quemedica
New Member
I recently visited a friend in rural Canada who asked for a quick, less bulk alternative to Subcool's super soil mix using locally sourced material. The only garden supply in his home town was a Canadian Tire store. After research, several mixes and soil tests, here's a loam recipe I came up with for his organic closet grow. It is cheap to produce, contains everything a canna plant needs (including proper soil pH) and if followed correctly, should only require that you water your plants from seedling to harvest.
Minimum supplies needed for this procedure will amend up to 5 plants grown in 5 gallon buckets/pots. Merkin friends reading this can likely source all of these ingredients at Home Depot and Wal-Mart…
TOTAL COST OF INGREDIENTS: $35,95
COST PER PLANT: $7,19
MIXING TIME: 20 minutes per plant
COMPLEXITY: Very easy
PLEASE NOTE:
Ingredient quantities and the procedure outlined below were specifically meant to efficiently mix a minimal amount of loam, using minimal hardware, in 4 easy steps. But I included percentage values for those equipped to batch mix bulkier quantities.
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups (45%): Bio Max Peat-Shrimp-Manure Compost $4.99 (CT Product #59-4881-0)
1½ cups (20%): Pro-Mix Vegetable & Herb $7.99 (CT Product #59-4370-6)
1 cup (15%): Rubicon worm castings $8.99 (CT Product #193-5938-0)
1 cup (15%): CIL Kelp Mix $4.99 (CT Product #59-4596-0)
½ cup (5%): CIL Blood and Bone Meal $8.99 (CT Product #59-2157-8)
1/4 cup: Mama Nature rain water
Here is an image of all ingredients used:
HARDWARE:
One measuring cup $0.99 (CT Product # 81-3782-6)
One electric hand beater/mixer $12.99 (CT Product # 43-2102-4)
Two (minimum) five gallon buckets $3.99 (CT Product # 58-1060-4)
One (minimum) lid for five gallon bucket $1.99 (CT Product # 58-1031-4)
STEP 1:
To minimize the odds of an incorrect mix, stand your bags from left to right in the order which they appear in the ingredients list. You can also write the number of cups needed on each bag with a marker.
STEP 2:
Follow the ingredients list adding them (including the water) into one of your buckets. Using an electric hand mixer on the slowest speed, mix until the preparation has a uniform dark colour. Swing the hand mixer beaters around and under the ingredients to achieve a nice even mix, this shouldn't take more than 5 minutes. Finally, drop the mix into your second bucket and even it out across its diameter with your fingers.
STEP 3:
Repeat STEP 2 three more times until the second bucket is half full.
STEP 4:
Fill the second bucket to the top with good quality soil. Seal the bucket with lid and let it cure in the sun or somewhere warm for 6 to 10 days. If you’re using pots, seal the bottom and top with plastic wrap to protect the mix from insects while it cures.
Congratulations, you're ready to grow!
Minimum supplies needed for this procedure will amend up to 5 plants grown in 5 gallon buckets/pots. Merkin friends reading this can likely source all of these ingredients at Home Depot and Wal-Mart…
TOTAL COST OF INGREDIENTS: $35,95
COST PER PLANT: $7,19
MIXING TIME: 20 minutes per plant
COMPLEXITY: Very easy
PLEASE NOTE:
Ingredient quantities and the procedure outlined below were specifically meant to efficiently mix a minimal amount of loam, using minimal hardware, in 4 easy steps. But I included percentage values for those equipped to batch mix bulkier quantities.
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups (45%): Bio Max Peat-Shrimp-Manure Compost $4.99 (CT Product #59-4881-0)
1½ cups (20%): Pro-Mix Vegetable & Herb $7.99 (CT Product #59-4370-6)
1 cup (15%): Rubicon worm castings $8.99 (CT Product #193-5938-0)
1 cup (15%): CIL Kelp Mix $4.99 (CT Product #59-4596-0)
½ cup (5%): CIL Blood and Bone Meal $8.99 (CT Product #59-2157-8)
1/4 cup: Mama Nature rain water
Here is an image of all ingredients used:
HARDWARE:
One measuring cup $0.99 (CT Product # 81-3782-6)
One electric hand beater/mixer $12.99 (CT Product # 43-2102-4)
Two (minimum) five gallon buckets $3.99 (CT Product # 58-1060-4)
One (minimum) lid for five gallon bucket $1.99 (CT Product # 58-1031-4)
STEP 1:
To minimize the odds of an incorrect mix, stand your bags from left to right in the order which they appear in the ingredients list. You can also write the number of cups needed on each bag with a marker.
STEP 2:
Follow the ingredients list adding them (including the water) into one of your buckets. Using an electric hand mixer on the slowest speed, mix until the preparation has a uniform dark colour. Swing the hand mixer beaters around and under the ingredients to achieve a nice even mix, this shouldn't take more than 5 minutes. Finally, drop the mix into your second bucket and even it out across its diameter with your fingers.
STEP 3:
Repeat STEP 2 three more times until the second bucket is half full.
STEP 4:
Fill the second bucket to the top with good quality soil. Seal the bucket with lid and let it cure in the sun or somewhere warm for 6 to 10 days. If you’re using pots, seal the bottom and top with plastic wrap to protect the mix from insects while it cures.
Congratulations, you're ready to grow!