organic

Let's talk soil

If you have a specific formula, have had luck with specific brands of premade potting soil, or have just tried different amendments with various success, please add them to this post as a handy reference. We will try to stay away from items that are primarily fertilizers, except for compost and worm castings, which occupy a grey area between soil amendment and fertilizer as they exhibit properties of both.

I'll start it out with a list of some common ingredients in soil mixes. Maybe somebody else can start adding in descriptions and recommendations, like what percentage of the soil volume is optimal, or "don't use x if you're also using y"...just some ideas.

Peat Moss
Coco Coir (shredded coconut fibre)
Perlite
Vermiculite
Pumice
Ground crustacean shells (oyster shells)
Compost
Worm castings
Shredded forest products (bark)
Activated charcoal

OK now...go!

O

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ommamedmar

I was just thinking to myself "hmm...when is Organic going to post a thread about building your own soil? Seems like a good idea considering the percentage of outdoor or otherwise butt-poor growers on this site." And lo and behold! It happened!

I recently weeded and dug up some conditioned soil from between rows in my garden; I'm going to need about 200 gallons of soil in all to complete my outdoor grow (30 gallon pots X7) and I would rather not raise any eyebrows at the local gardening store.

To one 30 gallon container I have added one large bag of vermiculite, turned in about 15 gallons of dark, rich garden soil that has had manure and compost as well as worms breaking it down since february, and then I spooned in some dry, composted llama manure and some compost; not too much, perhaps 4 gallons. I now have a 3/4 full container, and I am dreading the additional work required.

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"In the province of connected minds, what the network believes to be true, either is true or becomes true within certain limits to be found experientially and experimentally. These limits are further beliefs to be transcended. In the network's mind there are no limits."
~~ Dr. John Lilly

"...Like some tacky little pamphlet in your daddy's bottom drawer."
~~Frank Zappa

IonAccel

I am a hydro man for MJ...but I am here to learn about some tips for my outdoor landscaping....

...My favorite new discovery is cocoa mulch....it smells just like a chocolate suprise!....It is made from hulls of cocoa beans. The only drawback with this expensive stuff is that is molds like a son of a gun if it gets damp and shady. Or maybe just I got a bad bag?

Don't forget the most important part of any specific soil formula: Sugar, spice, and everything nice.
.........and Chemical X!!

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Happy painting........, and God bless my friend

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Fat Buds with minimal effort! Check it out!

ommamedmar

The cocoa beans might have a powder mold that sticks to the hulls; I imagine that the cocoa bean is an ideal mold vector.

This time of year, you shouldn't have mold problems in moderately watered, full sun areas of your outdoor environment.

BTW, my son is following in his father's footsteps and has decided that his first love is a cartoon character; Bubbles nonetheless.

__________________
"In the province of connected minds, what the network believes to be true, either is true or becomes true within certain limits to be found experientially and experimentally. These limits are further beliefs to be transcended. In the network's mind there are no limits."
~~ Dr. John Lilly

"...Like some tacky little pamphlet in your daddy's bottom drawer."
~~Frank Zappa

organic

Well, this sure isn't going anywhere

Show a brother some love! Can anyone provide definitions or usage guidelines for any of the listed ingredients, or any others? I suppose some of them can be cribbed from the definitions thread...

I know, I know, I should be doing it myself...but I also shouldn't even be spending any time on here as my farm is just about to go into harvest and I am of course behind. As usual

O

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ommamedmar

The duffy black semi-decomposted forest chaff above the clay soil here is good for lightening and adding drainage to the soil mix; its slightly acidic, but I've gotten MONSTER results. I add perhaps 10 gallons to a thirty gallon container. I then shovel in treated clay-predominant soil that has been breaking down with worms, compost and manure for at least three months. I'll then add more compost and manure until I get a loose, brown soil that I then pop a root ball in to; I should be more scientific about ratios, but its like cooking; I eyeball everything.

I've had to build soil from nothing out here; going on three years, and the results continue to improve. Areas that I have removed blackberries from seem to be more nutrient rich; birds use it as cover and add to the nutrients with their poo. Any soil that can be shoveled easily and has some worms in it is a candidate for conditioning out here; I leave rocky clay soil alone as a rule, these days.

__________________
"In the province of connected minds, what the network believes to be true, either is true or becomes true within certain limits to be found experientially and experimentally. These limits are further beliefs to be transcended. In the network's mind there are no limits."
~~ Dr. John Lilly

"...Like some tacky little pamphlet in your daddy's bottom drawer."
~~Frank Zappa

technoanarkst

All these parts can be found in my back yard, thats why I used them
1 1/2 part florida dirt (a/k/a sand) *
1 part oak leaves.
3/4 part peat moss
1/4 part spanish moss.
I usually spice it up with some small twigs and grass clippings.
bake in the oven for atleast 30 minutes to kill insect eggs.
If you can grind the oak leaves, this will help alot, but the 1 part that I mention is un-ground.

