A pound and a half of dirt for $50.. Earth Compound by Progress Earth.. Comments?

I've refused to buy a pound and a half of dirt for $50 for a few years now. The company Progress Earth offers some cool products that I've used with great success in conjunction with my organic regiment, but Earth Compound is the most expensive bag of dirt I've ever seen. I kind of disregarded this product all together as soon as I saw the price tag years ago. Their Tonic sea mineral complex, and Earth Syrup, which is basically a soluble instant compost tea, have both been part of my recipe for a while now. Both of those are pricey as well, but for some, possibly delusional reason, seemed more logical of a purchase to me.

Earlier this spring some reading led me to amending my dirt with ingredients such as dandelion, yarrow, stinging nettle, valerian, chamomile, and a few others. Then I stumbled on BioDynamic Preparations BD500-508. It's a plethora of ingredients that all apparently have a universal importance on an energetic level, all of which have been fermented inside of the earth. So in theory this stuff contains energy from other planets that has been incubated, maybe amplified with energy from Earth.

The only thing I have ever really learned in this life is that nothing is impossible.

I bought a pound and a half of dirt for $50. It was amended into a kinda sorta super soil between 2 plants out of the 31 that made it in the ground, under the sun, all summer.

It rained a lot.

One of the two gals was going to be a super early, super frosty, super fat finish. It was noticeably more vigorous than all the others. Then it rained a lot again.

Yeah those genes will be staying inside from now on.

The other one of the two that received the Earth Compound is currently the prettiest guerilla plant I have ever had in the ground. She is quite the specimen. Seven of the initial 31 will actually see finish. Ohh the life of the guerilla militia.

No doubt the plant with Earth Compound is the largest, happiest plant I've grown.

I'm thinking about taking the plunge and buying the larger container of Earth Compound.

Anybody else have fantastic results with this outrageously priced dirt?

Sorry to ramble.

You're right, nothing is impossible.

Especially what some will pay for very well crafted bullshit.

P.T. Barnum would love you.

Wet

Its soil not dirt.
& its composted plant matter not fermented/amplified/incubated inside the earth.

boblawblah421 said:

I've refused to buy a pound and a half of dirt for $50 for a few years now. The company Progress Earth offers some cool products that I've used with great success in conjunction with my organic regiment, but Earth Compound is the most expensive bag of dirt I've ever seen. I kind of disregarded this product all together as soon as I saw the price tag years ago. Their Tonic sea mineral complex, and Earth Syrup, which is basically a soluble instant compost tea, have both been part of my recipe for a while now. Both of those are pricey as well, but for some, possibly delusional reason, seemed more logical of a purchase to me.

Earlier this spring some reading led me to amending my dirt with ingredients such as dandelion, yarrow, stinging nettle, valerian, chamomile, and a few others. Then I stumbled on BioDynamic Preparations BD500-508. It's a plethora of ingredients that all apparently have a universal importance on an energetic level, all of which have been fermented inside of the earth. So in theory this stuff contains energy from other planets that has been incubated, maybe amplified with energy from Earth.

The only thing I have ever really learned in this life is that nothing is impossible.

I bought a pound and a half of dirt for $50. It was amended into a kinda sorta super soil between 2 plants out of the 31 that made it in the ground, under the sun, all summer.

It rained a lot.

One of the two gals was going to be a super early, super frosty, super fat finish. It was noticeably more vigorous than all the others. Then it rained a lot again.

Yeah those genes will be staying inside from now on.

The other one of the two that received the Earth Compound is currently the prettiest guerilla plant I have ever had in the ground. She is quite the specimen. Seven of the initial 31 will actually see finish. Ohh the life of the guerilla militia.

No doubt the plant with Earth Compound is the largest, happiest plant I've grown.

I'm thinking about taking the plunge and buying the larger container of Earth Compound.

Anybody else have fantastic results with this outrageously priced dirt?

Sorry to ramble.

Click to expand...

I enjoy putting positive energy into what I do, even if it is a load of horse shit on occasion.

I also learned lessons the hard way by putting all of my faith into one source of information, years ago.

