Perception
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I'd love to see @Blaze 's take on this, but I'd be willing to bet that your 'too high' levels of OM are perfect for cannabis. It looks like a pretty good mix based on the graphs/numbers, but I'm definitely no expert in this arena.Here is the soil test on the above mix if you are interested in checking it out. Keep in mind this was tested right after being mixed. Will test again a few times.
It is *really* difficult to overdo the SOM in soil mixes for cannabis. When I say SOM I mean soluble organic matter, which is the plant and animal residues decomposing in the soil and the humic content of the soil. For example if your mix is 50% compost, that does not mean it is 50% SOM - the compost is just organic matter, not SOM.
Most soils contain 1%-6% SOM, which is very low for cannabis. My outdoor raised beds usually test around 20%, which is actually rather low, and I add amendments every year to boost it. Potting mixes like Black Gold are often up around 30%-40%. I bought a truck transfer of soil from a local company this year to fill some smart pots which tested at 60% SOM. The plants we grew in it exploded and grew very fast and I will be ordering another transfer of it this week fpr my new greenhouse actually. So 50% SOM like that soil test that was posted showed is great in my opinion, the plants should love it.
As for core ingredients I like different sizes of lava rock for structure as well as rice hulls. Don't overlook soil structure and the physical properties, they are critical! Bio char is also a great amendment if you are planning on reusing the soil as it has a ton of benefits and takes hundreds if not thousands of years to break down so you only have to add it once. Good compost is also very important, and one of our major components in all mixes is composted dairy cow manure. The dairy cow manure is very mellow and is a great way to increase your SOM without throwing your soil out of balance. Having compost from both plant and animal sources helps create balanced healthy soil - don't go vegan with your soil, there is no point and it will *not* produce better results!
Amendments I don't like - perlite, peat moss, and I don't use coco except for potting mixes. Perlite tends to float to the surface and adds nothing to the soil - unlike rice hulls and rocks. Peat moss is not sustainable and has no advantage over other alternatives in my opinion. Coco can also separate over time so I don't use it in soil mixes that will be reused.
Worm castings are great but a waste of money to use as the bulk of your soil mix. All the micronutrients and SOM they contain can be provided by other amendments for a fraction of the cost. The biggest benefits with worm castings is the soil biology - not the actual nutrient content, which is quite low. My preference is to scratch it into the soil surface after planting, using it to dust my roots balls when I transplant along with some Mykos, and making aerated compost tea with it. This way you get all the benefits of the castings, while using a much smaller amount.
Not exactly sure what they means by the (A) but 37.3 is high, which is great. I've usually seen ranges from 20-70 on by tests, and just like the SOM, the higher CEC mixes grow better plants. Sand will not increase the CEC value. High SOM correlates with high CEC. Clay soil particles also add to your CEC value.@Blaze - What is your take on the CEC from this test? Is 37.3 low or high? The (A) threw me a little off as well. Would sand increase this number?
I have never tried no till indoors, just with outdoor and greenhouse/light dep. I would use a good quality potting soil as my base if I were to try it though. Black Gold has always been my main stand by, it was the original base for my no-till light dep this year. Ive always used a good but mellow soil or potting mix as my base and then amended it accordingly.@Blaze what would you recommend as the base substrate for building a soil for no-till indoor gardening?
Well I guess I better ditch the compost, manure and teas and just pour on the Gro More from now on if that is the case. The source and form of your NPK makes a huge difference for your soil and for your plants. So no, NPK is absolutely not all the same, that is an absurd statement.Guess what NPK is NPK
People have to get away from the i need to add all these things First off ?? get your soil tested which many people are to dam cheap to get done but rather spend 100's of dollars blindly adding the next biggest thing we here on forums .
If there is no organic matter left in soil then whats the micro life really doing other then dieing off
Again ask your self why is that Seriously
All i have ever done was collect all my greens egg shells , coffee grinds , greens . grass clippings and also plant clippings
I purchase a yard of top soil sterilize it to rid any seed and unwanted bacteria Yearly
i then add a layer of top soil then i start the process of throwing scraps and what have you , i then charge the compost bin with a one time tea application from there its nature at its finest slowly adding top soil and greens stirring weekly within 2 weeks i add my worms then look the hell out.
By fall its done and ready for next seasons plants and trust me 7 months later with only rain water the plants are still lush green
I do not think any recipe is better then that ,, Cause it was litterally FREE
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