ph and soil amnedments

[im4satori]

Yeah im gonna say your over complicating it, use this mix and i promise it will rock for ya
-4 gallons* Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil
-2 1/2 quarts* Chunky Perlite (soil already has a good bit of perlite in it)
-1 tablespoon* Hi-Cal lime (figured it would be a bit of a PH buffer in addition the FFOF Oyster Shells, but didn't want to go overboard)
-2 quarts* Earth Worm Castings (Provide bacteria and help supplement Nitrogen production for the plants)
-1/4cup* Espoma Tomato Tone 3-4-6 (mainly to provide a little extra N-P-K across the board)
-1/2cup* Algamin Kelp Meal 1-0-2 (mainly for trace elements)
-1/4cup*Espoma Greensand (mainly for water retention as I added extra perlite).

This^^soil mix I currently have sitting in a 5 gallon grow bag, but I've yet to moisten it, until I can add:
-1 quart Gia Green Glacial Rock Dust.

hmm your only using one tbs of the lime over 4 gallons
isn't that almost nothing? im asking..honestly not sure?

 

[im4satori]

im not sure I would need the lime

the gypsum (not listed in your mix but is listed in mine) has a good bit of calcium

im just still not sure where im getting my major source of magnesium

 

[im4satori]

3 cubic ft of soil.... 20 gallons

1/2 gallon rice husk
1/2 gallon EWC
1/2 gallon compost
2 cups kelp meal
2 cups alfalfa meal
2 cups crab meal
2 cup oyster shell
1/4 cup egg shell flour (because I save them)
2 cups gypsum
2 cups fishbone meal
2 cups tomato tone fertilizer
1 cup basalt rock dust ???? (not sure on amount)


I think im going with this formula unless someone sees an issue with it

I still need some info on appropriate basalt addition
and
looking at the above ingredients im still not surewhere the bulk of my magnesium comes from
maybe someone can school me

 

[prostheticninja]

Epsom salt? Not sure how long it will stay in the soil before washing out, but you could always mix it in with a feeding if you think you are getting low or just as a supplement.

 

[Chunky Stool]

3 cubic ft of soil.... 20 gallons

1/2 gallon rice husk
1/2 gallon EWC
1/2 gallon compost
2 cups kelp meal
2 cups alfalfa meal
2 cups crab meal
2 cup oyster shell
1/4 cup egg shell flour (because I save them)
2 cups gypsum
2 cups fishbone meal
2 cups tomato tone fertilizer
1 cup basalt rock dust ???? (not sure on amount)


I think im going with this formula unless someone sees an issue with it

I still need some info on appropriate basalt addition
and
looking at the above ingredients im still not surewhere the bulk of my magnesium comes from
maybe someone can school me

I use oyster shell and langbeinite together. Use half as much langbeinite as oyster shell.
I got lazy the last time I mixed organic soil and just beefed up some FFOF. Added oyster shell, langbeinite, worm castings, and extra perlite. I'll top dress my plants with Epsoma Tomato Tone in 30 days or so.

 

[im4satori]

I use oyster shell and langbeinite together. Use half as much langbeinite as oyster shell.
I got lazy the last time I mixed organic soil and just beefed up some FFOF. Added oyster shell, langbeinite, worm castings, and extra perlite. I'll top dress my plants with Epsoma Tomato Tone in 30 days or so.

Is the tomato tone a quicker release for some reason than the reg amendments?

does it not need to also cook?

 

[im4satori]

Epsom salt? Not sure how long it will stay in the soil before washing out, but you could always mix it in with a feeding if you think you are getting low or just as a supplement.

right
but which slow release organic soil amendment contains the largest amount of magnesium?

langbeinite- haven't heard that, I need to look it up

 

[Chunky Stool]

Is the tomato tone a quicker release for some reason than the reg amendments?

does it not need to also cook?

Nope, tomato tone is a slow release nute. These plants are going to be heavy feeders so the goal is to replace what they've consumed on a monthly basis. Top dressing is a great way to replenish the soil. If you've got a deficiency and need results fast, nutrient teas work very well. One of my favorite teas is peruvian seabird guano (11-12-0) + potassium sulfate (0-0-50). It can be ran all through veg and the first couple of weeks of flower. Then swap out the seabird guano for some Indonesian bat guano (0-7-0) and run that to the end.
Not sure why, but bat guano REALLY makes buds swell.

 

[im4satori]

Nope, tomato tone is a slow release nute. These plants are going to be heavy feeders so the goal is to replace what they've consumed on a monthly basis. Top dressing is a great way to replenish the soil. If you've got a deficiency and need results fast, nutrient teas work very well. One of my favorite teas is peruvian seabird guano (11-12-0) + potassium sulfate (0-0-50). It can be ran all through veg and the first couple of weeks of flower. Then swap out the seabird guano for some Indonesian bat guano (0-7-0) and run that to the end.
Not sure why, but bat guano REALLY makes buds swell.

am I understand correctly
you top dress tomato tone 1x per month?
how many grams or spoons? or is it by pot size?

