You favourite simple soil recipe?

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simonkay

simonkay

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Pond water 😉 IMHO is a better choice rain water would be my first choice.
Thanks bro, im using lemon juice to bring ph down to 6.5. is this good?
the pond is technically a cenote so mix of rain and water coming up from filtered rocks but i worry about bacteria and pathogens although the cenote i use has lush green lillys and other plants theres a shitload of mosquitos too.
 
Novaracer69

Novaracer69

737
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Thanks bro, im using lemon juice to bring ph down to 6.5. is this good?
the pond is technically a cenote so mix of rain and water coming up from filtered rocks but i worry about bacteria and pathogens although the cenote i use has lush green lillys and other plants theres a shitload of mosquitos too.
If the pond is healthy and full of life I would use it as is. With organics you really shouldn't have to ph unless it's really out there. I haven't used my ph pen in years. I know my ph is always 6.8 to 7.0 and 215ppm.
 
7munkee

7munkee

662
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Thanks bro, im using lemon juice to bring ph down to 6.5. is this good?
the pond is technically a cenote so mix of rain and water coming up from filtered rocks but i worry about bacteria and pathogens although the cenote i use has lush green lillys and other plants theres a shitload of mosquitos too.
If your concerned, add an air stone to your water for a couple hours first. Any anaerobic bacteria/pathogen will be killed by the added o2. Or add a bit of hydrogen peroxide.

The microbiology in a living soil will take care of pH, so dont worry about that. As long as you're not watering with like 4 or 9 ph water you'll be fine.
 
J

jdishworth

1
1
I am a new ganja grower .
I built my soils with

Black cow compost
Silica powder

Kellogg potting or raised bed
Perlite
Worm casts
444
Mycos

My top dress is compost teas
Manure
444
Bone meal
Coffee
Sugar

Where could I improve without buying name branded overly shilled products

I hope to be able to make my soil on the future, we have started a food waste and compost pile so we can make free cannabis nutes.
It's all about free for me
 
beckerjeremey29

beckerjeremey29

44
18
Basic Soil Mix
The basic soil mix is one of the easiest and most affordable soil recipes for growing cannabis. It's a simple combination of peat moss, perlite, and compost. This soil mix provides excellent drainage, moisture retention, and nutrient-rich soil for your cannabis plants.

Peat moss is an excellent source of moisture retention, while perlite improves drainage and aeration. Compost, on the other hand, adds essential nutrients to the soil and helps improve soil structure. To make the basic soil mix, mix equal parts of peat moss, perlite, and compost.

Coco Coir Mix
Coco coir is a popular alternative to peat moss in soil mixes. It's an environmentally friendly, renewable resource made from the fibrous husk of the coconut. Coco coir provides excellent water retention and aeration, making it an ideal choice for cannabis growers.

To make a coco coir mix, mix equal parts of coco coir, perlite, and compost. This soil mix is perfect for cannabis plants that require a lot of water but also need good drainage.

Super Soil Mix
The super soil mix is a pre-fertilized soil mix that provides all the nutrients a cannabis plant needs throughout its lifecycle. It's a popular choice among organic growers who want to avoid using chemical fertilizers.

To make a super soil mix, mix the following ingredients:

1 part peat moss
1 part compost
1 part perlite
1 part worm castings
1/2 part bone meal
1/2 part blood meal
1/2 part fish meal
1/2 part kelp meal
1/2 part rock phosphate
This soil mix provides an abundance of nutrients to the cannabis plants, making it a cost-effective option in the long run. It's perfect for cannabis growers who want to maximize the growth and yield of their plants.

Living Soil Mix
The living soil mix is a soil mix that contains a complex ecosystem of microorganisms, fungi, and bacteria that work together to create a healthy soil environment for cannabis plants. This soil recipe is a popular choice among organic growers who want to mimic the natural growing environment of cannabis plants.

