An idea for you organic folks...

Okay so here is my idea...

So my grow room (which is being upgraded right now) will be about 5x3x5-3 (slanted ceiling), and it will be covered in mylar and will have ventilation, temp control, etc. Right now I am using flouros and cfl's but hopefully (if I can get money) I'm gonna get a 600W hps/mh light sometime soon. Once this is set up, I have ten feminised indoor mix seeds from nirvana, and I am going to germ these all in a paper towel. Once theyve sprouted (I'm assuming around 8 or 9 will sprout) each will be placed into its own five gallon bucket. Each of these buckets will have a inch diameter hole in the side two inches up from the bottom (so the bottom of the bucket acts like a small res), and they will be filled with some type of mixture. The bottom lining of each bucket will be coco husks, like big chunks of coco shells which have very good drainage. I want to make the rest of each bucket have a different mixture, and here are my ideas:


Bucket #1: 3 parts perlite, 1 part vermiculite, bat guano (A nice N-P-K mixture of different kinds), earthworm castings, dollomite lime, and alot of good fungi+microorganisms

Bucket #2: 2 parts perlite, 1 part vermiculite, 1 part sphagnum moss, bat guano, earthworm castings, dollomite lime, microorganisms etc.

Bucket #3: 2 parts perlite, 2 parts vermiculite, bat guano, earthworm castings, dollomite lime, good fungi etc.

Bucket #4: All Coco (Either Canna Coco or Some other kind) and nothing else.

Bucket #5: 3 parts coco, 1 part perlite/vermiculite, maybe some moss, bat guano, earthworm castings, dollomite lime, good fungi etc.

Bucket #6: 2 parts coco, 1 part perlite, 1 part vermiculite, bat guano, earthworm castings, dollomite lime, good fungi etc.

Bucket #7: A fairly even mix of everything I got.

Bucket #8: All Perlite

Bucket #9 (if there is a 9): Just like bucket #5

For every one except buckets three and five I would be watering with unchlorinated water and BMO nutes (Grow It Green, Foliar Harmony, Flower Power), and for three and five I would be using the Canna specific nute system (you can look it up if you want) for Canna's coco. I will probably be mixing up some teas to put in there too, along with vermicomposting etc. This sounds like a pretty damn good idea to me, so let me know what you think (if you agree, disagree, etc.). Anyone with criticism/advice let me know...ohso i know youre out there somewhere...lay some organic knowledge on me brotha.

Also, is it possible to put earthworms in any of these mixtures? Or does it have to be soil for them to live? Let me know...

Peace...

- Cann

sounds interesting. Subscribed, good luck

This place can give you some ideas, too.

Cann..... I just love doing test grows. I'm glad to see you are going to also. Over the years, I have done grows with different soil mixes, amendments & ferts. What thirty years of growing has taught me most, Diversity equals Success.....
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Soil mixes that have a little of several amendments, do better that straight anything.
I like 50 percent quality compost, 30 percent peat moss, 10 percent pertilite and 10 percent worm castings. But, that is because I like making teas & watering them in.
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I have tried coco pellets also, which work well - after a series of soak & rinses to remove excess salts. & Hydro clay pellets (they also need soaked & rinsed) - which work great in soil, to promote good drainage & ensure there is oxygen in the rootzone.
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When I did straight pertilite & wicks (hemp wicks), my plants did OK, but lacked the vigor of a balanced mix. Their yield was marginal and they lacked taste. Kind of like a hothouse, hydro tomatoe, plump but lacking. So, I'm not a big fan of the straight pertilite thing.
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If you plan to mix your ferts/amendments like Bat Guano, Dolomite Lime...etc straight into the soil from the get go. I suggest you read, Subcool's Super Soil Mix thread in his sub-forum. He recommends a buffer zone, between nute hot soil & small transplants. I agree with him 100 percent. His thread is a real good read.
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If plants get put into a hot soil, root damage can occur & the plants growth will be stunted. Proceed with caution. It's always better to mix in less, than more.
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Also, since you are basically constructing Hempy Buckets.... do you plan to use any wicks ? The addition of equally spaced wicks in the soil mix ensures the water & or nutrients can flow upwards, evenly throughout the mix. This will improve your success rate.
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I have a friend who constructed eight hempy buckets, which drain to a common res., each day as he leaves for work, he opens the drain. He then turns on a small air pump to oxygenate the main (common) res. When he returns home from work, he simply lifts up the 5 gallon res., sits it on a table & it gravity flows back through the drain hoses to the small reserviours of his hempy buckets. He then shuts off the drain valve, about an hour later. It's a simple system & seems to be working very well.
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If he will let me, I'll try to snap some pics.
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Good Luck with the Test Run..... I look forward to seeing or reading about how it turns out. Your custom grow room sounds real good. To really fill out eight or nine plants, two 400 watt HPS's, evenly spaced, works wonders. I have found they work better than a single 1000 watt light and save on the electric bill to.
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Keep it Real...Organic....
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Thanks ohso...you the man. If you could elaborate on that system/get pics that would be amazing. anyone else got any advice/questions/comments/anyhting?

peace