Mixing my own soil: pH advice needed

[Weaselcracker]

There could be any number of reasons for slow growth but it’s generally going to be obvious from looking at the foliage if it’s a nutrient issue and they are over or underfed, or have pH problems.

Usually slow growth IME is from some other environmental issue like watering issues or lighting or compacted medium or low temps, etc.

 

[bluter]

I add humic acid to a compost pile to help turn the organics that are breaking down via microbes and everything else, into soil. Humus soil is simply compost that has gone through this complete process of first breaking it down and then converting it once again into actual soil without all the slimy stinky rotting stuff.

thanks. the product is really dark and looks to be similar to sifted topsoil, other than being darker, so that makes sense.

There could be any number of reasons for slow growth but it’s generally going to be obvious from looking at the foliage if it’s a nutrient issue and they are over or underfed, or have pH problems.

Usually slow growth IME is from some other environmental issue like watering issues or lighting or compacted medium or low temps, etc.

my temps really affect growth and water/nutrient uptake. most of my grows go through a bit of a swing in temps.
some strains are more susceptible than others as well.

 

[Jay Bird]

@Weaselcracker well my room in climate controlled so I’m all good there, my lights are basically Jew and have done a great job this far. The plants look a nice green colour and there’s no burns or leaf symptoms.

obviously the media is new and this is where I feel the problem is but like I said I have not been that patient so I’m just going to give it another week of un disturbed growing and if things are still going sour I’m going to get back the drawing board

 

[Stunger]

now thinking wtf have I done and should I just go to the store and get some pre made but then again I don’t want to just Chuck in the towel but fuck knows man

My initial soil mix was a nutrient depleted screw up, because it was too lightly amended and the plant starved. I didn't throw the soil away as I knew it had some good amendments in it and I didn't want to waste it.

The next time I treated it as a base soil and I re-amended it, but it was still too lightly done.

I then repeated the process again bringing the amendments to where I estimated they should have been to bring them into line with the quantity/proportions of the original instructions, and not surprisingly, I got a much better result.

I have introduced a few more things since inspired from Coots' mix and elsewhere, I feel I have it about right, so adjustments from here will be smaller. I am currently getting some lower leaf yellowing but it is in the period of senescence and there is probably only a month to go and still probably plenty of colour left in the leaves. So until harvest time, I won't be able to say whether I have judged this run about right or whether I should have adjusted a little more before now.

Another thing with soil, letting it cook/rest/settle after it's been amended is helpful.

And worms, what I like about them, I assume if they're happy my plants will be happy, a bit like the miner who is happy when his canary is happy! So this part is all about the soil mix, that it is balanced, and letting it cook/rest as appropriate to it's components (as I am sure a good recipe would state clearly in the instructions). I doubt many people bother with worms, and quite probably won't be suitable for indoors, but it's horses for courses, and worms have seemed fine for my circumstances.

If I was you, I would revise whatever plan you started with, and ask yourself whether you feel you followed the instructions, and if not, adjust your soil with those differences in mind to bring the soil balance into line with the instructions, then rest/settle/cook as per instructions, and that's your soil done. I would imagine unless your input water is badly out in pH, that you wouldn't have to worry about it in a soil that follows a tried and test recipe but as noted it's certainly worth checking. I use tap water that I rest overnight to de-gas, often with a cup of worm wee chucked as a brew additive, and occasionally I use water straight from the tap.

And as @Weaselcracker and @bluter just noted, if there is excessive or deficient temps, watering or lighting, then even if your soil is brilliant, if those factors are out of the ideal range, then they can/will make a major negative impact on your grow.

 

[Jay Bird]

Thanks @Stunger I’m definitely taking all of this advice in a positive way in a crappy situation and I’m already making a new plan if my current one does not work out.

Im looking at doing a super soil and using coco loco bush doctor as the base.
I don’t suppose you would know if bush doctor coco loco is okay for starting clones and seeds?

what do you use as the base?

thabks again

 

[Stunger]

Thanks @Stunger I’m definitely taking all of this advice in a positive way in a crappy situation and I’m already making a new plan if my current one does not work out.

Im looking at doing a super soil and using coco loco bush doctor as the base.
I don’t suppose you would know if bush doctor coco loco is okay for starting clones and seeds?

what do you use as the base?

thabks again

Sorry, I have no knowledge that product.

