Coots style mix really low in Nitrogen- best amendment?

[Nwtexan]

Just got back my soil test from a Coots mix blend.
I used Malibu dynamic compost and followed the standard amendments. Only diff was that I was missing about half basalt, and Glacial rock dust when i sent out the test. I figured these were slow release additives and wouldn't affect it too much.

It is possible that the sample wasn't completely accurate. The test has a 1/4 cup container. I had my soil mixed really well and did my best to get a good recc.

Anyway, my Nitrogen is way low. Also low on some micros-Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Copper Boron.

I want to try to correct these and send off another test before I plant in about 3 weeks. I know Bat Guano is good for Nitrogen, but seems to split people as to whether it is a good move. What about micros?

 

[natureboygrower]

Just got back my soil test from a Coots mix blend.
I used Malibu dynamic compost and followed the standard amendments. Only diff was that I was missing about half basalt, and Glacial rock dust when i sent out the test. I figured these were slow release additives and wouldn't affect it too much.

It is possible that the sample wasn't completely accurate. The test has a 1/4 cup container. I had my soil mixed really well and did my best to get a good recc.

Anyway, my Nitrogen is way low. Also low on some micros-Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Copper Boron.

I want to try to correct these and send off another test before I plant in about 3 weeks. I know Bat Guano is good for Nitrogen, but seems to split people as to whether it is a good move. What about micros?

Did you add the neem seed meal? I run coots and very rarely have I had a Nitrogen deficiency. Never actually. Are you seeing any deficiencies in your plants?

 

[Nwtexan]

I added Neem/Karanga cake mix, using this recipe--https://growingorganic.com/soil-guide/coots-soil-mix/
I made a little more than 6CF so used 3 1/2 C

 

[Rurumo]

I use 3 cups of amendments per cu ft of soil, minimum. I think a lot of people do-there are a lot of versions of Cootz mix around because it's been revised and adapted so many times over the years. I think if you just use 1 cup each per cu ft of the neem and crab meal you'd be golden. You could give them some neem tea to get them started, and topdress the rest of the amendments too.

 

[natureboygrower]

Run the plants in the soil and see how they turn out if you havent yet. Soil tests arent always accurate

 

[Rurumo]

just in case you haven't seen this, there is a good version on the first page-they say 1/2 to 1 cup per amendment-this is a great thread if you need something to peruse for a couple of weeks https://forum.grasscity.com/threads/no-till-gardening-revisited.1400505/

 

[Medskunk]

Try some SSTs

 

[Nwtexan]

I use 3 cups of amendments per cu ft of soil, minimum. I think a lot of people do-there are a lot of versions of Cootz mix around because it's been revised and adapted so many times over the years. I think if you just use 1 cup each per cu ft of the neem and crab meal you'd be golden. You could give them some neem tea to get them started, and topdress the rest of the amendments too.

I'll try adding some more of the 3--neem, kelp, and crustacean

 

[Nwtexan]

just in case you haven't seen this, there is a good version on the first page-they say 1/2 to 1 cup per amendment-this is a great thread if you need something to peruse for a couple of weeks https://forum.grasscity.com/threads/no-till-gardening-revisited.1400505/

Thats the issue with learning new stuff! Lot's of encouragement, and then the inevitable missing pieces

 

[Rurumo]

I'll try adding some more of the 3--neem, kelp, and crustacean

The beauty of those three amendments is that none of them are very "hot" so you should do just great with that addition. Good luck!

 

[Nwtexan]

I meant to attach the soil sample. It is strange that in addition to the lower elements(which I've since amended) sodium and calcium are super high. I think there must have been an error on my end grabbing it. I'm gonna check it again with a home test, but the high sodium and sulfur have me a bit perplexed. Is this something to worry about?

 

[Nwtexan]

I was looking at the Coots main amendments, and kelp and crustacean meal both are pretty high in sodium, which may explain those high numbers.
I did a quick home nitrogen test tonight and I'm still looking really low, even after almost doubling my amendments. I'll check a couple more times. I'm gonna try to plant in the next week or so in 2 SIP's im making

 

[Nwtexan]

My home soil tests are lining up with my lab tests. Super low nitrogen, optimal phosphorus, and really high potassium.
I’ve already re-amended with more neem, kelp, and crab meal.

From what I’ve read one of the pluses of Coots mix is that many of the nutrients are ready immediately. I’m assuming that kelp is the quickest source of nitrogen of the amendments, with the compost or ewc also providing these as the other medium range elements are broken down.

