No Till Living Soil Mix Questions

[NightSpider]

I am starting a new grassroots 4x4 fabric bed.
I mean it to be no till living soil.
I will be using cover crops and companion plants. No clover, while dichondra and hairy vetch for sure. The rest to be researched further and determined.
I will be using straw mulch along with the cover crops. I will be adding some worms in.
I will be using blumat watering.


The soil mix I am planning so far is below. I would like to state that I am not very knowledgable about the life system in soil yet and this is an amalgamation of what credible people shared on the net. Please give me recommendations such as : -Remove this -Change the amount of this -Add this. The variety of soil amendments I have access to is limited. What I have access to is written at the bottom of the post. Please recommend what you have to recommend if I have not specifically stated that I have no access to that amendment.

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sphagnum peat %30
biochar %3- This is if I understand correctly very porous and has high CEC so all those crevices inside pull and store nutrients from the soil, microbes live there and process it. Its like little pockets of nutrient and microbe stores in the soil. Am I correct? I will buy simple wood charcoal, (not bricquettes because of the glues and stuff) but it will not be charged. I need to mix the soil and transplant seedlings right into it asap. What can I do in 48 hours to charge it the fastest as much as I can before I mix the soil?

ewc %25
compost %17

pumice %15
vermiculite %10
- As far as I have heard, perlite pumice etc in no till beds are only significant until the humus and life in my soil really settles and manages the soil texture itself, therefore I wonder whether I should reduce the pumice+vermiculite input to avoid having them sitting unnecessarily in my soil. Or maybe I should replace some of it with tice hulls which if I understand correctly will break down and disappear over a long time.
-I have read some people say vermiculite sinks to the bottom just as perlite floats and also as it becomes dust over time it is hazardous. But many people say it is much less hazardous than perlite and has some cec, good water retention without keeping the soil overly moist and is generally good.

-------------------------------------------------

16 cfeet total base+

8 cup neem meal
8 cup kelp meal
16 cup malted barley powder= Does it do any good when mixed into the beginning soil or should I just apply later over time pulverized and in teas etc?
I would have added 8 cups of crab meal as many recipes have crustacean meals but I do not have access to any crustacean meals. If I understand correctly it is %96 Calcium carbonate with chitin between the layers. It is pretty much lime with chitin? The microbes make chitinase which is the substance that is beneficial as pesticide and fungicide. Am I correct? I do not have access to insect frass either. What can I add instead for chitin?

---------------

I have seen some people say rock dust is useless and some living soil people say the fungal networks and the critters makes it break down faster, making it useful. Also, some people have stated it is good for soil texture and a good anchor for fungal hyphae to attach themselves to. Am I correct? If so, how much basalt dust should I add and at what granule size?
64 cup basalt dust

32 cup azomite= I do not have azomite in my country but I found a trace mineral dust amendment at an online fertilizer store. I read a lot about how azomite is clay based and different than other trace mineral products and lots of things so I am very confused and have no idea what exactly the different types of trace mienral products are nor what the product I have access to is. It is titled trace element mix, says it is used 1 teaspooon per 2 liter of water, once a week for ornamental plants.
Do I need this trace element product? Will the minerals locked in the basalt and the rest of the soil be enough by slow release?

The amendment details provided on the website:
water soluble boron by % weight=0,5
water soluble iron by % weight=3,5
water soluble manganese by % weight=3,5
water soluble molybdenum by % weight=0,1
water soluble zinc by % weight=4,5
water soluble copperby % weight=1
contains:
(C)(H)(O)(N)(P)(K)(Ca)(Mg)(S)
(Fe)(Mn)(B)(Zn)(Cu)(Mo)(Cl)

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I dont really understand this liming part. I know some people say peat is acidic lime your soil to fix it and keep it buffered. And some no till people say that once life settles it manages its own ph and that they dont worry about ph and while liming has its ups, it also has it negative effects on no till soil life. What is the truth to this? Should I lime? If so, with what and how much?

I have no access to dolomitic lime in my country right now.
As far as I know:

• Calcitic limestone is calcium carbonate and it neutralizes acids in the growing medium. It provides some calcium, but almost no magnesium. Calcitic limestone dissolves faster than dolomitic limestone so it quickly adjusts growing medium pH within one week, but has shorter residual of up to 1-2 months.
• Dolomitic limestone is a combination of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate and serves two purposes in the growing medium. Primarily, it neutralizes acids in the growing medium but also provides some additional magnesium and calcium for plant uptake, although the bioavailability of these are much slower than calcitic limestone. Dolomitic limestone dissolves slowly in the growing medium resulting in longer term pH adjustment (up to 2-4 months) and buffering to improve pH stability."

Dolomitic lime has magnesium too but dissolves slower.
Gypsum is for ph buffering to 7, soil texture, and is a nice source of sulphur.
The lime is to counter the acidity of the peat and to have some alkalinity in the soil to buffer ph. Do I understand correctly?

