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View Full Version : cheeap and easy soil



mushaboom
04-22-2008, 09:09 AM
i was browsing through lowes today and pricing materials out for the season. anyways, i found that it is very cheap to make a pretty quality soil, actually a really awesome soil mix. all the ingredients ive found at lowes, except worm castings which i found at wal mart of all places.

3.8cu ft bale of premier hort peat poss $14
40lb bag of composted organic forest hummus and chicken poo( or was it horse or cow, i believe they mightve even had a choice of all 3) $4
40lb bag of dolomitic lime $4
perlite (find it anywhere for cheap)
40lb organic worm castings $4

cheap! these few materials can provide everything your grow needs for a long time. say no to expensive commercial mixes and make your own.

texas grass
04-22-2008, 01:29 PM
i believe the composted poo is cow poo
worm castings at walmart should be 10lbs for $4


but im with you its way cheaper to mix your own and be a better quality

grey1223
04-22-2008, 04:18 PM
I've often wondered about that. I've looked into it but I was concerned about critters, eggs etc... Wonder how sterile that stuff is.

texas grass
04-22-2008, 09:51 PM
anything that has been composted properly is sterile/safe to use in gardening

manures and castings which are manures are great for rebuilding soil and attracting benneficial microherd.

doc holiday
04-23-2008, 12:44 AM
i was browsing through lowes today and pricing materials out for the season. anyways, i found that it is very cheap to make a pretty quality soil, actually a really awesome soil mix. all the ingredients ive found at lowes, except worm castings which i found at wal mart of all places.

3.8cu ft bale of premier hort peat poss $14
40lb bag of composted organic forest hummus and chicken poo( or was it horse or cow, i believe they mightve even had a choice of all 3) $4
40lb bag of dolomitic lime $4
perlite (find it anywhere for cheap)
40lb organic worm castings $4

cheap! these few materials can provide everything your grow needs for a long time. say no to expensive commercial mixes and make your own.

and you just mix em all together?

mushaboom
04-23-2008, 04:25 AM
prett much chief. ill search for some soil recipes and get back to you. the most important is to make sure you have your peat moss to lime ratio in check so that pH is good. on every bag of horticultural peat there should be a table that tells you how much lime to add. the other ingredients are your additives. that formulation is mostly left up to you. you can combine the rest of the ingredients accordingly to make a soil that stays moist for longer or a soil that needs frequent watering.