Super soil recipe opinion

[PadawanWarrior]

Yeah I use the LOS V3 minerals and amendments for my soil mix, along with a few other things. I'm adding in Big 6 next round, mainly because I had reward points to spend and decided to try it out. Mostly I just water and add KNF inputs once it's going, but I'm going to try the Big 6 and Coot's new Gnarly Barley blend for topdressing. I grabbed a 30lb bucket of that. That Colorado Worm Company vermicompost they carry is the best stuff I've found for IPM (springtails and hypoapsis miles in every bag) and for starting worm bins too.

I have the Big 6 now. I'm gonna start testing it out more. Here's a sample of some of my hoarded BAS shit, lol.

 

[Hawg Wild]

I have the Big 6 now. I'm gonna start testing it out more. Here's a sample of some of my hoarded BAS shit, lol.
View attachment 4583910

Lots of the same stuff I keep. The Gro-Kashi is crazy pricy though. Any premade bokashi is to me when you can buy a 50 lb bag of wheat bran for $15-20 and make a shit ton of it for yourself.

 

[Kassiopeija]

Epsom Salt will be washed out swiftly, its actually something to use in water, not soil.

 

[krizz878]

Too much worm casting

I thought 20-30% was standard?

 

[Kassiopeija]

I thought 20-30% was standard?

indeed, esp. since theres 40% inert airation material included...

 

[Hawg Wild]

I thought 20-30% was standard?

Yeah 1/4 to 1/3 compost/castings is the norm. Same for aeration, really. You seem to be going way overboard on aeration with that much perlite/vermiculite and lava rock. I'd cut that back some and go with more peat. My mix isn't super soil, but it's 50-60% peat and would be even if I were doing a super soil.

 

[krizz878]

Yeah 1/4 to 1/3 compost/castings is the norm. Same for aeration, really. You seem to be going way overboard on aeration with that much perlite/vermiculite and lava rock. I'd cut that back some and go with more peat. My mix isn't super soil, but it's 50-60% peat and would be even if I were doing a super soil.

Do you think Instead of adding additional Peat I can sub the verm for coco? I think it would help with soil texture and retention of water no?

 

[Kassiopeija]

ok so whats also ok for soil is C enrichment by either Terra Preta or bio-active charcoal. itll store/buffer nutes & offer a living place for bacteria.

you also need something that offers a katio-exchange capacity like clay-based minerals or green garden compost.

take this advice witha grain of salt please. over the pond theres just different materials available, it could be that some of the stuff already does the above (lava rock perhaps...)

 

[Hawg Wild]

Do you think Instead of adding additional Peat I can sub the verm for coco? I think it would help with soil texture and retention of water no?

Yeah you could in a super soil. I don't know if I'd recommend too much coco in a soil you plan on recycling though. I personally don't use any coco. The only advantage it has over peat is not breaking down as fast, but that would be a disadvantage with my system.

 

[Hawg Wild]

ok so whats also ok for soil is C enrichment by either Terra Preta or bio-active charcoal. itll store/buffer nutes & offer a living place for bacteria.

you also need something that offers a katio-exchange capacity like clay-based minerals or green garden compost.

take this advice witha grain of salt please. over the pond theres just different materials available, it could be that some of the stuff already does the above (lava rock perhaps...)

Gypsum, basalt, biochar, rock dust.... those are all good for this. Azomite is okay, I guess, but kind of expensive for what it is, which is about 85% aluminum.

 

[PadawanWarrior]

Epsom Salt will be washed out swiftly, its actually something to use in water, not soil.

I just got a box of langbeinite (Sul-Po-Mag) that I'm gonna experiment with. The Craft Blend has some, but I wanna try straight Sul-Po-Mag when I think they're gonna want some extra K or Mg.

 

[krizz878]

ok so whats also ok for soil is C enrichment by either Terra Preta or bio-active charcoal. itll store/buffer nutes & offer a living place for bacteria.

you also need something that offers a katio-exchange capacity like clay-based minerals or green garden compost.

take this advice witha grain of salt please. over the pond theres just different materials available, it could be that some of the stuff already does the above (lava rock perhaps...)

It’s good advice. I wanted the lava for more homogenous drainage but didn’t even realize it could also double as a living space for the fungi and bacteria!(seeing as perlite has a tendency to float or sift to the top)

 

[krizz878]

Gypsum, basalt, biochar, rock dust.... those are all good for this. Azomite is okay, I guess, but kind of expensive for what it is, which is about 85% aluminum.

Wild I was able to pick some up for a pretty good price and read that it’s supposed to round out the nutrient profile. But dang that’s a lot of aluminum

 

[Hawg Wild]

Wild I was able to pick some up for a pretty good price and read that it’s supposed to round out the nutrient profile. But dang that’s a lot of aluminum

Yeah it's got other trace minerals, but nothing that isn't in basalt at higher concentrations. I like to water in a little SEA-90 minerals with the initial starter tea in a new container and sometimes mix a tiny bit of it in as a foliar during veg for trace minerals, along with the basalt, glacial rock dust, oyster shell, gyspum, and montmorillinite clay in my soil.

 

[PadawanWarrior]

It’s good advice. I wanted the lava for more homogenous drainage but didn’t even realize it could also double as a living space for the fungi and bacteria!(seeing as perlite has a tendency to float or sift to the top)

Perlite will break down, and it wants to float. Lava rock is way better if you ask me, but it's a lot heavier. I'm doing no-till, and added lava rock, 2 sizes of pumice, and some rice hulls in when I mixed it up. It was originally FFOF.

 

[krizz878]

Yeah it's got other trace minerals, but nothing that isn't in basalt at higher concentrations. I like to water in a little SEA-90 minerals with the initial starter tea in a new container and sometimes mix a tiny bit of it in as a foliar during veg for trace minerals, along with the basalt, glacial rock dust, gyspum, and montmorillinite clay in my soil.

This is a lot of fun. I thought growing was fun, Come to find out soil biology is even more fun

 

[PadawanWarrior]

This is a lot of fun. I thought growing was fun, Come to find out soil biology is even more fun

You must be a science nerd like me, lol.

 

[krizz878]

You must be a science nerd like me, lol.

Oh I’m a big time nerd when it comes to science lmao

 

[Hawg Wild]

I use a lot of cocoa bean hulls for aeration too. It's sold in 2 cu. ft. bags at farm stores as mulch. Has a natural ph of 5.8, absorbs a ton of water but still holds shape, and is full of calcium and trace minerals, adds nitrogen to the soil as it breaks down... plus it makes your room smell like baker's cocoa until your plants start stankin'.... BUT it's a no-go if you have pets that can get in your grow spot because it will kill them if they eat it.

 

[krizz878]

I use a lot of coco bean hulls for aeration too. It's sold in 2 cu. ft. bags at farm stores as mulch. Has a natural ph of 5.8, absorbs a ton of water but still holds shape, and is full of trace minerals... plus it makes your room smell like baker's cocoa until your plants start stankin'.... BUT it's a no-go if you have pets that can get in your grow spot because it will kill them if they eat it.

I’ll have to check some of that stuff out definitely wouldn’t mind if it smelled like cocoa!