Phillybonker
Well-Known Member
What percentage of organic matter should make up a healthy living soil?, I ask this question because i'm wondering how much compost to add to the ground soil I plan on growing in.
What is a good amount of organic matter to have in the soil?
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@StoneOtter - Can you help Philly with his question?
I go 1/3 compost 1/3 potting soil and 1/3 Perlite with a little vermiculite and rock dust. This excludes top dressings of worm castings and all that good stuff. For me,1/3 total volume is straight up high quality compost and that's my base soil which I ammend with top dressings. Fully organic and water only grows
Hi Phillybonker, I'm with Lerugged. Here's from something I found from Clackamas Coots recipe:
CLACKAMAS COOTS MIX
CLACKAMAS COOTS MIX
- 1/3 sphagnum peat moss.
- 1/3 aération (perlite, pumice, lava rock, rice hulls, etc.)
- 1/3 HIGH QUALITY compost and/or worm casting.
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Phillybonker
Well-Known Member
That's quite a decent amount of compost. I do guerrilla growing out in the bush and most of my spots have soil already rich in organic matter but my main spot has sandy loam soil so looks like I got alot compost to haul in, 50L of compost x 9 plants = 450L of compost. Oh this is going to fun.
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Phillybonker
Well-Known Member
Alright 30% it is. I'll take a look at that Clackamas Coots recipe. Thanks man
If you can they'll love it!That's quite a decent amount of compost. I do guerrilla growing out in the bush and most of my spots have soil already rich in organic matter but my main spot has sandy loam soil so looks like I got alot compost to haul in, 50L of compost x 9 plants = 450L of compost. Oh this is going to fun.
Here's the rest of Coots mix if you're interested:
Clackamas Coot Soil Mix
By volume mix the following...
1/3 Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss (CSPM)
1/3 Aeration - I use 3/8" pumice (aka volcanic glass - completely inert)
1/3 Vermicompost
When it comes to CSPM it does not matter one iota as far as the brand as long as it's designated as CSPMA (Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association) which is a partnership between the handful of authorized harvesters and the Canadian government. CSPMA sets the harvest limit and not market demands.
You should ind this at Home Depot and Lowe's in 3.8 cf bales and if it is not available at your local stores then order it online (HomeDepot.com) and have them 'ship to store' at your store of choice. No charge for shipping and handling!
A cubic foot is about 7.20 gallons or 115 cups...
To this I add the following amendments to each 1 cubic foot..
1 cup kelp meal
1 cup neem meal or an equal amount of neem & karanja mix
1 cup of limestone or more exactly Calcium Carbonate CaCO3 so Oyster Shell Powder/flour can also be used as it is also a pure Calcium Carbonate material
1/2 cup Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) available at all DIY stores but you must get the material in the garden section and not in the home remodel section. There are 2 forms of gypsum so make sure you get the one for soil and not walls...
Finally there is the rock dust which I recommend 3 cups of either basalt or granite. Only these 2 materials are 'paramagnetic' which is an integral part of the CeC discussion (Cation exchange Capacity).
Rock dusts like Azomite, bentonite, zeolite and others are called 'colloidal minerals' - alumina-silicate. For example Azomite is a brand name. A geologist would know it as "Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate" and it's known as "Montmorillonite clay"
This clay has been used in France to built ceramic bread ovens which look like a bee hive. They have a small door in the front of the oven where loaves of bread are move in and out using what is called a peel.
While it makes a great ceramic oven I can't find much to cause me to recommend it in a true living soil that is supposed to last 'forever' if taken care of using organic methods.
Jonny5
Well-Known Member
If you are into the organic, living soil, You need to google super soil.I love this stuff, do a little research on the addition of beneficial bacteria and benefits of beneficial nematodes . You can also read up on living no till soils, you WILL be amazed at the growth you will achieve... I have 2 five gallon buckets in each hole just ph water, check soil ph occasionaly , top dress with kelp and worm ... bobs your uncle... In the words of DR Sumac “ 1976 “ know it , Hoe it , sow it ,grow it ,stow it and blow it.. pics June first moved them out side last pic first week August.. 6 foot tall 4 foot wide “” reminds me of a girl I once knew “” just water no F ‘ N with nutrients its all in the pudding ... and talk about the best tasting, smooth smokin , mind altering,, don’t even get me started on that topic.. live long and prosper duds and dudets
Nunyabiz
Well-Known Member
Can't go wrong with the Coots mix as Stone suggested.
