Richard Drysift
Well-Known Member
Nice to see another organic grower getting started off right. I started out using FFOF and sunshine mix just as it was and transplanted often the first run to avoid deficiencies. It takes awhile for your mix to get to supernatural status but once you recycle and amend it a few times it just gets better and better with age.Hey RIU family, after much deliberation and research i have decided i want to go the way of organics. So after looking all over the organics forums and having started reading "Teaming with Microbes" i just wanted to post what i have in mind, that i want to add to my first ever organic grow.
Here is my list of what amendments,aeration, and base soils i would like to use. I have not looked into the brands quite yet ( in due time ) but i am in no rush, seeing as this is not only my first organic grow but my first indoor grow as well, and have lots of prep to do before i start buying equipment.
I will be making 7 cubic feet of soil (40 us gal) and growing in 5 gal fabric pots (6 plants total)
Base-
FFOF soil 1/3 of mix
From home EWC 1/3 of mix
Humus GOAF 1/3 of mix, but I'm not sure if i can find this locally if not i won't be using ( online is to expensive ) unless someone knows a cheap online source.
Aeration-
Rice Hauls about 20% of soil mix
Lava Rocks about 20% again
Total aeration in soil about 40-50%
Amendments- Still need some guidance on this part. I have seen so many threads on how much to add and seeing as this is totally new soil i think i will add in at a rate of 1/2 cup per cubic foot of soil.
Kelp meal 1/2 cup
Neem Cake 1/2 cup
Fish meal 1/2 cup
Crab Shell meal 1/2 cup
Bat Guano 1/2 cup
Azomite 1/2 cup
Alfalfa meal this one i hear can burn the plants would it be smart to go in light at 1/4 cup or because its virgin soil go in at 1/2 cup (please let me know).
Oyster Shell flour OR Dolomite Lime I hear they both regulate the PH of the soil, BUT does one give more benefits than the other?
Humic Acid? ( just let me know period lol, don't know much of anything about this one).
last but not least " Great White mycorrhizae " is it really worth it?
I will let this mix cook for no less than a month and a half to two months ( try to let it cook a lot longer just depends ). Once i have every thing cooked and the soil is in the pots with the plants i will add about 25-50 red wigglers ( about a handful ) to the 5gal pots.
If there is ANYTHING els that is essential please please let me know, or if i have anything off/not needed or doubled just WHAT EVER the case it is, feel free to let me know!
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read my post RIU fam.
As Always stay frosty all!
I think you are better off keeping the worms separate in a worm bin and just adding the castings along with whatever stubborn worms escape along with fresh harvested castings into your recycling soil. Adding them directly to your mix will not guarantee survival and a supply of fresh EWC is the engine that drives your soil mix. Compost is the most important element in an organic grow; keep your worms happy & healthy in a worm bin or a smartpot to reap their benefits.