rural area grower needs help with soil recipe

hello all,
I live in a very rural area and do not have access to any exotic ingredients that most seem to use here....ive been a hydro grower and am looking to switch to organics..i would rather not mail order casting, guano, etc to my house....can i mix up a decent soil with just vermiculite, perlite, cow manure, peat moss and top soil??...and if so, at what ratios
.....any help would be deeply appreciated...thank you.

1/3 perlite, 1/2 peat moss, 1/3 cow manure,

No peat moss, it sucks pH=4.5-5, will KILL your plant if you don't add lime, and even adding lime is a serious pain in the patukas... you'll be fucking around with pH for your entire grow.

1/3 perlite
2/3 assorted composts... I have had FABULOUS results with the shit that Agway sells as 'composted cow manure with humus'... pH is already stable at 6.8 and by golly, it STAYS that way. Too hot for seedlings though, if you use it for seedling starting mix you HAVE to flush the shit out of it and break up the chunks.

Then you can add other stuff to it that is easy to find anywhere:
Blood meal for veg
Bone meal for flower

There's a very good recipe in basic growing under 'the BOG's classic soil instructions' or something.

If the pH is off I just add wood ashes. It is full of potash and is alkaline.

You should be able to get perlite no matter where you are.
I'd go with the composted cow manure, perlite, and maybe one other different type of quality compost at about equal parts of the three, then just mix that up with some quality indoor potting mix of ANY kind or brand. Test the PH and add some lime if it's even a little low as the lime is good for the mix anyway. I'd skip the vermiculaite and skip the top soil if I where doing it. If you want to mix it up with some soil, use any quality indoor potting soil not top soil.

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Originally Posted by RonnieRay

I'd skip the vermiculaite and skip the top soil if I where doing it..

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Me too I have seen a few grow on here that sucked because the grower bought TOPSOIL which is good for, like, patching your lawn pretty much..
And vermiculite is not nearly as good a soil lightener as prlite.

Thanks for all of yours guys input, i surely appreciate it

so, i went out and bought the cow manure with humus, perlite, found some blood and bone meal, and some good potting soil without any chemical additives....mixed er up real good and ph tested at 6.9...im starting out my seedlings in a separate soil designed as a starter..then after a couple of weeks their goin in the regular soil.......hehe..i almost feel like a dirt farmer.....always done hydro so this will be one interesting grow for me:)

thanks again guys

Sounds like a great plan man. Just be carefull not to go to heavy on the blood and bone. Hopefully you got some advice on the QTYs / Pct or went with the label rates. If you think it even might be a bit too hot, just mix in a little more of the potting soil. Anyhow, the very best of luck with them. I hope they yeild you some really good high grade.:pimp:

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Originally Posted by sparkyj

so, i went out and bought the cow manure with humus, perlite, found some blood and bone meal, and some good potting soil without any chemical additives....mixed er up real good and ph tested at 6.9..

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HAHAHA wOOOOOt someone FINALLY found that shit!!! YAY and a half! And guess what, that pH is gonna be pretty damned stable. FUCK yeah.


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Originally Posted by sparkyj

im starting out my seedlings in a separate soil designed as a starter..s

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Excellent

with that blood/bone meal, a good way to feed your sbuds with it, is to make a tea by boiling it and by boiling it you also thin it out so it will not be as strong. somthing like 1/2 acup to half a gallon, give or take quarter cup depending what dose and what part of the plants life its in. that method goes for both. good luck!

TraY