Amending Soil (FFOF) and it's keepability?

Toaster D

Toaster D

Well-Known Member
Okay, so keepability is probably not a word, but I think you all know what I mean. I am mixing a batch of FFOF soil with a few amendments. I will be vegging in solo cups then switching to 3 or 5 gallon fabric pots.

My question. I have basically a wheelbarrow I am using as a mixer bowl. I will be putting apporxamately 6 bags of FFOF with dolomite lime, azomite and maybe a few worm castings. I will fill solo cups initially, but plan on filling my final pots in a few weeks. If I mix soil and keep it in my garage will it be okay exposed for a few weeks?

I guess I could cover it if required. My garage stays closed for the most part, Just dont want it to become a breeding ground for bugs till I get ready to transplant. I could save bags and repackage most I guess.
 
Toaster D

Toaster D

Well-Known Member
Well, I mainly want to add dolomite lime. I had a problem with calcium on my first grow and would rather amend it into the soil vs topdressing or adding calmag.

I think this is the best method, but I'm a newb, so open to constructive criticism. I wasn't sure if Azomite would hurt adding it in.

Glad to hear it keeps. I was worried I might have a nest of bugs bedding down in my soil (even garage kept)
 
RM3

RM3

Well-Known Member
Toaster D said:
Well, I mainly want to add dolomite lime. I had a problem with calcium on my first grow and would rather amend it into the soil vs topdressing or adding calmag.

I think this is the best method, but I'm a newb, so open to constructive criticism. I wasn't sure if Azomite would hurt adding it in.

Glad to hear it keeps. I was worried I might have a nest of bugs bedding down in my soil (even garage kept)
Click to expand...
Dolomite adds Mag (slow release) not Cal and FFOF should already have Dolomite in it adding more would be a mistake

azomite is minerals and regular organic soil has minerals so I would tread lightly

Sunshine mix is peat and is re-usable, nothing I would do with FFOF
 
DonBrennon

DonBrennon

Well-Known Member
RM3 said:
Dolomite adds Mag (slow release) not Cal and FFOF should already have Dolomite in it adding more would be a mistake
\
azomite is minerals and regular organic soil has minerals so I would tread lightly

Sunshine mix is peat and is re-usable, nothing I would do with FFOF
Click to expand...
Errrrm............dolomite lime doesn't contain cal????? You may want to re-research that one
 
Richard Drysift

Richard Drysift

Well-Known Member
Honestly you shouldn't need to add anything to it until after a cycle through to harvest but then again I'm fairly sure adding some azomite, lime, & EWC cannot hurt either. I still use general organic 's liquid cal-mag because options are limited to provide readily available calcium through dry amendments only. Plus many times I need to use RO water which is devoid of macros. You can add crushed oyster shell, Epsom salts, composted eggshells, etc to provide calcium in your mix globally but it takes a fuckin lifetime for it to be available to the plants. Dolomite lime is water soluble so if you needed a mag boost you could use it if hydrated & bubbled for 24 hrs but I only add a small amount every time I recycle a root ball after harvest & typically use it dry.
Your mix will be fine in the garage & even a few bugs is okay. I think you may be better off using a starter mix or at least consider cutting down your FFOF soil with perlite & coco if you plan on popping seeds in those solo cups. I prefer to use a regular potting soil from Walmart to start seeds or young clones off & save your richer mix for when it's needed.
 
Yodaweed

Yodaweed

Well-Known Member
Richard Drysift said:
Honestly you shouldn't need to add anything to it until after a cycle through to harvest but then again I'm fairly sure adding some azomite, lime, & EWC cannot hurt either. I still use general organic 's liquid cal-mag because options are limited to provide readily available calcium through dry amendments only. Plus many times I need to use RO water which is devoid of macros. You can add crushed oyster shell, Epsom salts, composted eggshells, etc to provide calcium in your mix globally but it takes a fuckin lifetime for it to be available to the plants. Dolomite lime is water soluble so if you needed a mag boost you could use it if hydrated & bubbled for 24 hrs but I only add a small amount every time I recycle a root ball after harvest & typically use it dry.
Your mix will be fine in the garage & even a few bugs is okay. I think you may be better off using a starter mix or at least consider cutting down your FFOF soil with perlite & coco if you plan on popping seeds in those solo cups. I prefer to use a regular potting soil from Walmart to start seeds or young clones off & save your richer mix for when it's needed.
Click to expand...
Oyster Flour is a great amendment for calcium, so is lime,basalt and gypsum <---I love gypsum.
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Toaster D said:
Okay, so keepability is probably not a word, but I think you all know what I mean. I am mixing a batch of FFOF soil with a few amendments. I will be vegging in solo cups then switching to 3 or 5 gallon fabric pots.

