Worth buying BuildASoils soil?

[PadawanWarrior]

If top dressing with it, how long does it take to break down approximately? I just ordered some craft blend and some ewc. Should I make a tea?

Some of it starts breaking down fast, and some things take longer to break down. You can make a tea if you want, but I'd just top dress with it. You can mix some Craft Blend straight into the top, and then add some EWC and water it. Or, what I like doing now, which is mixing them first and letting it cook for a couple days first. But you don't have to do that. I just like to do it like that now. I think my worms appreciate it when I do it like that.

You might want to use a mulch layer, but it's not absolutely necessary.

 

[Hollatchaboy]

Some of it starts breaking down fast, and some things take longer to break down. You can make a tea if you want, but I'd just top dress with it. You can mix some Craft Blend straight into the top, and then add some EWC and water it. Or, what I like doing now, which is mixing them first and letting it cook for a couple days first. But you don't have to do that. I just like to do it like that now. I think my worms appreciate it when I do it like that.

You might want to use a mulch layer, but it's not absolutely necessary.

Ok, this is what I have going. I have 2 plants about a month from clone. They're in ffhf(don't judge. It's all my store has). I'm gonna grow them to mom's up to 3 gal. They're in 1/2 gal. now. Can I just keep top dressing to keep them going as moms? And when you cook your mix, what do you cook it in? And should I use tap water, or r.o. water when watering?

 

[PadawanWarrior]

Ok, this is what I have going. I have 2 plants about a month from clone. They're in ffhf(don't judge. It's all my store has). I'm gonna grow them to mom's up to 3 gal. They're in 1/2 gal. now. Can I just keep top dressing to keep them going as moms? And when you cook your mix, what do you cook it in? And should I use tap water, or r.o. water when watering?

Sure you can keep top dressing the moms. And there's nothing wrong with Fox Farms soils. I started with FFOF and turned it into no-till.

I don't actually Cook the soil. They say that because the soil actually gets hot with certain amendments as the microbes break shit down. It's kinda crazy how hot the soil can actually get. I just mix the EWC, pumice, and dry amendments together in a bowl and keep it moist for a few days or so. I'll put a cover over it lightly kinda like a humidity dome just because it's so dry here. Stir it up a little each day too. If it's hot, I wait longer. When it cools down I top dress with it. Last time I did it I tested the mix the day after I mixed it up and it was 105 degrees. After a few days it was room temp.

It depends on your water. I just use my well water.

 

[Hollatchaboy]

Sure you can keep top dressing the moms. And there's nothing wrong with Fox Farms soils. I started with FFOF and turned it into no-till.

I don't actually Cook the soil. They say that because the soil actually gets hot with certain amendments as the microbes break shit down. It's kinda crazy how hot the soil can actually get. I just mix the EWC, pumice, and dry amendments together in a bowl and keep it moist for a few days or so. I'll put a cover over it lightly kinda like a humidity dome just because it's so dry here. Stir it up a little each day too. If it's hot, I wait longer. When it cools down I top dress with it. Last time I did it I tested the mix the day after I mixed it up and it was 105 degrees. After a few days it was room temp.

It depends on your water. I just use my well water.

Cool man, thanks for the info. I'm really getting into this soil grow thing. If I can keep some mom's alive a while, I'll try flowering. I figured I'd get my feet wet with veg first. I'm just worried with my water. I have city water but the ec is high. I have an ro filter but then I need to add cal mag. I wanna get off bottled nutes completely.

 

[Hollatchaboy]

Sure you can keep top dressing the moms. And there's nothing wrong with Fox Farms soils. I started with FFOF and turned it into no-till.

I don't actually Cook the soil. They say that because the soil actually gets hot with certain amendments as the microbes break shit down. It's kinda crazy how hot the soil can actually get. I just mix the EWC, pumice, and dry amendments together in a bowl and keep it moist for a few days or so. I'll put a cover over it lightly kinda like a humidity dome just because it's so dry here. Stir it up a little each day too. If it's hot, I wait longer. When it cools down I top dress with it. Last time I did it I tested the mix the day after I mixed it up and it was 105 degrees. After a few days it was room temp.

It depends on your water. I just use my well water.

Lol yea I know. I've watched piles of compost steam on my friends farm.

 

[PadawanWarrior]

Cool man, thanks for the info. I'm really getting into this soil grow thing. If I can keep some mom's alive a while, I'll try flowering. I figured I'd get my feet wet with veg first. I'm just worried with my water. I have city water but the ec is high. I have an ro filter but then I need to add cal mag. I wanna get off bottled nutes completely.

You might not need to add calmag. Craft Blend has quite a bit of Ca in it. It might have enough Mg too, especially with the EWC too. The EWC from Build a Soil is good shit.

 

[Hollatchaboy]

Sure you can keep top dressing the moms. And there's nothing wrong with Fox Farms soils. I started with FFOF and turned it into no-till.

I don't actually Cook the soil. They say that because the soil actually gets hot with certain amendments as the microbes break shit down. It's kinda crazy how hot the soil can actually get. I just mix the EWC, pumice, and dry amendments together in a bowl and keep it moist for a few days or so. I'll put a cover over it lightly kinda like a humidity dome just because it's so dry here. Stir it up a little each day too. If it's hot, I wait longer. When it cools down I top dress with it. Last time I did it I tested the mix the day after I mixed it up and it was 105 degrees. After a few days it was room temp.

It depends on your water. I just use my well water.