8 cup gypsum
8 cup lime

----

I will be adding some composted sheep manure substrate I have on hand to the mix. Is that wise?

I will be applying xtreme mykos and azos. Mykos will be applied when germinating and transplanting. What is the cost efficient way to use azos? Do I get extra benefits by just adding it to the whole mix?

-----
Now, I will list some of the materials I have access to. If you think I should add any of these, let me know.

Alfalfa meal: Some no till people say add %3-5 alfalfa pellets to the initial soil mix for it to supply nitrogen for the first cycle.
Fish meal
Rice Hulls: I hear they break down over time but that they may be beneficial anyways.
Leonardite. (It is a kind of coal that they make fulvic and humic acids from but is it something I can benefit from by adding dust or granules to the soil mix or is it only useful in the extracted products form?)
Oyster Shell Flour: The product description says "it is high quality CaO %98.90. When dissolved in water it is an alkali solution (CaO+ H2O: Ca(OH)2". Does it have any difference from lime?

 

[NightSpider]

@Richard Drysift
@Northwood

You guys helped me in the past and a lot of what you said made sense to me. Now that I am taking steps towards a better beginning soil mix with my new bed, I would like to ask you to help me once again if you have the time and feel like it. Thanks

 

[Northwood]

You guys helped me in the past and a lot of what you said made sense to me. Now that I am taking steps towards a better beginning soil mix with my new bed, I would like to ask you to help me once again if you have the time and feel like it. Thanks

For the cover crop, what function will the dichondra serve? The reason I ask is because if you're aiming for quick biomass production and deep extensive roots, I'm not sure if a ground cover like dichondra is going to cut it. It's cute though

For legumes/nitrogen-fixers like vetch, try get the coated inoculated seed unless you've incorporated field soil somehow into your grow where they grow as a common weed. Otherwise finding the Rhizobium species necessary might be a pain in the ass. Each legume associates with very specific limited species of Rhizobium bacteria to produce the N you're aiming for. Keep in mind that vetch in particular can be a bit of a pain in the ass. They're really good competitors and if you leave your young plants for just a couple of days without checking on them, they'll wrap around your cannabis stems to stick their noses above them. I've learned to avoid that by ensuring they grow up something else tall (flowering annual monocots - grasses) and keeping them away from my plants. They work though.

Has the peat moss been amended with a buffering agent by the supplier? Ensure you know because that will affect the amount of buffering agents you want to add like the lime.

I wouldn't bother with the charcoal because it's not the same as activated charcoal. I've never used kelp or neem meal, but a bit of neem meal seems to be a good pairing with the alfalfa pellets. I know it's really high in nitrogen, but you're not using much anyway. Yes to the alfalfa pellets. Mulch with them too later right over the straw mulch already added.

Basalt dust will not provide enough nutrients to make a difference within your lifetime IMO, but the worms will enjoy it as a source of grit. So yes, why not? It's not going to hurt and you can't overdose with it. lol

I don't think you need the fish meal if you use the neem. Oyster shells or lime, take your pick. You don't need both sources of the same thing. I had to look up leonardite just now lol, and some promising research shows it may help speed up the formation of stable organic carbon in your soil. It can't hurt I guess?

Use the rice hulls sparingly if you do, otherwise I'd worry a bit about bacteria tying up your free nitrogen as it's produced in order for them to consume it. If you use a bit it's fine, since when your plants need more N in later veg perhaps those bacteria will be done. I probably would pass though unless they were carbonized.

I always say the best source for micronutrients is organic material. Don't expect huge harvests with your first cycle, and flower a bit earlier than otherwise to keep them smaller. This kind of project takes time because great soil isn't built by mixing a bunch of crap together and instantly expecting perfect tilth and fertility. Think of it as a gradual process with a goal. As long as you don't put too much of something in there causing toxicity and begin preparation for cycle 2 as soon as your tiny cycle 1 seedlings are in there, you're good to go!

Edit part after I smoked some hash read more carefully:
Peat moss is so acidic by itself, you could easily use it pickle cucumbers with lol, but with an average pH under 4.0, I certainly wouldn't attempt to grow plants in it without a buffering base of whatever you calculate to bring it up to at least 5.5 because it will again get lower in the future for awhile. Then it will reach a steady state in pH balance once that acidity is under control and the bacteria are now able to eat it.

6 cup malted barley powder = fuck that. I'm making beer.

I see nothing wrong with sheep manure in your initial mix. It will give you a good boost of phosphorus that the neem and alfalfa lack. I would not add it as an amendment to my to-till past the initial setup though. If you can, I suggest organic hen manure. They sell it in pellet form which makes application dust free. lol

As far as vermiculite, I'd save it for mushroom growing. Peat moss has pretty good wicking and water holding capacity if it hasn't been dried to become hydrophobic. Vermiculite is expensive and unnecessary IMO.