I go with the pumice/Rice hulls/biochar mixture for my 30% aeration and also add some MontanaGrow Amorphous Volcanic Tuff for silicon.
And the 30% compost should be aged well.
I go with the pumice/Rice hulls/biochar mixture for my 30% aeration and also add some MontanaGrow Amorphous Volcanic Tuff for silicon.
And the 30% compost should be aged well.
Jonny5
Well-Known Member
The plants you see in the garden are of my own breeding... 4th year trials and hopefully they will be spectacular... For now I’m Just calling it Budda- Gucci
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Phillybonker
Well-Known Member
Nice plants you got there, even your neighbors vine plant seems to be getting some benefits from your super soil judging by the then and now photo's.If you are into the organic, living soil, You need to google super soil.I love this stuff, do a little research on the addition of beneficial bacteria and benefits of beneficial nematodes . You can also read up on living no till soils, you WILL be amazed at the growth you will achieve... I have 2 five gallon buckets in each hole just ph water, check soil ph occasionaly , top dress with kelp and worm ... bobs your uncle... In the words of DR Sumac “ 1976 “ know it , Hoe it , sow it ,grow it ,stow it and blow it.. pics June first moved them out side last pic first week August.. 6 foot tall 4 foot wide “” reminds me of a girl I once knew “” just water no F ‘ N with nutrients its all in the pudding ... and talk about the best tasting, smooth smokin , mind altering,, don’t even get me started on that topic.. live long and prosper duds and dudets
I'll do some research into super soils and beneficial nematodes which I didn't know could be of any benefit, I always assumed all nematodes are bad critters for plants.
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Phillybonker
Well-Known Member
I'm assuming Big Buddha Cheese x something?
Jonny5
Well-Known Member
Yes there are several good nematodes that will attack and kill fungus nat larvae and any other bad earth born bugs and will keep the bad root bound nematodes at bay ... the vines are my grapes ( for wine) good wine , just a bit of a bitch for the powdery mildew
Jonny5
Well-Known Member
You have a good eye.. yes I started out with a straight up Bubba Kush. Good genetics
cbdhemp808
Well-Known Member
Hey Philly, I'll take a crack at this... not to bypass what the others said, which was great.
I'll go by feel here, cuz I do a lot of that in my grow.
Anyhooz... imagine a wheelbarrow that you want to fill up with 16 gal of living soil. Here's some ratios that pop out of my head... replace coir with peat moss if you must, but I love coir...
| ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ | ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ | ⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅ |
| on-site dirt | 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 | |
| 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) | ----- | organic ferts |
| Mykos | ----- | mycorrhizal fungus: Rhizophagus intraradices |
69% added organic material
Jonny5
Well-Known Member
Just a couple of pics of the super soil root mass.. as you can see I dug a 3’ area but the roots went beyond that,, next summer I will do 4x4x18” deep
Yep, a lot of hauling. Guerrilla growing is not easy. The more hauling then the greater the chance someone will notice the constant in and out of the bush and become curious as to what is going on or report the strange activity.
It might be easier to move some of the richer soil from the other smaller spots you mentioned to the area with the sandy loam. It has been awhile since I saw the photo of the clear cut but what about moving some soil from along the edges? Might be less walking since you are already there. If either choice is possible then just bring in a bag or two of the amendments you want to add. Lot less exposure to the curious eyes who might want to report the unfamiliar activity.
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Phillybonker
Well-Known Member
The spot with the sandy loam I won't be using this season because some van campers are permanently parked in the area and I can't get in or out of the area without that lot watching my every move.
I also abandoned my other spots in the forestry because I came across another grower in the area prepping, I tracked him to his grow spot, I could hear him but couldn't see him. Remembering that I had a knife pulled on me last season by another grower in the bush I decided I didn't want to deal with any of that this season so I abandoned the area.
Since then a recently retired grower has gifted me her old grow spots and although it's a 3 hour drive from my home it's better than having no grow spots.
Jonny5
Well-Known Member
That’s a lot of traveling,, if you want to get your spot back Just go and pull the other growers plants,, he will leave the area,, I know it seems a little uncouth but you where there first... if he hasn’t planted yet leave a coke bottle in his patch, something to let them know,, I was here “”
Jonny5
Well-Known Member
Its a jungle out there