With this in mind, and my high potassium, I’m thinking more ewc and some crab meal

 

[Rurumo]

The high potassium and low nitrogen are both interesting, I think I'm going to start testing my soil more often. I've seen high potassium reported before in this mix, it must be the rock dusts-maybe this is why I see people using less basalt recently. So much variability in these mixes is probably due to the different brands/types of compost and ewc we use, and even different sources of Sphagnum. The micronutrient deficiency is a well known aspect to this mix, so a lot of people use Bioag tm-7 to remedy it. Thanks for posting your test data, really interesting!

 

[Nwtexan]

The high potassium and low nitrogen are both interesting, I think I'm going to start testing my soil more often. I've seen high potassium reported before in this mix, it must be the rock dusts-maybe this is why I see people using less basalt recently. So much variability in these mixes is probably due to the different brands/types of compost and ewc we use, and even different sources of Sphagnum. The micronutrient deficiency is a well known aspect to this mix, so a lot of people use Bioag tm-7 to remedy it. Thanks for posting your test data, really interesting!

I was also thinking it could be from all the ocean elements. Crab and kelp have a lot of sodium.
Do you have any experience with the bio mag? I’m trying to get this as solid as I can before I put my plants in it. I’ll be growing in SIPs, so hoping to mostly use water(without tons of amendments). I’m gonna add some dry nutrients in trenches, as I’ve seen success in others that have been running similar systems for many grows

 

[Rurumo]

I was also thinking it could be from all the ocean elements. Crab and kelp have a lot of sodium.
Do you have any experience with the bio mag? I’m trying to get this as solid as I can before I put my plants in it. I’ll be growing in SIPs, so hoping to mostly use water(without tons of amendments). I’m gonna add some dry nutrients in trenches, as I’ve seen success in others that have been running similar systems for many grows

I'm trying to find another interesting thread on this very subject-a guy did a lot of testing with his Coots mix. I'll post a link if I can find it. I'm getting my soil together now for a water only grow as well...well, mostly water only, I will water in a little fulvic acid, aloe, and silica, but I'm using a blusoak system so any additives will be hand watered in separately. I use tm-7 for micronutrients in all of my grows, even when I'm using mineral salts and coco-if you ever have micronutrient deficiencies or just want to avoid them, I like to give them 1/4 teaspoon tm-7 per gallon, once per week for 3 weeks, right around flower. It seems to help most grows.

 

[Rurumo]

I was also thinking it could be from all the ocean elements. Crab and kelp have a lot of sodium.
Do you have any experience with the bio mag? I’m trying to get this as solid as I can before I put my plants in it. I’ll be growing in SIPs, so hoping to mostly use water(without tons of amendments). I’m gonna add some dry nutrients in trenches, as I’ve seen success in others that have been running similar systems for many grows

You might find this thread interesting, lots of overlap with this thread: https://www.thcfarmer.com/threads/coots-mix-no-till-soil-help.88981/page-2

 

[Nwtexan]

I'm trying to find another interesting thread on this very subject-a guy did a lot of testing with his Coots mix. I'll post a link if I can find it. I'm getting my soil together now for a water only grow as well...well, mostly water only, I will water in a little fulvic acid, aloe, and silica, but I'm using a blusoak system so any additives will be hand watered in separately. I use tm-7 for micronutrients in all of my grows, even when I'm using mineral salts and coco-if you ever have micronutrient deficiencies or just want to avoid them, I like to give them 1/4 teaspoon tm-7 per gallon, once per week for 3 weeks, right around flower. It seems to help most grows.

Thanks! Good to know on the tm-7. I haven't read about anyone using any of the fulvic/aloe stuff in SIPS. Thats the thing about learning it all. Seems that many schools of thought are silos and you can get caught in them. I really want to learn, and am also hoping to have a successful grow combining these two approaches.

 

[Rurumo]

Thanks! Good to know on the tm-7. I haven't read about anyone using any of the fulvic/aloe stuff in SIPS. Thats the thing about learning it all. Seems that many schools of thought are silos and you can get caught in them. I really want to learn, and am also hoping to have a successful grow combining these two approaches.

I gotcha, yeah, that would change things a bit. One thing I totally recommend is the malted barley powder, you can just topdress it. I think people will be using it in a few years the way we used to use molasses. Almost forgot, a guy in that thread had high sodium too, and someone recommended gypsum for lowering it. Gypsum is one of my favorites.

 

[Nwtexan]

Interesting. I think with the way I'm growing, Gypsum might not do that. https://www.eco-gem.com/gypsum-remediate-saline-sodic-soils/#:~:text=Since salinity is the amount,sulfate cannot reclaim these soils.&text=However, gypsum plays an important,salts from the root zone.

Definitely want to look into getting some malted barley powder.