I only added extra perlite to my soil. I didn't add any rocky or heavy gritty stuff to mine. Yuk! *j/k* What I'm saying is that you only need artificial drainage for a limited amount of time anyway. Soon you'll have something a little closer to soil than simply "grow medium" which is what we should be calling it.

I don't even know what "xtreme mykos and azos" are, but they better damn well make me laugh if they're a comedy team. On the other hand, if you're attempting to introduce beneficial fungi that you believe are not already there, then introduce them for free from outside the house if you can swing it.

Sorry I didn't follow your formatting rules. Do I lose the game or what? lol

 

[Richard Drysift]

I’ll be honest...I don’t even mix up my own soil. I just bought bags of FFOF and keep on amending and recycling it. Much simpler than what you are doing here but I’ll try to help all I can. Cannot really advise you about cover crops either as I don’t do them; my grow style is more TLO than no till and a cover crop is one difference between the two disciplines. The nice thing about living soil growing is it can be tailored to your own preferences and/or based on what is available to you in your part of the world. There is no one right way to do this; find what works for you.
I agree with Northwood in that compost is the best source of microbial activity. Add up to 1/3 of your mix as worm castings and/or compost. The importance of this cannot be understated. For the same reason it takes awhile to establish a highly active mix. Give it a few grows but you’ll see how much better it can get in subsequent runs.
You don’t need to use biochar; it’s probably good stuff but I would not know as I have never used it. You can easily get away without it and you can always add it in later if you wanted to. Optional.
Vermiculite is a great soil conditioner; helps retain moisture and reduces compaction. I opt for perlite myself because it’s cheap and easy to get but pumice is good too I hear. Never did the rice hulls either; again it’s optional as long as your mix is well aerated and drains through quickly you’ll be ok.
Yes to neem and kelp meal; malted barley? Optional. Use it if you can find it...it is beneficial to the fungi but so are many other amendments. Trace minerals help absorb everything else; don’t skimp on macronutrients but azomite is not the be all end all of minerals. Basalt is good I heard and I’ve added glacial rock dust too. Soft rock phosphate is another amendment that comes to mind. Nice thing about all of these minerals is they take a real long time to break down so you can add a small amount in once and let it ride for let’s say a year or more before you need to add more.
A little SRP or rock dust goes a long way. Add lots of things in small amounts; diversity is almost more important than ratios. Dolomite lime should be found in a garden store; I add about a handful to a 60 gal tote. It’s great as a ph buffer but Epsom salts are an alternative if you can’t find lime. Like I said a little goes a long way. Gypsum is really good; fungi loves it and it contains a fair amount of calcium. You can alternate between the different minerals; you do not need to supply all of the minerals each time you amend this soil. Think of them as inputs; switch them up as needed.
Oyster shell flour is the exception. I add it in every time as it breaks down fast. It must be in the root zone to help buffer ph but it does a great job at normalizing a hot mix; different than lime because it is not quite as water soluble. Slow release macros are actually kind of hard to supply so get some crushed oyster shell if you can. Fish bone meal is a great source of P and is good as a top dressing for bloom phase. Never used rice hulls or Lenordite myself; again it’s all optional. Cannot even spell that word with autocorrect...

 

[NightSpider]

For the cover crop, what function will the dichondra serve? The reason I ask is because if you're aiming for quick biomass production and deep extensive roots, I'm not sure if a ground cover like dichondra is going to cut it. It's cute though

For legumes/nitrogen-fixers like vetch, try get the coated inoculated seed unless you've incorporated field soil somehow into your grow where they grow as a common weed. Otherwise finding the Rhizobium species necessary might be a pain in the ass. Each legume associates with very specific limited species of Rhizobium bacteria to produce the N you're aiming for. Keep in mind that vetch in particular can be a bit of a pain in the ass. They're really good competitors and if you leave your young plants for just a couple of days without checking on them, they'll wrap around your cannabis stems to stick their noses above them. I've learned to avoid that by ensuring they grow up something else tall (flowering annual monocots - grasses) and keeping them away from my plants. They work though.

Has the peat moss been amended with a buffering agent by the supplier? Ensure you know because that will affect the amount of buffering agents you want to add like the lime.

I wouldn't bother with the charcoal because it's not the same as activated charcoal. I've never used kelp or neem meal, but a bit of neem meal seems to be a good pairing with the alfalfa pellets. I know it's really high in nitrogen, but you're not using much anyway. Yes to the alfalfa pellets. Mulch with them too later right over the straw mulch already added.

Basalt dust will not provide enough nutrients to make a difference within your lifetime IMO, but the worms will enjoy it as a source of grit. So yes, why not? It's not going to hurt and you can't overdose with it. lol

I don't think you need the fish meal if you use the neem. Oyster shells or lime, take your pick. You don't need both sources of the same thing. I had to look up leonardite just now lol, and some promising research shows it may help speed up the formation of stable organic carbon in your soil. It can't hurt I guess?

