So I am currenly working on my first composted Super Soil

Basic Growing Info
#1

So Im building a “Super soil” to test out. The Base Is Peat. To that I have added Vermuclite,Perlite,Worm Castings, Bio Char, An Organic All Purpose Fert that contains Poultry Manure,Feather Meal,Bone meal,and Potash. I have also Added Blood Meal and Bone meal. The all purpose fert has the microbes in it, 5 bacteria strains and mycos. I also added compost starter.

The “compost ingredients” added so far, are a TON of banana peels(cut up small), Potato Skins, broccoli stems, Parsnip waste,turnip waste,cauliflower stems and leaves and Powdered egg shell. All the veggies were raw trim waste ran through a food processor until the pieces were about the size of a hot pepper seed.

Anything Im missing that I should add? How does it sound so far? The Brand on the Ferts is Expert Gardner Organics and Dr Earth.

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#2

Sounds like a great pile you have. I just wonder if it would be too hot or out of balance. I think you would benefit from having it tested before use. Basic soil test should show what is in there at least. Paste test would show possible availability. :pray::green_heart: I used Logan Labs btw.

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#3

sand is inert but a great additive to soil. Soil really isnt soil without all the particle sizes. Wit that said Azomite.

and if this is for inside pots… Mosquito bits cause there is a lot of places fungus gnats gonna wanna live up in thur.

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#4

Your recipe is basically what I’ve been doing for years with great success with a few differences. I don’t mix the blood and bone meal, potash ect into the soil…I instead add that as a mixture to each hole I transplant into. I dig deeper than I intend to plant them dust the hole, back fill to where I want it then dust again, transplant cover and dust the surface and scratch it in.

My recipe is as follows with no real measurements. I just kinda do what feels right. Peat moss, composted manure(I prefer cow over chicken) mushroom compost, vermiculite, perlite and some type of premix garden soil typically promix or comparable if I have enough of my own compost I will use that instead. I will mix pellatized gypsum into the soil next year when I amend the beds. Otherwise all other amendments are added during transplanting or topdressed during the season.

Edit: I’ll use a good quality top soil as well as filler as to not make the mixture too hot with manure and compost and not to airy from the peat. I like a soft dense spongy texture. Should be able to compress it into a ball that can hold shape but break back down easily when damp. If it crumbles when you squeeze it you have too much peat

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#5

Its currently In my Compost tumbler breaking down. I also have Peat Pellets that are totally inert for starting the seeds in, I figure by the time the roots get out of the pellets they “Should” be able to handle the nutrients.

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#6

Azomite is for sure on the list to get, tho im not sure if im getting it powdered or granular for a slower break down. Also considering Green Sand, what do you think about adding green sand?

It is for a grow tent indoors, I wanna test side by side, My way, which is full synethic in Dr Bugbee’s lab soil blend VS an Organic Super Soil. I know the scientific testing at this point is not conclusive, BUT so far is leaning heavily toward no difference between Organic and synthetic, even tho the “bro science” guys swear by organic.

Have not saw any fungus gnats in the tent in my first grow, but I do deal with Fruit flys every summer because of my other hobby, wine, mead and beer making so I have a fairly effective bug zapper in my room, outside the tent of course, makes a nice night light when my stoned ass gets up to piss lmao.

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#7

Here’s my raised bed I put together last year using that recipe. It’s live and active with mycelium and lots of worms. I use straw as mulch and turn it into the soil when the ground thaws. Gives the worms some food when they wake up.

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#8

I stopped using Azomite in my mix after I read this article some while back.

Finally there is the rock dust which I recommend 3 cups of either basalt or granite. Only these 2 materials are ‘paramagnetic’ which is an integral part of the CeC discussion (Cation exchange Capacity).

Rock dusts like Azomite, bentonite, zeolite and others are called ‘colloidal minerals’ - alumina-silicate. For example Azomite is a brand name. A geologist would know it as “Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate” and it’s known as “Montmorillonite clay”

This clay has been used in France to built ceramic bread ovens which look like a bee hive. They have a small door in the front of the oven where loaves of bread are move in and out using what is called a peel.

While it makes a great ceramic oven I can’t find much to cause me to recommend it in a true living soil that is supposed to last ‘forever’ if taken care of using organic methods.

Source : Coots Soil Mix Explained – ClackamasCoot

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#9

Sorry to keep barging in like this but. When composting it’s important to remember browns and greens. Greens are things that are literally green. Fresh kitchen scraps, fresh cut grass, etc.

browns are dried organic matter, like dried brown leaves, onion paper, actual paper. You need a good mix of both to create a healthy microbial ecosystem in your compost.

Too much green and it will begin to rot and smell instead of break down into something you can use effectively. It will break down but it’s gonna stink and attract animals. Too much brown and it won’t break down fast enough.

I used to keep an 8x8 pile. I used grass clippings and the previous years fallen leaves left to turn brown/ black. I’d layer it every year and turn it every few weeks. It was so active the center was a pure white pile of microbial life eating away at the pile. Once my neighbor asked what I was burning in the garden all winter. It was just my compost pile steaming so much it looked like a small fire. I would throw in kitchen scraps in the middle and they would be decomposed in a week or two

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#10

No worries, Peat counts as the Brown, which is my base, I did a ton of research to find out if it counted as a brown and it does.

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#11

Got it.I didn’t that as part of your compost recipe. That should work just fine. Are you composting separately to use as an amendment to your soil or are you making a compost to use exclusively as your soil? If the latter it will be extremely hot.

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#12

I am composting it down to use as base soil. I may cut it 50/50 with coco coir when its done, but its at least 70% inert peat, with the other things added to that.

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#13

Don’t forget the hexanoic acid

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#14

?? what abouy the article convinces you not to use it ?
Azomite is proven to work wonders by the indigidus people that have used it.
Again Soil is all about Particle SIZe - its literally in the definition of soil.

Silt (azomite) is a great particle size to have in your soil. so is sand.

Just cause i saw it mentioned above.
Never mix outdoor soil into pots your are bringing into a grow room.

#15

There was something about aluminium content in the clay or the like. I can’t remember exactly :thinking:

Sorry, I thought it was in that article that I linked, but I’ll have another look and try to find where it was that I read it.

For my own though, I’ve seen no issues arise after removing it from my mix. Personally I’m happy to accept that if Clackamas says it’s not needed then I don’t need to use it, after all he has a far greater and demonstrated knowledge of the subject than myself :man_shrugging:.

Each to their own though, I was just sharing some information. Feel free to disregard :v:.

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#16

Im not on the page where one white dude says he dosent like it so i write it off
There are entire civilizations of indigenous peoples that understood and valued volcanic mud in agriculture.
Tell San Maranzano they dont Need volcanic sediment…
There is a million things i dont need that keep me healthy.

#17

Okay mate, I’m not sure what the colour of the man’s skin has to do with anything. You obviously have your own agenda here so I’ll leave you to it :peace_symbol:.

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#18

My agenda is too inform people that particle size is very important when it comes to soil.
and i do apologize to the OP for going of topic can you please tell me what is so obvious about my agenda? Feel free to take it to PM

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#19

No worries your fine bro and thank you for the info!

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#20

Looking at making up some super soil of my own this year. Always soaking up organic info. I’ll follow along if you don’t mind. Love the info already provided.

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