Post your Organic Soil Mix

[jumpincactus]

I was really concerned with chloramine and chlorine being in the water and the effects those would have on my living soil. I know I can bubble off the chlorine but I doubt the large scale organic food farmers use RO so could tap water be ok so long as it's not way out of range on pH or loaded with too many nasties? Tough to say what's in there without a lab water analysis..

there is a LOT of debate on both sides of the fence concerning chlorine and chloramine. Yes you can let your water sit over night and the chlorine will out gas naturally. But as you probably know Chloramine is a different animal all together. As a ex living reef keeper I am aware that with some RO systems you can buy an add on cartridge that will effectively remove all the chloramine from your water source.

The issue is, I cannot speak to the chloramine as I cannot find any double blind peer reviewed studies that show either chlorine or chloramine damage the soil food web borne microherd. One would assume it does. As a ex aquarist I can speak to the fact that chlorine and chloramine must be removed from a reef enviroment as both of these chemicals can cause damage to the zooxanthellae. Zooxanthellae are algae that help with the process of photosynthesis that feed the corals. So I'm inclined to think if your water company uses chloramine you should remove it before watering your plants. But I cannot find the science to back that up.

I hope this helped somewhat. My thinking is most growers dont use a chloramine cartridge and turn out some mighty fine erb. peace out

 

[jumpincactus]

Also forgot that I heard on a podcast that for organics to work properly, the pots need to be large. Does that mean if I use Coots style soil, I won't have great success in 2-3 gallon pots without lots of top dressing and supplemental teas?

The data you heard about organic living soil that the pot needs to be large in my mind is false. Pot size has more to do with length of veg and size of tree you wanna grow. I have seen respectable plants grown in organic soil in a solo cup or 1 gall pot. Please provide the link that you got this info from. I would like to review it. Again, I'm not onboard with this statement with the experience and grows that I have done. Maybe someone can pipe in and show me I am wrong. There is the old adage that the Bigger da Root Da bigger the fruit. But I have found that the monster trees a lot of growers seek is done with large pots 200/300 gall outdoors with 3 months of veg. Most indoor guys cant, or wont wait that long before flip.

 

[shemshemet]

I've noticed a huge increase in rate and quality of growth going from 5 gal to 10 gal.

Can only assume it would get better as pots got bigger, as many of the popular no till farmers preach...

 

[Irietime]

Relatively new to the game, haven't mixed my own soils yet, but want to learn a good simple recipe to start. All the recipes posted seem killer but for larger scale grows than what I'll be doing. Can someone post a simple mix for say 4 five gallon pots? I've grown with just ocean forest, mixed with worm castings and grow big and tiger bloom. Buds turned out killer but I know there's a few more additions that would make it even better. Thanks peace

 

[Irietime]

Killer recipes. Can someone break down a simple recipe for a rookie growing in 4 five gallon pots. All these recipes seem like they are larger scale grows. I've grown successfully with just ocean forest, worm castings and grow big and tiger bloom fox farm. There must be a few more key additions to step my cannabis up a few more notches. Thanks for the knowledge. Peace

 

[One drop]

I get my chooks to make all my compost and that's what I grow in I just add some blue metal cracker dust to it and it's good to go .

 

[Hyman]

Relatively new to the game, haven't mixed my own soils yet, but want to learn a good simple recipe to start. All the recipes posted seem killer but for larger scale grows than what I'll be doing. Can someone post a simple mix for say 4 five gallon pots? I've grown with just ocean forest, mixed with worm castings and grow big and tiger bloom. Buds turned out killer but I know there's a few more additions that would make it even better. Thanks peace

For first grow to make it simple I'd suggest 2 gal of a good quality living potting soil (I typically go for a local one), 1.5 gal worm castings, 1/2 gal cow manure, 1/2 gal per lite or rice hulls, 1/2 gal coco coir....maybe add in a little cover crop on top and cover with some mulch/hay

 

[Bulldog420]

any soil tests in this thread?

 

[justiceman]

Killer recipes. Can someone break down a simple recipe for a rookie growing in 4 five gallon pots. All these recipes seem like they are larger scale grows. I've grown successfully with just ocean forest, worm castings and grow big and tiger bloom fox farm. There must be a few more key additions to step my cannabis up a few more notches. Thanks for the knowledge. Peace

I'm back on the forums! Good to see this thread have some life!

@Irietime Ocean Forest is a very solid mix in my experience. It would be hard to add anything else that it doesn't already have. If you want to make your own mix I've always had great sucess with LC's mix.

I like it because the recipe comes in parts so you can make small batches if you like. If you google "Organics for beginners" there will be additional
Information along with this example.

------
LC’s Soiless Mix #1:

5 parts Canadian Sphagnum Peat or Coir or Pro-Moss
3 parts perlite
2 parts worm castings or mushroom compost or home made compost
Powdered (NOT PELLETED) dolomite lime @ 2 tablespoons per gallon or 1 cup per cubic foot of the soiless mix.

Here's an example of what you might add to that mix for fertilizer

RECIPE #1

If you want to use organic nutrients like Blood meal, Bone meal and Kelp meal...