Use the rice hulls sparingly if you do, otherwise I'd worry a bit about bacteria tying up your free nitrogen as it's produced in order for them to consume it. If you use a bit it's fine, since when your plants need more N in later veg perhaps those bacteria will be done. I probably would pass though unless they were carbonized.

I always say the best source for micronutrients is organic material. Don't expect huge harvests with your first cycle, and flower a bit earlier than otherwise to keep them smaller. This kind of project takes time because great soil isn't built by mixing a bunch of crap together and instantly expecting perfect tilth and fertility. Think of it as a gradual process with a goal. As long as you don't put too much of something in there causing toxicity and begin preparation for cycle 2 as soon as your tiny cycle 1 seedlings are in there, you're good to go!

Edit part after I smoked some hash read more carefully:
Peat moss is so acidic by itself, you could easily use it pickle cucumbers with lol, but with an average pH under 4.0, I certainly wouldn't attempt to grow plants in it without a buffering base of whatever you calculate to bring it up to at least 5.5 because it will again get lower in the future for awhile. Then it will reach a steady state in pH balance once that acidity is under control and the bacteria are now able to eat it.

6 cup malted barley powder = fuck that. I'm making beer.

I see nothing wrong with sheep manure in your initial mix. It will give you a good boost of phosphorus that the neem and alfalfa lack. I would not add it as an amendment to my to-till past the initial setup though. If you can, I suggest organic hen manure. They sell it in pellet form which makes application dust free. lol

As far as vermiculite, I'd save it for mushroom growing. Peat moss has pretty good wicking and water holding capacity if it hasn't been dried to become hydrophobic. Vermiculite is expensive and unnecessary IMO.

I only added extra perlite to my soil. I didn't add any rocky or heavy gritty stuff to mine. Yuk! *j/k* What I'm saying is that you only need artificial drainage for a limited amount of time anyway. Soon you'll have something a little closer to soil than simply "grow medium" which is what we should be calling it.

I don't even know what "xtreme mykos and azos" are, but they better damn well make me laugh if they're a comedy team. On the other hand, if you're attempting to introduce beneficial fungi that you believe are not already there, then introduce them for free from outside the house if you can swing it.

Sorry I didn't follow your formatting rules. Do I lose the game or what? lol

I have heard that clover attracts some pests such as green aphids. I want something to act as an accumulator so that no nitrogen is wasted and then that plant can be pressed down and be mulch. I also want something to penetrate deep into the soil to aerate and condition it. I hear everyone say use grass but Im not sure if I know what such a broad term would mean. I also want to do some small stuff like pepper etc to be a natural pest deterrent etc. Could you give me a recommendation of cover crop mix with as few possible types of plants that will do a complete, good enough job? I am worried about pests because although I will be adding neem meal to the soil, I have not yet started doing weekly foliar neem applications in my growing career lol.

The peat says ph was adjusted to 5.7-6.5.

Are the amounts of stuff in my recipe good? How much alfalfa meal do I add? Or are pellets better?

I am interested in the charcoal idea though. As long as I do not guess it will actually do harm I mean to try it out. If I add it to the soil as bland charcoal without charging it, I am afraid maybe it will at the beginnings suck nutrients out of the soil and lock it up.

The oyster shell says CaO. Is that what it is supposed to be?

So exactly how am I to determine if I need to add lime and how much?

So am I supposed to not use malted barley powder ? I am confused haha


Thank you for your help.

 

[NightSpider]

I’ll be honest...I don’t even mix up my own soil. I just bought bags of FFOF and keep on amending and recycling it. Much simpler than what you are doing here but I’ll try to help all I can. Cannot really advise you about cover crops either as I don’t do them; my grow style is more TLO than no till and a cover crop is one difference between the two disciplines. The nice thing about living soil growing is it can be tailored to your own preferences and/or based on what is available to you in your part of the world. There is no one right way to do this; find what works for you.
I agree with Northwood in that compost is the best source of microbial activity. Add up to 1/3 of your mix as worm castings and/or compost. The importance of this cannot be understated. For the same reason it takes awhile to establish a highly active mix. Give it a few grows but you’ll see how much better it can get in subsequent runs.
You don’t need to use biochar; it’s probably good stuff but I would not know as I have never used it. You can easily get away without it and you can always add it in later if you wanted to. Optional.
Vermiculite is a great soil conditioner; helps retain moisture and reduces compaction. I opt for perlite myself because it’s cheap and easy to get but pumice is good too I hear. Never did the rice hulls either; again it’s optional as long as your mix is well aerated and drains through quickly you’ll be ok.
Yes to neem and kelp meal; malted barley? Optional. Use it if you can find it...it is beneficial to the fungi but so are many other amendments. Trace minerals help absorb everything else; don’t skimp on macronutrients but azomite is not the be all end all of minerals. Basalt is good I heard and I’ve added glacial rock dust too. Soft rock phosphate is another amendment that comes to mind. Nice thing about all of these minerals is they take a real long time to break down so you can add a small amount in once and let it ride for let’s say a year or more before you need to add more.
A little SRP or rock dust goes a long way. Add lots of things in small amounts; diversity is almost more important than ratios. Dolomite lime should be found in a garden store; I add about a handful to a 60 gal tote. It’s great as a ph buffer but Epsom salts are an alternative if you can’t find lime. Like I said a little goes a long way. Gypsum is really good; fungi loves it and it contains a fair amount of calcium. You can alternate between the different minerals; you do not need to supply all of the minerals each time you amend this soil. Think of them as inputs; switch them up as needed.
Oyster shell flour is the exception. I add it in every time as it breaks down fast. It must be in the root zone to help buffer ph but it does a great job at normalizing a hot mix; different than lime because it is not quite as water soluble. Slow release macros are actually kind of hard to supply so get some crushed oyster shell if you can. Fish bone meal is a great source of P and is good as a top dressing for bloom phase. Never used rice hulls or Lenordite myself; again it’s all optional. Cannot even spell that word with autocorrect...

