I am new to organics and i am trying to throw together a batch of super soil. Can i substitute dolomite lime with oyster shell flour. Andif so what is the ratio. Being my first attempt should i just follow the simple recipe that calls for lime? I only ask because i have oyster shell flour on hand and i hear its better anyway. Thanks in advance.
can oyster shell flour sub for lime completely
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greasemonkeymann
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ok don't take this personally.
but that's a poor recipe.
I'd do a lil more research, you can do MUCH better with different amendments.
BUT if you insist, that recipe is a coco based one, you don't need much more liming agents to control the ph in that.
I'd suggest gypsum, crab meal, and oyster flour.
but i'd also go a totally different route.
greasemonkeymann
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the advice but you kinda just led me out into the wilderness with my dick in hand and dropped me off. Use different amendments? I plan on it after i do some more research, but im sure you know there is a lot of conflicting information about amendments so i just wanted to start with a simple recipe and make small changes until i get it dialed in. One small change being oyster shell flour instead of lime. I was hoping somebody could help me out with a good ratio. Like 1 to 1 lime to oyster or what? Are you saying i need to use crab, oyster and gypsum to sub for lime? I dont mean to sound like a dick but im just asking if i can substitute oyster shell flour for dolomite lime in this recipe. And in what amount.i could give a fuck less who has a worm bin and who doesnt haha. Just trying to get my foot in the organic growing door here. Can i sub oyster shell flour for lime? And how much for this recipe.
Kind Sir
Well-Known Member
Greasemonkey is the organic guy I follow FYI. I also started organics pretty recently, the recipe Im giving you is from Buildasoil dot com. You can buy it premade, or put it together yourself.
From what I have learned, a big role in your soil recipe is quality EWC/Compost, also called "Humus."
From what I have learned, a big role in your soil recipe is quality EWC/Compost, also called "Humus."
greasemonkeymann
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sorry man, I am happy to offer any advice or answer any questions you have,.
You want to "quote" my post to get a response though, otherwise I won't know you have questions.
Short answer to your question.
NO.
oyster flour isn't as readily available/soluble enough to control your ph
greasemonkeymann
Well-Known Member
I appreciate the kind words man, happy to help in any way.
And you are 10000000% correct.
Humus is the secret, and most commonly overlooked, weapon.
greasemonkeymann
Well-Known Member
My point regarding the wormbin is anyone that's half serious about growing organically would have their own wormbin.
Probably at least 50% of us humble RIU growers do.
So i'm saying how accurate is the advice?
greasemonkeymann
Well-Known Member
first how much soil are you making?
Either in cubic feet, or gallons?
i'd sub out bone meal for fishbone meal, bone meal is dangerous
sub out blood meal with alfalfa meal, and fish meal. Blood meal is too soluble
If you are interested, I can elaborate if you'd like
Also i'm not a subscriber to a layered soil, it's counterintuitive, especially considering the recipes ingredients.. which are rather soluble.
not bustin balls man, tryin to help
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Awesome. Just to be clear, all the amendments you reccomended her
Right on bruhh!! Thanks. So just to be clear, the substitutes you have offered up can be applied in the same amounts? Andi just mixed up two bags of fox farms salamander soil about a he ago. The only things i left out were the oyster and bloom guano. I am getting th bloom guano tomorrow. The two bags of soil are 1.5 cu ft a piece so 3 cu ft total. I have 24 plants all pushin ten gallon pots. Currently half my plants are on nectar fkr the gods and loving it. The other half are in "super coco". Some store bought super soil knock off that isnt worth a fuck. I plan on going off the bottle andfully organic as soon as i get comfortable with it. My next batch will be a full 8 bag recipe. Thanks again. I dont mean to come off dick ish i just have issues with interpersonal relations haha.
greasemonkeymann
Well-Known Member
Don't sweat it man, i'm probably the most laidback person on this site.
The sub rates are roughly 4 cups of nutrients per cubic foot of soil, I avoid using weight as measurements personally, it's hard to do it that way.
I don;t like using guano in the soil mix because it's virtually all washed away before the soil is even cycled right, and it does the same thing as blood meal.
Supersoil has many nutrients doing the "same" thing, I prefer a mix where your additive have multiple roles.
For example, crab meal as a nutrient does a bunch of stuff, helps control ph, add chitin, adds calcium, and is a slow release of a good source of not only nitrogen but phosphorus as well.
Kelp meal is another one, provides minerals and trace elements as well as being a great source of growth enzymes and is a humble source of npk too
MustangStudFarm
Well-Known Member
I came to organic approach through Subcool and SuperSoil. I watched about 250+ episodes on his youtube channel while I would trim. I think that there is a little bit of a sales gimmick with the name brands on lists. If you want to just buy something pre-mixed so that you dont have to worry about ratios and gathering everything, Build-a-soil seem to be legit. The "Craft Blend" is pretty close to GreaseMonkey's method, then there is "Clackmas Coots" which I think is for "No-Till". I have only bought the amendments because shipping is killer on something like a bag of pumice or something heavy!
http://buildasoil.com/products/the-clackamas-kit
http://buildasoil.com/products/buildasoil-craft-blend-nutrient-pack
tropicalcannabispatient
Well-Known Member
Compost and humus are very different
Thats what i have read too.
greasemonkeymann
Well-Known Member
not really though man, the end result is the same.
depends on if the compost is done or not.
But you are right if you are referring to compost in it's "unfinished" nature
tropicalcannabispatient
Well-Known Member
Even when is mature compost thats when the nutrients are more available, humus really is( nothing) and dont have nutrients at all available, examples of humus are peat, sand and perlite, in compost fresh/mature are nutrients but in different stages of decomposition.
tropicalcannabispatient
Well-Known Member
compost even if it is mature is nothing more than decomposing organic matter in is decaying stage supplies nutrients., humus is nothing more than organic matter already decomposed and depleted of its nutrients, is more of a really stable material that still 'maybe' have some nutrient values but in other words in a so fuckt up stage that plants can't even use them, they are done, finito, finish, in mature compost are living organisms breaking down nutrients for plants to absorb, humus anyways is still called organic matter but really with no value, even clay is a type of humus, humus is just really hard to define. Take it or leave it.
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