CDF20 Posted January 22, 2023 Share Posted January 22, 2023 High guys, I am planning my next grow and want to try grow fully ORGANIC - only water and top dress maybe teas. Yeah, yeah, yeah I watched too much Mr Canucks videos Most of cannabis living composts either PEAT or COCO based. I don't want use them for environmental reasons and looking for a WORKING alternatives. I will grow indica photos in starter 0.5l then repot into 11l (veg for 5-6 weeks) and then repot into 19l pots to flower and leave up to the harvest. I will use 4-4-4 for veg and 2-4-8 for bloom dry amendments. There is too much information online and it's very hard to sieve through what is really works and what's not hence I decided to ask you ORGANIC growers to chime in and help me out. For example base soil from OT1 back to 2005 is 60% coir 30% ewc 10% perlite Can I substitute coir with organic compost and then add minerals and nutrients to make it as close as possible to living soil? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindSoup Posted January 22, 2023 Share Posted January 22, 2023 Pretty sure @blackpoolbouncer uses a mix of home made compost, WCs And Biochar to great effect so short answer is yes. I used Dalefoot (wool and bracken compost) when I set up my no till bed, it's good stuff but I got unlucky and mine was full of fungus gnats. There are other similar products out there, sylva grow is another I've used but I didn't get on with very well. Talking of no till, if you went that route you would only have to buy the peat/Coco once. In a way that might be better over time than using peat/Coco free but disposing of it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDF20 Posted January 22, 2023 Author Share Posted January 22, 2023 @MindSoup That`s a good news! Thanks, mate! Yeah, I found his diary and key ingredient is COMPOST. There is no way to find commercial good quality compost and your post above just confirms it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpoolbouncer Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 If you want to go living soil 19l pots ain't gonna cut it. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerPalmersNT Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 Just setting up a new bigger bed. Going peat free. Lots of biochar well charged, lots of pumice, worm cast and probably a bit of leaf compost/woodland topsoil are the major ingredients. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDF20 Posted January 23, 2023 Author Share Posted January 23, 2023 2 hours ago, blackpoolbouncer said: If you want to go living soil 19l pots ain't gonna cut it. Now I'm confused even more as last Canucks grow was exactly like this and he did ok. Seen few IG grows with living soil in autopots and they did quite ok too. Am I missing something??? I found soilfixer compost peat and coco free with biochar in it 10% though so need another 20% and elixir has a ewc. I am happy to spend more money to load the soil with minerals and nutrients if needed. Can't believe organics is so complicated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDF20 Posted January 23, 2023 Author Share Posted January 23, 2023 (edited) 15 minutes ago, FarmerPalmersNT said: Just setting up a new bigger bed. Going peat free. Lots of biochar well charged, lots of pumice, worm cast and probably a bit of leaf compost/woodland topsoil are the major ingredients. Do you do leaf compost yourself mate or it's commercial? Sorry , to bomb you with questions but what minerals and nutrients would you add to this base soil if you go living soil in pots? 1/3 compost 1/3 ewc 1/3 biochar and 10% top soil? I just don't want to purchase peat or coco soils/composts Thanks !!! Edited January 23, 2023 by CDF20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDF20 Posted January 23, 2023 Author Share Posted January 23, 2023 Anyone knows commercial premium top soils for sale? I found everything I need but topsoil. 1/3 compost soilfixer 1/3 ewc from Ben IO 1/3 biochar soilfixer 10% topsoil in search As for nutrients I decided to use Ben's notill amendment kit and life-cycle 2kg each per 50kg of mix. I wouldn't regret if I fail but I definitely will regret if I wouldn't try. At the end of the day I have a backup OSW'90 in DWC! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindSoup Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 I didn't use any top soil myself, so I wouldn't worry too much, you could always take a shovel out somewhere and "harvest" some from a woods. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDF20 Posted January 23, 2023 Author Share Posted January 23, 2023 (edited) 7 minutes ago, MindSoup said: I didn't use any top soil myself, so I wouldn't worry too much, you could always take a shovel out somewhere and "harvest" some from a woods. That's good idea, mate. Thanks. Will have a walk tomorrow to see what's available around. Any particular signs to look after? I know places with a lot of sting nettle and sphagnum moss. Edited January 23, 2023 by CDF20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerPalmersNT Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 Leaf mould/topsoil I collect from someone else's woodland. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindSoup Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 3 minutes ago, CDF20 said: Any particular signs to look after? I know places with a lot of sting nettle and sphagnum moss. As good a place as any by the sounds of it. Will boost your soil life a whole.lot as well. Oh yeah, just to make sure, are you clued up on charging your biochar? Might not end well if you make a fresh soil mix and plant straight into it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDF20 Posted January 23, 2023 Author Share Posted January 23, 2023 @FarmerPalmersNT thanks. There are plenty places like that. @MindSoup thanks . I have a biochar from soilfixer seems like their compost and biochar granules charged already but I wil sent them email to double check . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindSoup Posted January 23, 2023 Share Posted January 23, 2023 Oh good that should save a bit of work, but yeah always best to double check. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDF20 Posted January 23, 2023 Author Share Posted January 23, 2023 Stupid questions: 1. Do I have to cook mix? If yes how long and how often to turn? 2. Can I start from seed in this mix or better root riots and then into mix? Thanks guys. Really appreciate your help ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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