Post your Organic Soil Mix

Underthesun · Feb 13, 2016

I may grt my soil tested, but only once, and it will probably be in June. No way to test a mix before its made.

Bulldog11 · Feb 13, 2016

No but there is a process, and testing in the middle of the season is not the process I would follow.

If your only going to get your soil tested once, do it after being mixed. That way, if something needs adjusting, you can do it before your plants are in the soil. Then adjust by how your plants react.

Bulldog11 · Feb 13, 2016

Underthesun said:
But your saying Coots mix calls for compost made with specific ingredients, I don't see that anywhere.

I am not saying that at all. I am saying all soil ever made on Earth varies. From the compost used, to the different kelp inputs. My point is, even when getting coots soil mixed up at the yard, IT WILL ALWAYS VERY. I have tested this personally.

William Albrecht taught the world what base saturation levels should be in different organic soils. Coots mix just happens to be a great representation of William Albrecht's would like to see in a finished soil. However, testing is the best way to keep any soil mix consistent.

So it's not about following a soil recipe IMO, it's about following William Albrecht's teachings.

Underthesun · Feb 13, 2016

Okay. I may get me soil tested before I plant and see how it looks. But you still haven't convinced me of your original comment that my mix won't be anywhere near Coot's mix, since it sounds like the mix is pretty variable and I'm following the directions and there is no mention of 'special' compost, I'll just keep calling it Coot's mix. Thanks for the help, I do enjoy all the info you have.

Bulldog11 · Feb 13, 2016

When making a soil mix your looking for
Calcium 68%
Magnesium 12%
Potassium 4%
Sodium 1.5%
Other Bases 4-5%
Free Hydrogen H+ 10%

How do you have any idea what your compost tests at? How do you have any idea what coots compost tests at? If you don't know the answers to those questions, then how can you assume one is a comparable substitute for the other?

BTW, I am not saying your soil mix wont be better than 90% out there. All I am saying, in a soil tread, I wish people would test their soil so we can actually see what mix is effective, and for what reasons. IMO, this thread would be better with soil tests, than just soil recipes. I am trying to progress the thread into something more scientific.

Underthesun · Feb 13, 2016

Well if I can source this stuff out in the next few weeks, I'll post my test up when its mixed. But like you said, everyones compost will be different, so a soil test with my soil using my compost with the posted recipe, may not even be a help to anyone. I grow because I'm a cheap ass, I like the best weed, and I like the environment, plus its fun. So multiple soil tests, buying compost or getting stuff shipped across the country just doesn't fit what I'm doing and defeats the purpose for me. But, I can respect the desire to be more scientific, its just not in my budget. Plus I have to drive 1.5 hours one way to drop a soil sample off at CSU.

Seamaiden · Feb 13, 2016

Between what Bulldog and lead have laid down here... I really wish I had a way to split off those posts and make a new thread, stickied, that's just that best informational stuff. Hrm. I'll at least sticky the thread.

Newenglander · Feb 13, 2016

You've got to include Firman Bear when reseaching the "ideal soil"/"balanced soil".

For those who would like a quick synopsis of what the research means check out "A Review of the Use of the Basic Cation Saturation Ratio and the “Ideal” Soil"

Bulldog11 · Feb 13, 2016

I was thinking of starting a thread regarding soil mixes w/tests so people can compare. However I am at the moment not starting any new threads. I hope somebody will soon. We can lead the way in soil science here.

Underthesun · Feb 13, 2016

Bulldog, you have inspired me today. After I went on a trip to dreadful Boulder, CO to source the remaining ingredients to my soil I went fishing. I got pretty stoned on some gorilla glue, saw a bat flying in the middle of winter during the day, and decided that you are right about soil testing. If we are going through the effort with all this we might as well do it right.

So when you do a test on your soil, do you mix up all whole yard or more at once then test it...or would mixing up say 1 cf of the ratios work, just for testings sake? I believe I saw in a post earlier that it didn't matter if the soil was sitting for a while or not.

Also...pumice is hard to find. And real expensive, especially bought off the internet. My drainage 1/3 of the mix will be 50% rice hulls , 25% perlite, and 25% silica rock. I may miss out on some minerals by not using pumice, what do you all think?

