TLO soil, re-ammending, feeding and upkeep

Basic Growing Info
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#1

I’m new to the whole TLO growing.
However it’s the road I’ve decided to travel and I want to stick with it. I’m gonna list everything I added to my soil mixture and if you notice anything I missed or can add in the future please let me know. I’ve spent too much to turn away now. I’m also going to Note I’m in Northern Ontario, Canada and I couldn’t find Bat Guano for the life of me so I settled on chicken manure.

  • Pro-Mix HP w/Mycorrhizae
  • worm castings
  • Chicken manure
  • steer manure
  • 3 in 1 potting soil mix w/peat moss, humus & organic matter
  • perlite
  • Epsom salt
  • Oyster shell
  • Dolomite lime
  • Bone meal
  • Kelp meal
  • Azomite
  • K- Mag (pelletized) long release
  • Rice
  • Alfalfa meal
  • Coco coir

This is all I can think of right now. As for feedings. I use Gaia Green dry amendments like all purpose 4-4-4 & power bloom 2-8-4 and I also brew tea using The 1st 24hrs

  • Chicken manure
  • Gaia green 4-4-4
  • Molasses (pure fancy)
  • Kelp meal
  • Day 2
    I then add
  • worm castings
  • Some healthy living compost
  • (Depending what stage the plants are at) I add Gaia green 2-8-4 in different ratios.
    Day 3
    Is when I strain and use!

But I’m wondering about the phosphate category. Other than the dry amendments from Gaia green & bone meal will the plants be fine throughout the entire grow? How often should I use K-Mag (Cal-Mag) but I kinda got screwed with the lockdown and ordering over the phone (also paid that way b4 I actually got to see the product) but I’m sure it works; just a slower release. I’m also wondering how to continue reusing my soil. No point in wasting great soil! Just so you know what light it’s under: ViparSpectra R900 in a 54"x 33"x 82" room.
Here’s the current grow status

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11 Likes
#2

love the recipe similar to mines

2 Likes
#3

That mix should work just fine. I have a few opinions on what I would change.
I would ditch the steer manure and use more worm castings. I would also ditch the 3 in 1 potting mix and coco coir and use more sphagnum peat moss. I would ditch the perlite and use a mix of rice hulls and pumice. I would ditch the epsom salt and K-mag and replace it with garden gypsum. I would ditch the azomite (aluminum concerns) , and replace it with basalt rock dust. I’ve never heard of adding rice to a soil mix…

With the above mix, as you already have it, you shouldn’t need to add much more than water. Maybe a tea in early veg and another at flip.

8 Likes
#4

I agree with @ReikoX on the manures EWC are the shit! Green sand is higher in phosphorus IIRCC I personally have never used dolomite lime or k mag for that matter everthing else looks good to me just a few cuts there to help with cost and start your own worm Bins I run (2 ) 25 gallon pots I harvest 3-4 times a year well over 150lbs over the course of a year best amendment to any soil IMO

3 Likes
#5

I’d cut this one also and just get a bale of peat start making compost and you have almost 2/3 of most base mixes right there and some hulls and a few dry amendments and you have a better mix than most out there!

3 Likes
#6

This in its self is about12-14% P in its self

2 Likes
#7

I also DID pre cook everything for like 30 days b4 anything was planted with it! As for rice in soil. I find it simply helps keep the fungi more happy and makes my phosphorus & calcium levels more available for my plants!

3 Likes
#8

I’d stay away from rice due to arsenic.

1 Like
#9

I just use Basmati rice!

#10

Whatever works for you, I use malted barley powder as a fungi booster. :+1::seedling:

2 Likes
#11

If you are concerned about arsenic in the rice, the key is where it is grown, not the variety.

1 Like
#12

TLO!
You started the same place I did! and a big ‘hat tip’ to ‘The Rev’.
Reading @ReikoX and others comments was spooky (just sat there reading & saying yup, yup, yup…).
The only things I can add are:

  • I’ve been using ground up toasted egg shell as a substitute for oyster shell ($$)
  • pH your water
  • Wegener’s Liquid Organic is a good sub for tea but nothing beats fresh EWC.
  • Get a worm farm.

Last couple grows I’ve been top dressing at early flower with base soil mix with GG power bloom/mineralized phosphate (less is more)

Lessons learned:
Yes, you can have too much nitrogen! (too much cow poop compost)

Cheers
G

2 Likes
#13

Most definitely a “hats off” to the Rev! He’s helped a ton of people get situated and I’m sure he’ll be helping more and more in the future! Respect

2 Likes