 

[im4satori]

I haven't even started looking at teas yet

 

[im4satori]

Nope, tomato tone is a slow release nute. These plants are going to be heavy feeders so the goal is to replace what they've consumed on a monthly basis. Top dressing is a great way to replenish the soil. If you've got a deficiency and need results fast, nutrient teas work very well. One of my favorite teas is peruvian seabird guano (11-12-0) + potassium sulfate (0-0-50). It can be ran all through veg and the first couple of weeks of flower. Then swap out the seabird guano for some Indonesian bat guano (0-7-0) and run that to the end.
Not sure why, but bat guano REALLY makes buds swell.

you want to tell me how you make your teas

honestly ive never even looked at how to do it for a second
just about clueless

never had a need for it in hydro

 

[im4satori]

im looking at the stickys for teas now

 

[tpc_mikey]

Mag is in the Dolomite lime

 

[tpc_mikey]

And on the top dressing i just take 2 or table spoon fulls and sprinkle around the top of my soil i usually use kelp meal and the tomato tone i have topped dressed mine 2 times with it during veg really doubt you can over do it in organics i have dont the high N bat guano need to get some that is high in P and K for flower.

 

[Wetdog]

right
but which slow release organic soil amendment contains the largest amount of magnesium?

langbeinite- haven't heard that, I need to look it up

Uhhhh ... That would be dolomite lime.

I have 2 beefs with oyster shell flour and to a lesser degree with Calcitic (ag), lime.

The first is cost. Oyster shell flour, the product, isn't all that expensive (~$9/40lb bag), IF you are somewhat local to the SF Bay area where it is mined, or close to the Pacific coast. If it needs to be shipped, the cost becomes stupid expensive. Way more expensive than any supposed benefit, other than Coot singing its praises and it sounds cool.

Calcitic lime is similar as there are few places where you can mine pure Calcium Carbonate. SoFl is one (Oolitic limestone), and it's dirt cheap down there. But, to get it out of the state, the prices jump considerably. Up here in SC, Ag lime is about 4x the cost of dolomite ($16 vs $4.50/40lb bags). Still, cheaper than OSF and exactly the same thing, both pure Calcium Carbonate. Oolitic limestone comes from ancient coral beds, rather than shells.

The second is a false equivalency sort of deal. Mainly the mag in the dolomite will cause undue compaction. Sorta true, from SOIL studies of soils already rich in Mg. In our container mixes, there is no Mg until it's added and it's not already 'rich' in Mg. It might apply if you are actually growing in soil, like a garden, but has pretty much zero bearing on container mixes. Agriculture and Horticulture are not exactly the same thing and we aren't plowing fields.

Rant over

Wet

 

[Chunky Stool]

am I understand correctly
you top dress tomato tone 1x per month?
how many grams or spoons? or is it by pot size?

It is by pot size, but doesn't have to be exact. Just follow the instructions on the bag & you'll be fine.

 

[Chunky Stool]

you want to tell me how you make your teas

honestly ive never even looked at how to do it for a second
just about clueless

never had a need for it in hydro

Making nutrient tea is incredibly complicated.
Bah ha ha, I'm just messing with you -- it couldn't be easier.

• Fill a bucket with water.
• Add your stuff.
• Stir.
• Wait 24 hrs.
• Stir again.
• Give it to your plants.

Most of the time you can just follow the instructions on the box/bag. For guano, it's usually 1 tbsp per gallon. Potassium sulfate (K2SO4) is more concentrated, so only use 1/4 tsp per gallon.
If you need a lot, just make one batch extra strong, then dilute it before applying.

Microbial tea is a different animal. That's where you use a bubbler and worm castings.

 

[im4satori]

lets play fill in the blanks;
hows this look?

3 cubic ft/20 gallons soil (once used fox farm OF)

1/2 gallon rice husk
1/2 gallon EWC
1/2 gallon compost
2 cups alfalfa meal
2 cups kelp meal
2 cups gypsum
1/2 cup azomite
1 cups basalt rock?
1 cup granite rock?
?? cup dolomite?
?? oyster shell??

 

[im4satori]

is the alfalfa alone going to provide enough N?
small amount maybe some fish or blood meal?

 

[Tangerine_]

Maybe a cup each of the OSF and DL. The only other thing I would add is neem cake/meal for the extra N and for your IPM.

I also water with BioAGs Ful-Power. Really digging it.