inceywinceyspider Posted April 30 Share Posted April 30 I'm interested to know what mix you use in the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindSoup Posted April 30 Author Share Posted April 30 (edited) @inceywinceyspider it'll be 1/3 peat or good quality peat free compost, 1/3 worm casts, 1/6 pumice and 1/6 charged biochar. After that it'll be ammended with Ecothrive Life Cycle to whatever the label recommends . I'll also be scraping the top layer from the old bed and adding that back to the top of the new one so I can retain all my hard earned biodiversity. Edited April 30 by MindSoup 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hole in the clouds Posted April 30 Share Posted April 30 @MindSoup Making some up myself Had worm casts delivered today 120ltr for £35 Peat was £21 delivered 100ltr Any idea where to get pumice from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindSoup Posted April 30 Author Share Posted April 30 Nice mate is that peat from elixir? I'm still nailing down the cheapest source or pumice, it's pretty expensive stuff. I was thinking of subbing in lava rock but that's pretty expensive now too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hole in the clouds Posted April 30 Share Posted April 30 (edited) @MindSoup Yeah same boat I’m thinking same I can’t afford/justify the pumice. Yeah the peat is clover elixir. Edited April 30 by Hole in the clouds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindSoup Posted April 30 Author Share Posted April 30 Yeah I can see why all the living soil companies are scrimping on it now . I did wonder about hydroton/clay pebbles, but I'm not sure if that's a great idea. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hole in the clouds Posted April 30 Share Posted April 30 I think I’ve seen that build a soil guy use half rice husks? Obviously they break down so would need to be renewed at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindSoup Posted April 30 Author Share Posted April 30 Yeah they work quite well apparently, but only for so long. I would rather have something more permanent ideally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipju Posted April 30 Share Posted April 30 I used lava grit (0 - 4 mm). Clay pebbles aren't recommended. They're inert and do nothing for microbial life. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazeytones Posted April 30 Share Posted April 30 If I remember correctly it was going to work out more expensive for me to make my own mix and ended up going with indoor organics soil for life. I was a bit concerned about a peat free mix if I'm honest but after over a year in my pot the results just keep getting better. Another option is to look at ecolife with added bio char or just add your own, although if your wanting to avoid coco altogether I'm pretty sure the ecolife is a mix with coco and peat. The soil for life uses buckwheat hulls and pumice for aeration but both could be added to your own mix but the buckwheat hulls are more expensive than pumice. I'm sure you could bring your soil back to life but like you say until you get it tested and know what's out of sync your pretty much guessing and could quickly end up chasing your own tail. When's the change of soil planned for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindSoup Posted May 1 Author Share Posted May 1 (edited) Hmmmmmm maybe I should just save myself some hassle and grab a bag, I'm indecisive as ever . TBF I used some eco life when I reinstated the mother bed (50:50 mix with old soil) and that's worked absolutely fine although I feel like it doesn't retain water as well as the old one did and I ask a lot less of that bed in terms of nutrient availability. Was planning to swap it out for the next run in about 2-3 weeks. @ipju do you remember where you got it? Edited May 1 by MindSoup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipju Posted May 1 Share Posted May 1 I'm not in the UK. Got in a Belgian shop that sells it as a means to open up clay soils. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindSoup Posted May 1 Author Share Posted May 1 @ipju okay no worries, funnily I have just been looking at local suppliers as a lot of the cost seems to be transport, but I'm way out in the sticks so it's not looking hopeful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ipju Posted May 1 Share Posted May 1 That's why I didn't go for pumice: couldn't find any locally. Good luck on your search. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindSoup Posted May 1 Author Share Posted May 1 I'm fizzling out now, I can feel the temptation to just buy a bag building up inside me . Or I'll just cut the lava/pumice and just do 1/3 biochar like I did last time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now