To make a living soil mix, mix the following ingredients:

1 part peat moss or coco coir
1 part compost
1 part perlite
1/2 part vermiculite
1/2 part worm castings
1/2 part humus
1/4 cup of rock dust per cubic foot of soil
This soil mix requires less maintenance than traditional soil mixes because the microorganisms in the soil help to break down organic matter, releasing nutrients to the plants over time. It's perfect for cannabis growers who want to cultivate their plants in an all-natural and sustainable way.
I really like your super soil mix, but I am very horrible at math. 😆 If I used roughly 7.6 cf of peat, how much of the other amendments should I add to the peat? I'm assuming that if you were using just 2.8 cf of peat, you wouldn't add 1.4 cf of kelp meal or bone meal. Or would you? TIA for the clarification. If that is the case comma I may need to get a bigger bin. Lol. I'm working with a 75 gallon tote right now.
75 gallon tote
 
Natep

Natep

1,723
263
1 part peat moss 1 part pumice 1 part compost. 1/4 cup per gallon craft blend freestyle In a bit of bio char and basalt
 
D

Deep_Forest_Bloom

1
1
Basic Soil Mix
The basic soil mix is one of the easiest and most affordable soil recipes for growing cannabis. It's a simple combination of peat moss, perlite, and compost. This soil mix provides excellent drainage, moisture retention, and nutrient-rich soil for your cannabis plants.

Peat moss is an excellent source of moisture retention, while perlite improves drainage and aeration. Compost, on the other hand, adds essential nutrients to the soil and helps improve soil structure. To make the basic soil mix, mix equal parts of peat moss, perlite, and compost.
I'm interested in creating this soil mix, but is this all I need to add for it to be 'complete?'

All I want to do is create a very basic (organic) substrate that I can amend with my chosen nutrients as the plant develops in stages. I don't want to mix a 'water only' type of substrate at this time. And most importantly, I do NOT -- I repeat -- I do NOT want any premixed soil added to my substrate (Fox Farm, Promix, etc.).

Please, please, PLEASE give me a straight answer, I'm begging you. I've been to multiple subreddits, many different forums and I cannot ever seem to get a straightforward answer regarding this topic. I always seem to attract some ravenous asshole in the replies who comes charging at me with a bag of Happy Frog.
 
S

stcapt

3
3
I'm interested in creating this soil mix, but is this all I need to add for it to be 'complete?'

All I want to do is create a very basic (organic) substrate that I can amend with my chosen nutrients as the plant develops in stages. I don't want to mix a 'water only' type of substrate at this time. And most importantly, I do NOT -- I repeat -- I do NOT want any premixed soil added to my substrate (Fox Farm, Promix, etc.).

Please, please, PLEASE give me a straight answer, I'm begging you. I've been to multiple subreddits, many different forums and I cannot ever seem to get a straightforward answer regarding this topic. I always seem to attract some ravenous asshole in the replies who comes charging at me with a bag of Happy Frog.
Sorry for the time lag, I'm a newbie. I had a similar question on another forum and I was wondering if you found a reasonable answer. I found this really interesting:


He describes a medium made up of 4 simple ingredients: peat moss and vermiculite at 50% each, with small amounts of dolomite lime and gypsum. I think you can find all these OMRI certified. A comment I got on another forum is that this only works for synthetic fertilizers since it has no plant nutrition yet. But maybe that's what you are looking for? I don't see why they have to be synthetic. There is nothing premixed about this, these are basically single ingredients. My impression is that you do get some trace elements already though. He talks about silica, but lime and gypsum also provide other minerals in addition to correcting the PH.

I'm not sure what your objection is to premixes, but for me I'd rather learn how they are made. If I take a premix as a primitive ingredient, and the company's formula changes or they stop selling here I think it might be a problem. There is also a cost savings though. Peat moss is really cheap, and you might find a decent sale on vermiculite. The small amounts of the other two won't really affect the cost. For me, peat moss is $3 per cubic foot and vermiculite is about $10 per cubic foot. These are considerably less than the premixes.

