I’ve ordered some Foxfarm Ocean Forest, Perlite, and worm castings. I’ll be planting in the large cat llitter containers (the 35 pounders) with holes cut in the bottom to let excess water out.
I’m going to mix the worm castings, perlite, and soil before I plant. I will also be ordering some liquid nutrients to add via the water, but I haven’t decided which yet.
This will be indoors, 6 plants at a time, in my underground grow room. (Yes, winter’s coming, I’ve got that part figured out as well.) Lighting will be a bunch of CFL’s for now at 18/6.
My questions…
I’m thinking a good ratio for the mix is going to be 15% worm castings, 60 % soil, 25% perlite. Or am I way off?
Do I need to sterilize the soil or the mixture or none of the above? (I was reading use the sun for 10 days)
Should I add other nutrients from the beginning or will that be overkill because of the worm castings?
What do you guys think of “Worm Casting Tea” instead of mixing it in directly.
What brand of nutes is your favorite?
Thanks in advance.
(After this grow, I’m going to play with hydroponics a little bit.)
I would not add anything more than perlite to the Foxfarm soil. Read up on worm castings. No need to add them in the beginning.
You do not want to sterilize your new high dollar soil. Use it 1st; Solarization is for renewing used soil.
Do not add nutrients to Foxfarm throughout the Veg cycle. Mt user add nutrients in the Bloom phase. I recommend Foxfarm nutrients if you are using their soil. I have lots of friends that do exactly as you. FF soil, then add FF Organic nutrients during flower.
Thanks for the heads up. I’ll hold off on the worm castings for now, won’t sterilize, and worry about nutes when I flower.
I’m a huge researcher for everything I do. I understand the internet is full of both good and bad info.
I’m seeing 2011 info on Foxfarm that complains about bugs, but nothing recent. I’ll cross that bridge if I come to it.
I’m also seeing occasional stuff about seedlings getting “nute burned” by the soil. If this really is an issue, is it a PH thing or a chemical thing? What do I do to protect my girls from getting burned? (sounds like the same question I ask about my daughters.)
When my mother potted plants, she always filled the bottom of the pot (about two inches) with stones to keep the drain hole from getting plugged. I live in a limestone infested world. Will it hurt for me to use limestone on the bottom of the pot? (The “pots” are 35# cat litter containers, the ones you buy full of litter, not the ones the cats use. I drill drain holes in the bottom before I fill them.)
(that’ll teach you to answer my questions, you’ll only get more questions.)
Yes, soil that is too rich or too hot will “nute burn” a seed or seedling, it is a nutrient concentration thing and not a pH thing but a pH that is way out of range will kill a seed or seedling as well.
I don’t think rocks composed of limestone on the bottom should be a problem but they could contribute to higher pH similar to garden lime, I would think they would kinda just buffer a low pH during flowering. I’d defer to Latewood’s judgement on that one as he has more experience with natural soil additives and such, I’m more the coco coir and clay pebble DWC hydro only kinda guy and if I do use soil, I keep it real simple, some premixed commercial moisture control soil off the shelf and amend it with 40-50% coarse perlite and feed it a low concentration balanced NPK nutrient, kinda Lucas style, though the whole cycle, to the end.
I just started using worm casting tea and so far it’s the best thing I’ve used.
I feed it directly to plants every watering,directions say too,but I tested two cups on smallest plant 1st just in case.
No burning at all.
My soil is 0.5-0-0 and the 0.5 is from worm tea.I’ve grown seeds in it no problems,but I use seedling mix also.Once it’s gone I’ll use the 0.5-0-0 for everything.
Lighting will be a bunch of CFL’s for now at 18/6.