First try at a no dig soil mix

[ozraptorismine]

I've been inspired by DoNothingGarden's thread to make my own potting mix for next year's crop.

 

I have 4 worm cafes (from Bunnings) and 2 X 100litre compost bins so no shortage of worm castings or compost.

 

Over the last few days I have ordered:

 

Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss

5mm Scoria

Rice Hulls

Malted Barley Grain

Regenerate Blend

Aloe Powder

Kelp Meal

Neam Meal

Crustacean Meal

Rock Phosphate

Gypsum

Mycogold Beneficial Fungi

Biochar

Fulvic Acid Powder

 

Have I forgotten anything?

 

When I've made the soil up and let it cook I currently plan to plant a green manure crop until I am ready to start the new crop.

 

I'll buy some of DNG's 95 litre fabric pots when they are back in stock unless someone has a better idea.

 

I have a while until I need to make the mix (assuming fresh is best) so I'll be trawling the net to see how others do it.

I'm hoping that the members who make their own will be offering suggestions as I don't know what I'm doing at the moment

[Carbcon]

I'd check with DNG with regard to the % of the ingredients in the recharge mix. You have Neem, kelp, phosphate and a few other bits in there that overlap with what you have listed so just watch that.

 

Welcome! Good on ya for mixing your own

[ozraptorismine]

Thanks Carbcon. I knew there was overlap but I intend to use the recharge either to add to my current grow (I will be checking to see if that is OK with the ferts I'm using) or to recharge in 2020.

 

I'll be making the mix out of the other ingredients so that I know what the %'s of everything are.

 

I've got a problem with 2 of my C99 X Blueberry's in 50 litre pots. They have been very thirsty and I've had drooping leaves a few times on both. Birds keep removing my mulch looking for worms, so consequently the soil has become hydrophilic and the water runs out even misting when I water.

I'm wondering if I can condition the soil using the recharge mix.

I'll send DNG another email to see what he advises.

[Inthewoods]

In my experience throw that recharge mix on anything and it will improve things. I was even considering having some on toast. Makes me hungry every time I open it!

 

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[pug1010]

I've been inspired by DoNothingGarden's thread to make my own potting mix for next year's crop.

 

I have 4 worm cafes (from Bunnings) and 2 X 100litre compost bins so no shortage of worm castings or compost.

 

Over the last few days I have ordered:

 

Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss

5mm Scoria

Rice Hulls

Malted Barley Grain

Regenerate Blend

Aloe Powder

Kelp Meal

Neam Meal

Crustacean Meal

Rock Phosphate

Gypsum

Mycogold Beneficial Fungi

Biochar

Fulvic Acid Powder

 

Have I forgotten anything?

 

When I've made the soil up and let it cook I currently plan to plant a green manure crop until I am ready to start the new crop.

 

I'll buy some of DNG's 95 litre fabric pots when they are back in stock unless someone has a better idea.

 

I have a while until I need to make the mix (assuming fresh is best) so I'll be trawling the net to see how others do it.

I'm hoping that the members who make their own will be offering suggestions as I don't know what I'm doing at the moment

 

nice list ... should make some great soil.

 

when mixing your fulvic acid (sorry ... not sure about fulvic acid powder amounts, as only used the liquid version) with aloe, some potassium silicate or soap nut would work nicely. not sure if you plan on doing some IPM sprays ... if so, neem or karanja oil would also go well on your list. also, if you have access to it ... some basalt would also add value to your soil mix.

 

in regards to mixing - mixing earlier rather than later is better, as it gives the components a bit of time to develop into a living soil. your plan to plant a cover crop is great ... it will keep things moving along nicely until you're ready to grow.

 

regarding your 50L soil ... one way that you can help to make your soil re-absorb water ... depending on how heavy your fabric pots are ...

 

if you have a big pot saucer, put the pot into it, water normally, when you see water building up in the saucer ... stop for a while until absorbed. do again and this time leave a fair bit of water in the saucer ... in an hour or so, it will wick up and through the soil. repeat until your soil is at a normal water absorption rate or heaviness (if you lift pots to tell water levels). make sure to add aloe powder (or ritha/soap nut) in small amounts, as it will help the process.

