First Dry Amendments Grow, am I missing anything?

VILEPLUME

VILEPLUME

Well-Known Member
I'm looking at starting a organic dry amendments grow, but I only have experience with growing in synthetic powders or liquid nutes(short on room, so looking to take the 3 reservoirs that hold my veg, bloom and water and only using water).

I'd like to start at a simple/easy level, am I missing anything?

Soil - HP Promix CC https://www.pthorticulture.com/en/products/pro-mix-hpcc-mycorrhizae/

Pots - 3 Gallon pots

Nutes - Gia Green 444 and 284 - https://www.gaiagreen.com/product-page/all-purpose-4-4-4 and https://www.gaiagreen.com/product-page/power-bloom-2-8-4

Water - Let tap water sit to dechlorinate, then pH to 6.5-6.7

Feeding - 9tbsp of 444 and 3tbsp of 284 mixed per 3 gallons of Promix when transplanting clones. Just water for 4 weeks of veg, then add 3tbsp of 444 and 3tbsp of 284 and mix it into the top of the soil, then switch to flower. Just water until Week 4 of flower then add 1tbsp of 444 and 5tbsp of 284 and mix it into the soil. Then just water until the end of harvest.
 
JavaCo

JavaCo

Well-Known Member
You might want to add some areration to the mix perlite pumice or small lava rocks most folks use 1/4 to 1/3 aeration in their mixes , also want to add a source of minerals basalt or azomite. Source of calcium to buffer the soil PH Oyster shell flour works well. A good solid mix will buffer the soil PH so there is no need to PH the water just dechlorinate it. Might want to look at some of the mixes people have posted and use one that has been shown to work well.
 
Fluffy Butt

Fluffy Butt

Well-Known Member
I think you'll have better results if you start from scratch, even if it costs more initially.

That said, I'd be curious to see how it goes with just the all purpose and bloom fertilizers. It seems they use some of the same ingredients as I do.

Try to source some local, high quality worm castings. I don't think there's any in the pro mix, and trying to grow organically without good compost is like trying to ride a bicycle without legs.

Also, check out this thread for a few soil recipes and other ideas; https://www.rollitup.org/t/recycled-organic-living-soil-rols-and-no-till-thread.636057/
 
VILEPLUME

VILEPLUME

Well-Known Member
Fluffy Butt said:
I think you'll have better results if you start from scratch, even if it costs more initially.

That said, I'd be curious to see how it goes with just the all purpose and bloom fertilizers. It seems they use some of the same ingredients as I do.

Try to source some local, high quality worm castings. I don't think there's any in the pro mix, and trying to grow organically without good compost is like trying to ride a bicycle without legs.

Also, check out this thread for a few soil recipes and other ideas; https://www.rollitup.org/t/recycled-organic-living-soil-rols-and-no-till-thread.636057/
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Thanks for the reply. To keep it simple, I should add work castings during each amendment?
 
Fluffy Butt

Fluffy Butt

Well-Known Member
Start with at least 15% worm castings in your initial mix, and top dress a layer of castings as needed. Many organic growers will start worm bins, and top dress the amendments in those. That way the amendments are all broken down and available to the plant when the castings are ready.
 
VILEPLUME

VILEPLUME

Well-Known Member
Fluffy Butt said:
Start with at least 15% worm castings in your initial mix, and top dress a layer of castings as needed. Many organic growers will start worm bins, and top dress the amendments in those. That way the amendments are all broken down and available to the plant when the castings are ready.
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Ok thanks, I will do that. Anything else or is this good enough to get started?
 
Fluffy Butt

Fluffy Butt

Well-Known Member
After you mix up your soil, it must "cook", hydrated, for a period of a few days to a month.

Not sure how big your space is, but 3 gallons is pretty small for organic soil. I use a 10 gallon per plant in each 2x2 space, but I'm planning on upgrading to one 150 gallon smart pot per 4x4. The more soil you have, the less you'll need to rely on top dressing.

A good soil mix is 15% worm castings, 15% compost, 30% peat, 30% perlite, 10% biochar. You can substitute the biochar for more aeration for the sake of simplicity, but diversity is key with organics.

