Building soil from scratch and on the cheap!

Hey there,
The dirt is still sitting in the big smart pot, tarped over, and cooking. I've been stirring it weekly and adding compost tea weekly as well.

In regards to the lake sludge, Marion, I will skip it I think. There is a good amount of "the good stuff" in the mix as is. I will be growing some MMJ plants in it this fall. Should be great in conjunction with the layers and spikes used in the "TLO" method.
 
The next step for the cooking mix is solarizing. Cooking soil outdoors invites all kind of bugs, fungi, and bacteria, good and bad. Solarizing the mix should help with pesty insects and whatnot.

Here's a link to read up on the simple and effective process.

Soil Solarization for Gardens & Landscapes Management Guidelines--UC IPM

I'm gonna do this through the whole month of August. The hottest month of the year.
 
Thanks for at least considering the sludge. Way I figure, that could just be the next show. I have personally hit a bump in the actual hands on flowering part of my process, but remain dirt fascinated. If I am repeating myself here, sorry, but my brain is trying it's best to come up with a terrarium type of thing. Self contained, self sustained, hopefully nothing bigger than a two gallon environment.
 
Soil updates are not very exciting really, but I have a quick one. With pics, lol.
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There was actually a potato growing inside of there so I'd say the mix is cooked good enough to use. It has been cooking since 6/1.
I will begin solarizing the mix 8/1 and continue for one month. The soil mix is going to be used indoors and I'd like it as pest free as possible.

Ill show pics of what I'm doing for that when the time comes, very simple and easy really.

As far as I'm concerned it is fully amended, cooked and ready to use as is now. In conjunction with layers and spikes it should rock and roll this winter in my little indoor garden.

Bongs hits everyone, ill start.
 
Thanks. Next batch ill get a little more scientific with it. I think it will be nice for seedlings, and for vegging and flowering plants in conjunction with layers and spikes. We will get to see this winter.
 
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The last step here before the mix is fully usable for indoor stuff. A month.
Well, I am already using some of this mix in a 10 gallon with a Jack Herer plant in it. The JH is really liking the mix. Came from a 1 gal, root bound and showing some Yellowing of lower fan leaves and purpling of stems. The new growth a week later is looking very healthy. Ill snap a picture in a few. I did get a housefly hatch in my veg room though. :(

Hopefully the solarizing process kills the shit out of all those eggs and bugs I don't want. Ill definitely report back on that.
 
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This little gal is digging the new home in a 10 gal container. The container has a bottom layer of EWC and organicare pure. Then it's the new soil mix to nearly the top of container. A top layer of EWC and a little blood meal is followed by a layer of wood and bark mulch. The containers are also spiked with a plunger handle, twice. And filled with flower spike mix.
 
Will definitely read this later...
 
:reading420magazine::popcorn:
 
Glad it works for ya :thumb:
 
The soil mix is Really heating up. There are barely any recognizable pieces of veggie scraps or wood anymore. I was turning it over today. I decided to lose the clear plastic top in exchange for the regular black plastic trash can lid. I can move the soil around easier and more frequently this way. I was becoming concerned with the mix going anaerobic.

I'm tempted to add some coir as I love the texture that gives to the mix. I'm pretty sure that's a bad idea for me though. I am shooting for growing, and maintaining, an extremely living soil. And I'm trying to do a no till container garden. The coir would last a month or two before being consumed, leaving me with compaction issues.

I guess it's probably all good by now, as is.
 
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