Newenglander · Feb 13, 2016

Here ya go @Bulldog11

https://www.thcfarmer.com/community...sts-and-soil-science-discussion-thread.79108/

Bulldog11 · Feb 13, 2016

silversurfer said:
I just spend a fuck load of money and buy vermifire. \

I have tested vermi fire once, and seen two other reports. It tests ok, but no where near the quality of coots mix. However with 100k in soil, might be hard to swallow the 360 a yard for coots.

Underthesun said:
Bulldog, you have inspired me today. After I went on a trip to dreadful Boulder, CO to source the remaining ingredients to my soil I went fishing. I got pretty stoned on some gorilla glue, saw a bat flying in the middle of winter during the day, and decided that you are right about soil testing. If we are going through the effort with all this we might as well do it right.

So when you do a test on your soil, do you mix up all whole yard or more at once then test it...or would mixing up say 1 cf of the ratios work, just for testings sake? I believe I saw in a post earlier that it didn't matter if the soil was sitting for a while or not.

Also...pumice is hard to find. And real expensive, especially bought off the internet. My drainage 1/3 of the mix will be 50% rice hulls , 25% perlite, and 25% silica rock. I may miss out on some minerals by not using pumice, what do you all think?

I am kind of doing some work with a consultant, and the process might be something he considers proprietary. @leadsled can you speak on his question about how to mix and test soil?

Seamaiden · Feb 14, 2016

Underthesun said:
Also...pumice is hard to find. And real expensive, especially bought off the internet. My drainage 1/3 of the mix will be 50% rice hulls , 25% perlite, and 25% silica rock. I may miss out on some minerals by not using pumice, what do you all think?

Don't sweat it, and leave out the perlite entirely. Find another rock dust that'll help provide what the pumice will, or add something like bone meal.

Bulldog11 · Feb 14, 2016

aeration does have effect on base cations and CEC, but not much at all. The biggest part is the rice hulls, as that breaks down and provides nutrients. So I would exchange perlite, pumice, 5/16 lava for each other. Just keep those rice hulls, imo.

Underthesun · Feb 14, 2016

Thats what I was hoping. I found rice hulls at the brewery supply store, $60 bucks for about 5 cf, or 50 lbs. The guy working there sells lots of the stuff to growers he was saying. The gardening / hydro stores around here don't carry it, missing the boat.

Seamaiden · Feb 15, 2016

Oh my God! Go to the local feed shop and buy a 4'cu bale of hulls for about $6-$8. Rice hulls do, and should cost a fraction of perlite.

Underthesun · Feb 15, 2016

Well damn. I thought they seemed expensive, but compard to the garden store prices on the web it seemed like a decent deal. I googled rice hulls and did a little web searching but no feed stores came up on my searches, and they are everywhere around here. Probably don't have many clients ordering feed off the net. Putting that one in the memory bank. Thanks, Sea.

Seamaiden · Feb 15, 2016

Just call them. The hulls are pretty popular out here so I call before actually going down there, in case they're out. I just can't see paying anything more than bedding rates for the hulls.

Bulldog11 · Feb 15, 2016

Yup, I pay about 10$ for a large sac.

HomgrwnTX · Feb 20, 2016

jean2 said:
Here goes my soil mix

1 big bag of Fox Farn Ocean Forest
2 4lb bags of worm casings
1 pound bone meal
1 pound blood meal
3 cups epson salts
2 cups of dolomite lime
2 bags of perlite

Water well, mix well, let sit for at least 90 days prior to using. This is an organic mix and I never have to add any ferts during growing.

Mind if i screen shot ur mix...and how was ur grow????? I like that its organic ....but does it produce the same results as with fertilizers???? This is my firat grow....

Post your Organic Soil Mix

Post your Organic Soil Mix

Underthesun

Bulldog11

Bulldog11

Underthesun

Bulldog11

Underthesun

Seamaiden

Living dead girl

Newenglander

Bulldog11

Underthesun

Newenglander

Bulldog11

Seamaiden

Living dead girl

Bulldog11

Underthesun

Seamaiden

Living dead girl

Underthesun

Seamaiden

Living dead girl

Bulldog11

HomgrwnTX

Post your Organic Soil Mix

Post your Organic Soil Mix

Underthesun

Bulldog11

Bulldog11

Underthesun

Bulldog11

Underthesun

Seamaiden

Living dead girl

Newenglander

Bulldog11

Underthesun

Newenglander

Bulldog11

Seamaiden

Living dead girl

Bulldog11

Underthesun

Seamaiden

Living dead girl

Underthesun

Seamaiden

Living dead girl

Bulldog11

HomgrwnTX

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