So I will add the basalt. I will get some rock phosphate. How much rock phosphate?

Do you have any suggestions on the amounts of stuff I wrote or do they seem fine?

I only have access to the trace mineral product I shared, does that seem replacable for azomite?
I cannot find dolomite lime as I have stated. I can find lime, epsom salts, gypsum, oyster shell flour and that is all. I still dont really know the technicalities of liming so with these 4 ingredients, how much of each do you recommend per cubic foot for me right now?

Thank you

 

[NightSpider]

@Rrog

Hello, I remember learning a lot from you also. Do you have any recommendations?

 

[JHake]

No way i have the experience and knowledge as the users that posted above, but i may be helpful in certain things mostly because i also have limited access to certain products in my country.

- If your peat says it's 5.7-6.5 it surely contains some kind of lime. Most commercial peat based mixes i've seen use dolomite lime, it's listed on the ingredients. Do you have some info on the bag?

- Fertilizers are normally added up to 3 TOTAL cups per cubic foot. I did half a cup of three amendments in my mix, for a total 1,5 cups per cubic foot.

- I also added 1 cup per cu ft of malted barley to my soil mix. Mycelium or pseudomycelym was developed while soil was cooking, so i guess it does something with the biology.

- I was in the same situation as you regarding Azomite. It was available here and somewhat cheap, but ended up getting a rock dust mix from a local supplier.

Maybe you want to check last Coot's Mix, which i believe is cool since it uses few things. Here you can read that you can replace limestone with oyster shell flour:

Coots Soil Mix Explained

About 11 years ago I got a medical card under the rules of OMMP (Oregon Medical Marijuana Program. Not to grow per se but to get access to the 'strain of the week' through some of the groups like Oregon Green Free and a couple of others which no longer exist thankfully.At the time Fox Farms...

clackamascoots.com

I started from there, related to this other article:

Mineralized Soil - Foliar Sprays

The Four Bases of Mineralized Soil--The Optimum Food Supply for People and Animals Should Be Grown On Mineralized Soil. This Type Of Soil Isn’t to be Found—It I

foliarsprays.com

 

[Northwood]

I have heard that clover attracts some pests such as green aphids.

Yeah well any living plant will attract pests if they're present. I'm confused now though, is this an outdoor grow no-till setup?

 

[NightSpider]

No way i have the experience and knowledge as the users that posted above, but i may be helpful in certain things mostly because i also have limited access to certain products in my country.

- If your peat says it's 5.7-6.5 it surely contains some kind of lime. Most commercial peat based mixes i've seen use dolomite lime, it's listed on the ingredients. Do you have some info on the bag?

- Fertilizers are normally added up to 3 TOTAL cups per cubic foot. I did half a cup of three amendments in my mix, for a total 1,5 cups per cubic foot.

- I also added 1 cup per cu ft of malted barley to my soil mix. Mycelium or pseudomycelym was developed while soil was cooking, so i guess it does something with the biology.

- I was in the same situation as you regarding Azomite. It was available here and somewhat cheap, but ended up getting a rock dust mix from a local supplier.

Maybe you want to check last Coot's Mix, which i believe is cool since it uses few things. Here you can read that you can replace limestone with oyster shell flour:

Coots Soil Mix Explained

About 11 years ago I got a medical card under the rules of OMMP (Oregon Medical Marijuana Program. Not to grow per se but to get access to the 'strain of the week' through some of the groups like Oregon Green Free and a couple of others which no longer exist thankfully.At the time Fox Farms...

clackamascoots.com

I started from there, related to this other article:

Mineralized Soil - Foliar Sprays

The Four Bases of Mineralized Soil--The Optimum Food Supply for People and Animals Should Be Grown On Mineralized Soil. This Type Of Soil Isn’t to be Found—It I

foliarsprays.com

The peat I could find is:

https://www.sab-germany.com/downloads/sab_substrates.pdf

Substrat 2, not 0 or 1.


