Organic super soil mix from scratch - for ROLS

[SupraSPL]

The leaf mold is a long term deal and takes about 3 years to finish. My last years leaves are just now starting to break down some and not look like freshly collected leaves. I use the lawnmower to chop them up as I can and will put this years in a different spot.
For leaves, it's almost all fungus rather than bacteria and the three years is no exaggeration. Worth it in the end, but patience is a must for leaf mold.

When I add leaf mold I pick from the layer that is already almost broken down, often white strands running through and smells great. The few leaves that do make it in tend to break down quickly in the presence of all the other nutes, heat and damp. Great stuff!

No drain holes?
So I can buy Lowes buckets and not have to worry about overflow anymore....nice

Yes if you are careful you can get away with no-drain (experimentally). You just dont want to swamp the buckets, so I always hoist each one to gauge how much water each needs. In my experience I would have to overwater to get true runoff from this soil anyway and I prefer not to waterlog them.

 

[bassman999]

When I add leaf mold I pick from the layer that is already almost broken down, often white strands running through and smells great. The few leaves that do make it in tend to break down quickly in the presence of all the other nutes, heat and damp. Great stuff!



Yes if you are careful you can get away with no-drain (experimentally). You just dont want to swamp the buckets, so I always hoist each one to gauge how much water each needs. In my experience I would have to overwater to get true runoff from this soil anyway and I prefer not to waterlog them.

I went out and bought most of the stuff on this list, I hope it ok that I substituted Roots organic 707 for the Peat and coco, since I had 2 bails aleady

 

[hillbill]

Been recycling soil for years, bring some new mix occasionally add some peat maybe and amend it like it was new but go light on greensand, rock phosphate and make sure it drains well and smells good. Some ends up in raised beds for flowers or pots. My mix is high drainage and I use compost tea often. Top dress with castings and indo guano once about 4 weeks in. LEDs seem to demand much better drainage than hps.

Getting the drainage right with LEDs is a big deal as the lights don't dry or heat the soil like hps. Fungus gnats prefer soggy soil!

8822

 

[bassman999]

Been recycling soil for years, bring some new mix occasionally add some peat maybe and amend it like it was new but go light on greensand, rock phosphate and make sure it drains well and smells good. Some ends up in raised beds for flowers or pots. My mix is high drainage and I use compost tea often. Top dress with castings and indo guano once about 4 weeks in. LEDs seem to demand much better drainage than hps.

Getting the drainage right with LEDs is a big deal as the lights don't dry or heat the soil like hps. Fungus gnats prefer soggy soil!

8822

what is it supposed to smell ike?
Kinda smells like an outhouse after 10 days when I stirred it up

 

[hillbill]

That sounds more like a compost bin that has too many greens and way wet. That's what organic mixes or teas go anaerobic smell. Smells like real shit. Your mix should smell like an uprooted tree root ball or like a freshly tilled garden. When your mix is right, it should not hurt the nose, but make you want to take deep breaths of it's wonderfulness.

 

[bassman999]

That sounds more like a compost bin that has too many greens and way wet. That's what organic mixes or teas go anaerobic smell. Smells like real shit. Your mix should smell like an uprooted tree root ball or like a freshly tilled garden. When your mix is right, it should not hurt the nose, but make you want to take deep breaths of it's wonderfulness.

Yeah no compost just the amendments listed by supra with a few swaps, and no compost at all.
I have a heating pad for a dog bed under the tote with a lid on it.
The top is all steamy and soil is around 78*F

 

[hillbill]

Sounds like it needs air. If you got it too wet, without good drainage the mix will smother itself with cesspool life taking over, hence the smell. My mix under LEDs is a gravely loam and very light using composted bark, perlite and sharp sand along with NAPA 8822. About 40% drainage, 30% with hps.

 

[bassman999]

Sounds like it needs air. If you got it too wet, without good drainage the mix will smother itself with cesspool life taking over, hence the smell. My mix under LEDs is a gravely loam and very light using composted bark, perlite and sharp sand along with NAPA 8822. About 40% drainage, 30% with hps.

I am just cooking the mix right now, but should I take the lid off.
After opening it back up the smell wasnt as strong, and the soil in my hands does smell like you mentioned with the root ball smell.
It wasnt opened for 10-11 days and maybe that was why it was so strong initially.
Is the warming pad a bad idea to accelerate the cooking process?
Its only 62* in my house and we dont use the heater, only bedroom units to save $$...old house old heater

 

[hillbill]

Mix it every couple days which exposes more mix to air which helps. I turn mine everyday for a week after it sets for a couple days to get things going. A good fresh mix will provide it!s own heat. Just make sure a little water just drips out when you grab a handful. Too much more and it will sour and too dry it won't cook. Cooking is really composting the amendments like Guanos, meals etc. Alfalfa and sugar will get the tiny herd cooking, always throw a couple cups of sugar in while wetting the mix. Carbon for the little guys.
.
Stick your hand in the middle after 2 or 3 days and it will be very warm. If it smells more and more like dirt your at least in balance. I like using rain water and especially live well water when I can. Worm teas with live well water are great.

 

[SupraSPL]

I usually cook it in contractor bags with 50-100L of soil in each, makes it very easy to thoroughly mix them up. The smell will be strongest in the first 7 days and then it should mellow out to the point where it has almost no smell, just a nice soil earthy forest soil smell. If it did get too wet you can turn it and vent it. If it did get too wet and went anaerobic, no worries it will switch back to aerobic once cooked and gets some more air.

 

[bassman999]

.