I guess thats more of a compost mix... But I've had excellent results growing terrariums with that mix, right out of the oven. Spanish moss is a Florida thing, as is "florida dirt" which is mostly sand. Florida dirt doesnt hold much water, thats why you need the peat moss and spanish moss. Florida dirt also has very little organic matter in it (the good black stuff). spanish moss is alive until you bake it. everything else is already dead. Im not sure about the content of spanish moss, but its not a green plant. Its more grey than anything, and I added it to my mix as an experiment one time, and it didnt seem to hurt anything. I like the grass clippings too, cuz they decompose quickly, and are very green (high in nitrogen)... the peat moss is alittle acidic, and holds water very well. I've never tried this combo with mj, but its done great for some bansai trees, and terrariums that I have.

ok, rock on!

-techno

420woman

organic, I keep meaning to post here as I have a lot to say about soils! but won't get to it till weekend I fear, as I am too busy.

But I will say that since you invited us to geek out on soil stuff, I dug out my old soils textbook. I wanted to see what the definition of "soil" would be, since in the other thread we were calling compost both a soil and an amendment!

To my surprise, the book doesn't define soil by its material, but by its functions. There's a lot to say about this, but again I won't be able to think it through for a few days. Sorry I will get back to it though I promise!

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organic

Thanks everyone! The ball is starting to roll now...

OK here's a present. I drug these definitions over from the excellent Glossary of Terms started by ComfortablyNumb over in Indoors...

Perlite
a unique volcanic mineral which expands from four to twenty times its original volume when it is quickly heated to a temperature of approximately 1600-1700 degrees F. This expansion is due to the presence of two to six percent combined water in the crude perlite rock which causes the perlite to pop in a manner similar to that of popcorn.
When expanded, each granular, snow-white particle of perlite is sterile with a neutral pH and contains many tiny, closed cells or bubbles. The surface of each particle is covered with tiny cavities which provide an extremely large surface area. These surfaces hold moisture and nutrients and make them available to plant roots. In addition, because of the physical shape of each particle, air passages are formed which provide optimum aeration and drainage. Because perlite is sterile, it is free of disease, seeds, and insects.
Perlite has been used for many years throughout the world for soil conditioning and as a component of growing mixes with materials such as peat moss or bark. Extensive studies have shown that the unique capillary action of perlite makes it a superior growing media for hydroponic cultures.

Vermiculite
is sterile and light in weight (5 to 8 lbs/ft3). The pH of vermiculite will vary depending on where it is mined. Most U.S. sources are neutral to slightly alkaline, whereas vermiculite from Africa can be quite alkaline (pH = 9). Vermiculite is used extensively in the greenhouse industry as a component of mixes or in propagation. It is usually sold in four size grades: #1 is the coarsest and #4 the smallest. The finer grades are used extensively for seed germination or to topdress seed flats. Expanded vermiculite should not be pressed or compacted, especially when wet, as this will destroy the desirable physical properties.

Worm Casting
(Vermiconversion) or using earthworms to convert waste into soil additives, is a biologically active mound containing thousands of bacteria, enzymes, and remnants of plant materials and animal manures that were not digested by the earthworm. The composting process continues after a worm casting has been deposited. In fact, the bacterial population of a cast is much greater than the bacterial population of either ingested soil, or the earthworm's gut. An important component of this dark mass is humus.
Worm castings occupy the grey area between soil amendment and fertilizer, and are considered a form of compost. They should be used at a rate of 10-30% of the soil mixture; any more provides no extra benefit to the plants.

Peat moss
The partially decomposed remains of mosses harvested commercially from the wild. Though difficult to wet initially, peat moss can absorb up to 25 times its own weight in water and is therefor valued as a an organic soil amendment. Peat moss is acidic --with a pH of about 3 or 4.0-- and should only be used around acid-loving plants or to help lower the pH of alkaline soils.

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ommamedmar

Since the earthworm product lists 30% as a type of ceiling on additiive ratios, I'm curious what percentages of composted manure or household compost that you can safely add; aforementioned compost would be, lets say, free of animal waste and composed of coffee grounds, vegetable wastes and hurds as well as composted garden waste.

__________________
"In the province of connected minds, what the network believes to be true, either is true or becomes true within certain limits to be found experientially and experimentally. These limits are further beliefs to be transcended. In the network's mind there are no limits."
~~ Dr. John Lilly

"...Like some tacky little pamphlet in your daddy's bottom drawer."
~~Frank Zappa