I’ve shopped all the big box stores and maybe some outside my area carries more variety but in general no they won’t have single ingredient organic fertilizers that you would use to build that mix and then there’s the how much of this and how much of that.
I have all those ingredients I’ve acquire over the years mostly from Down to Earth but I decided to order 40lb bag of the 3.0 mix as they’ve done the work / the math and have tested the mix so….
I’m gonna run with it from them
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Super helpful info @Skydiver !!! I really appreciate it. I’ll give the journal a read and follow as best I can. I love the idea of being able to reuse the soil for a multitude of reasons and I really believe that the buds grown organically will be “better”.
I glanced at Home Depot and they offer a lot of the things that are mentioned in the super soil recipes but I trust there are other options.
I’ll be following closely to this post and learning as much as I can from you fine folks. Thanks again for the info. Looks like I got some reading to do tonight!!!
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I agree. The more I read about them the more I trust they’ve done a bit of research hahaha
Silica is one of the most abundant components of soil but it can’t hurt. I bought a bag of Diatomaceous Earth (food grade) 40lb bag from farm and feed store 5 years ago for maybe $25 and still have 1/4 bag and I’ve added to soil mixes and used for bugs etc also bought some bags of floor dry which is the same except not powder but maybe medium sized perlite size and both add silica.
Not trying to say not to get it just that it should be real inexpensive and last forever lol…
Freshwater diatomite can be used as a growing medium in hydroponic gardens.
It is also used as a growing medium in potted plants, particularly as bonsai soil. Bonsai enthusiasts use it as a soil additive, or pot a bonsai tree in 100% diatomaceous earth. In vegetable gardening it is sometimes used as a soil conditioner, because like perlite, vermiculite, and expanded clay, it retains water and nutrients, while draining fast and freely, allowing high oxygen circulation within the growing medium.
Hope this helps
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I don’t know what other folks need/want to grow quantity-wise, but I grow in decent organic bag soil and tap water (that doesn’t appear to have chromium, based on local water quality reports), but aired-out ~24-48hrs for chlorine reasons, in aerated SIPs.
Soil cost is locally less than ~$20, per pound of harvest. Currently pruning a few plants for environment reasons:
I do manage my environment and related details relatively well these days though…Temp, RH, Water/ing, PPFD/DLI, Airflow, Pruning, Training, Drying, Curing, etc.; however, I think decent organic soil is key.
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It definitely helps!!! Thank you a bunch. Any place I can save a little money is ideal!!!
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@Mozzy can you explain what SIPs are? I checked out your journal, looking good! 
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My recipe is dirt. Unammended I dont care who makes it as long as dirt. Worm castings. Some fish poop. Life. Whatever dry nutes I am using. Earth Dust gone so Highway Dust now. Cook the soil,plant,water. Soil i have now is a couple years old. Just added new perlite and basics again. New sprouts in.
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Organics has always seemed so intimidating. You just made it sounds so simple and easy. I love it. Thank you for making it so much less intimidating haha
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The soil improves each grow reused. The difference is very apparant. I went living soil for its ease. A little slower. A little smaller. A LOT easier. I forgot perlite. NEED that. Cannabis hates packed soil. I do 20% or so.
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Thanks 
Of course…Sub-Irrigated Planters. I have used GroBucket inserts, but some folks make their own though with all kinds of things. People grow other plants with them too 
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Also, I have not always grown in SIPs, but I have only ever grown in straight organic soil and SIPs make watering the soil quicker and simpler than anything else I’ve done previously…and I believe they let the plants drink more effectively in veg/flowering, much more so than I could ever get them to do by hand-watering the same amount of soil.
Now, I know my regime is different than most as I don’t amend or feed and I don’t own a PH pen or anything to measure PPM/EC, so YMMV.
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Using SIP do you water from top or at least spray to keep top moist for soil critters?
So your soil is ammended at the beginning for water only the entire cycle?
I’ve always watered mine both top and saucer watered when pot size allowed saucers underneath but I do use organic amendments top dressed and teas as I grow
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I saturate from the top initially, before the germinated seed goes in, but otherwise, I just dump water down the tube 90% of the time once they get going unless I want to spray some molasses water or something on the top for the microbes occasionally.
Established plants take over the reservoir and are throughout the soil, keeping everything pretty happy…For reference, from a previous harvest, the bucket was not sludgy in the bottom at all, which is a welcome surprise, and everything rinses off super-clean and easy. The tap roots went down to the water reservoir and took over that space for the “root-ball” which enveloped the airstone I use to prevent stagnation (which had to be ripped out)…I assume that must have to do with the oxygenation; and there were also roots throughout the soil (was a QP+ plant):
I currently use Roots Organics Lush straight from the bag, seed-to-harvest:
"Derived From Earthworm castings, dolomite, limestone, phosphate rock, bat guano, langbeinite, feather meal, sulfate of potash, fishbone meal, soybean meal, fish meal, kieserite, volcanic rock dust, blood meal, crab meal, alfalfa meal, greensand, volcanic ash, kelp meal, nettle leaf and hop flowers
*0.8% Slow Release Nitrogen from feather meal, blood meal, bat guano, soybean meal, alfalfa meal, fish meal, fishbone meal, crab meal, nettle leaf, hop flowers.
CONTAINS NONPLANT FOOD INGREDIENTS
1.5% Humic Acids from Leonardite and Peat Moss
0.1% Beneficial Bacteria and Mycorrhizal Fungi *
*BACTERIA CONTENT
Bacillus subtilis
2,000,000.0 CFU PER GRAM
Bacillus licheniformis
1,000,000.0 CFU PER GRAM
Bacillus megaterium
1,000,000.0 CFU PER GRAM
Bacillus simplex
1,000,000.0 CFU PER GRAM
*MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI CONTENT
Rhizophagus intraradices
0.4 PROPAGULES PER GRAM
Funneliformis mosseae
0.03 PROPAGULES PER GRAM
Septoglomus deserticola
0.03 PROPAGULES PER GRAM
Soil Amending Ingredients: Peat moss, earthworm castings, pumice, perlite, and coco fiber."
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There are countless homemade versions that could be crafted, but in case it helps the visual learners, this is what I’m currently using:
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Is this essentially what the Earthbox is???
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Yep…another branded SIP.
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Watering bases are a little different. Think of SIPs like various sized all-in-one pots that hold both water and soil, but with an air gap mainly between them.
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Outfreaking standing nice set up and hadn’t seen roots Organics Lush before must be something they’ve introduced in the last 3 years unless I missed it as I’ve used their original, 707 and greenfield before. I have all those ingredients except keserite nettle and hops.
What’s longest that Lush provides you nutrients ie auto or time in veg for photos. I have a tendency to veg photos longer than most.
How long between having to top off? I understand it changes based on environmental as well as stage of growth but in general?
Would be nice to have if going away for a few…
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