I will have 16 cubic foot of soil. Just like you, I am planning 1 cup/sqfoot of malted barley. Let us say I do 2.0 cup/sqfoot amendments total. That makes 32 cups total. I am putting 8 neem and 8 kelp. I do not have access to crab meal. What should I use instead?


"
1 cup kelp meal
1 cup neem meal or an equal amount of neem & karanja mix
1 cup of limestone or more exactly Calcium Carbonate CaCO3 so Oyster Shell Powder/flour can also be used as it is also a pure Calcium Carbonate material
1/2 cup Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) available at all DIY stores but you must get the material in the garden section and not in the home remodel section. There are 2 forms of gypsum so make sure you get the one for soil and not walls...

Finally there is the rock dust which I recommend 3 cups of either basalt or granite. Only these 2 materials are 'paramagnetic' which is an integral part of the CeC discussion (Cation exchange Capacity).
"
This is from the coots link. Let us say I take this to heart and up my kelp and neem to 1 cup per sqfeet.

How can I calculate my lime requirement? How much lime or oyster shell do I use? Is the stated amount ok?

I hear people using dolomitic for magnesium, where will my magnesium come from? basalt?

Yeah well any living plant will attract pests if they're present. I'm confused now though, is this an outdoor grow no-till setup?

Nope, indoors 4x4 bed. Why?
Also, I would like to think it is highly likely that different plants will attract different pests in different amounts and different ways. So I am trying to figure out the cover crop mix from the varieties I have access to which supposedly would have least amount of pest issues while doing a good job whether its job is nutrient accumulation for later mulch, pest deterrent etc.

 

[JHake]

That peat has already a liming agent on it, since it's pH adjusted. Maybe you can contact them and ask what kind of lime they use.
Can't you get only peat? There are lots of "peat based potting mixes" often referred as peat.

There are growers like Coot and the guys at Build a soil, who prefer pure CaCO3 insted of Dolomite, which also contains Mg.
But, on the other hand, there are lot of growers who use dolomite without any problem.

Maybe here you just have to choose and try.
Get the commercial pH adjusted peat, or get pure peat and buffer it yourself with limestone (pure CaCO3).
I did both...nowadays i stick with CaCO3 for three main reasons:
1) The more "technical" one is that it just seems to be superior: https://sw-ke.facebook.com/Buildasoil/posts/from-our-last-post-we-had-lots-of-questions-about-why-we-avoid-dolomite-lime-esp/3380888768606812/
2) Subjective reason 1: i just like mixing my ingredients myself
3) Subjective reason 2: all pH adjusted peats i've seen here use dolomite lime. I just wanted to try another thing.

As you see...not everything is choosing the best based purely on technical or scientific reasons.
In fact, if i wanted that way, i should make my base mix and send it to analyze prior to add anything else on it.

Crab meal...i believe Coot used it in previous mixes, but as you can see, he doesn't use it anymore.
So maybe you shouldnt get too mad about not getting it?
Does your mix look good enough compared to the 4 bases of soil described in the link i posted above? Then maybe is good enough to start.

Or see how you can work around it: what about start breeding some mealworms yourself?
I do believe great part of this organics learning is doing things. In my country i can't rely on commercial EWC, i even found a piece of glass once. So i used the best one i could get for my mix, and then top dress with my own and fresh EWC.

 

[NightSpider]

I searched a lot online but all I found were either peat substrates or shady indistinguishable online store items.

That peat has already a liming agent on it, since it's pH adjusted. Maybe you can contact them and ask what kind of lime they use.
Can't you get only peat? There are lots of "peat based potting mixes" often referred as peat.

There are growers like Coot and the guys at Build a soil, who prefer pure CaCO3 insted of Dolomite, which also contains Mg.
But, on the other hand, there are lot of growers who use dolomite without any problem.

Maybe here you just have to choose and try.
Get the commercial pH adjusted peat, or get pure peat and buffer it yourself with limestone (pure CaCO3).
I did both...nowadays i stick with CaCO3 for three main reasons:
1) The more "technical" one is that it just seems to be superior: https://sw-ke.facebook.com/Buildasoil/posts/from-our-last-post-we-had-lots-of-questions-about-why-we-avoid-dolomite-lime-esp/3380888768606812/
2) Subjective reason 1: i just like mixing my ingredients myself
3) Subjective reason 2: all pH adjusted peats i've seen here use dolomite lime. I just wanted to try another thing.

As you see...not everything is choosing the best based purely on technical or scientific reasons.
In fact, if i wanted that way, i should make my base mix and send it to analyze prior to add anything else on it.

Crab meal...i believe Coot used it in previous mixes, but as you can see, he doesn't use it anymore.
So maybe you shouldnt get too mad about not getting it?
Does your mix look good enough compared to the 4 bases of soil described in the link i posted above? Then maybe is good enough to start.

