Mixed up six of these 17 gallon totes with the rope handles with soil mix last weekend and they are starting to show signs of cycling (cooking) already. Nice. 
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soil Soil is starting to cycle nicely
- Thread starter Proud Marine Dad
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with rain and cooler temps here whats the best way for me too, im gunna be filling 10 15 gallon root pouches.. i thought about 20 gallon but i dont think my grow season is long enough to make a difference between 15 and 20sProud Marine Dad said:Mixed up six of these 17 gallon totes with the rope handles with soil mix last weekend and they are starting to show signs of cycling (cooking) already. Nice.
Cooking? As in you're composting this? Is this similar to prepping soil a couple weeks or more before transplanting so that the nutrients are beginning to or are broken down for consumption? (correct me if I'm wrong I'm still very new to this.)
That's exactly what it is my friend!7potquezada said:
You let the microorganisms start things going so that the nutrients are available as the plant needs them. The longer the better and 30 days is considered minimum by those who use this mix. These pots are not for peppers, they are for some other plants including tomatoes. I am filling ten gallon fabric 'Root Pouches' with this same mix for peppers.
The weather has no bearing on cycling the soil. It is "cooking" by bacteria not warmth from the sun. Keep them in the shade and don't over water them and they will start the soil food web growing.Balduvian said:
20 cf? This container is 2.25 cu ft and it doesn't have to be stirred.JJJessee said:
I am using a soil mix that many use on a canna forum I participate in. It contains compost, earth worm castings, peat moss, 5/16" red lava rock, Espoma tomato tone, kelp meal, alfalfa meal, neem cake, crab shell meal and Gaia green glacial rock dust. You make a mix of equal parts of tomato tone, alfalfa meal, neem cake, and twice as much kelp meal as the other individual amendments, mix that up well and add 2-3 cups of this mix per cu ft of your soil mix. Then you add 4 cups of rock dust per cu ft and 1 cup of crab shell meal per cubic foot as a liming agent as this is peat based.
Oyster shell flour is even better to use as a liming agent but my supplier was out so I used the crab shell meal in it's place. Normally the crab shell meal would be in the mix in equal parts with the tomato tone, alfalfa and neem cake. The soil is 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 humus (homemade compost and earth worm castings), and 1/3 5/16" red lava rock. These 17 gallon totes weigh over 80 lbs each so the red lava rock makes it heavy but its a great aeration amendment and it's far cheaper than perlite here.
They are going to be a little cumbersome to move but I am a pretty good sized guy so it shouldn't be too difficult.
Proud Marine Dad said:20 cf? This container is 2.25 cu ft and it doesn't have to be stirred.
I am using a soil mix that many use on a canna forum I participate in. It contains compost, earth worm castings, peat moss, 5/16" red lava rock, Espoma tomato tone, kelp meal, alfalfa meal, neem cake, crab shell meal and Gaia green glacial rock dust. You make a mix of equal parts of tomato tone, alfalfa meal, neem cake, and twice as much kelp meal as the other individual amendments, mix that up well and add 2-3 cups of this mix per cu ft of your soil mix. Then you add 4 cups of rock dust per cu ft and 1 cup of crab shell meal per cubic foot as a liming agent as this is peat based.
Oyster shell flour is even better to use as a liming agent but my supplier was out so I used the crab shell meal in it's place. Normally the crab shell meal would be in the mix in equal parts with the tomato tone, alfalfa and neem cake. The soil is 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 humus (homemade compost and earth worm castings), and 1/3 5/16" red lava rock. These 17 gallon totes weigh over 80 lbs each so the red lava rock makes it heavy but its a great aeration amendment and it's far cheaper than perlite here.
They are going to be a little cumbersome to move but I am a pretty good sized guy so it shouldn't be too difficult.
I mis-calculated, so 6 x 2.25 = 13.5 cf.
Did you mix it in one pile or pot-by-pot was what I was getting at.
I'd like to see some of the 5/16" lava around here.
So it's not as light as light as perlite?
Does it float?
It's pretty soil. I detest the looks of perlite for some reason.
Since you're not using dolomite, how are you balancing your calcium and magnesium?
Yes I mixed each one individually as 17 gallons worth was about a full wheelbarrow.JJJessee said:
There were eight 17 gallons and ten 10 gallon Root Pouches.
No it does not float. Some pieces may but once they take up water they are like a sponge in a way.
The crab shell meal contains a lot of calcium which balances the pH. The worm castings also contain calcium as does many of the ingredients.
Don't use dolomite unless you have no other choice as it is one of the worst things you can put in a container.
Far too much magnesium which cakes up in the soil. It takes a long time to become available as well. It will work but it would be my last choice in a liming agent. Oyster shell flour is far better and cheap here as I can get 50# bags for $12.miguelovic said:
I meant the worst choice for a liming agent out of the most common ones.miguelovic said:
The thing about magnesium is the plants that Marine Dad grows - peppers, tomatoes and cannabis all use a lot of it generally. A lot of fruiting plants do. I think he goes a little overboard on the dolomite bashing as what I read implied that too much will cause the problems he states. And most of those problems occur not in pots, but when mixed into real soil.
Pro-Mix happens to use dolomite AND regular lime.
Pro-Mix happens to use dolomite AND regular lime.
My info comes from someone far more learned than anyone I have ever read but hey use what you like. I will not use dolomite lime.
I will not use dolomite lime.