Cooking of Organic Soil

bankcee

Well-Known Member
I've made an organic soil using sphagnum peat moss humus perlite and several amendments.. and it's cooking as we speak..
how exactly do I do this, in detail? I've wet it just where it's damp evenly throughout with purified water. it's in a 32 gallon trash can. how often should I re wet and turn it? and how do I know when it's ready? do I leave it covered or uncovered? and what if anything else do I need to know for this cooking thing.




also can I germ in it or could I make another small batch just using the peat the humus and perlite to germinate seeds? or...? I'm planning on germing them in soil for easier transplanting and in a solo cup. any suggestions? I was reading that I can buy a "light" soil meaning lightly amended. but I already have, what I think, is all I need.. to germ seeds in "soil"
 
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docter

Well-Known Member
Honestly you might be better served buying a book like tlo or similar I think dj short talked about soil recipes in one of his books.
3-4 weeks until it smells like humus (the forest).Cover it to keep the bugs and critters out.Turn it a couple time I don,t think you will have to add anymore water. The ph will most likely take a nose dive initially after it comes back up and stabilizes it should be okay. I would try it on just one plant to make sure you don't fry anything. What did you add? I would try 30% perlite and peat for germination. There are a few awesome soil treads on here from experienced growers. Tlo, supersoil, moonshines mix, to name a few. Someone with more experience will chime in. I don,t want to give you bad advice please check out the ROL thread.
 

phil k

Well-Known Member
Honestly you might be better served buying a book like tlo or similar I think dj short talked about soil recipes in one of his books.
3-4 weeks until it smells like humus (the forest).Cover it to keep the bugs and critters out.Turn it a couple time I don,t think you will have to add anymore water. The ph will most likely take a nose dive initially after it comes back up and stabilizes it should be okay. I would try it on just one plant to make sure you don't fry anything. What did you add? I would try 30% perlite and peat for germination. There are a few awesome soil treads on here from experienced growers. Tlo, supersoil, moonshines mix, to name a few. Someone with more experience will chime in. I don,t want to give you bad advice please check out the ROL thread.
no he's right ... you just need enough water to dampen it it will create heat depending on the amendments you use. which will create humidity and spread the moister out. cooking time will depend on what you've added but about 3 weeks generally youll smell the difference from start to finish. the soil temps will also go from hot to normal room temps when its done.
 

phil k

Well-Known Member
I've made an organic soil using sphagnum peat moss humus perlite and several amendments.. and it's cooking as we speak..
how exactly do I do this, in detail? I've wet it just where it's damp evenly throughout with purified water. it's in a 32 gallon trash can. how often should I re wet and turn it? and how do I know when it's ready? do I leave it covered or uncovered? and what if anything else do I need to know for this cooking thing.




also can I germ in it or could I make another small batch just using the peat the humus and perlite to germinate seeds? or...? I'm planning on germing them in soil for easier transplanting and in a solo cup. any suggestions? I was reading that I can buy a "light" soil meaning lightly amended. but I already have, what I think, is all I need.. to germ seeds in "soil"
seeds don't require food till their quite old you'd be fine starting them in plain non nutrient soil and just dechlorinated tap water.
 

green_machine_two9er

Well-Known Member
I've made an organic soil using sphagnum peat moss humus perlite and several amendments.. and it's cooking as we speak..
how exactly do I do this, in detail? I've wet it just where it's damp evenly throughout with purified water. it's in a 32 gallon trash can. how often should I re wet and turn it? and how do I know when it's ready? do I leave it covered or uncovered? and what if anything else do I need to know for this cooking thing.




also can I germ in it or could I make another small batch just using the peat the humus and perlite to germinate seeds? or...? I'm planning on germing them in soil for easier transplanting and in a solo cup. any suggestions? I was reading that I can buy a "light" soil meaning lightly amended. but I already have, what I think, is all I need.. to germ seeds in "soil"
I don't like to turn cooking soil at all. Why break up the delicate fungal web. Best bet. Age in final flowering pots with a "dummy" placeholder pot the same size as your final transplant. Pull out dummy. Put in full rootball. EZpz. I find aging in 5 or 7 gallon pots works beat. May wet with excess aact once or twice.

I think uncovered is helpful unless you got tons of holes drilled in trash can.
 

bankcee

Well-Known Member
so I just got home and opened my trash can of soil and the lid was all moist like I sweated water bottle.. is that a good sign? although, the soil doesn't feel as damp as it was yesterday when I wrote this post. So still shouldn't add water?
 

bankcee

Well-Known Member
seeds don't require food till their quite old you'd be fine starting them in plain non nutrient soil and just dechlorinated tap water.
so if I make 1 part sphagnum peat 1 part perlite and 1 part ewc? peat won't burn my seeds? peat has a high ph, no?
 

phil k

Well-Known Member
so I just got home and opened my trash can of soil and the lid was all moist like I sweated water bottle.. is that a good sign? although, the soil doesn't feel as damp as it was yesterday when I wrote this post. So still shouldn't add water?
thats normal your bi products and nitrogen and crap are crating the heat which makes it sweat..
 

