homemade soil

[LexLuthor]

Hey Farmers, wasn't sure where to post this thread considering you can use soil indoors and outdoors, but since I'm making it outside I posted it here :). I'm gonna make my own potting soil tommorrow and need some input. I'm not making my compost this round because I don't have the time right now (it takes well over a month to make), I am going to buy everything at Lowes because I also don't have time to run to the hydro shop (35 min drive) Lowes is a 5 minute drive. Ok, these are the ingrediants.

10 gallons of compost w/ cow manure and sphagnum peat moss 50/50 ratio

5 gallons of perlite

1 1/2 cups bone meal 6-9-0

1 cup blood meal 12-0-0

2 cups organic fertilizer 2-7-4 This also contains some beneficial microbes (small amount)

1/4 cup epsom salt

1/4 cup garden lime

I'll most likely add a liquid potassium (K) nutrient midway through flower since the fertilizers I am using are low in K (there are not many choices at Lowes).

So thats my potting soil :D After every round I am goin to tweak and/or change my formula based on performance. If anybody has any experiance with this then please give me some tips. I am new to making soil so I could use all the help I can get. I accept any and all constructive critisism and if I am fucking up somewhere please let me know. Thanx to all in advance for any input.

 

[Mogrow]

nice sounding mix lex.
my only concern would be the "N".
with the compost/manure/blood meal/organic fertilizer, it could be a little hott.
let it sit a bit before use and you'll be growing bushes..

 

[green punk]

Consider more lime. Also worm castings if you have access. Good luck

 

[caregiverken]

yeah I would go easy on the store bought cow manure...that stuff is probably way hot like mogrow said.

I like Lowes cause they sell my favorite soil

:)
it has worm castins bat gauno chicken shit...and other good stuff..5 bucks
check it out when you go to lowes

 

[LexLuthor]

nice sounding mix lex.
my only concern would be the "N".
with the compost/manure/blood meal/organic fertilizer, it could be a little hott.
let it sit a bit before use and you'll be growing bushes..

I know, I didn't wanna use so much N, but with the limited selection of organic fertilizers at Lowes I believe this was my best choice. Next month I'm gonna head down to the hydro shop and get some kelp meal and high phosphorus bat guano, that way I can have P and K without adding so much extra N. Thanx alot for your input, I'll definately let it sit so it can "cool down". I'm sure I'll get decent size plants from that mixture.

 

[LexLuthor]

Consider more lime. Also worm castings if you have access. Good luck

I really wanted them, but I can only get worm castings at the hydro shop and I can't make it there til next month.

How much more lime do you think, double, triple?? Thanx

 

[dextr0]

Keep It Simple Seaweed Powder
Price $13.99/lb.
NOTE: I can fit up to 3lbs. of SP-85, SP-90 or Seaweed in a flat rate envelope for $5.80 in shipping

Thats what I use.

 

[LexLuthor]

yeah I would go easy on the store bought cow manure...that stuff is probably way hot like mogrow said.

I like Lowes cause they sell my favorite soilView attachment 219147:)
it has worm castins bat gauno chicken shit...and other good stuff..5 bucks
check it out when you go to lowes

It's not pure cow manure, it's compost with a little cow manure added. Basically the N-P-K is very low. I forgot the exact ratio but it's not hot at all, I think it's the other shit I'm adding that will make it N hot.

That specific soil you posted is not available at my local Lowes. I already seen you post that on other threads so I looked for it the past couple days, it's not there :(. I think my recipe will work ok for now, it might work great. I 'll find out once I use it on my 3 week old plant (from seed). Thanx ken for the tips.

 

[LexLuthor]

Keep It Simple Seaweed Powder
Price $13.99/lb.
NOTE: I can fit up to 3lbs. of SP-85, SP-90 or Seaweed in a flat rate envelope for $5.80 in shipping

Thats what I use.

Thanx for the offer but I am going to my local hydro shop next month to buy some kelp meal, which is basically the same thing as seaweed powder. Thanx anyways bro

 

[dextr0]

Thanx for the offer but I am going to my local hydro shop next month to buy some kelp meal, which is basically the same thing as seaweed powder. Thanx anyways bro

Just a suggestion; cheap and very concentrated.

