Mixing Soils / Recipe Query

[John'sMidnightGarden]

Want to try making a tastier soil than my current (Supreme Soil)  Does this mix sound sensible?
 

50/50 Supreme Soil / Tropic Bat Mix (never used bat mix, sounds lovely)

Ecothrive Charge

Bit of worm bin stuff - maybe just the poo.

Use Bio Grow and Bloom as normal.
 

I tried no-till for few years, got big enough pots etc just think I couldn't get the watering right (and in Kent, took me a while to realise I needed epsom salt every watering), had to admit to myself yields were racing downwards - blumats aren't possible in my tiny space / no res / limit of what partner accepts in my tiny room RE water and electric.   Was a nice experience though - everything they go on about with no-till - yes, pukka, do it if you can.  Week 5 into a boring Biobizz grow and the results are laughing at my past 4 no-till runs.  My first no-till run was almost too fruitful!
 

Currently back to Supreme Soil and biobizz Grow and Bloom.  Just fancy adding a bit of boost without buying more bottles.  I'm wary of getting worms in there with nothing to eat save my roots, also seems cruel to me.   Maybe not a good idea, just I have a massive worm bin with no purpose so trying to make use.

 

Someone once told me Supreme Soil is not organic - confused on this.  I'm sure I've seen people mix it with bat mix.

 

thanks all, might be a poor idea but keen to learn.

[Lubdub]

You've got a few nitrogen rich things going in so I'm not sure using the bio grow early on will be necessary. Perhaps later on as the soil depletes but I'd be cautious towards it.

[Goohfy]

Maybe to hot in the pot might give the leaves a spot.peace Goohfy.

[John'sMidnightGarden]

Thanks!  And yes got you Lubdub, I only use them in flower anyway as I pot up - though one plant seems to deplete Supreme Soil a bit quicker than that.  Long as there's no glaring mistakes I'll give it a try, batmix sounds interesting.

[tofty]

Soil supreme contains organic growth stimulant, organic growth stimulant, organic growth stimulant, organic growth stimulant (it's humic acid or leonardite or something). It doesn't say organic soil, organic fertiliser or organic nutrients anywhere on the bag, read it, they repeated the phrase 'organic growth stimulant' 4 times in some bullshit no one reads properly, t's just a bit of NLP mate.

 

Use your worm compost dude

50 litre 60/40 Coco/pebble

10 litres home made worm compost

300g polythrive (polyhalite granules 5g/L)

1 cup fish meal

1 cup charge

Top dress bat guano, worm compost and charge (and more polythrive if necessary) during flowering

If you plan on reusing it, like No till, get some biochar and worms in there 

 

Polyhalite is calcium potassium magnesium sulphate, so calmag with potassium, granulated makes it slow release, 90 days, fish and bat guano are both low in potassium to balance.

[John'sMidnightGarden]

This is why I will always come back to ask silly questions!  Missed that on the bag.

That mix sounds very like what my no-till was already, I was well into it so top dressed all the good stuff, fish meal etc.  Just seemed to go downhill.  Will try that maybe next run if I can get it all together but maybe not reuse it this time.  I have liquid chalk out my taps and wondered if in the end it built up in the pot - sure you get what I'm trying to say.  Learning to add a pinch of epsoms changed a lot but maybe I learned it too late.

Too many maybes for my liking!  Thanks man - would it be called "living soil" with the above method?  Sort of like that Canuck guy on youtube - dry amendments but no worms / reusing it?

Sorry for the basic questions - but my head seems to take in the big stuff and miss the nuances.  Always much appreciated, you lot keep me dealer-free.

[Lubdub]

@John'sMidnightGarden I think that top dressing can be hit or miss, depending on the ingredients and products used. Some break down better than others, not sure why, perhaps how fine the stuff is plays a role. For example I found that the powderfeeding range from GHS dissolve much faster and have a much quicker response on the plant than another mix I used called 'farmer's mix' by Lurpe. 

 

I found myself missing the mark on when to top dress, and the plants would have the lower fan leaves yellow and fall off, with the plants showing a general sign of lack of nutrients. To mitigate that I've resorted to compost teas from week 2 of flower onwards. So my soil has all it needs for the first 4-6 weeks of the plants life and then it requires a top dress, which I do, but simultaneously make teas for it, once a week. 

 

Still learning obviously, and tweaking this as I go. But I get where what you're saying, my first homemade soil batch was amazing, produced really large healthy plants and then the subsequent two grows were not as eventful, not bad just not as good, smaller leaves, less vigour etc. 

 

Another thing I think might help you is mixing your soil and letting it cook for at least a couple of weeks, really does help get everything a little more broken down and prepped for the seedling or plant. 

 

Btw if you've got any images of your plants, could help to discuss further on the topic. 

[John'sMidnightGarden]

Wish I did have pics of the no till plants - I'm a photo nut, my plants are about the only thing I don't catch!  Sounds like you saw what I did though!
 

What you're saying, every word makes sense and describes my experience.  Put tiny leaves and a poor harvest first time down to lollipopping attempt - that had previously done wonders, but you know, messing too close to bloom etc who knows.  Have not gone so American since and it was just as bad really.  BUT again who knows really, struggled with a nursery for clones so new genetics did get popped here and there.  Not a good test I feel.

 

Biobizz / bought soil was to get me out of my uncontrolled spiral, save money etc with a good run.  I will be back to this thread many times to refresh and see what happens when I try it.  I have use for spent soil so not much of a waste for me.

 

Cheers!