Is the pumice just for aeration? Sorry about all the questions, I just wanna make sure I have this right.

 

[Hollatchaboy]

You might not need to add calmag. Craft Blend has quite a bit of Ca in it. It might have enough Mg too, especially with the EWC too. The EWC from Build a Soil is good shit.

Good cuz I got ewc from them also. The shipping was free so all in all pricing wasn't bad. Is there another source for mg? I'm petty sure that's what my plants are always lacking.

 

[PadawanWarrior]

Is the pumice just for aeration? Sorry about all the questions, I just wanna make sure I have this right.

No worries man. I'm glad to help. Ya, I use the pumice for aeration. I use pumice because it doesn't break down like perlite. But you can use perlite too if you are doing a ROLS. I'm trying no-till though, so that's why I use pumice and lava rock instead.

For a mulch I use rice hulls, but most people use straw. It's just what I decided to use. I figured that would slowly add more silica as it breaks down.

I'm still a rookie at this organic stuff though, so take everything I say with a grain of salt.

 

[Hollatchaboy]

No worries man. I'm glad to help. Ya, I use the pumice for aeration. I use pumice because it doesn't break down like perlite. But you can use perlite too if you are doing a ROLS. I'm trying no-till though, so that's why I use pumice and lava rock instead.

For a mulch I use rice hulls, but most people use straw. It's just what I decided to use. I figured that would slowly add more silica as it breaks down.

I'm still a rookie at this organic stuff though, so take everything I say with a grain of salt.

I'll see if my store has pumice. If not I'll go with the perlite. Not sure if they'll have the mulch either.


You've given me good advice before. I have a some what basic understanding of the processes but not the experience. You have the experience, so I'll take your advice.

 

[Hollatchaboy]

Good cuz I got ewc from them also. The shipping was free so all in all pricing wasn't bad. Is there another source for mg? I'm petty sure that's what my plants are always lacking.

Can I use mgso4? Or is that a no no with organic?

 

[PadawanWarrior]

Good cuz I got ewc from them also. The shipping was free so all in all pricing wasn't bad. Is there another source for mg? I'm petty sure that's what my plants are always lacking.

There's lots of sources for Mg. Some of the amendments in the Craft Blend have Mg in it. Sul-Po-Mag is one of them. Also know as langbeinite.

There's also Epsom salt. Which is Mg and S. I'm hesitant to add to my soil much though. But it works best as a foliar anyways. So if you think you have a Mg deficiency spray them with an Epsom salt solution and see if they look better the next day. Just make sure you get one without any perfumes or dyes. 100% Epsom salt.

 

[PadawanWarrior]

Can I use mgso4? Or is that a no no with organic?

That's Epsom salt I'm pretty sure.

 

[Hollatchaboy]

There's lots of sources for Mg. Some of the amendments in the Craft Blend have Mg in it. Sul-Po-Mag is one of them. Also know as langbeinite.

There's also Epsom salt. Which is Mg and S. I'm hesitant to add to my soil much though. But it works best as a foliar anyways. So if you think you have a Mg deficiency spray them with an Epsom salt solution and see if they look better the next day. Just make sure you get one without any perfumes or dyes. 100% Epsom salt.

I have actual mgso4 that came with my jacks 321. I just wasn't sure if it's bad for microbes in soil.

 

[PadawanWarrior]

I have actual mgso4 that came with my jacks 321. I just wasn't sure if it's bad for microbes in soil.

I'm not sure if it's the exact same thing, or if it's in the same form. But it's probably just Epsom salt. But I don't like to use Epsom either really in my soil. I've heard mixed things about it adding it to soil. Hydro is another thing since you're constantly watering until runoff.

Epsom's great as a foliar though.

 

[Hollatchaboy]

I'm not sure if it's the exact same thing, or if it's in the same form. But it's probably just Epsom salt. But I don't like to use Epsom either really in my soil. I've heard mixed things about it adding it to soil. Hydro is another thing since you're constantly watering until runoff.

Epsom's great as a foliar though.

Yea it just seems like a band aid when using it as a foliar. If rather the nutrition come from the soil. I'll see if the craft blend works with my tap water. Worse case scenario I'll just keep using cal mag with r.o. lol

 

[maranibbana]

Based on coots mix so it’s different? What’s in yours? I don’t like messing around with recipes on my own because I could screw something up, Inhave once before.

coots 33% 1:1:1 is not their 3.0... their 3.0 is BOMB and so is their LITE soil I love both and can do so much with both...

love all their amendments

always clean

love the craft blend

their blue oyster mushroom barley straw mulch is amazing

love them lol

 

[Hollatchaboy]

Yea it just seems like a band aid when using it as a foliar. If rather the nutrition come from the soil. I'll see if the craft blend works with my tap water. Worse case scenario I'll just keep using cal mag with r.o. lol

Thanks again for the help. I appreciate ya.

 

[Hollatchaboy]

I'm not sure if it's the exact same thing, or if it's in the same form. But it's probably just Epsom salt. But I don't like to use Epsom either really in my soil. I've heard mixed things about it adding it to soil. Hydro is another thing since you're constantly watering until runoff.

Epsom's great as a foliar though.

Oops....I meant to reply to you.... thanks again for the help. I appreciate ya.

 

[PadawanWarrior]

Yea it just seems like a band aid when using it as a foliar. If rather the nutrition come from the soil. I'll see if the craft blend works with my tap water. Worse case scenario I'll just keep using cal mag with r.o. lol

There's always lime, but that will raise the pH.