# super soil question



## ShOrTbUs (Jan 21, 2013)

how come no 1 uses ffof as a base for a super soil mix? i know it already has nutes in it, but is it not all organic?


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## nouvellechef (Jan 21, 2013)

Expensive, gnats, other bugs, not aerated enough. Pro-mix, sunshine #4 or peat bales and make your own base is best.


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## pcduck (Jan 21, 2013)

I used it as a base 3 years ago. Still using it.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jan 21, 2013)

I can't get it around here unless I go to a hydro store and I don't like to do that.  My local HD has an organic soil that I really like--Kellogg's Patio Mix is what I believe it is called.  It also has a few goodies thrown in, but never burned seedlings.


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## ShOrTbUs (Jan 21, 2013)

thanks for the info  	:48:


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## ShOrTbUs (Jan 23, 2013)

got some more questions.

so i've been looking at organic ferts & amendments. there are so many different options to choose from. 

how do you know which to use?
i know different ones provide different things, but there are so many different choices for each macro/micro nutrient.

do certain amendments work better then others?
for instance guano for N & guano for P, as opposed to blood meal for N & bone meal for P

what is the purpose of worm castings? 
from what i saw they provide n,p,&k but not in large amounts. at the same time, i see them added in almost every ss. what is it about worm castings that make them so popular?

p.s.   more questions to come


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jan 24, 2013)

Different amendments break down at different speeds.  A good super soil will have additions that break down at different rates so that your plant gets nutrients the entire grow.  I do not know the speed with which everything breaks down and exactly what it has in it, which is why I copied NV's super soil last summer when I did organics.  However if you want to create your own super soil, there are many sites out there that will give you the nutrients in different amendments and the speed with which they break down.

Worm castings provide more than nutrients.  This is a good article on the benefits of worm castings.  hXXp://www.stclareseeds.com/worm-castings/benefits-worm-castings.html


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## Rosebud (Jan 24, 2013)

Used FFOF and homemade compost have been the  base for my supersoil. I too used Nouvelle Chef's recipe and have been very happy with it. Love it.


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## skullcandy (Jan 24, 2013)

I don't know how to make a super soil


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## ShOrTbUs (Jan 24, 2013)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> Different amendments break down at different speeds.  A good super soil will have additions that break down at different rates so that your plant gets nutrients the entire grow.  I do not know the speed with which everything breaks down and exactly what it has in it, which is why I copied NV's super soil last summer when I did organics.  However if you want to create your own super soil, there are many sites out there that will give you the nutrients in different amendments and the speed with which they break down.
> 
> Worm castings provide more than nutrients.  This is a good article on the benefits of worm castings.  hXXp://www.stclareseeds.com/worm-castings/benefits-worm-castings.html



great read THG thank you for that.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jan 24, 2013)

skullcandy said:
			
		

> I don't know how to make a super soil



I didn't either.  I used NV's recipe.  I looked for it, but couldn't find it.  I'll keep looking.


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## nouvellechef (Jan 24, 2013)

Page 4. Some reading throughout the journal is probably good idea though. It pretty much lays it out from start to finish. Big learning curb.

http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54332


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## ShOrTbUs (Jan 24, 2013)

are there any guides to building your own ss? or is it all trial and error?


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## Rosebud (Jan 24, 2013)

shortbus, did you read the link NChef put up for you?


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## ShOrTbUs (Jan 24, 2013)

yes, and the info was great. i'm going to use the chefs ss, but at the same time there's a sense of accomplishment when creating something you can call your own. so i'm just looking for as much info as i can get my hands on about organic soils and such


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## pcduck (Jan 24, 2013)

Here are some more recipes 

http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54251


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## nouvellechef (Jan 24, 2013)

Basically the more you add in, better your chances are of a lush green plant come harvest time, heavy with buds. One misstep with making your own mix and letting the plant fall behind in nutrient uptake, takes forever to fix it. Usually when the plant is in flower, its obv sucking up all the nutrients you put in early on. If it runs out in flower, your in deep trouble. At least that has been my experience with organic runs.


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## ShOrTbUs (Jan 24, 2013)

nouvellechef said:
			
		

> Basically the more you add in, better your chances are of a lush green plant come harvest time, heavy with buds. One misstep with making your own mix and letting the plant fall behind in nutrient uptake, takes forever to fix it. Usually when the plant is in flower, its obv sucking up all the nutrients you put in early on. If it runs out in flower, your in deep trouble. At least that has been my experience with organic runs.



feeding with tea's wont remedy this?

duck, your link keeps bringing me back to this thread


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## pcduck (Jan 24, 2013)

Opps sorry 

I have corrected the link ShortBus


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## ShOrTbUs (Jan 24, 2013)

thanks for the link duck, much appreciated       :48: here ya go


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## nouvellechef (Jan 24, 2013)

ShOrTbUs said:
			
		

> feeding with tea's wont remedy this?
> 
> duck, your link keeps bringing me back to this thread



They can sometimes yes. But making the perfect tea to fix something is always a gamble. And another thing on your to do list. Who doesn't want to shorten their to do list


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## ShOrTbUs (Jan 24, 2013)

very true,

this is what i've come up with so far. i've decided to use FFOF as a base. this may change in the future, but for right now its what im going with. also i haven't seen any FFOF base super soils. so i think it would be fun to do one. i like being unique 

my saved shopping list:

FFOF  (ingredients:Composted forest humus, sphagnum peat moss, Pacific Northwest sea-going fish, crab meal, shrimp meal, earthworm castings, vermicultural compost (bedding material and livestock manure), sandy loam, perlite, fossilized bat guano, granite dust, Norwegian kelp meal and oyster shell (for pH adjustment)).

pearlite (i've read that FFOF could use a little more drainage)

green sand 0-0-3

azomite

humic acid 

bio-live  5-4-2 (ingredients: fish bone meal, fish meal, k-mag, kelp meal, root zone, endo-ectomycorrihizae, humic acid, and alfalfa meal.) 

bone meal 3-15-0

dolomite lime

epsom salts

molasses

do you think i need the additional humic acid, since the bio-live has it already?

i'm unsure if i need more N, and P. my thought process was that the FFOF will supply most of the nutes i need for the veg period(i dont like to veg very long). so i'm mostly just adding to the soil for the flowering phase.


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## nouvellechef (Jan 25, 2013)

Honestly. It just takes a few cycles to dial it in. So prepare yourself. Yields will drop a bit. It will be your call if the smoke is better. It will be cheaper, vastly, that is for sure from a cost per gram view.


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## HighBrixMMJ (Mar 14, 2013)

also topping off with your super soil works as well, instead of teas, if diminished nutrients become evident. just add a couple inches to the top and water in, also I believe the wormcastings, which is a solid compost, help feed the fungus and bacteria in the soil better than anything else which is why they are used in addition to other npk amendments. This is what ive gathered from reading up on the subject!


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