Try soil amendments before using liquid fertilizers at first.
4 Likes
What ones? I’ve been looking at worm castings, bone meal, bloodmeal, guano, kelp meal and a few others, is their anything you know that I’m missing?
3 Likes
Try Azomite, Langbianite, humic acid, ironite, dolomite lime, sulphur, volcanic rock dust, glacial rock dust. I use all of these plus some others. Worm castings, bat guano, etc I use those too. Bone meal, Blood meal etc. I also feed my plants molasses, silica, cannazyme, and microbes with the water. Every watering. Plants need sugars to convert into carbs. They get it from the sun, but having it in the water seems to help them a great deal. Also, try and use beneficial insects like pill bugs, red wiggler worms. Having the fungus in the soil is necessary. The soil I build is called a “living soil.” They sell pots specifically for living soils. I spent 1500.00 on amendments for 45 gal pots and another 1300.00 on soil. Not including any insects or liquid nutes. The pots were 500.00 for 15. It gets expensive, but you will have top[quote=“DanB, post:2, topic:119521, full:true”]
What ones? I’ve been looking at worm castings, bone meal, bloodmeal, guano, kelp meal and a few others, is their anything you know that I’m missing?
[/quote]
quality bud..Bud! 
3 Likes
Some good information here. However, there are some things we could touch on. Some of the amendments listed, while popular in organic gardening circles, can be unnecessary, overused, or even counterproductive without proper soil testing. Lab. Home tests are misleading. Molasses, for instance, is often added to feed soil microbes, but using it in every watering can cause microbial overgrowth, oxygen depletion, and root problems plants don’t actually absorb sugars from the soil, as they produce their own via photosynthesis. Ironite, another commonly mentioned product, should be used with caution due to its potential to introduce heavy metals like lead and arsenic into the garden; safer sources of iron are available. Rock dusts like Azomite, glacial, and volcanic rock are often promoted for their trace mineral content, but they release nutrients very slowly and may not offer immediate benefits plus, overuse can lead to micronutrient imbalances. Langbeinite is useful for specific deficiencies potassium, magnesium, sulfur, but applying it without knowing your soil’s needs can disrupt nutrient balance. Perhaps most problematic is the simultaneous use of dolomite lime and elemental sulfur, which work in direct opposition lime raises soil pH while sulfur lowers it. Using both together without understanding your soil’s starting pH can create instability, harming plant health rather than helping it. When, where, and how are important and learned over time. Without context.. Telling unfamiliar gardeners that using a long, conflicting list of amendments like this is the guaranteed way to get “top shelf” results is not only misleading it can set them up for failure. I suggest everyone research prior to any changes.
6 Likes
Well, Im sharing what works for me. I’ve had nothing but great results.
3 Likes
Hey your outdoor plot looks perfect! It’s obvious you’ve put some work into this. Always cool to see that kind of passion. Just for anyone newer who might be following along, it’s worth pointing out that some of the amendments you’re using can actually work against eachother, and ironite isn’t something most people would recommend unless they’re also trying to grow lead, jk lol, but it is risky. The introduction of carbs (sugars, like molasses) is a popular idea too, but plants don’t take in sugar through their roots, common misconception. They make their own from sunlight. Really for feeding microbes, which can help in moderation, but dumping it in every watering can throw things off pretty fast.
That said, it’s clear something’s working for you, and honestly, a good outdoor setup with halfway decent soil might be doing more of the heavy lifting than the full amendment stack. Living soil’s a solid approach, but it’s more about balance and biology than quantity. Still, appreciate you sharing what’s working just important to make sure new growers know what’s necessary versus what’s just personal ritual.
Also curious if you’d be down to share more detail on how you’re using this stuff. Any specific ratios? Timing? This would be immensely helpful for anyone wanting to go down this path. Thanks! 
