# White stuff on my soil mix



## oldsman (Jun 25, 2013)

I've decided to start recycling my soil.After collecting about 30 galllons of used Happy Frog I added bone,blood,cottonseed meal,worm casings,bat guano,etc...Checked on it today and there appears to be a white stuff,looks kinda like spider web/mold stuff.Is this normal?Is this just the soil and microbes and things working?


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## nouvellechef (Jun 25, 2013)

That's the good bacteria  Dont forget dolomite lime. Super important.


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## oldsman (Jun 25, 2013)

Thanks NC,I've got hydrated lime but i'm not sure I want to use that in this mix.I use it for my holes outside but am I correct in thinking I need just regular lime/gypsum.I also need to still add some phosphate and azomite.My first go at this mixing stuff so I hope it does ok.Thanks.


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## 4u2sm0ke (Jun 25, 2013)

yeah...thats good stuff...I get that on top my soil in garbage cans..I just stir it in.....look up Calpril for lime...it dissolves on contact with water..


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## oldsman (Jun 25, 2013)

Thanks,it's only going on 3 days now and I stirred it in already once and it's back already,guess I'll stir some more.This is kinda exciting for me!


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## pcduck (Jun 25, 2013)

Mycelium :aok:


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## oldsman (Jun 25, 2013)

:48:


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## 4u2sm0ke (Jun 25, 2013)

Dam.....*Duck *knows all the Big words:rofl:

:48:


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## Wetdog (Jun 25, 2013)

4u2sm0ke said:
			
		

> Dam.....*Duck *knows all the Big words:rofl:
> 
> :48:



He's just showing off. :ignore: :hubba:                 

OP ... Get rid of that hydrated and snag some *regular* lime. It will say 'derived from ..... limestone. Calcitic or dolomitic. Gypsum will be a separate bag. Usually has 'soil repair' somewhere on it.  But, it's not the same as lime. 

Apply at the same rate as the lime, 1cup/cf, or a bit more.

BTW, Duck is right and what you have is a good thing.:icon_smile: 

Wet


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## oldsman (Jun 26, 2013)

Thanks Wetdog.I'll be going into town today to get some of that plus some other supplies.New at mixing soil but can't afford to keep throwing old stuff away.What is minimum cook time?Does it vary from batch to batch depending on what had to be mixed?I'm doing small(30gal or so)at a time which is easier for me to mix.With you and NC,pcduck and 4U looking over my shoulder,I feel confident.


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## 4u2sm0ke (Jun 26, 2013)

I dont use my mix for min..30 days....I like to use garbage cans(32g) and dump into another one every week for 4 weeks..than stays in can untill I use it..I also like to make sure its not HOT still...Just how I roll

:48:


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## pcduck (Jun 26, 2013)

30 days or more for me too.

Place on tarp, mix, cover, let sit 30 days, then store in garbage cans


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jun 26, 2013)

I recycle my soil, too.

I have a batch of super soil in a barrel.  I also wait a min of 30 days but mix it often.  I am going to be mixing another partial batch in a 27 gal heavy duty tote that I have (Home Depot $10) when it decides to quit raining.  It is quite easy to mix and turn in the tote and I can keep the soil in there as long as I need.


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## oldsman (Jun 26, 2013)

I use a little kiddie pool with a tarp over it mainly to keep my cat from using it organically so to speak.Haven't followed any certain recipe,just got my lime so i'll go mix that in shortly.Should I add some bat guano also?It's high P so I wasn't sure.So far I have 30gal used soil to which I added 2.5 cups each of bone and blood meal,1.5 cups each of cottonseed meal and greensand and 3 cups of EWC.Adding lime and biotone/plant tone.Any suggestions?What adds the micro nutrients and phosphurous?Not exactly a super soil but I'm hoping it works.


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## 4u2sm0ke (Jun 26, 2013)

dont foget the mole-asses...my soil mix is mainly for veg..I make teas for flower...