I initially made up SubCool's recipe, same base as his, from memory was peat not coco, but initially I didn't follow the instructions for the nutrient quantities and in hindsight put too little in.

 

[Emilya Green]

Why don't you look into some of the now readily available supersoils that are available for purchase? My local store has at least 3 brands of actual supersoil, ready to go as 1/3 of your container in a water only grow... we used to have no choice but to mix up our own, carefully following the directions as best we understood them. Things are so much easier in this modern growing world that has people doing all the hard work for you, for a price... and after doing it myself in the past, today's prices seem very reasonable. You can even buy pre-made pre-cooked Subcool Supersoil and have it shipped right to you. It's a no brainer... when I get back into supersoil, one of these lines will get my business and I can start my grow the day I pick it up.

 

[Stunger]

My local store has at least 3 brands of actual supersoil, ready to go as 1/3 of your container in a water only grow... we used to have no choice but to mix up our own, carefully following the directions as best we understood them. Things are so much easier in this modern growing world that has people doing all the hard work for you, for a price... and after doing it myself in the past, today's prices seem very reasonable. You can even buy pre-made pre-cooked Subcool Supersoil and have it shipped right to you. It's a no brainer... when I get back into supersoil, one of these lines will get my business and I can start my grow the day I pick it up.

I wish it was available like that here in NZ. Sounds amazing, hopefully in time we'll liberated too!

 

[Emilya Green]

I wish it was available like that here in NZ. Sounds amazing, hopefully in time we'll liberated too!

oh yeah... I failed to consider that. Its hard to even get the components in some places. We need to work on changing the world.... all we want to do is grow some plants!

 

[InTheShed]

I previously used a company call bio bizz which is sort of similar but they have added worm casts and compost but there mix is buffered at 6.5 and is a soilless medium

Soilless peat products are pH'd in the mid to high 5s because of the way the peat and the roots interact. The pH needs to be that low for the plant to be able to uptake elements that need that range in peat. I can't find the video explaining the reasoning behind it but it was from the folks that make ProMix.

Biobizz' website doesn't tell you what their product is made from, but I found a website that says it's "All-mix contains 35% garden peat base, 30% perlite and 20% sphagnum peat moss for water retention and excellent texture, 10% high quality organic worm humus rich in macro and micro nutrients and finally 5% BioBizz Pre-Mix which is a very high quality organic fertiliser."

Not sure what "garden peat base" is but it sounds more like soil to me than actual peat (which is harvested from ancient peat bogs, not from a garden!). Probably how they get it buffered to 6.5.

you also said earlier in this post that coco is hydro territory correct me if I’m wrong again, I’ve been reading so much and so many different comments. But why can’t coco be used in place of peat?

Coco can be used as a growing medium, which you would treat as hydro in terms of measuring the pH of your nutrients. Is that what you mean by "in place of peat"?

my lights are basically Jew

What?

Im looking at doing a super soil and using coco loco bush doctor as the base.

I personally don't recommend mixing coco (hydro) and soil or peat, both of which are buffered substrates. If you want more drainage, I'd add perlite.

 

[Weaselcracker]

I can't find the video explaining the reasoning behind it but it was from the folks that make ProMix.

Making your own soilless mix aka Faux Mix

Time for Lime. Researching plenty of .edu (University websites) on how much Lime to add to a soil-less, Peat based mix, I find a consensus of 2 tablespoons for every gallon of soil you desire to make. I am making 20 gallons, so that's 40 Tablespoons or 2 1/2 cups worth of Lime. Good day...

www.420magazine.com

pretty sure he meant to say ‘new’

 

[InTheShed]

Making your own soilless mix aka Faux Mix

Time for Lime. Researching plenty of .edu (University websites) on how much Lime to add to a soil-less, Peat based mix, I find a consensus of 2 tablespoons for every gallon of soil you desire to make. I am making 20 gallons, so that's 40 Tablespoons or 2 1/2 cups worth of Lime. Good day...

www.420magazine.com

pretty sure he meant to say ‘new’

Thanks Weasel! I've been looking for that video for a while now. for posting and and redirecting me to it.

"New" makes much more sense.

 

[Jay Bird]

@Emilya if only we was that lucky to be able to go and pick up a nice fresh bag of super soil!