Is anyone else tired of spending hard earned money for bug infested pre amended potting soil?. I’m just getting into the organic living soil growing method and let me tell you… Buying an infestation of thrips and other pests in the soil has got to be the most painful thing to happen to a home grower. You get it back home and got your tiny seedlings all ready for the new soil but wait … Is that? No it can’t be. F-in bugs on my nugs!!! And to think I have nurtured and loved this little girl since birth and now she’s getting attacked by little bitty bugs that I unknowingly paid for, so what now I ask myself… Outside she goes to get the awesome light from the sun 
but now it has infested all of your nice new gear from the exhaust fan and ductwork to the clip on fans and led grow lights, all of it is now tainted by a purchase of a pre amended potting soil. So I ask … Is it possible to get a uninfested bag of your favorite soil and so far the answer is no.
Was thinking about trying to mix my own soil together and ammend it myself, but do I use top soil with so called peat moss in it? Can I actually make a living soil from a few ingredients and will it still buffer the pH? Do I need to supplement it with lime? All these questions and more … Please feel free to comment and any advice is more than welcome 
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I was having the same issues grow after grow (ProMix & local ingredients)…
But, I have had excellent success with Black Swallow Living Soils KIS mix. (Canada)
https://blackswallowsoil.com/product/kis-mix-blended-soil-651
Not. One. Bug. 
ever…
I’d expect the same results from KIS mix in the US.
Cheers
G
Here’s my soil building thread
Do urself a favor and kick the peat out the pic and use coir instead
Lime is to balance peat that can swing down to 5, coir is neutral at 7 so if u use coir then no lime needed either, the compost should be acidic enough to put u in the sweet spot
Ur on the right track but instead of a top soil just use mushroom compost! Stuff is wonderful for gardens
You can grow companion crops alongside your cannabis, for example field vetch, aphids and caterpillars love it more than cannabis, same with mint for thrips.
Give them something to eat other than cannabis and they’ll leave your cannabis alone.
Diversity in everything keeps everything in balance.
I actually did something along those lines with this OG Kush clone and from what I can tell they are no longer being feasted upon by pests!!. I planted the small white flowers as a cover crop along with other flowers that haven’t yet shown up but these little pollen covered plants seem to be a repellent of sorts. Anyone know what kind of plant these are? I’ve read about how the microbes have a relationship with the plant and in some cases can grow pests repelling plants if the host plant is suffering!?. Also can grow a shade plant if the host plant is being burned!? I just love all of the things that are yet to be discovered in the plant world!!
Good going! 
The white flowers also attract beneficial insects that eat aphids, thrips, etc.
Not sure what the ones with white flowers are but the ones directly below your plant with the larger greyish green serrated leaves are Lambs quarters(chenopodium album)they are rich in calcium and minerals and can actually be eaten.
Ok thanks for the info, the white flowers are a carpet of snow mixture of alyssum, and only grow up to 4" tall so it is my go to cover crop!
Anyone know if I use top soil for making potting mix will it buffer the pH? I mixed up a batch for my cucumbers and butternut squash and the pH probe said it was 6.3. I’m not sure if it will stay stable or not so any info/advice is more than welcome
Mix in some chopped up kitchenscraps to get the fungi going, fungi love carbohydrates and when you throw any organic fruit and veg in there, they are usually accompanied with mycorrhizal fungi on the skin.
The fungi regulate the soil, from what i understand they kinda farm the bacteria by feeding them, a soil full of fungi can take a beating when it comes to PH. They absorb the water like a sponge and distribute it, managing the soil. Fungi are soil managers.
Don’t overdo it though, a big handful per bucket (10 L) will do. And let your soil rest for a month or so before sowing. Alternatively you can install worm towers. In a new setup I just made I stuck a big tube in the middle of the pot and throw my kitchenscraps in there and put a sock over it to keep the gnats and fruit flies out.
I water with PH 7.45 and everything is thriving.
Nettles are also awesome fertilizer / mulch!
Diversity is key!