Not my first time but still...

So, i am looking to switch from hydro to organic soil. I am building planter boxes ( 4 feet by 3 feet) i hope to have 4 to 6 plants per box and two boxes. Also using two gallon buckets. I have a 250 watt MH and HPS conversion bulb. I am going to use Black Gold soil and crap.... Basically, I would like some input from you guys on which soils and compounds to use. I want to mix the soil wiht perlite and coco for drainage. How much (%) of each should i use? Also what other additives should i toss in there, (dolomite, poop, and other stuff?) also ask any questions you need to clarify anything let me know....

This question is probably answered some where much better, but i'll let you know what i did.

I messed up and ended up with something that is working.

I started with a miracle grow potting mix. Terrible idea DO NOT USE!

So in attempts to fix the problem i picked up the only bag of potting soil from a local hardware store that was sans plant food. Mixed with 1/3 pearlite, and about a cup of bloodmeal.

I re-potted with it and was better than miracle grow potting mix garbage.

So plants out grew pots.

My final soil mix i used an organic potting mix that found at home depot, this again mixed with pearlite ,and bloodmeal.

So i ended up using 3 different types of soil, pearlite, and bloodmeal. Through my confusion and missteps I have managed to create a decent grow medium. Probably not the best but plants are healthy and strong.
and thats what counts. So experiment, is all i can say.

Good growing.

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Anything i write about here is purely fictional, i am taking part in an on line Role Playing Game (RPG) about the cultivation of marijuana. In no way do i condone the cultivation, use, distribution, or consumption of the plant with genus "Cannabis" followed by species "Indica" or "Sativa" or any other breed or hybrid of said genus.

I've always found it easier not to use too large of a container from the very start, and instead changed the size of the pots (and the amendments being used in the soil) when it was time to transplant. I see that you may not have that option, which makes it difficult to determine exactly what you'll need to add to the soil from start to finish.

The earliest seedling mixes don't need hardly any nutrients aside from what's already premixed in the soil, and if I remember correctly, Black Gold is pretty rich by itself. For my second transplant - when the plants are in the rapid stages of growth - I like to add blood meal and worm castings to the soil mix, which provides plenty of Nitrogen, but might mess with the pH of the soil. (Though, if you're coming from a hydro background, this shouldn't be much of a problem for you to correct.) And, finally, for the last transplant, I switch from blood meal to pulverized bone meal, adding some worm castings, but less than I used in the second transplant. I also periodically water using a high-Phosphorus bat guano and molasses throughout flowering. Again, being careful to pay attention to pH... which should determine whether or not you use any dolomite lime, and if so, how much.

As for perlite, I've always preferred to use 1 part perlite to 3 parts soil. Some people might consider this excessive, and you will probably find yourself watering more often, but the roots seem to love it.

Have fun getting your hards dirty! :jointsmile:

Why are you switching from hydro to organic? I'm starting a hydro system soon with close to the same size cabinets, did you have problems with hydro.