New Grower The KB's First Grow - Sweet Seeds Autos

[TheKB]

thanks @BudsLover !! that's the plan now.. i will not give them a single drop of water unless they show the need... i hope that at-least they won't all die together due to under-watering!

as Fuggzy pointed out earlier, coco retains more moisture, so maybe that's why the soil feels to have some moisture. the weight of the pot feels more than the Scare Crow pot. so i have just put a clear cup on them and put them under light.

Coco is good with watering but i think i can not adjust pH every time i water. hence the orientation to the soil. also the base soil mix i'm using has some NPK fert in it. so feeding is not the issue till a couple of weeks after which they will get a transplant (hopefully)

You can add perlitte an coco for this soil as well. I think for which ph you should go is up to how many percent of coco you have in the mix if you add just 20% of coco and 10% of perlitte i think you can handle it like soil

^^this sounds interesting... hmmm... why not 30%perlite or rice hulls? the soil already retains moisture good.

 

[XxxAuto]

thanks @BudsLover !! that's the plan now.. i will not give them a single drop of water unless they show the need... i hope that at-least they won't all die together due to under-watering

Great i plan bro

 

[BudsLover]

thanks @BudsLover !! that's the plan now.. i will not give them a single drop of water unless they show the need... i hope that at-least they won't all die together due to under-watering!

as Fuggzy pointed out earlier, coco retains more moisture, so maybe that's why the soil feels to have some moisture. the weight of the pot feels more than the Scare Crow pot. so i have just put a clear cup on them and put them under light.

Coco is good with watering but i think i can not adjust pH every time i water. hence the orientation to the soil. also the base soil mix i'm using has some NPK fert in it. so feeding is not the issue till a couple of weeks after which they will get a transplant (hopefully)



^^this sounds interesting... hmmm... why not 30%perlite or rice hulls? the soil already retains moisture good.

I just said you something for example. I donno how is your soil you should see what needs.

 

[Af_mini]

Hey bro, I think it's better to keep your grow tent temp below 29C. Young seedlings like humid cool temp and moist medium.

 

[TheKB]

ok.. will try to keep temps down by using AC.. but.... The word moist is giving me creeps!! [emoji24] Loll!!

Hey bro, I think it's better to keep your grow tent temp below 29C. Young seedlings like humid cool temp and moist medium.

 

[Fuggzy]

Okay for starters, over watering is probably the most common problem for new growers. It happens ALL THE TIME, so don't feel bad, just learn from it.

So rice hulls are 100% organic, by using a by product you are saving land fill space, they work just as good as perlite for drainage, they do not float to the top when watering. When it decomposes it adds organic humus to the soil which just continues to feed your soil.

Perlite is organic, but they use TONS upon TONS of fuel to make it, and that process is harmful to the environment. It is also made from silica, and some people believe that breathing the dust is harmful. (never breath any dust if avoidable) I will float to the top when watering. They do not decompose, but break down over time, and turn in to a powder that can clog drainage. (not all that likely, but possible)

If you can source the rice hulls, I would. If perlite is easier and/or cheaper then go with it. Perlite is not going to be the end of the world, but rice hulls are more "eco responsible" so to say. Also I mix all my soil by hand, and it's just a lot easier to work with. Heck, it also give your soil that Artisan look.

For figuring out the price comparison, I would say 5 gallons is about 3.5 lbs.

I would still shoot for 30% aeration, but I think @BudsLover was more or less talking about the pH of the coco. I wanted to add coco to my soil mix, and was asking around here about the pH issues I may have. For the most part I was told that at only 15-20% I should not have any issues, and to just treat it like I always have. So far my first batch of plants in that soil are 39 days old, and I have not had to do anything differently concerning pH from coco.


*I use living organic soil, so my opinions below may/will vary from others*
In regards to the Alluvia soil, what do you mean by not sterile? Sterile is a word I see thrown around time to time, and I always get confused... It is soil we are talking about, and even if it was marketed as sterile, I sure would not rub it in a open wound... I know what the word means, but don't see how it pertains to soil. Is the soil know to carry pathogens, or critters? For centuries people have settled next to rivers because the soil is fertile. Even if it was just part of a mixture, I would use it. My soil is anything but sterile, and I am constantly sourcing "wild" amendments to use.

You could use something like oyster flour in the alluvia soil. It would add calicum, halp buffer the pH levels, and enhance soil tilth.

1. 
   Soil tilth is its physical condition, especially in relation to its suitability for planting or growing a crop. Factors that determine tilth include the formation and stability of aggregated soil particles, moisture content, degree of aeration, rate of water infiltration and drainage.
   Tilth - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilth

*********************************************************************************************************

The word moist is giving me creeps!!

HAHA... Moist is good, wet is bad. It is WAY WAY easier to recover an under watered plant. Give a dry, limp plant water, and it is better in a couple hours, give it to much water, and it may be a week for it to dry out. On my seedlings, I use a spray bottles, and just give it about 5-6 pumps daily on the soil top.


I hope some of this helps bud, let me know if you go with the rice. Talk toy you soon!

 

[Fuggzy]

Also 29c/84f is a bit "high" but not unreasonable. 25.5c/78f is the ideal temp. My tent stays closer to 29c/84f than 25.5c/78f most times. Try to get it down, but if you are not able to, it will not kill your garden. (it gets hotter outside here, and my plants thrive out there too) I have seen my tent hit 37c/98.6f, now thats a bad temp, and something I worried about.

 

[Af_mini]

ok.. will try to keep temps down by using AC.. but.... The word moist is giving me creeps!! [emoji24] Loll!!

Yeah that word is scary eh? Same here thank you for the rep bro!