Once you have your plants planted, apply a thick mulch layer of straw, leaves, or rice hulls, and add a few composting worms per container.

I think that about covers the basics. Once you get started you can begin experimenting with the more advanced stuff, like malted barley powder, seed sprout teas, kelp/alfalfa foliars, fermented plant juices, aloe, and comfrey.
 
PadawanWarrior

PadawanWarrior

Well-Known Member
Fluffy Butt said:
After you mix up your soil, it must "cook", hydrated, for a period of a few days to a month.

Not sure how big your space is, but 3 gallons is pretty small for organic soil. I use a 10 gallon per plant in each 2x2 space, but I'm planning on upgrading to one 150 gallon smart pot per 4x4. The more soil you have, the less you'll need to rely on top dressing.

A good soil mix is 15% worm castings, 15% compost, 30% peat, 30% perlite, 10% biochar. You can substitute the biochar for more aeration for the sake of simplicity, but diversity is key with organics.

Once you have your plants planted, apply a thick mulch layer of straw, leaves, or rice hulls, and add a few composting worms per container.

I think that about covers the basics. Once you get started you can begin experimenting with the more advanced stuff, like malted barley powder, seed sprout teas, kelp/alfalfa foliars, fermented plant juices, aloe, and comfrey.
Click to expand...
For a newer member, you sure know your stuff. I can't argue with anything you've posted. Great advice. I'm using rice hulls as a mulch now and really like it. It looks kinda cool, provides silica, and keeps my microlife and worms happy. Haven't tried out the comfrey yet, but am planning on it soon. I'm trying no-till and living soil now.
 
F

Frigault

Well-Known Member
VILEPLUME said:
I'm looking at starting a organic dry amendments grow, but I only have experience with growing in synthetic powders or liquid nutes(short on room, so looking to take the 3 reservoirs that hold my veg, bloom and water and only using water).

I'd like to start at a simple/easy level, am I missing anything?

Soil - HP Promix CC https://www.pthorticulture.com/en/products/pro-mix-hpcc-mycorrhizae/

Pots - 3 Gallon pots

Nutes - Gia Green 444 and 284 - https://www.gaiagreen.com/product-page/all-purpose-4-4-4 and https://www.gaiagreen.com/product-page/power-bloom-2-8-4

Water - Let tap water sit to dechlorinate, then pH to 6.5-6.7

Feeding - 9tbsp of 444 and 3tbsp of 284 mixed per 3 gallons of Promix when transplanting clones. Just water for 4 weeks of veg, then add 3tbsp of 444 and 3tbsp of 284 and mix it into the top of the soil, then switch to flower. Just water until Week 4 of flower then add 1tbsp of 444 and 5tbsp of 284 and mix it into the soil. Then just water until the end of harvest.
Click to expand...
Liquid fish fertiliser. Like muskies or anything organic. For the high nirtogen... Just do a good premix of amendment with everything dry and let it sit for a little while and transfert your seedling in it later (hot mix) ...or a light premix and top dress often. Some nutrient remain stationary into soil mix.. So i suggest a good premix. add some bacteria and myco to the mix... I like great white from planet success for the extra trichoderma... But other beneficial bacteria works just has well... Don't be afraid to experiment your dosage at first. Since every genetic meets diffrent needs. Organic growing is fun and much more forgiving
 
S

shzbt

Well-Known Member
I had good results following the plan you described. I used 2 gallon fabric pots though, so I had to top dress every 3 weeks. Takes about a week for the top dress to kick in. If the transplants are a bit more developed you should mix & cook the soil for a bit in advance so they have something to eat. Seedlings may need more food than the amended soil can provide if they are in small pots, fish ferts work well. Other additions are beneficial, but not required with Gaia Green in my experience.

I had my easiest grows and best results with Promix/Gaia. Don't have enough space for a proper organic setup, but this works well. Have been experimenting with coco lately, the plants grow at warp speed but the smoke and yeild has not been as good. Also a lot more work.
 
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