 

hope it helps

[ozraptorismine]

nice list ... should make some great soil.

 

when mixing your fulvic acid (sorry ... not sure about fulvic acid powder amounts, as only used the liquid version) with aloe, some potassium silicate or soap nut would work nicely. not sure if you plan on doing some IPM sprays ... if so, neem or karanja oil would also go well on your list. also, if you have access to it ... some basalt would also add value to your soil mix.

 

in regards to mixing - mixing earlier rather than later is better, as it gives the components a bit of time to develop into a living soil. your plan to plant a cover crop is great ... it will keep things moving along nicely until you're ready to grow.

 

regarding your 50L soil ... one way that you can help to make your soil re-absorb water ... depending on how heavy your fabric pots are ...

 

if you have a big pot saucer, put the pot into it, water normally, when you see water building up in the saucer ... stop for a while until absorbed. do again and this time leave a fair bit of water in the saucer ... in an hour or so, it will wick up and through the soil. repeat until your soil is at a normal water absorption rate or heaviness (if you lift pots to tell water levels). make sure to add aloe powder (or ritha/soap nut) in small amounts, as it will help the process.

 

hope it helps

 

I'm not using fabric pots this year and unfortunately I don't have any saucers big enough. I'll just water the 2 problem pots with my sprayer on mist. If the bloody blackbirds would leave my mulch alone I would be all right but they are clearing most of it out of the pots each day.

 

I suppose that this must mean that the pots still have good numbers of worms in them, got to look on the positive side   

 

I gave them all a foliar spray this morning with my Natrakelp 5:6:19 this morning but this will probably be the last time I spray the leaves; I've had mould problems before so I'll just fertilize the soil.

 

I'll look into the ingredients you mentioned, one that I was looking for but couldn't find in retail quantities was soft coral lime that DNG mentioned in his thread.

[pug1010]

no worries ... great to have worms in the pots. you can also put a layer of mulch over the top - organic sugar cane mulch is pretty cheap and easily available and might make it more difficult for the birds.

 

coral lime is fine, but sourcing it can be difficult and depending how it is obtained, can be destructive.

 

if you live near a clean beach, you can pick up cuttlefish bones (the ones that are fed to birds). this is a good source of lime and also chitin. usually can pick up heaps in a very short time. can easily scrap off the lime or if wanting the extra chitin, stick it all in a big blender.

[ozraptorismine]

no worries ... great to have worms in the pots. you can also put a layer of mulch over the top - organic sugar cane mulch is pretty cheap and easily available and might make it more difficult for the birds.

 

coral lime is fine, but sourcing it can be difficult and depending how it is obtained, can be destructive.

 

if you live near a clean beach, you can pick up cuttlefish bones (the ones that are fed to birds). this is a good source of lime and also chitin. usually can pick up heaps in a very short time. can easily scrap off the lime or if wanting the extra chitin, stick it all in a big blender.

 

Sugar cane mulch from Bunnings is what I'm using at the moment, I'm tempted to put a layer of scoria on top to make it more difficult for them. I picked up 30 litres of 5mm yesterday to put in the mix.

 

I haven't decided what to mix it in yet, This looks a possibility.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/ezy-storage-160l-green-kids-dumpster_p2583749

 

I've actually caught a few cuttlefish when chasing squid. I've thrown away the cuttlebone while keeping the flesh for bait (King George whiting seem to prefer cuttlefish to squid but I don't) I'll keep the cuttlebone next time.

 

I'm not going to worry about the coral lime; the oyster flour I have on order from Organic Gardening Solutions will do the job.

I ordered a lot of my inputs from them, I was most impressed by the range they offer.

[Serrated edge]

Scoria will weigh down your medium ,,probably not so good.

 

Shade cloth drooped over your pots will make it too hard for them ,,won't take long till they give up.

[ozraptorismine]

Scoria will weigh down your medium ,,probably not so good.

 

Shade cloth drooped over your pots will make it too hard for them ,,won't take long till they give up.

 

The weight is what stopped me, I don't want to compact the soil.

 

I'll just keep replacing it and cursing the birds I suspect.