Vegan4life
Well-Known Member
I spread out a tarp and dump all of the ingredients in a pile in the middle of the tarp and mix it all up good with a shovel or get down and dirty and dive in with my hands and arms and mix it up.
Making my own soil
- Thread starter Gimik
- Start date
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- #22
So I got my soil mixed up and added about 5gal of RO water and stirred it up nicely. The soil is pretty moist but not overly wet. My concern though is because I'm keeping my tote indoors, and my place constantly has the AC on at about 72 degrees that it won't be warm enough to kick start the microbes and cook the soil.
You think I should just leave it outside and keep adding water as it dries or leave it inside and perhaps insulate the container with blankets or something? It's only been a few days but the soil is still really cold to the touch.
You think I should just leave it outside and keep adding water as it dries or leave it inside and perhaps insulate the container with blankets or something? It's only been a few days but the soil is still really cold to the touch.
My vote would be for outside. I've had a tote outside now since June 21st and have yet to need to add water to it. I do admit I added too much water in the beginning though.
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- #24
Oh it looks like I didn't mention in my previous post but im currently living through the brutal Arizona summer so its 110 degrees outside everyday which leads me to believe I probably shouldn't subject my microbes to such extreme temps.
I just have my tote sitting my in tent atm. I leave it zipped up but with the AC always blasting idk if it'll warm up.
I just have my tote sitting my in tent atm. I leave it zipped up but with the AC always blasting idk if it'll warm up.
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- #25
Another question.
Does the size of my pots matter when using a "water-only" method? I'm reading that people recommend using 10gal+ pots.
I'm using bagseed, so I plan on starting with like 4 seeds in red solo cups, moving up to 1gal. Then hopefully I can tell the sex by this point because depending on how many females I get I was going to move up to 5gal or 7gal pots.
Does the size of my pots matter when using a "water-only" method? I'm reading that people recommend using 10gal+ pots.
I'm using bagseed, so I plan on starting with like 4 seeds in red solo cups, moving up to 1gal. Then hopefully I can tell the sex by this point because depending on how many females I get I was going to move up to 5gal or 7gal pots.
Vegan4life
Well-Known Member
I definitely would go no smaller than 10 gallon pots for water only. But that is my opinion, others will say differently. For autos I think you could get away with 7 gallon pots, photos definitely need bigger, bigger pot, bigger root ball, bigger/ more buds
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- #27
Vegan4life
Well-Known Member
It's ALIVE! Living organic soil... Probably mold or fungus, it is a good thing...
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- #29
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- #30
Question.
So I have all my soil cooking in my tote right now. Should I be adding my banana peels after I eat them? Would it be beneficial to sprinkle some clover seed and let that grow. Then when i mix the soil their roots get mixed up and decompose etc.
Worms! Should I add worms to the tote, to my pots?
So I have all my soil cooking in my tote right now. Should I be adding my banana peels after I eat them? Would it be beneficial to sprinkle some clover seed and let that grow. Then when i mix the soil their roots get mixed up and decompose etc.
Worms! Should I add worms to the tote, to my pots?
Vegan4life
Well-Known Member
Worms eat banana peels, if you are cooking your soil and it is actually getting hot it will kill the worm. I would also wait on the clover top cover until soil is in its final containers.
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- #32
Vegan4life
Well-Known Member
I would get the fine. Did they tell you what it was made from? It looks as if they sifted the compost and are selling it as fine and chunky.
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- #34
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- #35
Question about Humus Layer. I still don't fully understand what this is but from what I've gathered it's simply an organic layer of decomposing materials that helps with water retention and overall health of the soil system. How do I create this in my own no till pots?
When I started germinating my seeds I filled a couple of my 1gal pots with FFOF, sprinkled some clover seeds, then covered with more FFOF. My thinking was that if I got the clover started before I transplanted into the 1gal that the clover will have already pulled Nitrogen out of the air and stored it in the roots. I was hoping that my seeds would have sprouted by now but its been 5 days in the soil and 0/4 seeds have poked their heads out. Two of them had a tap root sticking out, the other two had cracked the shell and I could see the white tap root but it wasn't sticking out. I planted them anyway.
I'm to the point where my clover is going to be fully grown by the time I'm ready to transplant from the red solo cups (if my seeds ever sprout >.<). My plan is to chop the clover and cover with a layer of EWC. To bring things back to the humus layer, will chopping the clover and covering with EWC, allow the bacteria/fungi to break it down and aid in the creation of this layer? I will eventually transplant from the 1gal to the final 10gal notill pots. I won't be losing any material when I transplant from 1gal--> 10gal so wouldn't this add to the notill pots' humus layer?
I apologize is this seems disorganized...I often struggle putting my thoughts into typed format.
When I started germinating my seeds I filled a couple of my 1gal pots with FFOF, sprinkled some clover seeds, then covered with more FFOF. My thinking was that if I got the clover started before I transplanted into the 1gal that the clover will have already pulled Nitrogen out of the air and stored it in the roots. I was hoping that my seeds would have sprouted by now but its been 5 days in the soil and 0/4 seeds have poked their heads out. Two of them had a tap root sticking out, the other two had cracked the shell and I could see the white tap root but it wasn't sticking out. I planted them anyway.
