FFOF vs cheap peat based soils

[JadedMarxist]

Seems they (greenworld) has a supply store just 30min drive from me I wonder if there open still?

 

[JadedMarxist]

So how many pots that fill if your using 3.5gal pot? 2 bsgs at 1.5cuic feet is still crazy expensive.

 

[JadedMarxist]

Hey pipe carver I'm not sure of the mixture or anything but why not get a cubic yard from someone like compact sod delivered to you for 99$ just a thought, no one would be the wiser, triple mix top soil.

 

[Newber]

FREEDOM GALLONS!!

 

[Kanzeon]

 

[Glassdub]

No country has done great with flu. Now they want to open schools to infect children. Is that not child abuse?

I know in the 80a every parent puprosfulky infected there children with chickenpox because you can only get it once but they were wrong.

That's in Canada lol

Some are just worse than others, point lost for freedom.

 

[Glassdub]

The best fertilizer is the footsteps of the farmer

Wouldn't that be herbicide?

 

[atskippy3]

I use ProMix HP and make my own Super Soil:
BASE INGREDIENTS
30% ProMix HP
15% Sea Compost
15% Earthworm Castings
30% Pearlite

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
a. Gaia Green 2.8.4 and/or 4.4.4 (depending on whether I'm growing Autos and/or Photos).
b. Wallace Organic Wonder Premium Mycorrhizae Inoculant or MYKE Mycorrhizae Inoculant (depending on what is available).
c. Diatomaceous Earth, if I'm feeling a little "frisky"!!

Mix all the ingredients together well. Add water until the soil is moist, NOT wet. Place in bins with lids and let "cook" outside in the sun for 30 to 45 days. I open the bins once a week and mix the soil, adding water if necessary. The beneficial fungi that grows on top of the soil is mixed back into the soil when you do your weekly mix.

After that, the Super Soil is added to the bottom 1/3's of my final pots, with the top 2/3's being only ProMix HP. Sometimes I add a little bit of the Earthworm Castings to the ProMix HP in the top 2/3's.

I top-dress withe Gaia Green as necessary, based on what my plants are "telling" me by their colour, growth rate, etc. Otherwise it's just tap water until harvest. I don't adjust the pH because the Super Soil will "adjust" the water up or down for me.
Let the "living" soil do the "work" for you, rather than you doing all the work! Also, there is no need for the final "flush", because no salts have been added. It's 100% organic!

I use the Super Soil that I always have left over and mixing it into the new batch for the next grow, and so on. I have Super Soil that is partly Super Soil from 5 or 6 grows before!

Any unused Super Soil remains in the bins. I check on it a few times during the year. It costs more up front, but it evens out over the years. I grow for a Non-Profit Co-Op of 10 "shareholders", so that spreads out the cost of the Super Soil and the seeds.

Nothing wrong with FFarm soil, (I used it at the beginning) but I would rather make my own. After all, that is part of the joy of gardening!

Beneficial fungi growing in the bins

Super Soil "cooking"

Test run of my new T5 lighting system. I use ProMix Premium Seed Starting mix for my seedlings BEFORE I transfer them to their final Super Soil pots. The seeds are started in Jiffy Pucks with a humidity dome.

 

[PipeCarver]

I use ProMix HP and make my own Super Soil:
BASE INGREDIENTS
30% ProMix HP
15% Sea Compost
15% Earthworm Castings
30% Pearlite

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
a. Gaia Green 2.8.4 and/or 4.4.4 (depending on whether I'm growing Autos and/or Photos).
b. Wallace Organic Wonder Premium Mycorrhizae Inoculant or MYKE Mycorrhizae Inoculant (depending on what is available).
c. Diatomaceous Earth, if I'm feeling a little "frisky"!!

Mix all the ingredients together well. Add water until the soil is moist, NOT wet. Place in bins with lids and let "cook" outside in the sun for 30 to 45 days. I open the bins once a week and mix the soil, adding water if necessary. The beneficial fungi that grows on top of the soil is mixed back into the soil when you do your weekly mix.

After that, the Super Soil is added to the bottom 1/3's of my final pots, with the top 2/3's being only ProMix HP. Sometimes I add a little bit of the Earthworm Castings to the ProMix HP in the top 2/3's.

I top-dress withe Gaia Green as necessary, based on what my plants are "telling" me by their colour, growth rate, etc. Otherwise it's just tap water until harvest. I don't adjust the pH because the Super Soil will "adjust" the water up or down for me.
Let the "living" soil do the "work" for you, rather than you doing all the work! Also, there is no need for the final "flush", because no salts have been added. It's 100% organic!

I use the Super Soil that I always have left over and mixing it into the new batch for the next grow, and so on. I have Super Soil that is partly Super Soil from 5 or 6 grows before!