Bear in mind I'm a newbie and haven't actually tried this. Bruce Bugbee seems a reputable authority though. If we are kind of in the same state it might be helpful to compare what we find. Anyway, I'd be curious where your thinking is now.
 
7munkee

7munkee

662
143
Sorry for the time lag, I'm a newbie. I had a similar question on another forum and I was wondering if you found a reasonable answer. I found this really interesting:


He describes a medium made up of 4 simple ingredients: peat moss and vermiculite at 50% each, with small amounts of dolomite lime and gypsum. I think you can find all these OMRI certified. A comment I got on another forum is that this only works for synthetic fertilizers since it has no plant nutrition yet. But maybe that's what you are looking for? I don't see why they have to be synthetic. There is nothing premixed about this, these are basically single ingredients. My impression is that you do get some trace elements already though. He talks about silica, but lime and gypsum also provide other minerals in addition to correcting the PH.

I'm not sure what your objection is to premixes, but for me I'd rather learn how they are made. If I take a premix as a primitive ingredient, and the company's formula changes or they stop selling here I think it might be a problem. There is also a cost savings though. Peat moss is really cheap, and you might find a decent sale on vermiculite. The small amounts of the other two won't really affect the cost. For me, peat moss is $3 per cubic foot and vermiculite is about $10 per cubic foot. These are considerably less than the premixes.

Bear in mind I'm a newbie and haven't actually tried this. Bruce Bugbee seems a reputable authority though. If we are kind of in the same state it might be helpful to compare what we find. Anyway, I'd be curious where your thinking is now.
I'm of the same mind. I don't want to rely on the grow store tto feed my plants so I learned how to make my own soil. I have been using the same soil for 7 grows back-to-back by only adding things I can source at damn near any farm. Barley & corn seed (sprout for enymes), oyster/clam shells (calcium and phosperous), compost (biology), wood ash(potassium), and dried blood/bloodmeal (nitrogen). Maybe a little powdered rock for trace elements.

Getting the ratios right is the tricky part. THAT takes a little trial and error.
 
2Water

2Water

2,690
263
Simple is subjective, I have an all ordered through amazon mix that is pretty basic:

Soil base media:
50% espoma organic potting mix
25% bio-char
25% pumice/earth worm castings

Dry amendments:
Down To Earth 3-3-3 starter mix (use suggested at first, but double when re-amending)
Down To Earth Palm Tree Mix (same as above)
Down To Earth Azomite (as suggested on box)

I recycle and reamend every run. The Espoma and 333 both have mychos in them and I also use Bigfoot mychorizae when I plant my seeds.
 
ReallyOldDude

ReallyOldDude

43
18
Well, it depends! I think you need to look at plant specifics. I have found one soil mix doesn't always fit all canabis strains. For example, Durban poison (sativa) like a well drained soil ... defiantly doesn't like wet feet! So sandy loam seems best. On the other hand, indica seems to like more traditional soil. So its more important to understand what the ingredients do for the soil. Yes, you can use a soil that fits all, just not ideal for all! Just my 2 cents!

Thoes that grow in coir/peat and perlite have to add nutrients as there is none here ... better for auqa grows. Yet, this is a fairly good start to a basic soil mix as you just have to add material with adequate nutrients ... or perhaps feed with areated compost tea if you want to grow pure organic.

I reuse my soil year after year, adding about 1/3 compost, my pulverized egg shells and gypsum for calcium, and I do add a couple cups of living soil products only cuz I'm to too lazy to make myself lol, Rock dust adds minerals... but once you have good ph soil it's easy to maintain. It probably has a good amount of IMycorrhizae don't do auqa grows because it take maintenance of solution but don't knock thoes that do ... it's just not my thing.
 
