Soil

[sfrigon1]

Just catching up. I really think fungus gnats are going to be a part of growing in a mostly organic environment. I have tried Neem, BT, Spinosad, Bits and Bytes, etc. and nothing really eradicates them. In Roots Organic soil I notice a lot less peat than in the FF blends. Maybe peat and coco are the attractors? So far I have not noticed the abundance of gnat activity with the ROGF soil.

I live in the woods with organic shit decomposing everywhere. My house is not hermetically sealed.

Some things about the Botanicare RAW I have noticed.
It is also microbe food. It helps maintain a good bio environment in the soil.
I bought the "GRAPE" because I was growing GDP at the time. I have used it on other plants and get a sweet-grape smell on things that probably shouldn't have one.
Using the basic RAW from now on, but if you are growing for sale and want to enhance the citrus, or the berry, etc. I think their stuff works.

Been dealing with them since my wife decided to have a million dam house plants ! There is no hope ...

 

[H.A.F.]

@H.A.F. my house has drafts and water leaks. The builder did a poor job. The house is 20 years old and I've had to do repairs like it was a hundred year old house. My grow is in the basement, so maybe being surrounded in cement has kept things at bay. No problems for me indoors. All my issues come up outside, which is to be expected. I found it very interesting what you said about the grape flavor. I'm being lazy, what's gives grape flavor? Don't feel like going back to read. Thanks man.

The Botanicare RAW sweetener. There are flavored ones that have the esters of either citrus or grape, and something else. Just saying that I think they work adding flavor to bud. And I might not like it.

 

[Now1more]

Thank you for the reply.

 

[oKiHai]

Easy Organic Soil Mix for Beginners

MtRainDog,

Do you use that soil mix? I have read that thread many times, seems to easy. But if you look at water only soil mixes from StankBros or BlazeOneUp those guys seem to do great in simple soil mixes that are water only as well.

 

[oKiHai]

I run 17gal sub-irrigated planters with living soil. I've been using the same soil for over 10yrs now. Once a year I rejuvenate it by dumping it into a kiddie pool and adding in more compost, and some dry organic nutrients. As well as oyster shell and/or dolomite.

If you're not familiar with SIP check out https://albopepper.com/sips.php That should give the basics, as there are many ways to do it. I water about once a week, but may need to up that around the 4-6wk of flower depending on the plants. I like simple, to me this is about the easiest method I've ever used to grow.

Do you have and pics of your SIPs?

 

[MtRainDog]

MtRainDog,

Do you use that soil mix? I have read that thread many times, seems to easy. But if you look at water only soil mixes from StankBros or BlazeOneUp those guys seem to do great in simple soil mixes that are water only as well.

Yes, I’ve used that recipe for years. Works great.

 

[MtRainDog]

Most of these soil mixes are pretty similar, but I prefer Kelp and Alfalfa meal over Blood and Bone. As for the base, I pretty much stick to

1/3 EWC
1/3 Perlite
1/3 Peat moss

The trick here is getting it to a consistency that won't "bind" meaning if it's wet it won't create hard lumps of soil that roots struggle to work through.

A good way to test the consistency is to drench a portion of it, and squeeze it tight in your fist. It should just fall apart easily and not create a "rock" in your hand, if that makes sense If it's too hard it means you probably have too much EWC or compost in the mix.

Also, definitely let it cook. 4 weeks or more is ideal IMO. You want to see that white "santas beard" fungus developing. That is a good sign your soil is alive and well.

I also fertilize, not just water only. I find that certain genetics (I'm looking at you OG's and Cookies) need to be pushed a little harder for best results. I've used Neptune's Harvest products, and they're ok, but I think I'll be switching to Mega Crop next season, and also add some Mammoth P for flowering. I have no issue doing a hybrid Super Soil + liquid nutes like that.

