Quote Originally Posted by Splifted
Haha, the similarities between us noobs is crazy. For our final transplant, we also used 3/4 generic organic soil mixed with 1/4 perlite with some dolomitic lime mixed in as well. And we fed grow big and big bloom & superthrive, every other watering, except the superthrive which was every watering.

I assume when you say you're having problems with compaction, you are talking about when you try to water it doesn't want to go right in and kinda pool up where the dirt has hardened? I had that problem, where the soil kinda bricked up and it wouldn't get wet under the surface and the water would just run down the sides of the pot instead of absorbing.

If thats the problem, try adding a dash of liquid dish soap into your water before watering, it acts as a wetting agent which nullifies the surface tension of the water, keeping it from beading up, and making it absorb more readily into soil. It also keeps any splashed up water from beading up on the leaves.

Dish soap is also used as an emulsifying agent & wetting agent when mixing up some neem oil to spray on. It allows the neem oil to mix with water, since you know water and oil don't mix, as well as making the leaves get nice and evenly wet, instead of it beading up and running off. Just a nice little trick i picked up somewhere.

I was talking more along the lines of every time we water, the soil becomes more compact in the pot so we're constantly having to add new soil to avoid the roots being exposed. Does that make sense??

I'll look into the liquid soap, I think I'm going to start using molasses as well to give my weed a little better flavor. We decided to throw up the screen today so I'll let you know,

Kevin