My question. I have basically a wheelbarrow I am using as a mixer bowl. I will be putting apporxamately 6 bags of FFOF with dolomite lime, azomite and maybe a few worm castings. I will fill solo cups initially, but plan on filling my final pots in a few weeks. If I mix soil and keep it in my garage will it be okay exposed for a few weeks?

I guess I could cover it if required. My garage stays closed for the most part, Just dont want it to become a breeding ground for bugs till I get ready to transplant. I could save bags and repackage most I guess.
Click to expand...
it's no different in your garage than on a pallet where it sits for months at a time man.
it's not "freshly" mixed, bagged and shipped.
I'd add a good 3 cups of crab meal to that mix, and maybe 2 cups of neem meal. By the time you are using that soil that will be nice and cycled.
remember bugs that eat your soil aren't the ones that eat your plants
another thing to add... i'd say the most commonly mis-diagnosed malady for cannabis is "cal/mag"
so be damn sure you ARE indeed deficient in that before adding more...
that mix is prelimed
 
bertaluchi

bertaluchi

Well-Known Member
Toaster D said:
Well, I mainly want to add dolomite lime. I had a problem with calcium on my first grow and would rather amend it into the soil vs topdressing or adding calmag.

I think this is the best method, but I'm a newb, so open to constructive criticism. I wasn't sure if Azomite would hurt adding it in.

Glad to hear it keeps. I was worried I might have a nest of bugs bedding down in my soil (even garage kept)
Click to expand...
If its just a slow release cal your looking for you should take a look at oyster shell flour and crushed oyster shells. They are a great slow release cal amendment and they create a great environment for your microlife.
 
HazyDays65

HazyDays65

Active Member
Richard Drysift said:
Honestly you shouldn't need to add anything to it until after a cycle through to harvest
Click to expand...
I don't see how.
I've been using FFOF for 2 years and always have Cal-def issues a month in till I started adding some lime. To that I add EWC, perlite. Today is day 28 and all is green.
This is also my first run using GH Maxi Bloom from start to finish, (water, water, Maxi-Bloom)
 
Yodaweed

Yodaweed

Well-Known Member
HazyDays65 said:
I don't see how.
I've been using FFOF for 2 years and always have Cal-def issues a month in till I started adding some lime. To that I add EWC, perlite. Today is day 28 and all is green.
This is also my first run using GH Maxi Bloom from start to finish, (water, water, Maxi-Bloom)
Click to expand...
Using that Maxi Bloom is killing all your beneficial bacteria, i'd suggest trying a run with only doing water.
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Olive Drab Green said:
Bone meal for calcium, phosphorus, and nitrogen. Blood meal, quick nitrogen. Compost teas with molasses for flower/ P and K. Dolomite lime for calcium and magnesium.
Click to expand...
the issue with bone meal is that it's not available at the normal PH, in order for it to be useable it's gotta be an acidic mix.
not to mention the health hazards..
especially if you are liming your mix, that bone meal won't be of much use
I mean you CAN use it... I just don't like it to be counted on for phosphorus
hence my recommendation for crab meal, does ALL of that, and much more.
 
Richard Drysift

Richard Drysift

Well-Known Member
HazyDays65 said:
I don't see how.
I've been using FFOF for 2 years and always have Cal-def issues a month in till I started adding some lime. To that I add EWC, perlite. Today is day 28 and all is green.
This is also my first run using GH Maxi Bloom from start to finish, (water, water, Maxi-Bloom)
Click to expand...
That's because you are trying to add stuff like synthetic nutes in your mix which will kill off the microbeasts that feed your plant. The idea is to add dry amendments, minerals, & compost and then let it set for awhile until the microbes begin to break it all down. When the ph reaches a safe range after about a month then all you need to add is clean water. I give my plants general organics liquid calmag about every other watering but that's only because I'm stuck using RO water for now. In my exp it takes a couple of recycles before you really see the full benefits of using a
recycled soil but FFOF is pretty good as it is straight out the bag. It helps to use a nice big ass pot too. A lotta peeps see a def after 6 or 8 weeks in & try to add shit to fix it when simply transplanting to some fresh mix would've done much better.
 
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