7munkee

7munkee

662
143
Simple is subjective, I have an all ordered through amazon mix that is pretty basic:

Soil base media:
50% espoma organic potting mix
25% bio-char
25% pumice/earth worm castings

Dry amendments:
Down To Earth 3-3-3 starter mix (use suggested at first, but double when re-amending)
Down To Earth Palm Tree Mix (same as above)
Down To Earth Azomite (as suggested on box)

I recycle and reamend every run. The Espoma and 333 both have mychos in them and I also use Bigfoot mychorizae when I plant my seeds.
Doesn't having that much bio char act like a sponge, absorbing all your nutrients? Or do you precharge it first? I've often thought of adding significantly more and precharging it with compost tea or Recharge or something. Just done want to start over with new soil just yet.
 
7munkee

7munkee

662
143
Well, it depends! I think you need to look at plant specifics. I have found one soil mix doesn't always fit all canabis strains. For example, Durban poison (sativa) like a well drained soil ... defiantly doesn't like wet feet! So sandy loam seems best. On the other hand, indica seems to like more traditional soil. So its more important to understand what the ingredients do for the soil. Yes, you can use a soil that fits all, just not ideal for all! Just my 2 cents!

Thoes that grow in coir/peat and perlite have to add nutrients as there is none here ... better for auqa grows. Yet, this is a fairly good start to a basic soil mix as you just have to add material with adequate nutrients ... or perhaps feed with areated compost tea if you want to grow pure organic.

I reuse my soil year after year, adding about 1/3 compost, my pulverized egg shells and gypsum for calcium, and I do add a couple cups of living soil products only cuz I'm to too lazy to make myself lol, Rock dust adds minerals... but once you have good ph soil it's easy to maintain. It probably has a good amount of IMycorrhizae don't do auqa grows because it take maintenance of solution but don't knock thoes that do ... it's just not my thing.
I know what you mean about Indica's....my last outdoor grow was indica grown in straight composted leaves in a garbage can with the bottom cut out. It was in the middle of a field so I dug down two feet then put the garbage can in the hole. Because it was so deep, it always had water. Plus, it was kinda easy to overlook until fall when all the weeds turned yellow, and it was bright green.
 
S

stcapt

3
3
Sorry for the time lag, I'm a newbie. I had a similar question on another forum and I was wondering if you found a reasonable answer. I found this really interesting:


He describes a medium made up of 4 simple ingredients: peat moss and vermiculite at 50% each, with small amounts of dolomite lime and gypsum. I think you can find all these OMRI certified. A comment I got on another forum is that this only works for synthetic fertilizers since it has no plant nutrition yet. But maybe that's what you are looking for? I don't see why they have to be synthetic. There is nothing premixed about this, these are basically single ingredients. My impression is that you do get some trace elements already though. He talks about silica, but lime and gypsum also provide other minerals in addition to correcting the PH.

I'm not sure what your objection is to premixes, but for me I'd rather learn how they are made. If I take a premix as a primitive ingredient, and the company's formula changes or they stop selling here I think it might be a problem. There is also a cost savings though. Peat moss is really cheap, and you might find a decent sale on vermiculite. The small amounts of the other two won't really affect the cost. For me, peat moss is $3 per cubic foot and vermiculite is about $10 per cubic foot. These are considerably less than the premixes.

Bear in mind I'm a newbie and haven't actually tried this. Bruce Bugbee seems a reputable authority though. If we are kind of in the same state it might be helpful to compare what we find. Anyway, I'd be curious where your thinking is now.
 
S

stcapt

3
3
Seems like this has been superceded. I'm not going to list the current one I have as it may be out of date already. Google Bugbee mix recipe and poke around to try to figure out the most recent. He seems to be removing some vermiculite and replacing with rice hulls, and replacing gypsum with willastonite. The goal seems to be to bump up the silica. TBH, I think even the old recipe from the video I linked to is pretty good, though.
 
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