7 Likes
Hey Low,
I started just like everyone else. Ive killed many O plants by making the beginner mistakes. Then it was on to burning my plants w liquids. I bought several books on growing Cannabis. The Cannabis Grow Bible by Greg Green is a solid book. So, I started w/ amendments gradually. I looked up everything the plant needs, bought amendments just for N then P and K. I try to mitigate redundancy. I use the instructions on the box as a guide. I use the less is more approach. I have used this mix in a 20 gal pot and grew a 2#’er in a 5x5. So I doubled my recipe for 45 gal pots and gave the pots a 5 gal buffer of regular soil just for insurance purposes. I also add Epsom Salt in my mix. I put 2 bags of roots organics soil in the 45 gal pots 1.5c/ft per bag then the amendments. Then put the other 2 bags on top. Cover it for 3 months. Aka “letting it cook.” I did this w my 20 gal and when the roots found everything, it started boooming. As far as ratios go, if it said 1-2 tbs of something, I do 1. It has taken me almost 5 years of trying this, trying that. Lol I dont know everything but these are my findings thus far lol. I dont mean to come off as arrogant or anything. Maybe its how I type. Apologies if I upset anyone.
4 Likes
I appreciate you taking the time to share more of your process. There is nothing to be sorry for, we get a lot more readers here than posters in the long run, so the extra context really does matter. If I came across a certain way earlier, that wasn’t the intent. Clarity matters, especially when people new to this style are trying to piece things together. I do hope you’ll reconsider a couple of the amendments in your mix, especially if your goal is to mitigate redundancy. clearly you put in time and care. it just makes the fine-tuning that much more worthwhile.
5 Likes
Well I am glad @Low brought up about amount and mix ratio that was going to be my next question. Wanting to do a experiment with DWC and soil gonna do well DWC and try 3 different kinds of soil, store bought, amended and build a soil.
Just looking for the 2 best result for me personally.
Thank y’all both for the great information.
3 Likes
Happy Canniversary 
2 Likes
Thank you very much brother
2 Likes
Sounds catchy.
Photosynthesis is the foundational biochemical process that powers cannabis growth, allowing the plant to convert light energy, carbon dioxide, and water into glucose and oxygen. This process occurs primarily in the chloroplasts of mature leaves, where chlorophyll absorbs light, particularly in the blue and red wavelengths, and drives the light-dependent reactions. These reactions generate ATP and NADPH, which are then used in the Calvin cycle to fix atmospheric carbon dioxide into glucose. However, glucose is not typically stored or transported in its raw form. Cannabis converts glucose into sucrose, which serves as the primary transport sugar. Sucrose is moved throughout the plant via the phloem, from areas of sugar production, known as source tissues, to areas of sugar consumption or storage, known as sink tissues. Source tissues are usually mature, photosynthetically active leaves, while sink tissues include developing buds, young leaves, roots, and any organ that is growing or storing energy.
The flow of sugars within the plant is regulated by a mechanism referred to as the pressure flow hypothesis. According to this model, sucrose is actively loaded into the phloem at the source, increasing the osmotic pressure and drawing water in from the nearby xylem vessels. This influx of water creates a hydrostatic pressure that pushes the sugar-rich sap toward the sinks. At the sink, sucrose is unloaded and used for metabolic processes or storage, which decreases osmotic pressure and allows water to exit the phloem, helping to maintain the directional flow. The strength with which a tissue pulls in sugars is referred to as sink strength. This strength depends on both the metabolic activity and the physical size of the sink tissue. A rapidly developing flower, for example, will have a high sink strength because it consumes large amounts of energy for growth and metabolic function.
It may be tempting to try to manipulate sugar levels in cannabis plants by adding external sugars or supplements, but this approach is not supported by plant physiology. Cannabis is an autotroph, meaning it produces its own energy compounds through photosynthesis. Applying sugars to the root zone does not enhance sugar production and can often cause microbial imbalances, root disease, or nutrient lockout. The proper way to enhance sugar synthesis is by optimizing the conditions that control photosynthesis. This includes managing light intensity through proper delivery of photosynthetic photon flux density, enriching carbon dioxide levels within safe parameters to increase the rate of carboxylation, ensuring the availability of key nutrients such as nitrogen and magnesium which are vital for chlorophyll synthesis and photosystem function, and maintaining an ideal vapor pressure deficit that promotes efficient transpiration and carbon dioxide uptake through stomatal regulation. These factors must be finely tuned to match the developmental stage of the plant and the environmental system in use. In short, increasing sugar production in cannabis is a matter of environmental precision, not external supplementation. Misconceptions about feeding plants sugar stem from a fundamental misunderstanding of how plants allocate energy and conduct internal transport. Mastery of cannabis cultivation begins with respecting the scientific principles that govern plant physiology and rejecting practices that have no basis in empirical evidence.
