I have tried every nursery in my not too small city. I’ve talked with the head gardener at a few even. Nothing, only one place even had coco coir or EWC. Only one place had the big bags of pearlite even. So time to take the advice they gave me- shop online. I thought it would be interesting to see where everyone shops. If you don’t buy online- where are you located? What country, state, city or rural? Perhaps if I can glean WHY it isn’t here I can know where to look in the 100 mile area.
You should be able to get the basics at any home improvement store like Home Depot. Most of them will even deliver to the store for free. Some stuff I just can’t get here, so Inorder that from Build-a-soil.
Kis Organics and Build-A-Soil for any specialty amendments that I can’t find locally, or just for convenience. Got a good sized grow shop 10 mins up the road with everything you could need for any growing style and others within an hour from me along with farms, landscape suppliers, home improvement stores. KNF/MNF methods to make homemade inputs mostly from stuff you can find around the house
My local hydro store carries down to earth boxes and build a soil products.
KIS Organics also lets u know where you can source locally. I had added some fish compost abd saw the shipping was like $55 so I didnt place order and they messaged me and asked if shipping was too much abd if I told them where I live they could find something local.
I’ll give my local hydro shop, well not super local, a try tomorrow. They market themselves as a HYDRO shop with EVERYthing, then list a lot of hydro stuff that kind of gave me the impression. I’m SOL expect for bagged soil or equipment. But why not go on out?
KNF has been on my mind. I’ll be getting to it when I have more attention to give it, man that is not easy stuff to read.
Sourcing locally can sometimes be a challenge , that’s why I build from scratch and recycle older material outside of that I run dry amendments which aren’t to difficult to find anywhere been at for 5 years or so now but I’m finding that “ less is more” approach seams to be just effective if not better . Learn how to compost correctly, get a worm bin started and maybe learn how to bokashi compost is another alternative.
SPM and Aeration: Garden stores have promix, which I have switched to because of the ease. I buy lava rock in a bag from the landscaping yard down the road. I use a sledge to break the large chunks up, in an old animal feed sack in the driveway. (watch for added salt nutrients in perlite)
I also like adding a little Pine Bark Fines to the mix, I buy this for $4 a bag at Home Depot. EWC: I make my own EWC but have also purchased some from someone I found on FB marketplace. I have horses and also make tons (literally) of compost yearly. But with a bucket and some searching on FB or Craigslist you can find free manure. Give horse manure at least 6 months of “cooking” before using because of worming medication. Once I see worms in it, I know it is ready. Amendments: Luckily, I live near an organic supplier. Also, I grow a lot of cut flowers and have a greenhouse, so I purchase in bulk. I would recommend buying online from the closest organic grower supply. Search online because there are a lot of great organic suppliers that are local. You can pick up. BIOCHAR: I buy hardwood charcoal and break it up. I know it is kind of ghetto but it has worked for years. Something like Cowboy Brand Lump Charcoal. https://noamkelp.com/product/sealife-kelp-meal-for-soils/
I buy 50 lb bags of kelp from this website.
This is what happens when Tommy logs in to OG REALLY high!
none of the choices fit, I buy my media in Michigan, which is where i grew up,while on vacation,but its 1500 miles away from what i call home now so not local. Usually Grow green in Whittmore lake or Clio cultivation in Clio, by the way Clio has no e in it its not pronounced Cleo LOL. Cli as in climb with a O.
Well, shit, it’s still local for some isn’t it? Lol, that’s by far the craziest way I’ve heard to get your supplies. Wish I could take more vacations up to Michigan, dirt aside. We had a family “farm” used only as a vacation house, outside of Escanaba. Only got to go once, but I loved it out there.
be careful with manures… don’t just go to some random place and grab some cause its free… a lot of them have herbcides and other shit that’s can take decades to break down so make sure you know where you are getting them from and what type of feed the animal is getting… You can always train a bunny to shit right in your grow, they are easily trained and their pooop is ready to go straight out the rear end , and won’t burn your plants like a fresh cow pie or so The other awesome shit would be from the behind of an alpaca… also ready to go processed by them for your immediate use in the garden We have an alpaca breeder here about 45 min aweay and i plan on picking some up in the near future… always fun to see the employees reaction when you show up asking them if you could fill up a bucket of their finest.
That’s why I love my guinea pigs, well one of the reasons anyways. Free cold manure! Well not free, they eat tons.
Once I have proportions figured I plan to use only free fertilizer, between a worm bin and the guinea pigs. Once I have it all figured out? I actually know several rabbit owners that probably would be willing to give me bags full.
The other awesome shit would be from the behind of an alpaca… also ready to go processed by them for your immediate use in the garden