Any unused Super Soil remains in the bins. I check on it a few times during the year. It costs more up front, but it evens out over the years. I grow for a Non-Profit Co-Op of 10 "shareholders", so that spreads out the cost of the Super Soil and the seeds.

Nothing wrong with FFarm soil, (I used it at the beginning) but I would rather make my own. After all, that is part of the joy of gardening!

Beneficial fungi growing in the bins
View attachment 964367
View attachment 964372

Super Soil "cooking"View attachment 964369

Test run of my new T5 lighting system. I use ProMix Premium Seed Starting mix for my seedlings BEFORE I transfer them to their final Super Soil pots. The seeds are started in Jiffy Pucks with a humidity dome.
View attachment 964369View attachment 964370

They look good, do you grow in doors at all? I'd love to be in a warm enough climate to grow outside successfully. Check out Greenworld VPW30 it has 30% perlite already in it. A bit cheaper than Promix and I like it better for buffering ph.

 

[atskippy3]

They look good, do you grow in doors at all? I'd love to be in a warm enough climate to grow outside successfully. Check out Greenworld VPW30 it has 30% perlite already in it. A bit cheaper than Promix and I like it better for buffering ph.

I grow outdoors only. I like my plants big!! More product for my "shareholders"!! This year I will be growing 10 plants. I will definitely check out the Greenwood. Thanks for the info. I might start growing indoor soon!

I live in Eastern Ontario, Canada my season is short, but I start indoors and the move outdoors in May. I pick seeds that are very quick flowering and resistant to mold. Auto and Photo plants.

Current crop in Jiffy Dome day 1 yesterday with heating mat (layer of cardboard on top of mat to help spread out the heat for "hot" spots, and decrease chance of "cooking" the Jiffy pucks). I will start venting after the first day to stabilize the humidity in the dome, and keep the condensation under control so that no mildew starts to grow.

 

[PipeCarver]

I grow outdoors only. I like my plants big!! More product for my "shareholders"!! This year I will be growing 10 plants. I will definitely check out the Greenwood. Thanks for the info. I might start growing indoor soon!

I live in Eastern Ontario, Canada my season is short, but I start indoors and the move outdoors in May. I pick seeds that are very quick flowering and resistant to mold. Auto and Photo plants.

Current crop in Jiffy Dome day 1 yesterday with heating mat (layer of cardboard on top of mat to help spread out the heat for "hot" spots, and decrease chance of "cooking" the Jiffy pucks). I will start venting after the first day to stabilize the humidity in the dome, and keep the condensation under control so that no mildew starts to grow.
View attachment 964382

I'm down in Nova Scotia and our fall season is just too damp & cold to finish them. I had a couple of crops lost due to bud rot and I'm not investing my time and hopes on a failed crop any more.
I've been growing indoors since around 2000 but without help. I muddled along with as many failures as successes. I've been here for about a year and from what I've learned here my failures have disappeared and I'm growing much better. Lots of help here with a lot of very knowledgeable folks to assist.

 

[PipeCarver]

I use ProMix HP and make my own Super Soil:
BASE INGREDIENTS
30% ProMix HP
15% Sea Compost
15% Earthworm Castings
30% Pearlite

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
a. Gaia Green 2.8.4 and/or 4.4.4 (depending on whether I'm growing Autos and/or Photos).
b. Wallace Organic Wonder Premium Mycorrhizae Inoculant or MYKE Mycorrhizae Inoculant (depending on what is available).
c. Diatomaceous Earth, if I'm feeling a little "frisky"!!

Mix all the ingredients together well. Add water until the soil is moist, NOT wet. Place in bins with lids and let "cook" outside in the sun for 30 to 45 days. I open the bins once a week and mix the soil, adding water if necessary. The beneficial fungi that grows on top of the soil is mixed back into the soil when you do your weekly mix.

After that, the Super Soil is added to the bottom 1/3's of my final pots, with the top 2/3's being only ProMix HP. Sometimes I add a little bit of the Earthworm Castings to the ProMix HP in the top 2/3's.

I top-dress withe Gaia Green as necessary, based on what my plants are "telling" me by their colour, growth rate, etc. Otherwise it's just tap water until harvest. I don't adjust the pH because the Super Soil will "adjust" the water up or down for me.
Let the "living" soil do the "work" for you, rather than you doing all the work! Also, there is no need for the final "flush", because no salts have been added. It's 100% organic!

I use the Super Soil that I always have left over and mixing it into the new batch for the next grow, and so on. I have Super Soil that is partly Super Soil from 5 or 6 grows before!

Any unused Super Soil remains in the bins. I check on it a few times during the year. It costs more up front, but it evens out over the years. I grow for a Non-Profit Co-Op of 10 "shareholders", so that spreads out the cost of the Super Soil and the seeds.