Or see how you can work around it: what about start breeding some mealworms yourself?
I do believe great part of this organics learning is doing things. In my country i can't rely on commercial EWC, i even found a piece of glass once. So i used the best one i could get for my mix, and then top dress with my own and fresh EWC.

 

[Richard Drysift]

So I will add the basalt. I will get some rock phosphate. How much rock phosphate?

Do you have any suggestions on the amounts of stuff I wrote or do they seem fine?

I only have access to the trace mineral product I shared, does that seem replacable for azomite?
I cannot find dolomite lime as I have stated. I can find lime, epsom salts, gypsum, oyster shell flour and that is all. I still dont really know the technicalities of liming so with these 4 ingredients, how much of each do you recommend per cubic foot for me right now?

Thank you

Don’t overthink it. Put lots of things in small amounts; no need to be deadly accurate with ratios but try to put similar quantities. I use a handful...as a measure. That’s as much as I can grab with my hand inside the bag without it falling out. You can use something more accurate like say 1/2 cup per mineral/amendments for consistency. If you want exact soil recipes get a book on the subject; nobody can tell you exactly how much of what to add for your particular mix but honestly this is not rocket science. Just put it all in there and let the microbes & fungi sort it out.
Lime is dolomite lime; use agricultural grade lime and/or gypsum. Epsom salt is best given hydrated. I wouldn’t put it in my mix unless soluble magnesium was needed. Bubble it in water for a hour or so and pour it on. To be honest I don’t really understand the technicalities of liming either; I throw maybe a cup & 1/2 per a 60 gal tote full of recycled soil as mineral inputs. Just get some in there; the roots will find it. Use what you have; should be fine and if not you can always give soluble npk if they start to get pale.

 

[Northwood]

Nope, indoors 4x4 bed. Why?
Also, I would like to think it is highly likely that different plants will attract different pests in different amounts and different ways. So I am trying to figure out the cover crop mix from the varieties I have access to which supposedly would have least amount of pest issues while doing a good job whether its job is nutrient accumulation for later mulch, pest deterrent etc.

If the aphids you have in your locale are specific to clover, then I guess they wouldn't harm your cannabis plants anyway so you'll have nothing to worry about either way.

The only way any plant in your grow setup attracts any pest is because the pest is already present, hence why I became confused and thought you were outdoors. Obviously clover isn't going to attract even clover-specific aphids if no aphids have been introduced into your tent.

I'm not sure if you're going to be able to optimally take advantage of a no-till setup if you take proactive action against non-existent pests by using neem oil or any other vile stuff on a regular basis to combat the invisible menace. Your best defence against pests is follow the basic rules that ensure you will not be introducing them into your grow area, and to allow beneficials to live that can effectively control certain pests if they do find their way in.

Unfortunately with a constant war against all arthropods, you'll not only suppress beneficial life forms that might otherwise keep things like fungus gnats away, but you're eliminating an important component from your grow that would otherwise assist with biomass cycling and contribution of chitin and easily mineralized nitrogen.

Anyway, you asked specifically for my advice and that's it. But in the end it's your grow and you do what you feel it best for your situation. Happy growing!

 

[NightSpider]

If the aphids you have in your locale are specific to clover, then I guess they wouldn't harm your cannabis plants anyway so you'll have nothing to worry about either way.

The only way any plant in your grow setup attracts any pest is because the pest is already present, hence why I became confused and thought you were outdoors. Obviously clover isn't going to attract even clover-specific aphids if no aphids have been introduced into your tent.

I'm not sure if you're going to be able to optimally take advantage of a no-till setup if you take proactive action against non-existent pests by using neem oil or any other vile stuff on a regular basis to combat the invisible menace. Your best defence against pests is follow the basic rules that ensure you will not be introducing them into your grow area, and to allow beneficials to live that can effectively control certain pests if they do find their way in.

Unfortunately with a constant war against all arthropods, you'll not only suppress beneficial life forms that might otherwise keep things like fungus gnats away, but you're eliminating an important component from your grow that would otherwise assist with biomass cycling and contribution of chitin and easily mineralized nitrogen.

Anyway, you asked specifically for my advice and that's it. But in the end it's your grow and you do what you feel it best for your situation. Happy growing!

So neem meal counters all arthropods? Or are you talking about the pest deterrent plants I mentioned?
One thing that confuses me is: some people have rolly polies (pardon my spelling) and springtails and stuff chowing on mulch. Perfectly fine for me if none will make it our of the tent. But what controls their population? What munches on those?

 

[Northwood]

So neem meal counters all arthropods? Or are you talking about the pest deterrent plants I mentioned?
One thing that confuses me is: some people have rolly polies (pardon my spelling) and springtails and stuff chowing on mulch. Perfectly fine for me if none will make it our of the tent. But what controls their population? What munches on those?