This $50 bag o dirt most definitely contains matter that has been fermented and incubated, and I'm almost sold on the "amplified".

That six foot Lemon Skunk in lookin right.

I dunno... I think I'm gonna stick with my lessons learned and not put too much faith in one source of info, or in this case, two sources.

Thanks anyways guys.

Anybody else have an opinion on this over priced, voodoo mumbo jumbo spiritual astrological bullshit dirt?

I've already done one controlled comparison. I suppose I may do another before I spend $300 on one gallon of dirt.

Make your own soil. That's a bag of BS marketing is all.

I would be happy to discuss this, offer a recipe and sources, etc. Seriously, you can make better soil than what's in that bag.

I'm all about making my own concoctions. I'm about to start cooking up a 24 cubic foot batch of a pseudo super soil.

Recipe is as follows:

2.1 cuft of coco chips
2 cuft of coir
4.2 cuft of peat
2.5 cuft EWC
3.5 cuft expanded shale
2.5 cuft perlite
3.6 cuft mushroom compost
3.6 cuft compost w/ biochar
8 lbs Starter fertilizer 3-3-3 (Alfalfa Meal, Fish Bone Meal, Bat Guano, Feather Meal, Langbeinite, Oyster Shell, Greensand, Volcanic Ash, Kelp Meal, Mycorrhizal Fungi and Beneficial Bacteria)
2 lbs crab meal 4-3-0
1 lb yucca powder
1 lb glacial rock dust
1 lb colloidal phosphate & calcium 0-3-0
1 lb neem seed meal
1 lb dolomitic lime
1 lb diatomaceous earth

Half of this will stay my base soil, and the other half will get the following:

15 lb EWC
5 lb fish bone meal 3-16-0
3.75 lb blood meal 12-0-0
3/4 cup epsom salt
1 cup lime
1/2 cup azomite
2 lb Super Swell guano 0-7-0
2 lb cave bat guano 0-10-0
2 lb fossilized sea bird guano 1-10-1
50 grams humic / fulvic acid powder

That will all cook in black rain barrels in the sun for four weeks. After four weeks the following will be amended into the hot half of my dirt:

1 lb molasses powder
2 oz MicroFlora Inoculant
2 oz granular endomycorrhiza
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1/2 lb soluble seaweed powder[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I'll hit this with a compost tea brewed in my homemade vortex brewer, and cook it for another week.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The plants themselves will receive a combination of well water, RO water, and the occasional compost tea. They will be in 2/3 hot dirt, and 1/3 base dirt.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]It's quite the diverse blend already. This I am aware of.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I could always go and buy powdered forms of all, or some of the ingredients in the biodynamic preparations found in Earth Compound. However, I feel that there may possibly be something to letting these supposedly astrologically connected items ferment inside of the earth, on an astrological schedule. Not a single soul on this planet can truly convince me that this is, or is not a load of horse shit.
[/FONT]
Or I could just stick with my above mentioned recipe.

Or perhaps just buy a busket o fucking miracle grow.

I am always open to criticism.

Let's hear it.

Personally? I like the diversity that my own worm castings bring. That's the real heart of the soil. I would trade most of what you have for a new worm bin. You will make much higher quality compost than you can buy. Given that, you can streamline some of this diversity. And for pete's sake don't throw this soil away when you're done. It's just getting good...

I would just build an excellent soil and amend as you go, mostly with the worm compost from the worm bin you're getting... I wouldn't look to load some super-soil type plan.

So I'm not into guanos and so many inoculants. Fumic and Fulvic is already in good compost. Plenty of it. I'm done with blood and bone, but stick to fish and feather meals. I'm not a coco fan, but would use quality peat all day long. I'd forget perlite (and vermiculite for that matter) and look to biochar, pumice, and lava rock for my aeration. I have grown to not like Diatomaceous Earth at all.

But that's just me.

I haven't thrown away my media in almost three years. I've been doing this for six years now, but only organicly for the past few. All of my used media now just goes in the compost pile.

