Fixing a bad soil mix - looking for input/suggestions

NewGrower2011

Well-Known Member
So its the weekend and I was thinking of tackling my dilema; One remaining question I have is if I add this gypsum and then otherwise cut with peat/etc - how long do I need to let it all sit before using it?

The mix itself has now been together for months and it's been a month plus when I did an AEM drench on it all. The batch I'd be working with was rinsed after I realized I went too heavy on the AEM (1:1 with water) and has since been sitting and dried out a good bit. As mentioned above when I put it back in the can I did a mild enzyme wet-down since it'd be just sitting there for a few.
 

MustangStudFarm

Well-Known Member
I don't think that many people on here know how to read a soil test... I have a pretty good idea of what is going on with you, although I don't understand the bottles that you are using. I have been chasing the same problem, all of my soil tests come back with an extreme amount of Phosphorus.

I'll keep this short for now. You are talking about N because you are experiencing a yellow fade that is bleaching your leaves from yellow to almost white... It is called iron chlorosis and it is from P toxicity. High P impedes the intake of iron, zinc, and trace minerals.
 

NewGrower2011

Well-Known Member
Makes sense; I expected any issues I'm seeing to be related to lockout more than lack of - which is why I keep getting my head in the 'get back to balanced then cut with inert' mindset. Right now I don't have any bottles necessarily from a nutes perspective (did use EM1 and CannaZyme but not for nutes sake).

My goal at this point is to 1st figure out how much gypsum to add (per gal/per ft/3 or whatever I can convert measurement to), then how long I need to let things sit and cook (if needed at all) before I then try it out (may ship out another sample but questioning the value of doing so).
 

MustangStudFarm

Well-Known Member
Personally, I have been there and I would just start over... Do you realize how much P there is in your soil? You would have to use 90% more material to dilute it....

I have a composting operation set up, but my compost keeps coming back very high in P. However, the Mehlich 3 test shows the total ppm of an element and does not account for lockout. From what I understand, P is usually in a non-available form and only a small % is available. That is why I started to get a different type of soil test, one that shows the available nutrients and not just the total count. Anyways, here is a shot at my last soil test. The P was 15x too high. So, using 1/3 of it in a mix was still way too strong...
DSC00980.JPG
This is rabbit manure that has been aged for 2yrs...
 

MustangStudFarm

Well-Known Member
They don't do a very good job of describing the test on the website, but this is new technology. This will account for nutrient lock-out and show what is actually available... That Mehlich 3 test is confusing because you are supposed to ask for a "weighted scoop" for lightweight mediums. Otherwise, the test will show lower numbers. It's a pain in the ass, Mehlich 3 has been around since 1984.

The "Soil Savvy" test is actually cheaper than a Mehlich 3 and saturated paste test, which I have been spending $50+shipping...
https://unibestinc.com/products/#soilsavvy
 

NewGrower2011

Well-Known Member
Interesting. Yeah I'm about to start thinking maybe I just have 90+ gallons of high PK top-dressing and just need to start over for the main mix. Ugh.

Maybe I'll try this alternate test before giving up, but even then it still sounds like the dilution rate may be ridiculous. I don't need to expand what I have - it's already 3x what I'd ever use in a single go.
 
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