I might want to mix the supersoil next week, just because I already have all the components
I get the point that there are (much) better formulas out there, and I am open to using the components I already have in different ways, if it will be a better result--but right now I don't even really know what I have. (Not really.)
OK, so here's my own supersoil recipe... I mentioned I made 32 gal of it the other night.
I started with used soil from my grow, and dumped it into a large wheelbarrow... I'm guessing a 5 cu ft wheelbarrow (37 gal).
My batch came out to 32 gal, so to determine how much recycled soil I put in the wheelbarrow... I'm gonna say 32 gal minus 2 gallons of fresh worm compost, and 2 gallons of coconut coir. The perlite and ferts don't take up much space.
So, starting with 28 gal of used soil into the wheelbarrow.
I wrote on May 4:
This is the backbone of my mix... old compost soil, fresh worm compost from our bins, coco coir, and perlite. Then I add a bunch of Down to Earth ferts... oyster shell, bat guano, seabird guano, dolomite lime, greensand, gypsum, solution grade potassium sulfate (and/or Langbeinite), kelp meal, humic acid. I also add silicate in the form of powdered quartz.
So, instead of used soil, you will be starting with
compost soil, worm castings, coco coir, and perlite. I don't know what you plan to use for your compost soil – did you decide on Roots Organics or Confiabonos? Or perhaps topsoil and compost mixed?
RE:
compost soil... In this case, when I think of the word, "soil," I'm thinking of what you'd find if you took a shovel to the Earth in a field by a river. To me, that's "soil". Now, natural soil from the Earth contains lots of minerals, and also organic matter – it's a lot different than what comes in a bag and is called "potting soil". So, I'm saying topsoil (natural soil) mixed with compost. And by compost, I mean composted organic material, such as what you'd make from kitchen buckets of compost, added to a covered compost pile and left to biodegrade for some months, along with various other inputs, such as grass clippings, animal manure, some soil to introduce microbes, and the right amount of moisture.
You may not have access to natural soil, and compost, in order to mix the two together; however, in my mind that's what you'll want to approximate however you can.
To mix the two together, figure 30% topsoil, 70% compost.
Here's approximate amounts of those initial ingredients, adding up to 28 gal: compost soil (12 gal) , worm castings (3.5 gal), coco coir (7 gal), perlite (3.5 gal), biochar - optional (1-2 gal).
Just for reference... here's some ratios I put together for 16 gal of supersoil (organic matter added - orange)
| ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ | ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ | ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ |
| natural topsoil | 3 gal | minerals, organic matter, microbes |
| compost | 4 gal | |
| worm castings (fresh worm soil w/ worms) | 2 gal | microbes, humates, fulvates |
| coco coir | 4 gal | neutral pH, 5.7–6.5 (peat moss is acidic: 3.0–4.0) |
| perlite | 2 gal | medium, soil mix grade |
| biochar | 1 gal | microbe habitat, conserve nutrients |
+ ferts
bat guano (N)
seabird guano (Ca, P)
dolomite lime (Ca, Mg)
oyster shell powder (Ca)
greensand (K, Fe, Si)
gypsum (Ca, S)
potassium sulfate (K, S) -or- langbeinite (K,Mg,S)
kelp meal (Fe, S, minerals, aminos)
silica powder (Si) | ----- | organic ferts |
| Mykos | ----- | mycorrhizal fungus: Rhizophagus intraradices |
Now back to our 32 gal batch... starting with a wheelbarrow full of 28 gal of recycled soil.
In your case, 12 gal of compost soil. Don't wet the soil yet... best to work it while dry.
The first thing I do is work the soil with my hands and a large trowel, to break up clumps and remove roots and any larger stones. Then I start adding the ferts – I just dump them all on the surface of the soil.
Here are approx. fert amounts based on my last batch (c = cup):
1c oyster shell powder (Ca)
1c seabird guano (Ca, P)
2c bat guano (N)
1.5c dolomite lime (Ca, Mg)
2c greensand (K, Fe, Si)
2c gypsum (Ca, S)
0.5c potassium sulfate (K, S) -or- langbeinite (K, Mg, S)
1c kelp meal (Fe, S, minerals, aminos)
0.5c silica powder (SiO2)
TOTAL: about 11.5 cups... close to 3 quarts
Now I start mixing the ferts into the soil, by hand. This involves just a lot of digging and turning with a large trowel, and with your hands. My tool of choice is the plastic head of a kids' shovel... nice a wide.
When fully mixed, add a gallon of pure water, to wet and activate the soil. Mix it in.
At this point, I like to have the coco coir moist. Usually I expand a brick with water just prior to making a batch of supersoil. So, it's thoroughly damp but not soggy.
Now add your worm castings (3.5 gal), coco coir (7 gal), perlite (3.5 gal), and biochar - optional (1-2 gal). Note: if you don't use biochar, just add more of any or all of the other ingredients.
Now mix these in fully, digging and turning until it's all mixed up well.
TA DA! Ready for planting.
Hey, CBD!
Do you have perhaps a specific recipe, so I can be sure I have enough of all the stuff?
Also, do you let your mix cook?
I am not familiar with sterilizing soil – I've never done it. This mix I'm talking about here is full of microbes, due to the fresh worm compost, as well as compost soil. It wouldn't make sense to sterilize either of those. If you are making compost soil using some local topsoil, you may wish to sterilize the topsoil. Whether or not that is actually necessary, I don't know – it depends on the soil and where you source it from.
RE: Mycorrhizal fungi and Trichoderma
I use myco "in the hole" when I'm up potting. For example, when I plant a clone into a 1 gal pot, I'll fill the pot to about 2" below the top w/ soil, and then make a hole in the soil with my hands to accept the root ball of the clone. I sprinkle some myco in the hole, and then spray it with water to dampen. Then I gently place the root ball in the hole, and cover with soil.
I'm using trichoderma as a treatment for root zone problems. BUT I have also now added it to my worm bins, so it will be present whenever I add fresh worm soil to my soil mix. You can always introduce it at any time by watering it in – i.e. using Mikrobs or Recharge. Fyi... Recharge does contain 2 species of trichoderma, even though it isn't always listed on the back of the package. This apparently is due to differences in labeling requirements for various U.S. states.
So... 1tsp of either is nearly the same in terms of amount of microbes. Mikrobs is less expensive.
