What is a good composting recipe for outdoor growing in the ground?

[Phillybonker]

I plan to grow a couple of plants in the ground (not in grow bags or pots) and I will like to know if anyone has experience growing organically in the ground and if you could offer some advice on what composting recipe is good for outdoor growing in the ground?

I'll be growing in soil that is dark and healthy with worm activity.

 

[VanIslandConnoisseur]

Hey buddy, im always happy to help another organic grower

do you have a ppm meter and ph meter?

if not, get those meters, for 200$cdn tax in you can get the blue lab meter kit off amazon, very helpful and mandatory for any grower.

 

[VanIslandConnoisseur]

Heres my current recipe, it comes out at 3500ppm , @ 5.7ph

ph will raise as time goes on when you water.

I use 70% sunshine mix#4 : 30% perlite. Sunshine#4 comes out at 1000ppm ish, 5.5-6 ph. Then i add the following which adds 2500ppm = the 3500ppm, Adjust when potting up small plants/seedlings accordingly.

seedling, just use sunshine#4 as its lowish in ppm

increase strength of top dress and pre mix as the plants get bigger until your using the full strength recipe.

For pre mix for potting up: per soil gallon
3T Dolomite lime
3T kelp/seaweed meal
3T Gaia Green 4-4-4
2T Bone meal
2T Sulphur
1T Canola meal
1T Alfalfa meal

This is my current recipe and always researching and brainstorming on out how to make it better.

For top dress: per surface gallon( surface area of 1 gallon pot)

Fullstrength of the pre mix as a top dress will add roughly 2500ppm

3/4 strength= 1875 ppm added

1/2 strength=1250 ppm added

1/4 strength= 625 ppm added

if you cant test your runoff when you want to, without causing too much water in your pot or medium, i like to top dress half strength when i start to see magnesium and nitrogen deficiencys.

To be safe use 1/4 strength (625 ppm) when you start to see magnesium or nitrogen deficiencys on the older/bigger/lower leaves

you can always add more but until you learn how much you can add for that size of plant, best to top dress 1/4 strength as you can always add another 1/4 strength a week later.

ive used this for veg and flower, you should be ok too just dont add any extra nitrogen with other products/teas, plenty in there.

im gunna try removing 2T 4-4-4, and adding 1T bone meal for flower my next run.

 

[SmokingWings]

I plan to grow a couple of plants in the ground (not in grow bags or pots) ...

I take it that you are thinking about adding amendments to the existing soil and not actually looking for a composting pile recipe. Just about anything goes with a compost pile recipe and even organic gardeners cannot come to an agreement as to the best carbon (brown) & nitrogen (green) ratios.

As for adding amendments to what you have, you might not need to do anything. I don't remember where you live but maybe you will be able to find out if a local govt agency or gardening or farmer group has a way of doing a soil test. If so, the first step is to get a sample of the soil in the area you are planning on growing in and sending it off to be tested. The results of the test will tell whether the soil needs any particular macro nutrient or if it has one or more in excess.

Since you already have a soil that sounds healthy because it has good color and plenty of earthworms you might not have to spend much money on any amendments. Maybe nothing more is needed other than to shred up some leaves and other organic material in the fall and put it in a layer on top of the area you will be growing in. Then either turn it over and mix it in just before the beginning of winter before most above ground growth stops or mix it in early in the spring before growth starts back up for the new season.

 

[Phillybonker]

Hey buddy, im always happy to help another organic grower

do you have a ppm meter and ph meter?

if not, get those meters, for 200$cdn tax in you can get the blue lab meter kit off amazon, very helpful and mandatory for any grower.

I'll don't currently have either but I'll get both. I didn't know ppm meters existed. Thanks

 

[Phillybonker]

Heres my current recipe, it comes out at 3500ppm , @ 5.7ph

ph will raise as time goes on when you water.

I use 70% sunshine mix#4 : 30% perlite. Sunshine#4 comes out at 1000ppm ish, 5.5-6 ph. Then i add the following which adds 2500ppm = the 3500ppm, Adjust when potting up small plants/seedlings accordingly.

seedling, just use sunshine#4 as its lowish in ppm

increase strength of top dress and pre mix as the plants get bigger until your using the full strength recipe.

For pre mix for potting up: per soil gallon
3T Dolomite lime
3T kelp/seaweed meal
3T Gaia Green 4-4-4
2T Bone meal
2T Sulphur
1T Canola meal
1T Alfalfa meal

This is my current recipe and always researching and brainstorming on out how to make it better.

