Indoor Heavy Soil

[Chester]

My last six plants had a problem w/ stunting. I'm using 40 LED watts / sq ft so I have enough light (Advanced LEDs). I mixed my 100% Organic soil w/ about 20% Perlite. The plants all were stunted. Each time I flushed I was surprised how heavy the wet pots were (not my first grow) and how long they stayed very heavy. When I harvested the roots were primarily in the top half of the 3 gal pots I was using ... they were not at all rootbound. This was my first grow w/ this soil and I can't say I've ever had this problem before. Nutes were Farmers Pride 3 part organic. Aside from stunted the plants were all healthy. When dry the soil was nice and loose and airy, once wet it stayed water logged for at least a week. PH ran about 6.2 for the entire grow.

So ... Will too heavy a soil stunt a plants growth ?

 

[namvet25]

What brand is the organic soil? Yes to heavy soil limits oxygen to the roots and slow there growth.

 

[Muddy]

I would add more perlite, probably twice what you added, and some peat. If you used any sand in your mixture, eliminate it. Also add mychorrizal fungi to stimulate a healthy root system. Heavy soil will stunt a plant for sure.

 

[Chester]

Thanks guys ... The soil is by Lambert, a Canadian company. Dry, it's some of the nicest soil I've seen ... wet, it becomes soggy. I think it has too much peat, no sand and some dolmite. Might work good in air pots, but I'm gonna use it for my next grow ... I'll mix it 1x1 w/ Perlite and toss in a dose of fungi ... Ph was never a problem so I have to think it's fairly well balanced. Thanks again for the input.