1 tablespoon Blood meal per gallon or 1/2 cup per cubic foot of soil mix
2 tablespoons Bone meal per gallon or 1 cup per cubic foot of soil mix
1-tablespoon kelp meal per gallon or 1/2 cup per cubic foot of soil mix
or Maxicrop 1-0-4 powdered kelp extract as directed
(OPTIONAL) 1 tablespoon per gallon or 1/2 cup per cubic foot of Jersey Greensand to supplement the K (potasium) in the Kelp Meal and seaweed extract.

Mix all the dry nutrients into the soiless mix well and wet it, but don't soak it. Stir and mix it a few times a week for a week or two so the bacteria can get oxygen and break down the nutrients and make it available. And don't let the mix dry out, keep it moist and add water as needed.

With this recipe, all you need to do is add plain water until harvest(most of the time)

When I'm working with seeds, I punch a hole in the bottom of 16 ounce cups and fill them with plain LC's Mix. Lightly wet the mix in the cups and germinate one seed in each cup. At the same time I mix enough LC's mix along with the blood/bone/kelp to fill all the 3 gallon flower pots I'm going to use for the grow. After about two weeks, the seedlings and the blood/bone/kelp mix are ready. I transplant the seedlings into the 3 gallon pots and just add water until harvest.
When you go to flower and pull up the males, save the mix in the pots. It is ready to be used again immediately. Just remove the root ball and transplant another seedling into it.

------

That is part of a post from a hero named burnone

 

[Freshone]

My thoughts are you can use small containers for organic if you toss your medium or re amend it and let it re charge itself after each run but if you want to just pull one plant and pop in another one you need a larger container,id say 10-15 gallon minimum,beds also work very well this way.
Also if you use a 'supersoil/amended soil' you have to have enough soil volume to supply nutrients through the plants life unless you supplement feed,you could probably get away with a 5 gal for light feeders but a 7-10 would be better.In the end the larger volume of soil the easier you make it on yourself with organics imo,which is the whole point right?

 

[SchapMd]

Been using this mix for 4years now with excellent results .
Happy frog soil conditioner 3cf
Agway peat w dolimite lime 6cf
100 litres of chunky permits
Black earth 4 cups
Dolimite lime 2 cups
Algamin 2 cups
Azomite 3 "" ""
Alfalfa 4 " "
Greensand 3 cups
Soft rock phosphate 1.5 cups
Volcanic basalt rock 5 cups
Bone meal 1.5
Cool for a 3 weeks. I use a big tarp. turn once a week.
I use great white when transplanting. about a tbsp depending on root size. supplemented with teas durring flowering to recharge microbeasties.

 

[Irietime]

soil

I'm back on the forums! Good to see this thread have some life!

@Irietime Ocean Forest is a very solid mix in my experience. It would be hard to add anything else that it doesn't already have. If you want to make your own mix I've always had great sucess with LC's mix.

I like it because the recipe comes in parts so you can make small batches if you like. If you google "Organics for beginners" there will be additional
Information along with this example.

------
LC’s Soiless Mix #1:

5 parts Canadian Sphagnum Peat or Coir or Pro-Moss
3 parts perlite
2 parts worm castings or mushroom compost or home made compost
Powdered (NOT PELLETED) dolomite lime @ 2 tablespoons per gallon or 1 cup per cubic foot of the soiless mix.

Here's an example of what you might add to that mix for fertilizer

RECIPE #1

If you want to use organic nutrients like Blood meal, Bone meal and Kelp meal...

1 tablespoon Blood meal per gallon or 1/2 cup per cubic foot of soil mix
2 tablespoons Bone meal per gallon or 1 cup per cubic foot of soil mix
1-tablespoon kelp meal per gallon or 1/2 cup per cubic foot of soil mix
or Maxicrop 1-0-4 powdered kelp extract as directed
(OPTIONAL) 1 tablespoon per gallon or 1/2 cup per cubic foot of Jersey Greensand to supplement the K (potasium) in the Kelp Meal and seaweed extract.

Mix all the dry nutrients into the soiless mix well and wet it, but don't soak it. Stir and mix it a few times a week for a week or two so the bacteria can get oxygen and break down the nutrients and make it available. And don't let the mix dry out, keep it moist and add water as needed.

With this recipe, all you need to do is add plain water until harvest(most of the time)

When I'm working with seeds, I punch a hole in the bottom of 16 ounce cups and fill them with plain LC's Mix. Lightly wet the mix in the cups and germinate one seed in each cup. At the same time I mix enough LC's mix along with the blood/bone/kelp to fill all the 3 gallon flower pots I'm going to use for the grow. After about two weeks, the seedlings and the blood/bone/kelp mix are ready. I transplant the seedlings into the 3 gallon pots and just add water until harvest.
When you go to flower and pull up the males, save the mix in the pots. It is ready to be used again immediately. Just remove the root ball and transplant another seedling into it.