For top dress: per surface gallon( surface area of 1 gallon pot)

Fullstrength of the pre mix as a top dress will add roughly 2500ppm

3/4 strength= 1875 ppm added

1/2 strength=1250 ppm added

1/4 strength= 625 ppm added

if you cant test your runoff when you want to, without causing too much water in your pot or medium, i like to top dress half strength when i start to see magnesium and nitrogen deficiencys.

To be safe use 1/4 strength (625 ppm) when you start to see magnesium or nitrogen deficiencys on the older/bigger/lower leaves

you can always add more but until you learn how much you can add for that size of plant, best to top dress 1/4 strength as you can always add another 1/4 strength a week later.

ive used this for veg and flower, you should be ok too just dont add any extra nitrogen with other products/teas, plenty in there.

im gunna try removing 2T 4-4-4, and adding 1T bone meal for flower my next run.

That's a nice recipe you got there. I do guerrilla growing so I'm limited in what I can drag up into the bush and the grow area is in rough terrain. It's always good learning new ideas and I'll have to customize any recipe to lighten the carry weight.

 

[Braddah Waiheesohai]

Put 2 inches of rocks and fill top that with 1 inch of course sand, anything but white. Add 3 inches of soil, then build a nice fire in there. Keep adding wood until you have a bed of coals that will cover the bottom of the hole. Bury the coals under 7 inches of soil, wait for everything to cool down, then mix and water the soil/charcoal mix. Then add in layers of compost (recipe depends on what you have available) / amended soil to fill.

 

[SmokingWings]

Put 2 inches of rocks and fill top that with 1 inch of course sand, anything but white. Add 3 inches of soil, then build a nice fire in there. Keep adding wood until you have a bed of coals ....

But it is a guerrilla grow and I am pretty sure that @Phillybonker would like to avoid the attention that a fire out in a woodlot or forest will draw.

 

[Braddah Waiheesohai]

But it is a guerrilla grow and I am pretty sure that @Phillybonker would like to avoid the attention that a fire out in a woodlot or forest will draw.

If you're uncomfortable making a smokeless fire, you could always make your charcoal and hike it in. But a small fire in a hole isn't as noticeable as you might think. This is actually a guerrilla method originally, and activated biochar seems to be coming back into vogue in the organic farming world in big way.

 

[Phillybonker]

I take it that you are thinking about adding amendments to the existing soil and not actually looking for a composting pile recipe. Just about anything goes with a compost pile recipe and even organic gardeners cannot come to an agreement as to the best carbon (brown) & nitrogen (green) ratios.

As for adding amendments to what you have, you might not need to do anything. I don't remember where you live but maybe you will be able to find out if a local govt agency or gardening or farmer group has a way of doing a soil test. If so, the first step is to get a sample of the soil in the area you are planning on growing in and sending it off to be tested. The results of the test will tell whether the soil needs any particular macro nutrient or if it has one or more in excess.

Since you already have a soil that sounds healthy because it has good color and plenty of earthworms you might not have to spend much money on any amendments. Maybe nothing more is needed other than to shred up some leaves and other organic material in the fall and put it in a layer on top of the area you will be growing in. Then either turn it over and mix it in just before the beginning of winter before most above ground growth stops or mix it in early in the spring before growth starts back up for the new season.

Good advice. Thanks

I'll concentrate on amending the soil.

 

[Johnnymarijuanaseed]

Put 2 inches of rocks and fill top that with 1 inch of course sand, anything but white. Add 3 inches of soil, then build a nice fire in there. Keep adding wood until you have a bed of coals that will cover the bottom of the hole. Bury the coals under 7 inches of soil, wait for everything to cool down, then mix and water the soil/charcoal mix. Then add in layers of compost (recipe depends on what you have available) / amended soil to fill.

Charcoal like to steal nitrogen so compensate for that but charcoal is great for building microbial structure. Just don’t water to much even tho it’s probably Impossible to go anaerobic witch rocks and sand, imo I’d use pumice smaller rocks but good for soil, also a little bit of clay helps retain water and stack microbial slots as well. I just use pumice brown desert sand and rice hauls with 20/30% perlite. I’ve also used clay hydro balls at the bottom so roots can easily move thru but so can soil and I think u don’t want soil to fall thru but it worked great. I like getting organic soil and turning it into super soil or live soil. I use a probiotic to inoculate life in my soil. Add worms nematodes and predator mites and put a breathable cap over the pot to keep it dark and moist. Sum rove Beatles to from my roach bin, I use a lot of roach castings too. Mainly feed em green and banana so there castings are high in nitrogen and potassium. Everyone dose it different that’s y I love this hobby hopefully soon to be job!