I think neem meal is what's left over after the oil has been removed so you should be okay with it. Neem oil is a different thing. Isopods like "rollie pollies" are very cool, but unfortunately do tend to wonder. After my wife found one in the hallway, I'm not allowed to keep them in my grow anymore

Springtails stay put in your pot, and predatory mites will eat their larvae, thus controlling their population somewhat. But they reproduce much faster than mites can control at certain stages of your grow, and then the mites in turn increase in number later in the cycle in response. You can never have too many springtails though. My soil currently likely has dozens per square inch. lol

 

[NightSpider]

I think neem meal is what's left over after the oil has been removed so you should be okay with it. Neem oil is a different thing. Isopods like "rollie pollies" are very cool, but unfortunately do tend to wonder. After my wife found one in the hallway, I'm not allowed to keep them in my grow anymore

Springtails stay put in your pot, and predatory mites will eat their larvae, thus controlling their population somewhat. But they reproduce much faster than mites can control at certain stages of your grow, and then the mites in turn increase in number later in the cycle in response. You can never have too many springtails though. My soil currently likely has dozens per square inch. lol

Will my soil be inoculated with microbes fungi protozoa mematodes predatore nematodes and mites if I use quality compost and ewc when mixing it? I dont think I can find specific critter products in my country, I hear people saying I had this pest problem and introduced ths strain of bug and it solved it etc.

The only neem meal I could find was this

Online sale of TRABE ProNeem neem flour 450 gr

Buy TRABE ProNeem neem flour 450 gr (Insecticides) at Alchimia Grow Shop

www.alchimiaweb.com

 

[Northwood]

Will my soil be inoculated with microbes fungi protozoa mematodes predatore nematodes and mites if I use quality compost and ewc when mixing it? I dont think I can find specific critter products in my country, I hear people saying I had this pest problem and introduced ths strain of bug and it solved it etc.

The only neem meal I could find was this

Online sale of TRABE ProNeem neem flour 450 gr

Buy TRABE ProNeem neem flour 450 gr (Insecticides) at Alchimia Grow Shop

www.alchimiaweb.com

If your compost has been sold in a plastic bag at a retail store, I'm not sure if you'll be introducing a lot of life other than fungi and bacteria. Fungi and bacteria are everywhere, so it's pretty hard not to have them in your grow. I introduced sources like field and forest soil and humus and cycled it through my worm bins for more diversity. Hay or straw (not sterile) is a good source for protozoa even as your mulch.

That neem looks more like an insecticide than an amendment. I'd probably pass on it, as well as the rock phosphate since adding it will not help manage phosphate levels in later grow cycles when you'll more likely to be trying to reduce phosphate additives as much as you can.

 

[NightSpider]

If your compost has been sold in a plastic bag at a retail store, I'm not sure if you'll be introducing a lot of life other than fungi and bacteria. Fungi and bacteria are everywhere, so it's pretty hard not to have them in your grow. I introduced sources like field and forest soil and humus and cycled it through my worm bins for more diversity. Hay or straw (not sterile) is a good source for protozoa even as your mulch.

That neem looks more like an insecticide than an amendment. I'd probably pass on it, as well as the rock phosphate since adding it will not help manage phosphate levels in later grow cycles when you'll more likely to be trying to reduce phosphate additives as much as you can.

What are some other things I can do for pest prevention other than mixing neem meal in and or neem oil foliar spray?

I do not have a worm compost bin. Is it safe to just go to a forest or a field, pick up soil and mix it into my beginning soil? Would processing it through the worms prevent introducing anything bad alongside the good?

I do have some kind of ewc. I went to a worm farm, bought some fresh castings but I feel like they just made a huge pile outdoors and shoveled it into a sack and gave it to me. I suspect that they didnt really be careful about the inputs they feed the worms and it seems a bit clumpy and mucky. Should I put in some of that? I couldnt trust it so I ordered bagged ewc. I dont have access to non bagged compost in my area anyways.

 

[Northwood]

What are some other things I can do for pest prevention other than mixing neem meal in and or neem oil foliar spray?

I do not have a worm compost bin. Is it safe to just go to a forest or a field, pick up soil and mix it into my beginning soil? Would processing it through the worms prevent introducing anything bad alongside the good?

I do have some kind of ewc. I went to a worm farm, bought some fresh castings but I feel like they just made a huge pile outdoors and shoveled it into a sack and gave it to me. I suspect that they didnt really be careful about the inputs they feed the worms and it seems a bit clumpy and mucky. Should I put in some of that? I couldnt trust it so I ordered bagged ewc. I dont have access to non bagged compost in my area anyways.

Your best line of defense against pests in your grow is to follow all the rules that prevent their introduction in the first place. One of those rules is to not bring in material (or living plants) from outdoors into your indoor grow without either aging it for a long time (like in the case of hay or straw) or cycling it through a worm bin like I did with my outdoor additions.

I'd use the stuff you don't trust. Hopefully you even see some partially uneaten yukky stuff in there along with some live worms, then you know it's fresh or at least recently active. If it looks a bit of a mess, it's probably good! lol