Yeah a good worm bin is definitely up there on my priority list. In your opinion, hould I buy, or build one? I also need to at least build a retaining wall for my stupid huge compost pile to keep some heat in it during the winter.

As far as the blood, bone, and guanos go... I have only used them for one bloom cycle, and it was my best yield to date. I took them out of my recipe, thinking that other environmental factors were the icing on my cake. My yield suffered, so I'm going back. Fish bone meal and blood meal will definitely be in my next batch of soil. That is unless someone can convince me to take another route all together within the next week or so.

The humic acid powder and the bene' inoculants could possibly be unnecessary, but I get them all for relatively cheap. I have let dirt cook with and without these ingredients. With the extra inoculants, the mycelium seems to colonize more vigorously.

What about DE don't you like?

Vermiculite can suck it, and so can that super chalky, powdery perlite. I only use the big & chunky perlite.

I've tried lava rocks once, and was not a fan. Expanded shale is where it's at in my opinion.

Biochar is definitely in my blend.

No opinion on biodynamics?

Care to share your specific recipe? A quick link will suffice.

Thanks.

The nutrients that guanos have are the same as can be found elsewhere. While I can appreciate your personal experience, you just don't need guanos.

For worm bins, I'd just get a bin. Jims worms or such.

Pre-charge the biochar with N so it doesn't rob your soil of it initially.

Rather than a jar of inoculants of microbes the plant doesn't care about, consider a shovel-full of soil from a local clean grassy field. The microbes there will kick the jar microbe's ass.

The Base - This is the core of the soil

1/3 Sphagnum Peat from Premier Peat or Alaska Peat
1/3 Aeration material (pumice and lava rock) http://www.ebay.com/itm/Normal-Pellet-Pumice-Cactus-Love-It-13-Pounds-Flatrate-/310701340806?pt=Fertilizer_Soil_Amendments&hash=item48573e3886
1/3 EWC Much better to use your own worm compost, but you can do that later.

Per Cubic Foot of that Base Soil:

The Mineral Package: Very important. This helps balance pH and provides years of slow release.

3 cup Charcoal (activated) GET LOCALLY. Crush Bagged charcoal (not Kingsford)
4 cups Rock Powders (4X Glacial, 1X Bentonite Clay, 1X Pyrophyllite Clay, 1X Basalt)

Glacial- http://www.gaiagreen.com/rockdust.html
Bentonite (Calcium)- http://www.groworganic.com/fertilizers/soil-amendments.html?p=6
Pyrophyllite - http://www.vitalityherbsandclay.com/farm-and-garden-products/silica-rich-pyro-clay-soil-amendment/view-all-products.html
Basalt- http://cascademineralsnw.com/consumer.html

1 Cup Sul-Po-Mag http://www.amazon.com/Natures-Wisdom-Sul-Po-Mag-5-lb/dp/B003AZ2DM0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1376583762&sr=8-3&keywords=sulpomag

1/2 cup this 3 part lime mix:
1 part powdered dolomite lime http://www.sea-of-green.com/nutrient...mite-lime.html
1 part agricultural gypsum http://www.amazon.com/Espoma-Organic-Traditions-Garden-Gypsum/dp/B000KL5HVQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1376577131&sr=1-2&keywords=agricultural+gypsum
2 parts powdered oyster shell http://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Pearl-Oyster-Shell-Flour/sim/B007DL0AGI/2

The Nutrient Package: The microbes will get busy storing this stuff.

1/2 Cup Neem Meal (2 g / L) http://www.neemresource.com
1/2 Cup Crab Shell Meal www.OrganicGrowers.com
2 Cups Kelp Meal www.OrganicGrowers.com
2 Cups Fish Meal http://www.amazon.com/Down-to-Earth-Fish-10-4-0/dp/B00AAFFELA/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1376583577&sr=8-6&keywords=down+to+earth+fish+meal
2 Cups Fish Bone Meal http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Earth-722-3-18-0-2-Pound/dp/B0047BIVOK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1376583406&sr=8-2&keywords=fish+meal
1/2 Cup Alfalfa GET LOCALLY

1 cubic foot = 7.5 gallons.

