Best soil mix for autos?

[wil2279]

I am racking my brain trying to decide what is the best soil to use for my autos. You don't want a very nutrient rich soil until the plants are a few weeks old. So a super soil on bottom with a light soil on top makes sense... Also do I use a store bought "water only soil" or do I make my own super soil? Or do I just mix dry all purpose fertilizer into a light mix and put that on the bottom and then top dress with bloom dry amendments when it goes into flower...

I feel like I'm making this harder than it needs to be. Lol any ideas from guys growing autos? What's working for you guys?

 

[rob333]

I am racking my brain trying to decide what is the best soil to use for my autos. You don't want a very nutrient rich soil until the plants are a few weeks old. So a super soil on bottom with a light soil on top makes sense... Also do I use a store bought "water only soil" or do I make my own super soil? Or do I just mix dry all purpose fertilizer into a light mix and put that on the bottom and then top dress with bloom dry amendments when it goes into flower...

I feel like I'm making this harder than it needs to be. Lol any ideas from guys growing autos? What's working for you guys?

i think u just answered your own question peace

 

[T macc]

A living soil recipe if you can.

Any soil recipe that needs to be layered is not a good recipe

 

[pondochris]

Here's what I'm doing right now for my auto runs. I'm not an expert by any means, but I've done quite a bit of reading up on it and I feel like I've got a pretty good bead on things. I have a couple goals with my soil: Easy, inexpensive, available at home Depot, use Dr Earth dry amendments. I use equal-ish parts peat, perlite, and compost, add a bit of worm castings, garden lime, diotomaceous Earth, then amend with Dr Earth veg/tomato and flower Girl. I then too dress about every 3-4 weeks 1/4cup of Dr Earth per 5 gallon pot.

So to make 15 gallons of soil I use:
Peat: 5 gallons
Perlite: 5 gallons
Compost: 5 gallons
Lime: 1/4 cup
Earthworm casting: 2 cup
Diotomaceous Earth: 2 cup
Dr Earth veg/tomato: 3/4 cup
Dr Earth flower girl: 1/4 cup

There could be stuff I'm missing, and I'm still learning, but I've got 2 good auto runs in with this mix and it's looking good.

 

[wil2279]

Here's what I'm doing right now for my auto runs. I'm not an expert by any means, but I've done quite a bit of reading up on it and I feel like I've got a pretty good bead on things. I have a couple goals with my soil: Easy, inexpensive, available at home Depot, use Dr Earth dry amendments. I use equal-ish parts peat, perlite, and compost, add a bit of worm castings, garden lime, diotomaceous Earth, then amend with Dr Earth veg/tomato and flower Girl. I then too dress about every 3-4 weeks 1/4cup of Dr Earth per 5 gallon pot.

So to make 15 gallons of soil I use:
Peat: 5 gallons
Perlite: 5 gallons
Compost: 5 gallons
Lime: 1/4 cup
Earthworm casting: 2 cup
Diotomaceous Earth: 2 cup
Dr Earth veg/tomato: 3/4 cup
Dr Earth flower girl: 1/4 cup

There could be stuff I'm missing, and I'm still learning, but I've got 2 good auto runs in with this mix and it's looking good.

That's awesome... I have a home Depot 5 minutes from my house. I've been driving to a hydro store about 1.5 hours away to get my things. I may have to try your recipe out this summer.

 

[Bourbon 2]

I am racking my brain trying to decide what is the best soil to use for my autos. You don't want a very nutrient rich soil until the plants are a few weeks old. So a super soil on bottom with a light soil on top makes sense... Also do I use a store bought "water only soil" or do I make my own super soil? Or do I just mix dry all purpose fertilizer into a light mix and put that on the bottom and then top dress with bloom dry amendments when it goes into flower...

I feel like I'm making this harder than it needs to be. Lol any ideas from guys growing autos? What's working for you guys?

I've been using the same hot soil for both auto's and photos. M3 soil, I even use it for my seedlings. Only additives is I use Great White during transplanting. I sprinkle it on the root zone. I also add in 1-2 cups of vegetable worm castings in my soil b4 transplanting. Theres another Michigan made product that I've yet to try "Dairy Doo" that's supposed to be a great organic soil..Cheers