65 gallon smart pots super soil--how much worm castings? cow manure?
- Thread starter chamezzz
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durbanmistyman
Well-Known Member
follow the recipe use half to 1/3 super soil in bottom.
scroglodyte
Well-Known Member
if you just wish to amend the soil..........throw 3 bags poop (40 lbs.) in with the 65gal of soil. i grew outside in 100% composted rabbit shit, with good results. its a matter of availability and budget.
Rising Moon
Well-Known Member
I would throw at least 20 gallons of worm castings in a bag that big, and maybe 15 gallons of the manure.
I feel the castings are essential to my mix, they hold water nicely, are full of good stuff, and the plants seem to respond really well to them, with even growth, disease resistance etc...
the more the merrier!
I also use oyster shell and granite dust instead of perlite in my mixes for slow a release calcium, minerals and soil drainage.
Leaf mold, created by piling tree leaves up for a couple summers, can substitute coco or peat moss, and it is not only free, but better than anything in the stores, because of its mineral, fungal and elemental properties, and its ability to hold water like a sponge. (just like an old growth forest floor)
I feel the castings are essential to my mix, they hold water nicely, are full of good stuff, and the plants seem to respond really well to them, with even growth, disease resistance etc...
the more the merrier!
I also use oyster shell and granite dust instead of perlite in my mixes for slow a release calcium, minerals and soil drainage.
Leaf mold, created by piling tree leaves up for a couple summers, can substitute coco or peat moss, and it is not only free, but better than anything in the stores, because of its mineral, fungal and elemental properties, and its ability to hold water like a sponge. (just like an old growth forest floor)
durbanmistyman
Well-Known Member
No you cannot burn your plant with them.
NullSiG
Active Member
You sure it wasn't something else ? i have never seen worm castings burn anything i have seen plants started in 50% coco worm castings mix and they did not burn at all but it could be strain specific.
durbanmistyman
Well-Known Member
It was something in the other 85% of your medium that burnt the plant, not the worm castings, I can promise you that.
Vindicated
Well-Known Member
A few years back when first started using worm castings, I wanted to know how much worm castings my cannabis plants liked. I did a rough kitchen experiment to find out. It wasn't anything to fancy, I simply got a bag of Miracle Grow Seed Starting Mix and a bag of powder worm castings (NPK of 2-1-1) from a local Osh Hardware Store. Then just like back in grade school, when we grew beans on the windowsill, I filled up bunch of red dixie cups with worm castings and MG Seed Starting Mix. I varies the amount of castings from cup to cup and noted the results:
Group 1 had 0% worm castings = The control.
Group 2 had 5% worm castings and were larger than group 1.
Group 3 had 10% worm castings and were larger then groups 1 & 2.
Group 4 had 15% worm castings and were the same size as group 3.
Group 5 had 20% worm castings and were same size as control with slight leaf burn.
Group 6 had 25% worm castings and were smaller then control; died within a week.
I know worm castings' NPK varies, potting soil varies, and my test was crude, but I can easily see how a 15% addition of worm castings to my potting soil showed good results, but 15% in some else potting soil caused nutrient burn. After doing my test, I always told people 10%-15% was being safe. I think going forward I'll recommend keeping it at 10%.
I never tried 100% worm castings, but I can't imagine it working. Its like growing in wet sand.
Group 1 had 0% worm castings = The control.
Group 2 had 5% worm castings and were larger than group 1.
Group 3 had 10% worm castings and were larger then groups 1 & 2.
Group 4 had 15% worm castings and were the same size as group 3.
Group 5 had 20% worm castings and were same size as control with slight leaf burn.
Group 6 had 25% worm castings and were smaller then control; died within a week.
I know worm castings' NPK varies, potting soil varies, and my test was crude, but I can easily see how a 15% addition of worm castings to my potting soil showed good results, but 15% in some else potting soil caused nutrient burn. After doing my test, I always told people 10%-15% was being safe. I think going forward I'll recommend keeping it at 10%.
I never tried 100% worm castings, but I can't imagine it working. Its like growing in wet sand.