Super soil in an apartment?

jonnynobody

Well-Known Member
I'm interested in making up my own super soil in either a 30 gallon trash can or a small kiddy pool in my spare bedroom, but I'm concerned with the smell it might give off while brewing...

I guess my question is, how bad is the smell if it's noticeable at all? I could also place the trash can in my grow tent with the carbon filter running for the 2-4 week bake time....

I'm interested in trying 100% organic on my next grow of blue dream and this super soil is very appealing to me. I just bought 2 bags of that M3 michigan made dirt @ $30.00/bag which seemed a little steep, but convenience hits us all in the piggy bank at one time or another :)
 

Rrog

Well-Known Member
Not noticeable unless it goes anaerobic. So toss it and mix it and leave the cover off, or at least a thin sheet on the top.
 

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
I'm interested in making up my own super soil in either a 30 gallon trash can or a small kiddy pool in my spare bedroom, but I'm concerned with the smell it might give off while brewing...

I guess my question is, how bad is the smell if it's noticeable at all? I could also place the trash can in my grow tent with the carbon filter running for the 2-4 week bake time....

I'm interested in trying 100% organic on my next grow of blue dream and this super soil is very appealing to me. I just bought 2 bags of that M3 michigan made dirt @ $30.00/bag which seemed a little steep, but convenience hits us all in the piggy bank at one time or another :)
i'd try those plastic totes they sell at homedepot and such, they work well for a small project, and it doesn't really stink at all unless it gets wet, with no drainage and no aeration, like anything
 

Rrog

Well-Known Member
Keep it moist, though. Just moist enough that when you grab a fistfull and squeeze the soil holds a ball shape. But if you poke the soil ball it'll crumble. That's a perfect level of water to keep microbes alive, yet not block aeration
 

TheMan13

Well-Known Member
I had a buddy bake some of Vic's Super Soil anaerobically inside back in the day and it smelled like he had dead bodies stashed in the basement :o I'm sure today with the availability/marketing of components and process it's much more refined though. Good luck :bigjoint:

 

postedup610

Well-Known Member
Did you end up making the soil (since this was originally posted back in 2014 :)? I am curious. What did you think of the aroma?
 

st0wandgrow

Well-Known Member
If you a avoid blood meal and bone meal it will be fine. Alfalfa meal, kelp meal, neem seed meal, etc have very little odor. The only things that I would suggest using that have a smell to them are crab shell meal and oyster shell flour.... but that would just smell like you're cooking fish, and only for a couple hours
 

Rrog

Well-Known Member
I think any of the fresh meal smells die down pretty quick. Fish meal is the worst IMHO, and even that faded to nothin' pretty quickly.

These soils are so fantastic it's worth a bit of short term smell, IMHO
 

Rrog

Well-Known Member
I've done it. Worms love it. Speed is what it brings. Same mineral / NPK package. Bokashi is anaerobic and faster is all. I'll do it over the winter in sealed pails in an unfrozen area of the garage / basement / house.
 

a senile fungus

Well-Known Member
I used cocoa bean shells for part of my aeration and my whole entire house smelled of cocoa for days...

Every time I watered the mix down it would come up, I actually enjoyed it because I love chocolate lol
 
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