No sugar inputs ever, no silica, just environment and medium control. Nutrients basic as possible .
These are 1 gallon pots and plants ranging from 5’-7’ on hang
Granted a hydro aspect but it shows that certain inputs don’t do what you think.
6 Likes
Awesome plants. Awesome bud. Nice pictures. Do you have a Degree in Horticulture?
2 Likes
Thank you very much! 
If you’re asking whether I’ve pursued roles like Master Grower, I have and I’ve been turned down for some of them. No degree. My initial schooling was in law enforcement, 
That said, I’m deeply committed to learning. I read extensively and focus on understanding the “why” behind plant functions, from inputs to outputs. What drives me is uncovering the less obvious mechanics the underlying systems, the operational core, and the subtle processes that often go unspoken but are crucial to true mastery. Which I never expect to attain within my life but I’ll do my best until I can’t.
If you’re looking for feedback on that product the juiced-up ironite you might want to check in with @Budbrother and @LiesGrows they are my go-to when it comes to organics.
As for me, I tend to steer clear of anything that could fail under commercial testing conditions, especially given my limited experience with organic systems. I prefer inputs I can fully trust and control.
5 Likes
That’s a nice table full , mouth was hanging open a little .
2 Likes
Ditto👆
Just wanted to add nice looking field. Cannot wait to see the results in updates. I just wanted to say the price does not have to be high unless doing this all at once.
One can make rich living soul soil with time and composting. 2 seasons and your soil will rival the best you can buy w money. Table scraps, leaves, wood ash, char, make a very good cannabis living soil. Composted fruit tree waste is great too. Fruit is loaded with all the nutrients the tree can get to make a tasty nutrient package for its seeds. Most don’t have to look too hard to get a bunch of crab apples or rotten cherries that someone didn’t pick. Yes I have loaded up the raised beds w rotten crab apples falls/culls after loading it to my waists deep with fall leaves. By spring it’s all black living soul soil. The microbes can be gotten by simple IMO techniques and not spend any $$. And reclaimed deck trusses make excellent raised beds. No need to buy big grow bag beds if you cannot afford them. I have a couple I got on clearance and use mine for strawberry plants lol. The cannabis gets the reclaimed timber raised beds. That’s the good spot.
I am just pointing out another way to get there. I am sometimes jealous of people that can afford to buy the soil. Not opposing your way. I am also sympathetic to those that have to do it the home made way. Even if I had the cash on hand, my wife would never let me spend it on the garden stuff. Not unless I wanted to start sleeping in the garden. lol.
4 Likes
Hey,
Yeah, this is me starting from scratch. That was my start up cost excluding the fencing and posts. Funny you mention fruit trees. Theres a few apple and peach trees nearby.
3 Likes
what you were saying about composting- the plan is to till the root balls straight into the ground, and then amend it for the winter. Next year, Ill buy soil again, do the same thing but Ill be planting in the ground. See how that goes. About the money: I couldnt afford it all at once. I bought everything over the winter to get ready for the season. Altogether, w everything..meters, calibration solutions, ph up, ph down, amendments fertilizers, soil, pots etc, about 4k or so. 45 gal pots. Even if it were just soil its still 1300 for a pallet of roots organics. The 3rd year I wont be buying soil. Just any amendments needed. Till the composting stuff around, amend it and thats that. I also till my mushroom co2 bags in the soil when they are done. I like experimenting w things. Its fun. Like manifolding my plants. They look like ugly ducklings at first lol.
2 Likes