Grow media on a budget

Grow Support Autoflowers
1

Covert grow need a media I. Don’t water everyday outdoors plan to amend with. Dr earth any ideas

2

I mix my own soil with coco coir. I buy it by the 5 kilo brick and rehydrate. I add composted manure/worm castings and perlite. Works out to about $30 for 20 gallons of soil.

4 parts coco coir
1 part compost
1 part perlite

I use Happy Frog dry amendments.

2 Likes
3

Can’t ya get some dry amendments and a bag of perlite and get the ground all dug up and ready with the dirt in the ground. Each year that spots will get better and better as u grow there. Just do a 2x2x2 area add amendments and perlite mix well and hope for the best. Add coco or whatever to help aerate that medium more

1 Like
4

I don’t understand parts so for 5gallon pot is it 4 gallons coco half gallon compost and ver

5

Change the parts to gallons. You’ll be making 6 gallons total. Or you can break it down by the pot. 5 gal pot = 5/6 = .83 or 3.3 gallons of coco, .83 gal of manure and .83 gallon of perlite. It doesn’t need to be perfect…

3 Likes
6

Parts is a term for ratios. So if he says 4 to 1 to 1 then you can use that for whatever volume you want as long as you keep a 4 to 1 to 1 ratio.

1 Like
7

Happy cake day @Edgewater21

1 Like
8

Indeed happy birthday to you

9

Happy Cake Day @Edgewater21 :blush::v:

10

Instead of perlite get vermiculite it retains water better, great if you’ll be absent a lot. But you should definitely get a bag of old truck 533 fertilizer and mix 20 tablespoons into each 5 gallon pot and get down to earth 484 and top dress at least once 20+ tablespoons early flower

2 Likes
11

I still do not understand

12

That will make six gallons of soil.

13

What pH do I use

14

Since it’s primarily coco, I’d assume the range is between 5.8-6. Wait for @oldmarine to weigh In, he may have a diff opinion based on experience.

15

5.8 during veg , 6 during the stretch and 6.2 post stretch

16

My water goes in at 7ish. I don’t mess with that. I use rain water mostly so whatever it is falling out of the sky. About 7…

1 Like
17

Do I need to add silica

18

When I hydrate my coco, I add CalMag and silica to the water.

19

Ok what dosage and brand… do l add anything else at hydrate

20

I don’t recall, but it doesn’t matter. Any brand will do and just follow their instructions.

Nope, but I add everything else after. I make my own soil using composted manure, biochar, bat guano and perlite. I add Happy Frog dry amendments and I’m good to go…