 

[Now1more]

@MtRainDog. I do the same. Build a soil, get the white cotton candy to show up and plant away. I only lightly fertilize and hit with compost tea and EM. Just tried Mammoth for the first time this past run and like it so far. It worked like magic in my cloner. I use Earth Juice, but it seems to me like they changed the formula. I don't know, but my results have always been consistent with EJ and not so with this last run. I'm going with Nectar for the Gods with this run as my local shop gave me a sample box.

I started to get into KNF last summer and will be experimenting more with that this year. Thinking about a side by side run. As KNF is still fairly new to me, not sure I feel especially confident as concentrations can be all over the place. Only one way to find out I suppose.

 

[MtRainDog]

Thanks @Now1more for the KNF intel. I've got some reading to do

I do a very simple EWC/Kelp/Alfalfa tea for veg. 3 days brewing. Then I add something like Neptune's harvest fish & seaweed fert to the tea at feeding time.

I used to feed with teas like that from start to finish, but I'm slowly getting away from that. I suspect too much N in the teas (thanks to the EWC) may be promoting too much leaf growth in flower. This isn't hard science, just my observations, and seems to vary from strain to strain.

 

[sfrigon1]

I have been buying this pro mix from Depot and have to say it works well . It's also very cheap . I usually cut it w coco. But it's works fine by itself tbh.

 

[BigBallzWillie]

Do you have and pics of your SIPs?

Thanks for the link.....that was interesting!

 

[BigBallzWillie]

Been dealing with them since my wife decided to have a million dam house plants ! There is no hope ...

Add thuricide to your water for a couple of weeks and they are done. I change my dirt right about now and using the new mix the mofo's are back. But not for long. I've never had them come back in dirt that's been treated with thuricide.........until I change dirt, lol. I also mix in dunks when up potting.

 

[Hotwired]

No bugs since I switched to Promix 5 years ago.

 

[Bc_ca]

I used soil for rescue.
Organic roots 707.
I hand mix in bio-live.
Great White (up-potting seedlings)
It’s rescue not designer
I think your already in a very good
Place as a hydro grower as primary. Soil for backup or rescue situations.. ie the need to slow things down.... time to think yea soil is great for that...
Don’t forget to use Great white going from seedling to first up potting.
My ideal of rescue:

 

[JohnFonda]

I've found for gnats putting a 1/2inch layer of perlite covered in lava rocks seemed to prevent them from reproducing in fabric pots. @MtRainDog when cooking do you and if so how often mix the mix up to aerate it. I found at first if I wasnt doing it often it could start going anerobic

 

[MtRainDog]

I've found for gnats putting a 1/2inch layer of perlite covered in lava rocks seemed to prevent them from reproducing in fabric pots. @MtRainDog when cooking do you and if so how often mix the mix up to aerate it. I found at first if I wasnt doing it often it could start going anerobic

Interesting, i’ve never noticed my soil mixes to go anerobic, and I dont touch them while they cook.

 

[Mr.Head]

I've found for gnats putting a 1/2inch layer of perlite covered in lava rocks seemed to prevent them from reproducing in fabric pots. @MtRainDog when cooking do you and if so how often mix the mix up to aerate it. I found at first if I wasnt doing it often it could start going anerobic

Every time I've had a mix go Anaerobic it's been because the mix had too much water. Had this issue more with Coco than with peat.

 

[MtRainDog]

Every time I've had a mix go Anaerobic it's been because the mix had too much water. Had this issue more with Coco than with peat.

Good point. I only add enough water when i start cooking so that the soil feels like a well wrung-out sponge. Damp, but certainly not wet. I also let them cook in the fabric pots so they’re breathing pretty well the whole time

 

[JohnFonda]

Every time I've had a mix go Anaerobic it's been because the mix had too much water. Had this issue more with Coco than with peat.

That could have been the culprit! Coco and a little too moist... Made me stop doing organics cause of all the work mixing weekly. I wasn't on forums then idk if chuckers even existed. I may have to give then another shot.