Opinions of my soil mix?

[rocketskates]

Hey guys!

This is the first year I will be attempting a 'water only' soil mixture.

I was hoping to get some opinions on it. I'd like to keep it simple, so if any of this stuff is unnecessary or im using the wrong amount, feel free to chime in.

The plan is to mix the potting soil- 2 1.5 bags of fox farm ocean forrest
2 1.5 bags roots original or organic
2 bags of fox farm lite warrior or happy frog
1.5 cubic feet perlite
7 lbs earth worm castings
5 cups dolomite lime for ph
1 cup azomite trace elements
.5 lb blood meal
Great white to activate soil
carnivor nematoads to kill bugs and mold in the soil
some organic rice to feed algea and add silica
mix well and let sit for at least 3 weeks
makes about 90 gallons.

I will use 20 of those gallons to fill my 1 gal 'veg' air pots.

I will then take 30 of the remaining gallons to mix the flowering soil-
combine 30 gal 'veg' soil with
7 lbs additional earth worm castings
1 lb steamed bone meal
1 lb bloom bat guano
.5 lb additional blood meal
1/2 lb rock phosphate
mix. let sit till veg plants are about flowering, then mix 5 gal pots about 1/3rd with flowering soil, a buffer layer of fresh veg soil, and transplant the 1 gal.


I've planted this strain in straight ffof before, so im not worried about burning, and added some lite warrior to the mix just incase.
and the ffof vs roots war rages on, so I figure mix them = best of both worlds

and I know i look like im skimping on perlite, but those airpots really do reduce the need for it

-What do you guys think?
-would this likely work for water only (except maybe a few teas here and there)?
-should I reduce the ingredients in the veg soil (like the bloodmeal and azomite) since i know the soil will carry them through the whole veg?
-anything I could do without?
-anything I should DEFINITELY add?
-anything i should do less or more of?
-if I let the flowering soil cook for that long am I more likely to see insect problems?


The idea is essentially to fortify my potting mix, then 'supersoil' a portion of it for flowering.. so I dont consider it any more complicated then a conventional super soil.

Thanks guys. opinions/advice are greatly appreciated.

 

[TheGreenGlove]

Wow this is alot of shit, You should never cut back on your perlite, you should put some vermiculite in there as well, Water will be fine for 2 weeks to a month then simple teas to boost the soil at the right time. The bloodmeal isn't need, Remember Bloodmeal with make you soil really hot, literally and u will fry all the organisms so be careful with this. Try adding Kelp meal, this is the main life nutrient in an organic soil mix, Kelp meal has natural Growth hormones which help the active organism population as well as the quickness of growth. Instead of letting it "cook" for three weeks try three days, most of you ingredients are already readily available and soils are activated, so no need for great white, this should be added when you are giving them teas. Kelp meal, azomite. No need for the nematodes, unless you over water and you soil grows to much mycelia onit. Mycelia is not bad, this shows you that you have activated spores in you soil to help defend against certain fungal infections, as well as helping kill gnat eggs.

 

[rocketskates]

Wow this is alot of shit, You should never cut back on your perlite, you should put some vermiculite in there as well, Water will be fine for 2 weeks to a month then simple teas to boost the soil at the right time. The bloodmeal isn't need, Remember Bloodmeal with make you soil really hot, literally and u will fry all the organisms so be careful with this. Try adding Kelp meal, this is the main life nutrient in an organic soil mix, Kelp meal has natural Growth hormones which help the active organism population as well as the quickness of growth. Instead of letting it "cook" for three weeks try three days, most of you ingredients are already readily available and soils are activated, so no need for great white, this should be added when you are giving them teas. Kelp meal, azomite. No need for the nematodes, unless you over water and you soil grows to much mycelia onit. Mycelia is not bad, this shows you that you have activated spores in you soil to help defend against certain fungal infections, as well as helping kill gnat eggs.

Exactly the sort of response im looking for.

The decision to use less perlite comes from experience. My last grow was done in air pots with a 1 part ocean forest 1 part perlite mix. Those pots dry out so quickly that just a few hours after watering on a hot day the soil can dry. Less perlite (perhaps a 5:1 mix) plus some vermiculite should help water retention. I also plan to do a small layer of expanded clay pebbles on the top of the pots so the sun isn't beating on and drowning the soil.
keeping your soil moist can be a pain with air pruning pots, but its very worth it imho

 

[TheGreenGlove]

expanded clay is best used in aquaponics, not to be mixed with soil, alot people do this, i hope you bleach them after everyuse, otherwise they could be the start to and fungal problems u might have, if any. Dryness is good thats how your roots grow, use bigger pots if they are getting to dry, or give them more water. Or water like this, 1 gallon fresh, then wait 20 to thirthy minutes then another gallon or a gallon with food, i have to do this in my room now during the winter because i have so many more growing in the same environment, i go through like 50 gallons in two days. You can also start using coir, this helps hold water well, the best is fresh coconut husk this works super.