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PeeJay's Prudent Home-Brewed Organic Soil - Outdoor Out of Sight Deck Grow
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You should try adding 20% vermiculite to your soil mixture sometime, vermiculite adds water retention and acts as a catalyst between the roots and nutrients. I have seen a positive response in my plants using vermiculite in my soiless mixture.
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- #203
In combination with perlite, KJC? I don't remember the details of your mix. I do fondly recall Dresney's journal, a first timer who did really well with a mix of 1/3 worm castings, 1/3 perlite, and 1/3 vermiculite. Her journal is on my list of greatest hits and blasts from the past:
Dresney's First Grow - Organic - Indoor - GDP - Trainwreck
This is another journal I like. I pointed Reg to it the other day- an interesting read for folks growing in soil and containers. Only two pages, quick and easy.
Dresney's First Grow - Organic - Indoor - GDP - Trainwreck
This is another journal I like. I pointed Reg to it the other day- an interesting read for folks growing in soil and containers. Only two pages, quick and easy.
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- #204
There was a thing in Dres' journal where there was some strange growth out of the drain holes. It turned out to be vermiculite interfaced with the root growth. She thought it was a fungus at first. Cool stuff.
I use peat moss, perlite, vermiculite and mycorrhizae for my plants. I would mix your soiless mixture in a ratio of 60% peat moss, 20% perlite and 20% vermiculite. If you can get Pro-Mix HP you would only need to add vermiculite and mycorrhizae. Vermiculite acts as a catalyst between nutrients and the plants roots as well as retaining moisture.
PRO-MIX HP Mycorrhizae - High porosity peat-based growing medium
PRO-MIX HP Mycorrhizae - High porosity peat-based growing medium
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- #206
I'll add a fraction and check it out soon, KJC. I wish I had a more generous plant count. I'd go experiment crazy.
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- #207
Sooo. For BAR, you could use 20% perlite and 20% vermiculite.
For each gallon of the soil:
3 Cups vermiculite
3 Cups chunky perlite
3/4 Cup eggshell cannabis leaf amendment
1 Tb of the mixed mycos
That would be about a gallon and a half. Add the amount for 1.5 gallon of the Growology Step One. Stir, moisten, cook.
For each gallon of the soil:
3 Cups vermiculite
3 Cups chunky perlite
3/4 Cup eggshell cannabis leaf amendment
1 Tb of the mixed mycos
That would be about a gallon and a half. Add the amount for 1.5 gallon of the Growology Step One. Stir, moisten, cook.
GardenFaerie
New Member
I hope you didn't think I was overstepping any recommendations. I just shared how I manage the soil pH, but I also garden in the ground. I only repeat that again so new people understand what I'm talking about. I see people move down here and the very first thing they buy are Azalea's. Then they spend 5 years of digging and replacing them because guess what? They do not like a soil pH of 8.0! Then they spend thousands of dollars to re-mediate the beds using special soil mixes. Generally, these mixes are comprised of peat moss, which literally IS inert and have zero properties other than a texture. The heat beats down even in the shade all day and night which in very quick time degrades the peat which leaves the soil texture sort of heavy. Eh, it just makes me laugh the extent people will go through instead of making a healthy option and growing what wants to be here. Complacency is a serious morass.
that is a scott's label. the soil should have a good texture to it but may contain fruit flies
It's not Scott's B.
DaddiSwanga
New Member
So much great cannabis information going around! 
I just started growing and will forever use perlite.
I just started growing and will forever use perlite. - Thread starter
- #213
Your input is always valued, GF.
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- #214
Reg, I saw that there is already some perlite in that mix, but you would benefit from having way more. Most of those bagged soils have some but it is very small grains and only a couple of %. That is a generic mix for growing just about anything. You want to make it into dirt that is excellent for growing cannabis in containers. Improving the drainage of the soil is an important step in that direction.
If you get a chance, spread a little of the dirt out on a piece of paper and take a picture so we can all see what it looks like.
If you get a chance, spread a little of the dirt out on a piece of paper and take a picture so we can all see what it looks like.
Conradino23
Well-Known Member
I personally do not use perlite anymore, I switched to biochar and I'm really satisfied with the results.
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- #216
Biochar is awesome stuff. I'm thinking that Reg would havd a hard time making it in Manhatten. 
GardenFaerie
New Member
I do use perlite, but I find you get far more beneficial properties from using lava sand and decomposed granite sand because they increase drainage and help with the cation exchange capacity in the soil. It is also said of lava sand that it is paramagnetic, increasing yet again the availability of trace elements in the soil. Lava sand also holds water at 100 times its weight. I have done experiments where I would wet a pile of lava sand and leave it out on the patio in the sun. Late in the afternoon I checked it and there was still moisture in the tiny pores of the sand.
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- #218
Perlite has some big advantages when makinv a container mix. It is easy to find anywhere they sell garden supplies, and is inexpensive. It is also inert and basically no nutritive value. We want to avoid overloading the soil. He isn't amending garden soil, he's amending bag potting mix.
Back on page 1 you can see that the yum yum and excellerite in my mix takes care of CEC in my mix. Have you guys looked at what I use? I'm no stranger to improving garden soils. Where I live now I have no large garden.
Back on page 1 you can see that the yum yum and excellerite in my mix takes care of CEC in my mix. Have you guys looked at what I use? I'm no stranger to improving garden soils. Where I live now I have no large garden.
Conradino23
Well-Known Member
@gardenfaerie: Lava powder or crushed lava rock is great, but these minerals take at least a season to break down, so in indoor grows soil has to be recycled. But then as one said you do not throw away your soil from the garden after tomatoes are ready 
@PeeJay: Yeah, in Manhattan it might be pain in the ass. Sometimes I forget that I live in the countryside
@PeeJay: Yeah, in Manhattan it might be pain in the ass. Sometimes I forget that I live in the countryside
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- #220
I've seen some packaged biochar products around. What we be fun is building an oven and making your own .
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