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## oldsman (Jun 26, 2013)

Thanks 4U,i do have mole asses.What's the best to add that in?I am thinking the same for veg and flower as that also.4U,do you use your mix in the shed also?Temps are too hot for the HPS in my shed but I can keep it good enough to run my T5 for veg/clones/autos.Was wondering if you use it inside cause if I remember one of THG's post in her getting dirty thread there was something mentioned about maybe the soil not working good indoors because of something or another.


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## Wetdog (Jun 26, 2013)

Make SURE you get that lime with the cottonseed meal, it's super acidic. Maybe not toss it, but when it runs out, I wouldn't buy anymore. It's at the very bottom of my list for N sources.

OTOH, lime is the second thing I add after I measure out my peat moss.

I do the 30 day cook also.

Wet


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## oldsman (Jun 26, 2013)

Not sure I follow,lime with cottonseed meal.All I can find for lime is Hy-Yeild agricultural limestone or hydrated lime.Are you talking of tossing the cottonseed meal?


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## The Hemp Goddess (Jun 26, 2013)

Lime helps buffer the pH in your soil mixtures.  So if you are using cottonseed meal, which is quite acidic, be sure to use lime to to help buffer the acidity of the cottonseed meal.  Don't throw the cottonseed meal out, but when it is gone, look for a substitute for N that is less acidic.


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## oldsman (Jun 26, 2013)

Ok,Thanks.I'll start trying to get the alfalfa meal,soybean meal if that's a good sub?Eventually I'll have the stuff for super soil.


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## 4u2sm0ke (Jun 26, 2013)

oldsman said:
			
		

> Thanks 4U,i do have mole asses.What's the best to add that in?I am thinking the same for veg and flower as that also.4U,do you use your mix in the shed also?Temps are too hot for the HPS in my shed but I can keep it good enough to run my T5 for veg/clones/autos.Was wondering if you use it inside cause if I remember one of THG's post in her getting dirty thread there was something mentioned about maybe the soil not working good indoors because of something or another.




Yes Same soil:icon_smile:..this be the first time running Shed in summer...mainly just the flower room..so far the temps been okay..next week when outside temps getting hotter  we will see how long I can keep flowering...Hope to continue through summer...wish me luck *oldsman*....I take clones from plants outside to put in flower room...
:48:


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## Wetdog (Jun 26, 2013)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> Lime helps buffer the pH in your soil mixtures.  So if you are using cottonseed meal, which is quite acidic, be sure to use lime to to help buffer the acidity of the cottonseed meal.  Don't throw the cottonseed meal out, but when it is gone, look for a substitute for N that is less acidic.


:yeahthat: 

Sorry I wasn't clear.

Besides the acidity (takes something like 10lbs of lime to neutralize 100lbs of CSM), cotton is about the most heavily treated crop there is. It's just bad ju ju.

Yes, the agricultural limestone is what you want, not the hydrated. Read the label carefully, I know Hi-Yield has hydrated lime, so make sure you don't snag it by mistake.

Alfalfa is one of my *must haves*. My *must haves* are alfalfa meal, kelp meal and EWC.

I use equal amounts of alfalfa and soy now, but it took me a couple of years to find soybean meal, semi-locally. But any feed store has alfalfa. Either meal, or pellets (rabbit food), or big pellets (horse size).

Wet


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## oldsman (Jun 26, 2013)

4U,I got me a 2x4x5 tent(actually scored 4 tents at $20 each)set up in the shed with a cool tube.I have a 6 inch centrifical fan pulling air through the tube exhausting outside the shed(8x8).I recently added a 5050 btu air conditioner.My daily outside temps are mid to high 90s with heat index even higher.after setting up tent and everything,I light it up to test the ventilation and temps went over 100 within an hour and the temp in the shed rose as well.My fan pulls enough air to cancel what the air conditioner is doing.Sucks the cold right out.Yours is probaly better insulated than mine is.Wetdog,thanks for clarifying,THG had filled me in alsne other thing Wetdog,why would you use your post#666 on me,you couldn't have used it on a newbie or something,lol.


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## 4u2sm0ke (Jun 27, 2013)

> ,you couldn't have used it on a newbie or something,lol.



:rofl:


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