Soil help please

Guy's what I'm asking is who can tell me a decent mix? Does starting with basic Top soil and adding Vermiculite and or Perlite sound good? If so what ratio's. What if anything else should I add? I don't want to add anything that amounts to an amendment or fertilizer. Many people will claim Advanced PH perfect doesnt work and I feel like if you mix it with other brands it may not. If you use only PH perfect with its companion products it should work as advertised. I don't wanna say who is right or wrong but I want to find out for myself without something unforeseen messing up my witches brew. LOL.

JustBlazin said:

Or you can just use promix with bottled nutes the whole time, I've had great success both ways

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Pretty sure I gave you exactly what your looking for

It doesn't have to be pro mix just something like it with peat and a good amount of perlite with no nutrients. Find something similar but cheaper around you.
Generally speaking you want at least 1/3 of your mix aeration like perlite

JustBlazin said:

It doesn't have to be pro mix just something like it with peat and a good amount of perlite with no nutrients. Find something similar but cheaper around you.
Generally speaking you want at least 1/3 of your mix aeration like perlite

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Ok so how does 35% top soil, 35% peat, 15% each of perlite and vermiculite sound?

28 days and your cake is ready. I make enough for summer and a little extra for house plants.

Fahn2k said:

Ok so how does 35% top soil, 35% peat, 15% each of perlite and vermiculite sound?

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That's should work but I think I would make the top soil the 30% and up the aeration to 35%

Fahn2k said:

Guy's what I'm asking is who can tell me a decent mix? Does starting with basic Top soil and adding Vermiculite and or Perlite sound good? If so what ratio's. What if anything else should I add? I don't want to add anything that amounts to an amendment or fertilizer. Many people will claim Advanced PH perfect doesnt work and I feel like if you mix it with other brands it may not. If you use only PH perfect with its companion products it should work as advertised. I don't wanna say who is right or wrong but I want to find out for myself without something unforeseen messing up my witches brew. LOL.

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Thirds...
Pete
Compost
Perlite

Fahn2k said:

Guy's what I'm asking is who can tell me a decent mix? Does starting with basic Top soil and adding Vermiculite and or Perlite sound good?

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indeed it does...but the composition of that topsoil can make quite a bit of difference, not all topsoils are equal.

Fahn2k said:

Ok so how does 35% top soil, 35% peat, 15% each of perlite and vermiculite sound?

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there is nothing wrong with your formula, all that's needed is for you to test it and then modify it if it shows you deficiencies or shortcomings. I'm not trying to brag or stand out but Im sharing these links with you to show you how simple it really is and the green lush plants it produces.
My DIY soil
Grow Diaries.com

Seeing as compost is slow release, I've used it as the base several times. Works great.

God damn @mudballs, that's better and easier than IMO1-2 (Koreal Natural Farming). All that white leaf mold is mycorrhizae! Awesome recipe.

Either you build a soil with amendments, or you buy a basic bagged medium and add nutes. There is no benefit making your own basic soil to add nutes to i.e. designing your own coco/soil.

ComfortCreator said:

Either you build a soil with amendments, or you buy a basic bagged medium and add nutes. There is no benefit making your own basic soil to add nutes to i.e. designing your own coco/soil.

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If I knew what i was doing I would be fine, my problem is I want something that will allow me to use a full set of nutrients from week one. Problem two is making sure it will play nice with a autopot that feeds from the bottom. The autopot has an air stone in the bottom. Vermiculite and Perlite are similar but Vermiculite holds water a little better. Top soil isn't recommended for seedlings as is. Peat is good for drainage and holding water. All together there are no nutes, which is what I think I want. I want to go into week one with a 1/4 dose of base nutrients and add piranha, jungle juice and tarantula. Week two will be the same but I'll up the base nutes to 1/2 dose. Week three base nutes 3/4 and B-52, I could go on but you get the idea. My problem is finding basic bagged medium that doesn't have nutrients or gnats. The stores I've been checking keep their basic stuff outside. It rained the other day and the stores I went to had basic but it was soaked with gnats flying around. I thought "how can something so simple be so complicated?" I didn't want to put it in my car.

make it simple and your gtg......when you figure out the soil combo....always remember u can re-use it......

ComfortCreator said:

Either you build a soil with amendments, or you buy a basic bagged medium and add nutes. There is no benefit making your own basic soil to add nutes to i.e. designing your own coco/soil.

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Most people have problems because they don't know their soil. Find a good one, then use it all the time.

Try Roots 707 if you can get it. Never have the problems I see around here with Happy Frog or Ocean Forest.
The charge lasts about 3 weeks.
Then you don't need veg nutes, just flower.
And you can start seeds in it no problem.