minimal. In addition, I find the notill style of gardening requires less work then remixing (or refilling) pots every round. So I kind of figure that in with the cost of the soil. If it were me, I would spend a little more, rather than a little less, on the compost/ewc/humic part of the soil.

The last time I looked, BAS's "Coot mix" was not exactly the same as Coot's "Coot's Mix". Minerals, oyster shell, and a few other things were slightly different. This may be where some of the differences came into play (in addition to the humic components).

There are 100 ways to skin a cat, but I find the notill/rols method to be very easy and effective.

hth,

P-

PS. I've talked with the jamokes at Buffaloam. Stay away from that over priced crap. They ain't out in a field collecting piles of buffalo poo, do the math.

 

[Bulldog11]

I agree @Patanjali . I am about to order up some more soil from Grass Valley. I was talking to a person involved in making the coots mix for Rare Earth, and he was telling me a cheaper version of the Coots mix is in the making. A mix that has it's base components put together, weighed, then tested, then amended. I haven't talked to Jami yet, but I plan to call in tomorrow. Maybe 20 yards of the cheaper, 20 yards of the coots.

 

[Patanjali]

I agree @Patanjali . I am about to order up some more soil from Grass Valley. I was talking to a person involved in making the coots mix for Rare Earth, and he was telling me a cheaper version of the Coots mix is in the making. A mix that has it's base components put together, weighed, then tested, then amended. I haven't talked to Jami yet, but I plan to call in tomorrow. Maybe 20 yards of the cheaper, 20 yards of the coots.

In my experience where they tend to skimp is in the quality of the humic material. With that said, I have been using larger beds with lots of composting worms, and over time the worms turn the mediocre thermo compost material into really nice vermicompost. So depending, maybe you do or don't need more expensive humus. However, whenever possible shell out the extra cash for the good stuff.

Food for thought; if you have a living worm population in your soil, would it be better to start out with more thermocompost, knowing the worms are going to work it? I've tried mixes with 100% of the humic source being ewc, and I have to say, I didn't like it as well.

[/stonedrant] :shockedninja:

P-

 

[Bulldog11]

I find any mix with more than 15% EWC can become very heavy and wont drain properly.

 

[kuz]

I find any mix with more than 15% EWC can become very heavy and wont drain properly.

I thought you were using 1/3 compost, 1/3 peat and 1/3 aeration? Thats what I am doing. I found I have to water more in the root maker pots, not sure if its because there are actually more roots or if the holes dry the dirt out faster. The one gallons dry out a lot faster than the plants in a regular pot. ONce I go to 5 gallons they all need to be watered daily, regardless of the type of container. I was using 1/2 sheep and 1/2 worm, but I'm out of the sheep compost. Last batch was 1/3 EWC.

 

[Bulldog11]

I do 15% EWC, and 18% compost.

 

[kuz]

I do 15% EWC, and 18% compost.

I have been using the worm power vermicompost from buildasoil, I guess thats different than castings.

 

[Bulldog11]

True, that has compost and peat bedding not sifted out right? I really like that type of product.

 

[KGB Grower]

Hey everyone, just thought I would add my experience with Coots soil mix here too. My current set up has 20 gallon containers with coots mix in it. I purchase amendments mostly from BAS but source what I can locally. The containers range from 2 cycles to 4 cycles and are doing great. I don't know about the premixed soil but Coots mix definitely works very well.

 

[kuz]

True, that has compost and peat bedding not sifted out right? I really like that type of product.

I think so, I had thought that it was all the same thing. I asked about worm castings in the colorado section and somebody gave me this link.

 

[Patanjali]

I think so, I had thought that it was all the same thing. I asked about worm castings in the colorado section and somebody gave me this link.

I've bought a lot of castings from Jay. He might be a little higher priced than some, but his castings are top notch.

hth,

P-

 

[kuz]

I posted that link to HYO because those pics dont look like anything I seen before. The site explains that they sell castings not vermicompost, and I thought it was the same thing.