MImedpatient
Well-known member
this is based on the recipe from the Square Foot Gardening book. the author, Mel B, recommends varying sources of compost by as many as possible, but you can be simple and use 1.
simple version
1/3 peat moss or coconut coir
1/3 perlite or vermiculite
1/3 bagged compost
this soil mix will likely need to be refreshed w/ a top dressing of homemade compost twice a cycle or more.
NEVER BUY BAGS FROM THE BOTTOM of THE PILE. THEY HAVE BIG OLE CENTIPEDS IN THEM, AND THEY EAT THE BUGS YOU PAY MONEY FOR. bad indoor decision
complex version
1/3 peat and coco coir blended together
1/3 perlite, vermiculite, and perlite sized lava rock blended together
1/3 homemade compost, super soil style. kelp, alfalfa, crab, vegetable and fruit waste, egg shells
then, you take the total volume of soil you made. add 1/5 that amount of activated bio char to it. this will bring you to over 40% aeration amendment, and increase the habitat for micro organisms by an incredible amount, which is the goal. more workers, less work for us.
thiis recipe can, in theory, go multiple cycles w/o needing reamending or remixing, or top dressing. but I never got to the point
the simple version is IMO often the most cost effective route to getting an organic garden set up, as by volume each of those ingredients costs less added together than a pre made potting soil made of the same ingredients
if that is too hard, then buy a product of the minimum quality of Fox Farm Ocean Forest, and blend an equal part new and old soil each time till your whole garden is on organic soil. it is easy simple, and can get you to a no till garden as soon as your wallet allows. it is not a cost effective road to take, but gets you to the destination of no till just like both those recipes will.
I always like to mention the commercially available option for DIY soil and fertilizers whenever possible. not everyone is DIY Savvy, Myself included. having a "standard" that every can use, and we can measure the quality of our DIY against is important.
simple version
1/3 peat moss or coconut coir
1/3 perlite or vermiculite
1/3 bagged compost
this soil mix will likely need to be refreshed w/ a top dressing of homemade compost twice a cycle or more.
NEVER BUY BAGS FROM THE BOTTOM of THE PILE. THEY HAVE BIG OLE CENTIPEDS IN THEM, AND THEY EAT THE BUGS YOU PAY MONEY FOR. bad indoor decision
complex version
1/3 peat and coco coir blended together
1/3 perlite, vermiculite, and perlite sized lava rock blended together
1/3 homemade compost, super soil style. kelp, alfalfa, crab, vegetable and fruit waste, egg shells
then, you take the total volume of soil you made. add 1/5 that amount of activated bio char to it. this will bring you to over 40% aeration amendment, and increase the habitat for micro organisms by an incredible amount, which is the goal. more workers, less work for us.
thiis recipe can, in theory, go multiple cycles w/o needing reamending or remixing, or top dressing. but I never got to the point
the simple version is IMO often the most cost effective route to getting an organic garden set up, as by volume each of those ingredients costs less added together than a pre made potting soil made of the same ingredients
if that is too hard, then buy a product of the minimum quality of Fox Farm Ocean Forest, and blend an equal part new and old soil each time till your whole garden is on organic soil. it is easy simple, and can get you to a no till garden as soon as your wallet allows. it is not a cost effective road to take, but gets you to the destination of no till just like both those recipes will.
I always like to mention the commercially available option for DIY soil and fertilizers whenever possible. not everyone is DIY Savvy, Myself included. having a "standard" that every can use, and we can measure the quality of our DIY against is important.