Making your own soilless mix aka Faux Mix

[B Dub]

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 Farside!

If I make a mix that is 50/50 peat and perlite does the lime stay the same? I understand the lime helps buffer the peat and if I’m addding less peat does that mean less lime?

I rummaged around on the WWW and don’t find an answer.

I’m using your Faux mix right now with MC in week 7 of flower. Having some issues, but hopefully they turn around or get chopped a little early.

Very nice to be able to make your own Pro Mix HP!

Thank you sir!

 

[farside05]

Since the Perlite is inert, I would say that it would be correct to reduce the lime proportionately. Frankly I would think 50/50 Perlite to peat would be overkill and would need multiple waterings a day. At least in my world, I do peat based mixes for ease. I didn't care for Coco and it's increased watering needs, 50/50 would seem to be going down that same rabbit hole

 

[B Dub]

Thanks for the intel. I hear you about the increased watering, however I’m using autopots and their website recommendations a 50/50 peat and perlite.

What kind of reduction would you think is appropriate? Or can you remember the website you used to come up with the formula?

Thanks Farside! Love watching your grows!

 

[farside05]

Instead of using 2 Tablespoons per gallon of mix made with 75% Peat and 25% Perlite, use 1 1/3 Tablespoons if making a 50/50 mix. That should keep the lime to peat proportional.

 

[B Dub]

Thanks!!

I’ll be making up a batch for my Iced Out and Double Helix from In House that just popped.

Keep it green!

 

[TallGuyWithTheFood]

Great thread. I have lots of wood ash, 85% hardwood, from the wood stove. Can i use that, in an increased amount, in lieu of lime?

 

[farside05]

Great thread. I have lots of wood ash, 85% hardwood, from the wood stove. Can i use that, in an increased amount, in lieu of lime?

I would have no idea on that front, but the garden lime also helps precharge the mix with Calcium and Magnesium. It's also dirt cheap. Not like using the ash would really save much money.

 

[SmokingWings]

Great thread. I have lots of wood ash, 85% hardwood, from the wood stove. Can i use that, in an increased amount, in lieu of lime?

Don't over-do it. Using more ash than is necessary can cause problems. This link is to an article giving some of the good points and bad about using wood ash for gardening. The article comes out of the University of Vermont Extension, Department of Plant and Soil Science

 

[Pondwater]

Do i feed them food aswel? Or this a super soil start to finnish water only.
I got some autos going inder my t5s just for well why not my new cutting room had loads of space n light.
4ft t5s and only 1.2 foot is bublers so looking to fill autos.. Wondered if i do my MC and coco.
Or if there is an easier route that yeilds good less maintanence than multi water a day.

Is this that? Or cause i cant see anywhere food fed. But can see 28oz plants that look hydro

 

[InTheShed]

Do i feed them food aswel? Or this a super soil start to finnish water only.

This mix has nothing in it to feed the plants, so feed them throughout their lives!

 

[Pondwater]

This mix has nothing in it to feed the plants, so feed them throughout their lives!

Seen them supersoils mixes whete the mix in all the bits and just water and they grab nutes as they need further down.
Thaughtt this was be that hehe, asked cause it did look to miss a few bits if it was. Just never seen peeps mix their own soils like that.
Cool

 

[InTheShed]

Seen them supersoils mixes whete the mix in all the bits and just water and they grab nutes as they need further down.
Thaughtt this was be that hehe, asked cause it did look to miss a few bits if it was. Just never seen peeps mix their own soils like that.
Cool

Those mixes have a lot more than three ingredients!

 

[Weaselcracker]

Hey Farside. I’m finally getting around to using that peat I dug up last year. So with perlite added I have 15 gallons worth in a wheelbarrow. I’m just looking at my lime collection. I couldn’t really see from the picture what kind of lime you are using- Is that dolomite?

On the shelf to choose from- I have oyster shell, which I’d have to grind. I have dolomite lime. And I have pelletized dolomite lime.

 

[farside05]

Hey Farside. I’m finally getting around to using that peat I dug up last year. So with perlite added I have 15 gallons worth in a wheelbarrow. I’m just looking at my lime collection. I couldn’t really see from the picture what kind of lime you are using- Is that dolomite?

On the shelf to choose from- I have oyster shell, which I’d have to grind. I have dolomite lime. And I have pelletized dolomite lime.

I use pelletized dolomite lime.

 

[Weaselcracker]

Thank you. Skybound has been adding mined lime (calcium carbonate) as well I guess there’s more than one way to skin a cat. I should probably go back and read through this whole thread because it seems to be a reoccurring question.

 

[farside05]

Thank you. Skybound has been adding mined lime (calcium carbonate) as well I guess there’s more than one way to skin a cat. I should probably go back and read through this whole thread because it seems to be a reoccurring question.

I believe that using multiple sources of lime comes from Doc Bud and his High Brix method. If I recall, those that choose to go that route are looking for a 10:1 mix of Calcium to Magnesium, whereas Dolomite Lime is more like 2:1. Most Cal-Mag supplements are about 3:1. All that said, I've had no issues using the pelletized dolomite variety.

 

[Weaselcracker]

So Pro Mix buffers their stuff to 5.8.....why would they not buffer to 6.3 ish. In my eyes, that is all element optimum uptake ph....no?

Perhaps best asked of the Pro-Mix folks.

 

[farside05]

Update.....

This info has been posted/discussed in other threads, but thought I should consolidate it and put it where it belongs for future reference.

In the tutorial I used a wheelbarrow to mix in. I've since bought a 38 gallon storage bin from Home Depo. Makes it a bit easier having a larger container for mixing. They were out of 55 gal bins or I may have gotten it instead if the 38.

The last batch I made was during winter months so I used hot water from the kitchen faucet. I didn't want to freeze my hands off mixing it with water from the hose. It took 11 gallons of water to rehydrate the peat for 20 gallons of Faux-Mix® (15 gallons of peat, 5 gallons of Perlite, 2.5 cups of pelletized Dolomite Lime). 15 gallons of peat is approximately half a bale. You can use the 11 gallons of water as a guideline so you don't turn your project into a mud pie. Granted, if you get it overly wet, it will drain when you put it in pots. Just cuts down on unneeded messes.

Also in the tutorial, I used Espoma Garden Lime. I changed to another brand of Pelletized Dolomite Lime, which is available at Home Depot. Now I have a 40lb bag for the cost of the 6.75lbs of the Espoma brand.

I've tried reusing Faux-Mix on a current grow. I knocked all the mix out of the root ball and put it back in the bin. Figuring some of the lime was used up in the last grow, I only added half the original amount (so 1.25 cups for 20 gal of mix vs 2.5 cups). Gave it a good soaking after I put it in pots to flush out any nute build up. That processed seemed to work. The plants grew just fine. Not sure how many times you could do that process. Think I'm gonna keep to only reusing it once, then it goes into the outdoor garden.

 

[InTheShed]

 

[Weaselcracker]

I‘d be really interested to know what ph your mix is.