Nothing wrong with FFarm soil, (I used it at the beginning) but I would rather make my own. After all, that is part of the joy of gardening!

Beneficial fungi growing in the bins
View attachment 964367
View attachment 964372

Super Soil "cooking"
View attachment 964368

Test run of my new T5 lighting system. I use ProMix Premium Seed Starting mix for my seedlings BEFORE I transfer them to their final Super Soil pots. The seeds are started in Jiffy Pucks with a humidity dome.
View attachment 964369
View attachment 964370
View attachment 964375
View attachment 964377
View attachment 964380

Nice clean setup I like that. I'm not big on the peat pods though. I have no successes with them, I'm better off just sticking the cuttings in a solo cup of my dirt. I find I fk up the peat pods by letting them dry out too fast. You look like you have that covered though. Nice work.

 

[atskippy3]

Nice clean setup I like that. I'm not big on the peat pods though. I have no successes with them, I'm better off just sticking the cuttings in a solo cup of my dirt. I find I fk up the peat pods by letting them dry out too fast. You look like you have that covered though. Nice work.

Thanks . . . The key too the pods are:
1. Use the dome for the first few days and use a heating mat if necessary. If you use the dome as instructed you don't have to water for two or three days. The humidity and condensation inside the dome keeps the pods moist.

2. As soon as the first seedling pops, start venting the dome and remove when they have all popped.

3. Check the pods twice daily and mist as necessary to keep the pods moist, not dripping wet (I bottom water if I have quite a few trays). I set a schedule on my phone too remind me to check the pods, so I never miss a watering.

4. Involve a significant other if possible. I call my wife sometimes when I'm not at home to mist the pods. This way I never miss a watering.

5. As soon as possible transplant the plants into your next size pot.

 

[PipeCarver]

Thanks . . . The key too the pods are:
1. Use the dome for the first few days and use a heating mat if necessary. If you use the dome as instructed you don't have to water for two or three days. The humidity and condensation inside the dome keeps the pods moist.

2. As soon as the first seedling pops, start venting the dome and remove when they have all popped.

3. Check the pods twice daily and mist as necessary to keep the pods moist, not dripping wet (I bottom water if I have quite a few trays). I set a schedule on my phone too remind me to check the pods, so I never miss a watering.

4. Involve a significant other if possible. I call my wife sometimes when I'm not at home to mist the pods. This way I never miss a watering.

5. As soon as possible transplant the plants into your next size pot.

I'm still learning how my grow box functions best. I had the t5 lights directly over my cuttings and fried some good so I turned the light sideways in the box and now everything gets indirect light and the box is working well now. I'm still trying to dial in the ventilation to whats best, I have my exhaust fan on now 30 seconds every 20 min and that seems to be where its going to stay.

 

[atskippy3]

I'm still learning how my grow box functions best. I had the t5 lights directly over my cuttings and fried some good so I turned the light sideways in the box and now everything gets indirect light and the box is working well now. I'm still trying to dial in the ventilation to whats best, I have my exhaust fan on now 30 seconds every 20 min and that seems to be where its going to stay.View attachment 964425View attachment 964426

Looks great!!! Good luck with your grow this year!

 

[PipeCarver]

Looks great!!! Good luck with your grow this year!

Ya you too, I looked at your posted pics and you can't argue with success, I'd like to be able to do that here.

Hey pipe carver I'm not sure of the mixture or anything but why not get a cubic yard from someone like compact sod delivered to you for 99$ just a thought, no one would be the wiser, triple mix top soil.

Hard to get it all in my basement and top soil is too dense and heavy. I'd need more additives than its worth. I like a light and fluffy medium dirt just doesn't cut it (indoors).

 

[JadedMarxist]

Lol I was thinking of getting some topsoil for my raised gardens I think I'm just use tried tested and tru promix

 

[PipeCarver]

Lol I was thinking of getting some topsoil for my raised gardens I think I'm just use tried tested and tru promix

I bought a yard of top soil last year for our planters and the shit is too heavy, it need mixing with something to give it more aeration. I plant on a bag of the VPW30 to mix in it and see if that helps our tomato's, cucumbers & peppers this year. I'm no out door farmer I do much better indoors.

 

[Glassdub]

I bought a yard of top soil last year for our planters and the shit is too heavy, it need mixing with something to give it more aeration. I plant on a bag of the VPW30 to mix in it and see if that helps our tomato's, cucumbers & peppers this year. I'm no out door farmer I do much better indoors.

Filled this bed with nursery soil 3 years ago, thought it was dead when I got (no worms or life of any kind of bugs), PITA getting from my drive into the bed but it ended up being really fertile, plenty of worms now.

 

[CFC7143]