bankcee

Well-Known Member
Honestly you might be better served buying a book like tlo or similar I think dj short talked about soil recipes in one of his books.
3-4 weeks until it smells like humus (the forest).Cover it to keep the bugs and critters out.Turn it a couple time I don,t think you will have to add anymore water. The ph will most likely take a nose dive initially after it comes back up and stabilizes it should be okay. I would try it on just one plant to make sure you don't fry anything. What did you add? I would try 30% perlite and peat for germination. There are a few awesome soil treads on here from experienced growers. Tlo, supersoil, moonshines mix, to name a few. Someone with more experience will chime in. I don,t want to give you bad advice please check out the ROL thread.
I added crab neem alfalfa fish bone azomite and kelp of course my like and another.. espoma plant tone? if I remember correctly lol
 

phil k

Well-Known Member
I added crab neem alfalfa fish bone azomite and kelp of course my like and another.. espoma plant tone? if I remember correctly lol
thats going to be fairly hot... even after burn off.. depending on how much you added of each.
 

bankcee

Well-Known Member
thats going to be fairly hot... even after burn off.. depending on how much you added of each.
I only added 2 to 3 cups. I had 2.5 gallons of peat 2.5 gallons of ewc and 2.5 of perlite. and 1 cup of dolomite lime. then I mixed. 1 cup of alfalfa, neem, crab, fish, plant tone, and azomite and 2 cups of kelp.. mixed that up and took 2.5 cups of that and mixed that into my soil.
 

bankcee

Well-Known Member
also I read different things on mycos. when should I add mycos? when is most needed by a cannabis plant? I've read that best thing to do is put it in the pot around the root ball when transplanting the plant? what is your best experience?
 

Dr. Who

Well-Known Member
I yi yi yi YI......That's a kinda hot mix there....You won't have a Mg problem with a cup of Dolomite!
I would have added around 3-4 cups of gypsum
1/2 of powdered Oyster shell
maybe a 1/2 cup of Soft rock Phosphate
and at LEAST cut the Dolomite in half!
Some comfrey leaf for longer term N & K as a surface mulch and maybe some ground and mixed in the soil too.
and some fish bone meal for long term P

Oh yeah and some good compost or a good pre made organic soil like Potters Gold at around 1/4 of the total volume of that mix.

I add a little fungal side heavy myco's - "Myko's" from extreme gardening fits the bill.....

I water with some FUL-HUMIX in my "cooking" water for Fulvic's and Humic's


You might enjoy this link;

N-P-K Value of Everything

Doc
 

darkzero

Well-Known Member
Got a question say I'm making 35 gallon tote of sunshine #4mix using half a bale ,with kelp meal, crab shell, 15 lbs worm castings, azomite, gypsum, humic acid, alfalfa meal, and fish bone meal how much of each would I put in the soil
 

bankcee

Well-Known Member
I yi yi yi YI......That's a kinda hot mix there....You won't have a Mg problem with a cup of Dolomite!
I would have added around 3-4 cups of gypsum
1/2 of powdered Oyster shell
maybe a 1/2 cup of Soft rock Phosphate
and at LEAST cut the Dolomite in half!
Some comfrey leaf for longer term N & K as a surface mulch and maybe some ground and mixed in the soil too.
and some fish bone meal for long term P

Oh yeah and some good compost or a good pre made organic soil like Potters Gold at around 1/4 of the total volume of that mix.

I add a little fungal side heavy myco's - "Myko's" from extreme gardening fits the bill.....

I water with some FUL-HUMIX in my "cooking" water for Fulvic's and Humic's


You might enjoy this link;

N-P-K Value of Everything

Doc


I didn't add 2 cups of each amendment.. i 2 cups of all 6 mixed together to a cubic foot of base soil.
 

bankcee

Well-Known Member
CORRECTION!!


I only added 2 to 3 cups. I had 7.5 gallons of peat 7.5 gallons of ewc and 7.5 of perlite. and 1 cup of dolomite lime. then I mixed. 1 cup of alfalfa, neem, crab, fish, plant tone, and azomite and 2 cups of kelp.. mixed that up and took 2.5 cups of that and mixed that into my soil.
 

Dr. Who

Well-Known Member
CORRECTION!!

I only added 2 to 3 cups. I had 7.5 gallons of peat 7.5 gallons of ewc and 7.5 of perlite. and 1 cup of dolomite lime. then I mixed. 1 cup of alfalfa, neem, crab, fish, plant tone, and azomite and 2 cups of kelp.. mixed that up and took 2.5 cups of that and mixed that into my soil.
Now your low on nutrition! That's 3 cf of soil!!!!! What you did was better for 2 then 3! I don't know what your trying to do with this soil.....

Here this will help you a lot to start making soil....She typed out a classic post!

http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/1116550-easy-organic-soil-mix-beginners.html

Follow what she says here....

Take a look at this too - read it all ok? These guys critique the REV's TLO.....The REV's soil - eh, he's trying to do a long term soil and these guys make some really valid points - like Dolomite and pre-mixed organic nutrients, the type of minerals used.....HUMIC ACIDS are NOT created equal!

http://buildasoil.com/blogs/news/9885098-why-tlo-dissecting-the-rev-mix-line-by-line

Doc
 
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