Soil

[Now1more]

I don't know, I have days go by when my plants don't need anything but me saying hi and staring for a bit

Sing to them. Unless you're tone deaf and horrible like me... then it's music on the phone when I do my thing in the grow room.

 

[Now1more]

When you do feed/water - water slow. A garden sprayer works for even distribution, with a regular watering can just use a quart or so at a time and let it settle for a few minutes. Do this until you get a decent amount of run-off compared to the pot size.

If you pour a gallon of water into a 5-gallon pot all at once you will get run-off - gravity -vs- absorption. But you can run about 2 gallons through before run-off if done slowly.

Lift the pot dry, lift the pot soaked, know the feel

Excellent advice. Slow water, even distribution.

 

[Now1more]

@gwheels Happy Frog for babies. Are you planning on moving into a no till living soil?

 

[socaljoe]

fungas gnats love wet coco too.

I just recently learned that.

Had never dealt with fungus gnats prior.

 

[gwheels]

I just want to see how it grows...i like coco. I want to compare the flavor etc.

so pour bag in pot and water works ok for now. If i like it i might run a couple.

 

[gwheels]

I got my fungus gnats from this crap. I wanted a bit more water retention. I like the product i will just use mosquito dunks with it.

Its Gnaturally full of goodness

 

[Cob_nUt]

@Evergreengardener did you ever get around to that soil recipe of yours? When you chimed in here,on your first post,I thought to myself..."heed this let's advice, I wonder if this is a clue to what he does with his soil mix". Had to ask.

 

[Evergreengardener]

@Evergreengardener did you ever get around to that soil recipe of yours? When you chimed in here,on your first post,I thought to myself..."heed this let's advice, I wonder if this is a clue to what he does with his soil mix". Had to ask.

I didn’t get around to it yet I’ll start it soon been hella busy over here these past few weeks. I have ran the mix I stated above but it is no longer in my mix fox farm prices are out of hand for what it is I’m not paying $18 for 3 cubic foot of soil when I can buy a great base soil locally for $20 a cubic yard and for those that don’t know that’s the equivalent of 9 bags.

For now I’ll tell the brand of amendments that I prefer over others is Down to earth
And I get my worm castings fresh from worm bins.
@Jesselikes2Grow ill tag you in the soil write up too I haven’t forgotten

 

[Cob_nUt]

I didn’t get around to it yet I’ll start it soon been hella busy over here these past few weeks. I have ran the mix I stated above but it is no longer in my mix fox farm prices are out of hand for what it is I’m not paying $18 for 3 cubic foot of soil when I can buy a great base soil locally for $20 a cubic yard and for those that don’t know that’s the equivalent of 9 bags.

For now I’ll tell the brand of amendments that I prefer over others is Down to earth View attachment 44280
And I get my worm castings fresh from worm bins.
@Jesselikes2Grow ill tag you in the soil write up too I haven’t forgotten

Cool thank you fam.Was just hoping I didn't miss it. tag me also please.

 

[Now1more]

Epsoma and Down to Earth are my go tos.

 

[Jewels]

I highly recommend the kitchen sink method.
I have been working and amending my soil for 10 years now
It all started here, in an aquarium.

includes
Leonardite, Aragonite, humalite , turface red clay, Peat, vermiculite, hydroton, river sand, coal, schintered carbon, firepit ash, creek-muck, blackearth topsoil,,,

Root balls and household compost goes into the Bunny pile.
Timothy, greens, and stable sweepings are constantly turned in.
If I keep a layer of leaf litter on this pile, I can actually, honestly, literally hear the night crawlers working through it at night.
When I first heard it I thought it was mice. The worms crinkle around in the leaves and it sounds like the softest mist of rain. Sounds like plastic shopping bags.

From there it goes into the green pea beds. After a season , I cut in coco, and it is ready for duty.

 

[sfrigon1]

My mix consists of coco, peat, perlite, vermiculite and castings.

 

[Now1more]

Should have mentioned, I like RAW as well. The silica seems to be making my plants look like garden stakes in veg.

 

[H.A.F.]

Getting ready for a repot and I just dug into the Roots Organic Greenfields. Added 1/8 cup neem seed meal to each gallon of soil and that's it. I am using the FF Happy Frog dry top feeds as my main fertilizer. I add some of the liquid stuff they recommend on their schedule, only because I have it, but it seems pretty plant friendly.

 

[GanjaSnake]

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.

 

[Mr Blamo]

Another worry other than fungus gnats is white powdery mold spores. Always be on the lookout for white/gray spots on leaves.
If you see white mold in a bag when you open it...don't use it. Take back to the store.

 

[GanjaSnake]

I highly recommend the kitchen sink method.
I have been working and amending my soil for 10 years now
It all started here, in an aquarium.
View attachment 44737
includes
Leonardite, Aragonite, humalite , turface red clay, Peat, vermiculite, hydroton, river sand, coal, schintered carbon, firepit ash, creek-muck, blackearth topsoil,,,

Root balls and household compost goes into the Bunny pile.
Timothy, greens, and stable sweepings are constantly turned in.
If I keep a layer of leaf litter on this pile, I can actually, honestly, literally hear the night crawlers working through it at night.
When I first heard it I thought it was mice. The worms crinkle around in the leaves and it sounds like the softest mist of rain. Sounds like plastic shopping bags.
View attachment 44736
From there it goes into the green pea beds. After a season , I cut in coco, and it is ready for duty.

I like your style, lol

I too have been an aquarium enthusiast my whole life, and I think that helps give me the intuition for building incredible soil. Sadly, after many years, my wife will no longer allows me to have any salt water gear in the house. But I have built a nice koi pond to keep me involved in the hobby ;-)

Seems we have similar methods, however I don't get a lot of leaf trees since I live in a conifer forest. I do however bag in leaf from people willing to give me some. I've also had landscapers use my property to dump their waste. My piles are generally around 20' around and 8' high. I use my tractor to mix it up, after sitting for 2-3 winters it's the most amazing compost ever. I try to keep 3 piles going at all times so I always have it available. I know most people probably don't have this kind of space, for that i am blessed.

 

[Thomasbruh]

Watch out for fungus gnats.

Could pre set up for them just in case. I run soil so I’m thinking of once I slow down on the transplants in the beginning from seed to start of veg I will throw sand and traps in just in case. Got them twice in one grow trying to let some reach certain sizes so had some plants waiting forever

 

[H.A.F.]

Should have mentioned, I like RAW as well. The silica seems to be making my plants look like garden stakes in veg.

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.

 

[Now1more]

@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.