Soil is to compact! Please help!

bde0001

New Member
Hello All, I plan on using my composted soil from outdoors for my indoor grow. but everytime I turn it over to add scraps to it (for nutes, bannana peels, other veggies) I notice it is very heavy and compact. I worry about this because I need the soil to drain properly and dry out, because we all know if the soil doesn't dry out well, than it can be a contributing factor for mold because it just holds the water. Any suggestions on how to make my soil more fluffy and airy without going to the store to buy this and that?
 

bde0001

New Member
well come to think of it, it could be heavy and compact because it was wet maybe, moisture and heat cause its in the compost pile. Maybe I should take a little have it dry out and then check it. Compost is made from pine needles, veggie scraps, leaves, grass clippings. checked ph and is 6.3 which I was happy to see :)
 

bde0001

New Member
hmm yeah, I mean I rather not go to the store but Im gonna have to anyways I guess, Instead of purchasing expensive fox farm nutes like last year IM just going to purchase a $4 bag of composted cow manure and make tea and that will be my nutrient watering.
 

cc08150

Well-Known Member
You do realize you are not going to want to use straight compost, right? Unless you pre mixed a good bit of potting soil into your pile already. You mix that compost into potting soil to make it more rich....plant a plant directly into compost and you're gonna burn it to hell.
 

george xxx

Active Member
You do realize you are not going to want to use straight compost, right? Unless you pre mixed a good bit of potting soil into your pile already. You mix that compost into potting soil to make it more rich....plant a plant directly into compost and you're gonna burn it to hell.
As he said:!:
Use compost as a fert it is not soil. If you really don't want perlit and peat mix 1 part sand with 1 part dirt and add about 10% compost.
 

Vindicated

Well-Known Member
That doesn't make sense. Compost, once it's done composting, turns to rich dark earth. It won't burn anything. It's just becomes high quality potting soil. It should have a uniform airy texture to it and smell like earth or dirt. If it doesn't, it might have chunks that haven't finished composting, or it would be to to wet. You could add peat moss, coir, perlite, bits of wood and gravel, packing peanuts, or just about anything that's insert and has an irregular shape to break up the soil.
 

Vindicated

Well-Known Member
You don't want to use hay, because that has seeds in it, but straw would be a good idea. Heck, even shredded paper can help.
 

scroglodyte

Well-Known Member
if the compost is un-finished.......don't use it. i'll use compost, but at only 1/3 of mix. peat and perlite making up the rest.
 

gaztron3030

Active Member
i use hay that is well dried by the sun and its good for short grows i find. I wash the crap out of it first so maybe any seeds are being washed out
 

felix78

Well-Known Member
Hello All, I plan on using my composted soil from outdoors for my indoor grow. but everytime I turn it over to add scraps to it (for nutes, bannana peels, other veggies) I notice it is very heavy and compact. I worry about this because I need the soil to drain properly and dry out, because we all know if the soil doesn't dry out well, than it can be a contributing factor for mold because it just holds the water. Any suggestions on how to make my soil more fluffy and airy without going to the store to buy this and that?
Dude Dude tutt tutt don't go near out side soil or you will fuck up and will be a costly mistake you will regret, If your not sure buy canna pre mixed with perlite, it comes in a discreet bag depending how many plants your doing,or try coco mix you can get expanding blocks look like bricks and buy a bag of perlite. I haven't used any of that style of growing in years,but its a Ideal starting off growing for a newbie,outside soil is contaminated with all kinds of nasties, Ideal source of soil that's used for mushrooms I have used many many moons ago, good results Hope I helped dude
 

sunni

Administrator
Staff member
Dude Dude tutt tutt don't go near out side soil or you will fuck up and will be a costly mistake you will regret, If your not sure buy canna pre mixed with perlite, it comes in a discreet bag depending how many plants your doing,or try coco mix you can get expanding blocks look like bricks and buy a bag of perlite. I haven't used any of that style of growing in years,but its a Ideal starting off growing for a newbie,outside soil is contaminated with all kinds of nasties, Ideal source of soil that's used for mushrooms I have used many many moons ago, good results Hope I helped dude
I think you're a few years too late about 5
 

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Dude Dude tutt tutt don't go near out side soil or you will fuck up and will be a costly mistake you will regret, If your not sure buy canna pre mixed with perlite, it comes in a discreet bag depending how many plants your doing,or try coco mix you can get expanding blocks look like bricks and buy a bag of perlite. I haven't used any of that style of growing in years,but its a Ideal starting off growing for a newbie,outside soil is contaminated with all kinds of nasties, Ideal source of soil that's used for mushrooms I have used many many moons ago, good results Hope I helped dude
ah back from the dead, this thread.
also, a LOT of organic growers use their own compost, you'll get FAR more beneficial things from a compost and very, very, rarely will you get insect problems, in fact a good healthy compost will have all sorts of bugs that are predatory in nature.
And a mushroom compost is practically inert, devoid of most anything, that's why it's used for mushrooms.
 
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