The meal is more of a slow release.

fwiw

 

[caregiverken]

Keep It Simple Seaweed Powder
Price $13.99/lb.
NOTE: I can fit up to 3lbs. of SP-85, SP-90 or Seaweed in a flat rate envelope for $5.80 in shipping

Thats what I use.

I use that too... great stuff!

 

[LexLuthor]

Just a suggestion; cheap and very concentrated.

The meal is more of a slow release.

fwiw

I think the kelp meal would be better for soil, so it releases nutes over the growth of the plant. The seaweed powder would be better as a liquid nute applied weekly (or whenever). Thats just my opinion, do you think thats about right??

 

[LexLuthor]

Alright ya'll, I'm heading out to Lowes now, I'll let ya'll know how it turns out in a few hours.

 

[LexLuthor]

Change of plans, just got back from Lowes. I got potting soil instead of the compost w/ manure because it is actually mostly manure, so I was gonna have to mix in some peat humus with it but they were sold out of the humus. Therefore I had to get the potting soil, I'm still going with the same recipe I just won't add as much sphagnum peat moss so it'll look more like this.

5 gallons potting soil

3 gallons perlite

1 cup bone meal

1/2 cup blood meal

1 cup organic fertilizer

2 tbsp. epsom salt

1/4 cup garden lime

 

[LexLuthor]

Next run I'll make my own potting soil by mixing peat humus, sphagnum peat moss, cow manure & compost, perlite, worm castings, bone meal, blood meal, kelp meal, or something like that, I'll figure out the exact ratio when the time comes. Thanx to all who viewed and/or replied on this thread, it's raining outside now so when it stops I'll mix my soil and let ya'll know how it turns out :D peace

 

[Chobble]

Looks good. I would definately use composted manure and a bit of fresher stuff. Other then that it looks good. Put the soil in the ground about two weeks prior to planting.

Chobble

 

[tattoojim]

hey lex...do you have a normal garden shop/green house around you??
a local garden shop will sometimes have alot of trace elements...
i found at a local...rock phosephate, high calcium lime stone, gypsum, kelp meal, alfalfa meal, potash, magnisium sulfate, and a few other goodies....and most likely thet have a house mix that makes a killer base for a super siol

 

[Dunge]

Isn't the lime there to buffer against the soil going too acid?
My soil does not seem to turn acidic, so I have never added lime or dolomite.
Required Ca & Mg must presumably be present in sufficient measure.

Another bit I picked up here on the farm is the assertion that perlite essentially simply takes up space.
paraphrase: "The addition of 10% perlite is equivalent to reducing pot size by 10%."
Anybody care to speak to this.
I have stopped adding perlite and notice no difference.

I am resisting the temptation to throwing more elements into the soil without a reason.
Simple super soil and alfalfa / microbial tea is working for me start to finish, so I'm sticking with it.

 

[green punk]

Perlite loosens the mix making it lighter and more oxygen (promoting more root growth and more feeding) can get to the root zone.
The lime is to buffer acidity. Organics tend to get more acidic with a little time especially if you're also feeding organic liquid nutes.

Lex, I did some math for the blend I make, I tend to add 1 cup microna garden lime per 2.5 cuft. About a 1/4 per 6 gallons. So your right in there. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[LexLuthor]

It didn't turn out good, luckily I made an earlier batch 2 weeks ago for my 2 outdoor plants, about 15 gallons worth. So I already transplanted my indoor plant into a 5 gallon bucket using the old soil I made earlier :).

The reason it didn't turn out good IMO is because I used very cheap potting soil this time. I think it had way too much clay in it, or something and it just wouldn't drain. Next month I gotta get to the hydro shop and get some worm castings and kelp meal, also next month when I make a new batch I'm definately going to buy the high quality potting soil, fuck the cheap shit, didn't matter how much perlite or peat moss I added it just would not drain and turned to mud, but my earlier batch when I used the "better" potting soil it drains perfect.