Optional: Moisten with Fresh Aloe (2 Tbs Juice with 1 gallon water) and Accelerant Tea (Comfrey, Yarrow, Horsetail or Nettle)

I pre-inoculate with BTI http://www.thatpetplace.com/mosquito-bits-larvicide-36oz?gdftrk=gdfV2226_a_7c268_a_7c6967_a_7c196070&ne_ppc_id=1463&ne_key_id=26452429&gclid=CLTRrJ_2gLkCFYxcMgodrQsA8A and Nematodes http://www.naturescontrol.com/thrip.html#pn

Speedy reply... That's what's up.

I do use aloe in my compost tea occasionally, and the ingredients in your mentioned accelerant tea are all in that Earth Compound. Is this accelerant tea a specific product that you purchase?

The BTI and nematodes should all be found in my compost tea, depending on what ingredients I have in it, which direction the vortex is moving (which I have the option to change), and how long it brews. No?

I do throw a bit of leaf mold from back in my woods, and a bit of soil from the base of my compost pile into my tea.

I read an article on the microbe, humic, and fulvic contents found in alaska peat compared to regular old sphagnum peat. There was a controlled study done that ended up stating that the alaska peat was no better. Since then I have stopped buying the over priced Alaskan shit.

Any experience with expanded shale? I personally like it more than lava, hydroton, pumice, or diatomite rock, but am open to new information.

To "pre-charge" the biochar, do I just soak it in a nutrient solution? What's the best organic way to go about this?

I'm gonna do a little research on some of the other things you have mentioned.

For now I must sleep. My guerilla plots have required insane amounts of attention this year. Another two all nighters ahead of me.

Thanks again.

The nutrients that guanos have are the same as can be found elsewhere. While I can appreciate your personal experience, you just don't need guanos.

For worm bins, I'd just get a bin. Jims worms or such.

Pre-charge the biochar with N so it doesn't rob your soil of it initially.

Rather than a jar of inoculants of microbes the plant doesn't care about, consider a shovel-full of soil from a local clean grassy field. The microbes there will kick the jar microbe's ass.

The Base - This is the core of the soil

1/3 Sphagnum Peat from Premier Peat or Alaska Peat
1/3 Aeration material (pumice and lava rock) http://www.ebay.com/itm/Normal-Pellet-Pumice-Cactus-Love-It-13-Pounds-Flatrate-/310701340806?pt=Fertilizer_Soil_Amendments&hash=item48573e3886
1/3 EWC Much better to use your own worm compost, but you can do that later.

Per Cubic Foot of that Base Soil:

The Mineral Package: Very important. This helps balance pH and provides years of slow release.

3 cup Charcoal (activated) GET LOCALLY. Crush Bagged charcoal (not Kingsford)
4 cups Rock Powders (4X Glacial, 1X Bentonite Clay, 1X Pyrophyllite Clay, 1X Basalt)

Glacial- http://www.gaiagreen.com/rockdust.html
Bentonite (Calcium)- http://www.groworganic.com/fertilizers/soil-amendments.html?p=6
Pyrophyllite - http://www.vitalityherbsandclay.com/farm-and-garden-products/silica-rich-pyro-clay-soil-amendment/view-all-products.html
Basalt- http://cascademineralsnw.com/consumer.html

1 Cup Sul-Po-Mag http://www.amazon.com/Natures-Wisdom-Sul-Po-Mag-5-lb/dp/B003AZ2DM0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1376583762&sr=8-3&keywords=sulpomag

1/2 cup this 3 part lime mix:
1 part powdered dolomite lime http://www.sea-of-green.com/nutrient...mite-lime.html
1 part agricultural gypsum http://www.amazon.com/Espoma-Organic-Traditions-Garden-Gypsum/dp/B000KL5HVQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1376577131&sr=1-2&keywords=agricultural+gypsum
2 parts powdered oyster shell http://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Pearl-Oyster-Shell-Flour/sim/B007DL0AGI/2

The Nutrient Package: The microbes will get busy storing this stuff.