I'm to the point where my clover is going to be fully grown by the time I'm ready to transplant from the red solo cups (if my seeds ever sprout >.<). My plan is to chop the clover and cover with a layer of EWC. To bring things back to the humus layer, will chopping the clover and covering with EWC, allow the bacteria/fungi to break it down and aid in the creation of this layer? I will eventually transplant from the 1gal to the final 10gal notill pots. I won't be losing any material when I transplant from 1gal--> 10gal so wouldn't this add to the notill pots' humus layer?
I apologize is this seems disorganized...I often struggle putting my thoughts into typed format.
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- #36
So I finally got around to calling the composting site and they told me they only accept used soil and green composts. They say they mainly get their green clippings from local landscaping companies etc. They also said they DO NOT use manures so I don't have to worry about the use of dewormers. I'm probably going to go and fill up a 5gal bucket of their chunky compost to throw in my worm bin.
adudecalledjay
Well-Known Member
Personally I used to use bottled nutrients and pearlite for hempy grow.
I too wanted to get away from that and do a more natural approach and make my own soil.
Many people have helped me dip through the endless reading and experimenting.
This is what I'm doing now and I'm seriously happy still doing hempys.
Soil:
1bag HP Pro mix with Mycorrhizae (70)
1 bag of regular soil (30)
Mix soils 70/30
Nutrients;
Gaia green 444 all purpose (2 tbsp per 1gal)
Gaia green 284 Flowering (2 tbsp per 1gal)
Gaia Green Worm Castings (2 tbsp per 1gal)
Recipe I'm currently using;
#1) Pre-mixing soil when transplanting plants into grow container...
Thoroughly mix into soil (2 tbsp-444) and (2 tbsp-284) per (4L/1gal.) And 2 tbsp of worm Castings of soil or growing medium.
Add the plant, water plant, done.
No food for 3 weeks, only water.
#2) Vegging
Gently dig/throughly mix (1tbsp-444) and (1tbsp-284) per (4L/1gal.) And 1bsp of worm castings in soil surface to mix everything and water.
No food for 3 weeks, only water.
Apply every 3 weeks untill your ready to flower.
#3) Flowering
Gently dig/throughly mix (2tbsp-284) per (4L/1gal.) And (2tbsp of worm castings) in soil surface to mix everything and water.
Apply every 3 weeks untill flowing is done.
Enjoy your weed.
Question for you @CADBOY on your Gaia Green addition. Does this amount of amendment to the soil last the whole life of your grow or do you need to top dress later on? Just wondering as I'm using them as well, but at a total of 1 TBSP/GAL, so .5 tbsp 444 and .5 tbsp 284 per gallon, and I'm planning on top-dressing every 4 weeks (switching to pure 284 at 1TBSP/gal as I hit flower).
I'm asking because I would prefer to load all amendments up-front and avoid top-dressing if I could get away with it!
Thanks in advance
CADBOY
Well-Known Member
Question for you @CADBOY on your Gaia Green addition. Does this amount of amendment to the soil last the whole life of your grow or do you need to top dress later on? Just wondering as I'm using them as well, but at a total of 1 TBSP/GAL, so .5 tbsp 444 and .5 tbsp 284 per gallon, and I'm planning on top-dressing every 4 weeks (switching to pure 284 at 1TBSP/gal as I hit flower).
I'm asking because I would prefer to load all amendments up-front and avoid top-dressing if I could get away with it!
Thanks in advance
I'm doing exactly as you describe.
I'm just feeding for 3 weeks at a time. Works perfectly.
Green leave right till the week I choped them down.
Not sure what will happen if you load everything all up front. Just set alarm on your phone or calendar to top dress every 3 weeks.
CADBOY
Well-Known Member
Question for you @CADBOY on your Gaia Green addition. Does this amount of amendment to the soil last the whole life of your grow or do you need to top dress later on? Just wondering as I'm using them as well, but at a total of 1 TBSP/GAL, so .5 tbsp 444 and .5 tbsp 284 per gallon, and I'm planning on top-dressing every 4 weeks (switching to pure 284 at 1TBSP/gal as I hit flower).
I'm asking because I would prefer to load all amendments up-front and avoid top-dressing if I could get away with it!
Thanks in advance
This is how I'm doing it.
#1) Pre-mixing soil when transplanting plants into grow container...
Thoroughly mix into soil
(2 tbsp-444)
(2 tbsp-284)
(2 tbsp-WC) per (4L/1gal.) Into growing medium, Add the plant, water plant, done. No food for 3 weeks, only water.
#2) Vegging
Gently dig/throughly mix
(1tbsp-444)
(1tbsp-284)
(1 tbsp-WC) per (4L/1gal.)
Into soil surface to mix everything.
Apply every 3 weeks untill your ready to flower.
#3) Flowering
Gently dig/throughly mix
(2tbsp-284)
(1tbsp-WC) per (4L/1gal.)
Into soil surface to mix everything.
Apply every 3 weeks untill flowing is done.
Enjoy your weed.