Mix it every couple days which exposes more mix to air which helps. I turn mine everyday for a week after it sets for a couple days to get things going. A good fresh mix will provide it!s own heat. Just make sure a little water just drips out when you grab a handful. Too much more and it will sour and too dry it won't cook. Cooking is really composting the amendments like Guanos, meals etc. Alfalfa and sugar will get the tiny herd cooking, always throw a couple cups of sugar in while wetting the mix. Carbon for the little guys.
.
Stick your hand in the middle after 2 or 3 days and it will be very warm. If it smells more and more like dirt your at least in balance. I like using rain water and especially live well water when I can. Worm teas with live well water are great.

My water comes from a well supposedly, with a high PH
.
Add sugar, like white sugar or brown? It doesnt drip when squeezed, but feels moist. Ill turn it everyday now, and turn the heating pad off.

 

[bassman999]

I usually cook it in contractor bags with 50-100L of soil in each, makes it very easy to thoroughly mix them up. The smell will be strongest in the first 7 days and then it should mellow out to the point where it has almost no smell, just a nice soil earthy forest soil smell. If it did get too wet you can turn it and vent it. If it did get too wet and went anaerobic, no worries it will switch back to aerobic once cooked and gets some more air.

Im not sure what a contractor bag is, but mine is in an 18gal tote. (looked it up, a heavy duty garbage bag)
I m going to air it out daily now, and add the sugar occasionally.
2-3 weeks more and it will be time to move the 1/2gal to the big pots and then the soil will be used.
Is it normal to have to add water to it even though its sealed shut?
Just wondering if I didnt add enough water in the beginning

 

[SupraSPL]

Heavy duty trash bags, usually 2mil thickness and 55gallon. Yes it can lose some water because the cooking creates CO2 and heat which pushes water vapor out of the tote along with the air. It is OK to add some water back in .

 

[bassman999]

Heavy duty trash bags, usually 2mil thickness and 55gallon. Yes it can lose some water because the cooking creates CO2 and heat which pushes water vapor out of the tote along with the air. It is OK to add some water back in .

Ok cool. I was hoping to see the webbing on top. and thats why I didnt disturb it for 10 days.
If the webbing doesnt show up I am assuming its still good soil, but just not supreme lol.
Thanks I looked it up and thought thats what it was but honestly never heard of them I guess.
So thick like panda film I take it?

 

[hillbill]

Not all fungi form threadlike visible structures. There will be fungi. That is a part of earthy scent. I always put in used mix with tiny herd already there. My compost tea has peat
from my bog garden.

My biggest challenge was getting N levels right, especially with LEDs. My mix serves both veg and flower and I always do perpetual. I lightly top dress at about 4 wks flower and stop giving tea at about 6 wks.

LEDs(cobs) provide unmatched light these days but plant transpiration is turtle-slow compared to the sun or HID lights, which is why I make sure to have fast drainage. It keeps things moving inside the plant and compensates for the infrared heat from HID.

 

[bassman999]

I usually cook it in contractor bags with 50-100L of soil in each, makes it very easy to thoroughly mix them up. The smell will be strongest in the first 7 days and then it should mellow out to the point where it has almost no smell, just a nice soil earthy forest soil smell. If it did get too wet you can turn it and vent it. If it did get too wet and went anaerobic, no worries it will switch back to aerobic once cooked and gets some more air.

I split up between 3 totes now for more air. It stinks pretty bad and the family is complaining. I moved it to the garage now.
I hope it restores back to aerobic soon, even the dog is complaining about the smell sniffing and huffing.

Should I add the sugar now to aid its recovery or add Mycos?

 

[bassman999]

Not all fungi form threadlike visible structures. There will be fungi. That is a part of earthy scent. I always put in used mix with tiny herd already there. My compost tea has peat
from my bog garden.

My biggest challenge was getting N levels right, especially with LEDs. My mix serves both veg and flower and I always do perpetual. I lightly top dress at about 4 wks flower and stop giving tea at about 6 wks.

LEDs(cobs) provide unmatched light these days but plant transpiration is turtle-slow compared to the sun or HID lights, which is why I make sure to have fast drainage. It keeps things moving inside the plant and compensates for the infrared heat from HID.

Still trying to decide what size containers to use.
I will be running 400+ watts in a 23"x48" tent 5ft tall
There are 4 plants vegging to go in there right now.

Thanks for the tips!

I have never done organic indoors, and will be 2nd run with cobs, any idea what size pots I should use?

 

[hillbill]

I use 7ltr home paper trash baskets, and until you are dialed in, that is pretty small. Many prefer 3gal or so. Easy to do 1 gal in sog but would take actual feeding, not just watering with act. The smaller the pot, the more luv and time that is required. Things change faster in small pots and I am a bit slow to pick up on a problem at times.

Do realize that 2gal containers move a lot easier than 5gal. Important if you move plants much. Smaller pots are mostly shorter also which should be a factor here.

 

[bassman999]

I use 7ltr home paper trash baskets, and until you are dialed in, that is pretty small. Many prefer 3gal or so. Easy to do 1 gal in sog but would take actual feeding, not just watering with act. The smaller the pot, the more luv and time that is required. Things change faster in small pots and I am a bit slow to pick up on a problem at times.

Do realize that 2gal containers move a lot easier than 5gal. Important if you move plants much. Smaller pots are mostly shorter also which should be a factor here.

I am worried about yield potential with that small of a container since I am running only 4 plants.
What are the drawbacks of too large of a container?
I realize over-watering can be an issue as well as height/weight, but are they any other issues possible?
Not knowing any better my plan was to either use 5 or 7 gal plastic containers to maximize yield and less chance of soil depleting too soon.
I have 3 gallon cloth pots now, and they dry out before the day is over at times

 

[hillbill]

Too tall on big pots for your area. 3 gal is workable.