Amendments for Kelloggs Organic Garden Soil

[BigIslandUpperPuna]

Aloha--Starting a second grow after a somewhat successful crop last Fall in Upper Puna on Hawaii. This time following recommendations from this forum. Outdoor grow under 10 foot canopy with clear greenhouse film and mosquito netting surrounding structure (heavy rains are the norm). Will need to extend light to 18 hours from 11-12 daylight hours in Hawaii with LED spotlights. Also a couple of standing oscillating fans to help increase airflow and help prevent mold. Will water by hand with rain catchment water which tends to run on the acid side and we balance PH with baking soda.

Plan to start in small containers with a high quality soil like Promix or Black Gold depending on what is available (people started growing veggies at the start of Pandemic and less organic soil selection in stores). Will transplant as plants grow up to 5 gallon containers using quality soil. I have a supply of new 20 gallon fabric pots that I want to transplant the 5 Gal containers into when ready for a larger container. Also have 15 Cu Ft of Kelloggs Organic Garden soil in sealed bags. I'd like to use the Kelloggs in the 20 Gal containers. It's good organic soil but it tends to get heavy and compacted with watering. What amendments should I add to the Kelloggs soil?

Here are the details on the Kelloggs Organic Garden Soil: Aged recycled forest products, aged arbor fines, composted chicken manure, bone meal, alfalfa meal, oyster & dolomite limes (as pH adjusters), bat guano, worm castings, and kelp meal- PH 6 to 7.3

 

[013]

Hey Big Island,

Welcome to the forums at 420! Nice write up. The main ingredient missing is aeration... either perlite or rice hulls, it will make the soil less compacted and help with drainage. Most soil mixes call for 1/3rd peat, 1/3rd manure & 1/3rd perlite. You’ve already got first 2 covered but didn’t see ample aeration. Also that 7.3 ph sounds kinda high for soil grows, anyway just my 2 cents. Drop a journal down & stay a while

 

[BigIslandUpperPuna]

Thanks 013 -- That definitely helps. The last crop was grown in the Kelloggs right out of the bag and did ok, but could have been much better. Biggest challenge in this area is mold. Last time I created a more humid environment by overwatering, using a drip system with sprinkler type emitters, a grow area with other plants and vegetables, and a single small fan. Want to try to make it better this time around. Will Def share the process

 

[Bob Loblaw]

I'm hoping you have a camera. This could get interesting

Hmm I was gonna say that squirrel/furnace fans move a lot of air and can be acquired super cheap at our local plumbers. I'm not sure if they are as popular there.

IMO these would be the ultimate exhaust fan/fans in a large green house type of environment.

 

[013]

Add sulfur dust to your arsenal.... use in veg to prevent PM and mites, but most say don’t use in late flower - I think the fear is sulfur would make the produce taste bad.... but .IDK?

 

[LionOfJudah]

Kelloggs products contain human waste advertised as organic compost, you can look it up

 

[Pat Puffer]

When trying to build a soil with amendments you need quick and slow release of all Macro-nutrients which includes nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Then you also need something to address the micronutrients. While addressing all that, one needs to make sure that Cal & Mag are addressed as well.

Nitrogen:
Quick - Alfalfa
Slow - Feather meal

Phosphorus:
Quick - Guanos (bat or bird*)
Slow - Bone Meal
Slow - Soft Rock Phosphate (+Cal)

Potassium:
Quick - Kelp meal
Slow - Langbeinite (+Mag)
Super slow - Green sand

Micronutrients:
Azomite (+silica)

You already have Alfalfa meal, Bone Meal, and Kelp Meal in that mix. The amounts in the soil are debatable though. Earth worm castings are great and a gentle source of nitrogen, but I doubt it will carry your plants through harvest while supplying enough nitrogen to them

The idea behind quick and slow release is so the plants have something to feed one immediately and down the road.

Dolomite lime is great to add annually to the soil.

(* Bat guano comes in nitrogen and phosphorus mix. Insect feeding bats produce high "N" ferts +chitosan. Fruit eating bats produce high "P" ferts)

 

[Red Runner]

Kelloggs products contain human waste advertised as organic compost, you can look it up

Nice point @Lionofjuda. To add to the point, when done properly, human waste is a great compost for soil to grow plants in. Just a quick google will turn up some great info on this. Also consider septic tank waste removal and how they often use that waste to produce high quality soil for use in gardens and lawns and such. As an added bonus, in many cases this can apply to organic soil results depending on how companies produce their results using septic waste.
NOTE: Of course you never know what folks put into their septic system, even knowing they shouldn't (cleaning chemicals and so on), speaking personally, we are very focus on what goes down into ours because the bio-life inside the tank that helps break down the waste we put into it.

 

[LionOfJudah]

Nice point @Lionofjuda. To add to the point, when done properly, human waste is a great compost for soil to grow plants in. Just a quick google will turn up some great info on this. Also consider septic tank waste removal and how they often use that waste to produce high quality soil for use in gardens and lawns and such. As an added bonus, in many cases this can apply to organic soil results depending on how companies produce their results using septic waste.
NOTE: Of course you never know what folks put into their septic system, even knowing they shouldn't (cleaning chemicals and so on), speaking personally, we are very focus on what goes down into ours because the bio-life inside the tank that helps break down the waste we put into it.

industrial and human waste they use contains tens of thousands of contaminants and pathogens, its federally illegal to use sewage sludge in organic gardens for this reason, if you want to use that be my guest, il pass.

 

[Red Runner]

@Lionofjuda I did not know that, thank you for the info!!

 

[LionOfJudah]

@Lionofjuda I did not know that, thank you for the info!!

hey no problem brother, I just didnt want anyone else unknowingly using soil with sewage waste labeled as organic

 

[Phytoplankton]

Kelloggs products contain human waste advertised as organic compost, you can look it up

Of the 300 or so soil Products Kellogg’s makes, 4 used to contain bio sludge, none currently contain any bio sludge. So you should be alright, unless it’s very old soil.

 

[Red Runner]

@Lionofjuda,
Sorry, I wanted to ask you if you have any suggestions to an alternate to Kellogg's? Thanks!