------

That is part of a post from a hero named burnone

Thanks for the solid info and recipe. I'm gonna give it a go on the next round. I've started four plants in the ocean forest again so I'm gonna let those ride and that will give me time to gather the ingredients for the homemade soil and let it cook a bit. Thanks again for taking the time to respond. Peace and happy plants

 

[Irietime]

For first grow to make it simple I'd suggest 2 gal of a good quality living potting soil (I typically go for a local one), 1.5 gal worm castings, 1/2 gal cow manure, 1/2 gal per lite or rice hulls, 1/2 gal coco coir....maybe add in a little cover crop on top and cover with some mulch/hay

Thanks for the response. Nice and simple I like this. How long should I let it ride before using?

 

[One drop]

any soil tests in this thread?

I just use a ph soil testing kit .

 

[Bulldog420]

I just use a ph soil testing kit .

No, I am talking about a lab test. With over 20 elements listed and the proper ratios needed. Like something from Logan Labs or Spectrum Labs?

 

[One drop]

No, I am talking about a lab test. With over 20 elements listed and the proper ratios needed. Like something from Logan Labs or Spectrum Labs?

Yep I got you shit I could never afford that I'm going to get my wife to order and have sent some Fox farm growing media she is in the states at the moment we can't get it over here heard great things about it .

 

[justiceman]

@One drop I like that compost pile you have going. That's going to be some good stuff.

 

[One drop]

@One drop I like that compost pile you have going. That's going to be some good stuff.

Cheers Cobba I take 18 months to 2 years to make compost I use chickens for there poo and they turn it for me once a week for 4 months then I remove from hen house and add my volcanic top soil and grass clippings and turn once a week till it's cooked comes out good for my outside garden but having trouble with the mix indoors it's got a bit on a N draw down but it will come good .

 

[Kalikush]

there is a LOT of debate on both sides of the fence concerning chlorine and chloramine. Yes you can let your water sit over night and the chlorine will out gas naturally. But as you probably know Chloramine is a different animal all together. As a ex living reef keeper I am aware that with some RO systems you can buy an add on cartridge that will effectively remove all the chloramine from your water source.

The issue is, I cannot speak to the chloramine as I cannot find any double blind peer reviewed studies that show either chlorine or chloramine damage the soil food web borne microherd. One would assume it does. As a ex aquarist I can speak to the fact that chlorine and chloramine must be removed from a reef enviroment as both of these chemicals can cause damage to the zooxanthellae. Zooxanthellae are algae that help with the process of photosynthesis that feed the corals. So I'm inclined to think if your water company uses chloramine you should remove it before watering your plants. But I cannot find the science to back that up.

I hope this helped somewhat. My thinking is most growers dont use a chloramine catrige and turn out some mighty fine erb. peace out

I used to keep a reef tank also which is why I'm concerned with these chemicals destroying the 'life' in my soil, assuming I've done it correctly to get the life there in the first place. I found a filter that removes nearly all of the chlorine and chloamine for about $100 with no waste water. I'll probably just grab one of those so I don't have to worry about it.

The data you heard about organic living soil that the pot needs to be large in my mind is false. Pot size has more to do with length of veg and size of tree you wanna grow. I have seen respectable plants grown in organic soil in a solo cup or 1 gall pot. Please provide the link that you got this info from. I would like to review it. Again, I'm not onboard with this statement with the experience and grows that I have done. Maybe someone can pipe in and show me I am wrong. There is the old adage that the Bigger da Root Da bigger the fruit. But I have found that the monster trees a lot of growers seek is done with large pots 200/300 gall outdoors with 3 months of veg. Most indoor guys cant, or wont wait that long before flip.

The argument was that organics take longer to become available to the plant and thus a larger volume of soil will give the plant more area to collect needed nutrients from versus being in a small container (with plenty of nutrients in the soil) and the plant having to wait for more nutrients to become available.

 

[Kalikush]

I've noticed a huge increase in rate and quality of growth going from 5 gal to 10 gal.

Can only assume it would get better as pots got bigger, as many of the popular no till farmers preach...

I've heard the same but I'm so limited on space at the moment, I'm lucky to be doing anything right now. I'm also dead set on an organic run, hence the predicament lol

Killer recipes. Can someone break down a simple recipe for a rookie growing in 4 five gallon pots. All these recipes seem like they are larger scale grows. I've grown successfully with just ocean forest, worm castings and grow big and tiger bloom fox farm. There must be a few more key additions to step my cannabis up a few more notches. Thanks for the knowledge. Peace

It's my first time too but Coots recipe is where I started. It's a tested recipe and a great starting point. I posted my mix a few pages back but it's basically a modified Coots mix.

My thoughts are you can use small containers for organic if you toss your medium or re amend it and let it re charge itself after each run but if you want to just pull one plant and pop in another one you need a larger container,id say 10-15 gallon minimum,beds also work very well this way.
Also if you use a 'supersoil/amended soil' you have to have enough soil volume to supply nutrients through the plants life unless you supplement feed,you could probably get away with a 5 gal for light feeders but a 7-10 would be better.In the end the larger volume of soil the easier you make it on yourself with organics imo,which is the whole point right?

Yes that is the point! I don't have the space for pots that large though but I'm hoping 3 gallon with properly amended soil will still work with only adding water and the occasional EWC tea / top dress. A bed is something I've been thinking about but not sure how that would turn out running different strains in the same small bed.