Neturients and soil

[smoky mcpot 05]

forgot again, (smoke to much) Pro Mix contains perlite.

[stinkyattic]

If you use anything with peat moss in it you are going to have to stabilize the pH for sure. I don't even use it anymore. Too many pH problems.

[smoky mcpot 05]

Hydrated Lime takes care of that no problem. Coco fiber is to hard to find, especially in her situation. So the next best thing is peat moss. Peat moss isn't even that acidic just 5.0 - 5.5 I believe.

[dryst]

forgot again, (smoke to much) Pro Mix contains perlite.

u sure it contains enough though?...im not sure on the %s but i havent found many mixed soils that have over 25% perlite

[smoky mcpot 05]

I'm not about to go down and look at the bag but yea it has enough, I've been using this soil mixture for years and no problems. So yea I'd say it has enough.

[Zandor]

I am new to this board I have been reading and taking notes like a mad woman and have about 5 good pages of notes. Now to my questions. What nutrients do you recommed that I can pick up at Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, etc.? So far I have read about blood meal and bone meal but dont know what stages to use those in and I have heard Miracle Grow is bad for the taste and is a mistake us new commers make often. Also what soil and additives do you recommend for my soil and how much of each. Just a couple more things what is Dolomite Lime and what is its purpose and is well water ok or should I just use spring water. Thanks in advance for you answers.

I am assuming you are wanting to grow in dirt then?

I have posted this a few times already but I will post it again for you as well.

In the next weeks podcast show we start looking at dirt farming and talk about soil types and mixes.

My personal preference is sterile soil mix with 50% Perlite for quick drainage.
Good soil with some nutrients
Ocean Forest Potting Soil from fox farm. This is 100% organic
Sunshine #1
This is a good soil mix with Canadian sphagnum pear moss and dolomite lime for Ph control.
No mater what you use add Perlite to improve drainage about 50/50 mix. The idea is when the soil is moist you should be able to take a handful of dirt and crush it in your hands. Hold your hands about 12" above the pot and release. When the soil falls back to the pot about 50% of the soil should fall apart. The remaining chunk from your hand should break up easily. That is how I test my soil and know if the mixture is right or not. You want the soil to hold water but not for a very long time. You want to water every 3-day's on average so the soil must drain quickly. If the soil is not dry by day-3 then don't water. The chopstick method or a soil meter will tell you when it's safe to water again.
Make sure you have plenty of drainage to remove the water and avoid nutrient build up that can turn toxic. Most people forget about the outer edges of the pots and only have a center hole for drainage. That's not enough to me. When I grow in soil I drill extra holes in whatever pot I use. I drill around the edges lower sides and the whole bottom. I do use the double bucket method where the top bucket fits into the bottom bucket and the bottom bucket catches the run off. The roots can stick through because there is an air gap and that's a good thing. You do need to empty the bottom bucket every week but that's about it.
Grow bags are a good cheep way to grow, punch a few extra drainage holds in the very bottom but that's about it. I like the 3-gallon size but you need to have a way to catch the runoff and keep lights from reaching the roots that will stick out the bottom of the bag. Normally when the roots stick out the plant is big enough to have leaf coverage to block the light. A simple trash bag will cover the soil and block the roots from being hit by the light.
Most important thing about dirt farming is don't over water. Fungal gnats suck and are hard to get rid of and most of the time the cause is over watering. They live in the dirt and feed on roots. I don't know of anybody who lost a crop to fungal gnats but I guess it could be done. They are more of a pain in the ass then anything else. In a young plant I believe they would do damage because they live off the roots but in an older plant like mother or a flowering plant the root zone should be established.


Does that help?