1/2 Cup Neem Meal (2 g / L) http://www.neemresource.com
1/2 Cup Crab Shell Meal www.OrganicGrowers.com
2 Cups Kelp Meal www.OrganicGrowers.com
2 Cups Fish Meal http://www.amazon.com/Down-to-Earth-Fish-10-4-0/dp/B00AAFFELA/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1376583577&sr=8-6&keywords=down+to+earth+fish+meal
2 Cups Fish Bone Meal http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Earth-722-3-18-0-2-Pound/dp/B0047BIVOK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1376583406&sr=8-2&keywords=fish+meal
1/2 Cup Alfalfa GET LOCALLY

1 cubic foot = 7.5 gallons.

Optional: Moisten with Fresh Aloe (2 Tbs Juice with 1 gallon water) and Accelerant Tea (Comfrey, Yarrow, Horsetail or Nettle)

I pre-inoculate with BTI http://www.thatpetplace.com/mosquito-bits-larvicide-36oz?gdftrk=gdfV2226_a_7c268_a_7c6967_a_7c196070&ne_ppc_id=1463&ne_key_id=26452429&gclid=CLTRrJ_2gLkCFYxcMgodrQsA8A and Nematodes http://www.naturescontrol.com/thrip.html#pn

So Rrog...

You've led me to some interesting and astoundingly useful information. At least my gut instinct tells me it's about to be useful.

I'm 31 years old, and I've only developed a passion for gardening over the last six years. Every day throughout these past six years I get a little closer, and try a little harder to reach self-sustainability.

I've been confident from the very beginning of this particular adventure in my life that "less is more".

You and a few others that have been talking on the ROLS thread have nudged me even more, in what I feel will be, the right direction.

Thanks.

A few questions...

Can I use alfalfa hay as my source? That's all I've been able to find even remotely locally.

Do you have an opinion on using carbon from old scrubbers? Rinse, soak, or bake before I "pre-charge"? If I have to end up buying charcoal, is there something in particular I should keep my eye out for other than obvious, staying away from the presoaked stuff?

I have a few granite quarries close to me. Anything I should know before I go and attempt to scrounge up some leftovers?

Granite dust is fine.

Spent old carbon from scrubbers just needs to be charged with an N source. It's a great size and that's what I've used.

Alfalfa hay is great to use.

Keep the questions comin' while there's forward momentum!

cool-

guess i need to read the other thread. ready to fill my empty dumb head, rrog?

You're not dumb. You're looking at a better soil, that's how I know.

How about filling a 4x4 flood and drain table with ROLS, instead of using containers? I'm looking to setup a SCROG. I've done it with 49 one gallon smart pots in a 4x4 table and got fantastic results. Each plants' roots grew into the next. It was basically one giant root mass when it was done.

If I were to skip the containers and just fill the table with my well aged, locally sourced ROLS, flooding the table no longer seems like a logical irrigation method. Should I just build a pvc drip manifold? Blumats? I am short on vertical space, so my best results occur with lots of clones, and minimal veg time. A sufficient drip manifold would be a pain in the ass to build, and the cost of blumats would ad up, but I feel like both options would work very well. Any better ideas?

How many gallons of soil would that be?

Oh yeah...

Genetics...

Not sure what type of climate you live in, but humidity and rain are both issues for me. Even inside.

Indoors I like my ladies to be short and fat.

Outdoors I love em tall and... well... uh... yeah... fat.

I am on the hunt for one or more suitable for my indoor requirements, and one or more for outdoors.

My rain, humidity, and frost as early as early-mid October make me desperate for a couple quick finishers that are reputably mold resistant. I'm thinking Landraces...Afghan, Brazilian, Pakistan, Columbian... Or maybe The Church or Holland's Hope?

It would end up being right around 50 gallons of soil. Hopefully a little more. I plan on doing this with two 4x4's. Too bad I don't have a 4x8.

50 gallons for 4 plants is on the light side, maybe. 60 would be better. I have no opinion on the plant co-habitation. If that works, cool