 

[BudsLover]

Okay for starters, over watering is probably the most common problem for new growers. It happens ALL THE TIME, so don't feel bad, just learn from it.

So rice hulls are 100% organic, by using a by product you are saving land fill space, they work just as good as perlite for drainage, they do not float to the top when watering. When it decomposes it adds organic humus to the soil which just continues to feed your soil.

Perlite is organic, but they use TONS upon TONS of fuel to make it, and that process is harmful to the environment. It is also made from silica, and some people believe that breathing the dust is harmful. (never breath any dust if avoidable) I will float to the top when watering. They do not decompose, but break down over time, and turn in to a powder that can clog drainage. (not all that likely, but possible)

If you can source the rice hulls, I would. If perlite is easier and/or cheaper then go with it. Perlite is not going to be the end of the world, but rice hulls are more "eco responsible" so to say. Also I mix all my soil by hand, and it's just a lot easier to work with. Heck, it also give your soil that Artisan look.
View attachment 565425


For figuring out the price comparison, I would say 5 gallons is about 3.5 lbs.

I would still shoot for 30% aeration, but I think @BudsLover was more or less talking about the pH of the coco. I wanted to add coco to my soil mix, and was asking around here about the pH issues I may have. For the most part I was told that at only 15-20% I should not have any issues, and to just treat it like I always have. So far my first batch of plants in that soil are 39 days old, and I have not had to do anything differently concerning pH from coco.


*I use living organic soil, so my opinions below may/will vary from others*
In regards to the Alluvia soil, what do you mean by not sterile? Sterile is a word I see thrown around time to time, and I always get confused... It is soil we are talking about, and even if it was marketed as sterile, I sure would not rub it in a open wound... I know what the word means, but don't see how it pertains to soil. Is the soil know to carry pathogens, or critters? For centuries people have settled next to rivers because the soil is fertile. Even if it was just part of a mixture, I would use it. My soil is anything but sterile, and I am constantly sourcing "wild" amendments to use.

You could use something like oyster flour in the alluvia soil. It would add calicum, halp buffer the pH levels, and enhance soil tilth.


*********************************************************************************************************
HAHA... Moist is good, wet is bad. It is WAY WAY easier to recover an under watered plant. Give a dry, limp plant water, and it is better in a couple hours, give it to much water, and it may be a week for it to dry out. On my seedlings, I use a spray bottles, and just give it about 5-6 pumps daily on the soil top.


I hope some of this helps bud, let me know if you go with the rice. Talk toy you soon!

Thanks to made it sense!

 

[TheKB]

Okay for starters, over watering is probably the most common problem for new growers. It happens ALL THE TIME, so don't feel bad, just learn from it.

So rice hulls are 100% organic, by using a by product you are saving land fill space, they work just as good as perlite for drainage, they do not float to the top when watering. When it decomposes it adds organic humus to the soil which just continues to feed your soil.

Perlite is organic, but they use TONS upon TONS of fuel to make it, and that process is harmful to the environment. It is also made from silica, and some people believe that breathing the dust is harmful. (never breath any dust if avoidable) I will float to the top when watering. They do not decompose, but break down over time, and turn in to a powder that can clog drainage. (not all that likely, but possible)

If you can source the rice hulls, I would. If perlite is easier and/or cheaper then go with it. Perlite is not going to be the end of the world, but rice hulls are more "eco responsible" so to say. Also I mix all my soil by hand, and it's just a lot easier to work with. Heck, it also give your soil that Artisan look.
View attachment 565425


For figuring out the price comparison, I would say 5 gallons is about 3.5 lbs.

I would still shoot for 30% aeration, but I think @BudsLover was more or less talking about the pH of the coco. I wanted to add coco to my soil mix, and was asking around here about the pH issues I may have. For the most part I was told that at only 15-20% I should not have any issues, and to just treat it like I always have. So far my first batch of plants in that soil are 39 days old, and I have not had to do anything differently concerning pH from coco.


*I use living organic soil, so my opinions below may/will vary from others*
In regards to the Alluvia soil, what do you mean by not sterile? Sterile is a word I see thrown around time to time, and I always get confused... It is soil we are talking about, and even if it was marketed as sterile, I sure would not rub it in a open wound... I know what the word means, but don't see how it pertains to soil. Is the soil know to carry pathogens, or critters? For centuries people have settled next to rivers because the soil is fertile. Even if it was just part of a mixture, I would use it. My soil is anything but sterile, and I am constantly sourcing "wild" amendments to use.

You could use something like oyster flour in the alluvia soil. It would add calicum, halp buffer the pH levels, and enhance soil tilth.


*********************************************************************************************************
HAHA... Moist is good, wet is bad. It is WAY WAY easier to recover an under watered plant. Give a dry, limp plant water, and it is better in a couple hours, give it to much water, and it may be a week for it to dry out. On my seedlings, I use a spray bottles, and just give it about 5-6 pumps daily on the soil top.


I hope some of this helps bud, let me know if you go with the rice. Talk toy you soon!

thanks for the detailed explanation... big help bro!! and yes your soil and plants too look perfect!!

i have come to know about this sterile term on internet only. people have shared scary details of insects and what not there can be in soil. maybe access to a lot of soil mix brands has created this misconception but i think you got a point there about people using these fertile lands by rivers since ages. so i will definitely use this fertile river soil. its called Red Soil locally due to its color. at this point i believe the following mix should work:

40% Red Soil + 40% well rotten manure or leaf compost + 20% rice hulls​

don't know if i can find oyster flour but i will check out and see what i can find to buffer pH. i hope that will be enough to get going? right?
my only concern about using soil is compaction or hardening. but i think if i amend it with compost and rice hulls then it shouldn't be a problem? or increase the ratio of rice hulls to 30% instead?

perlite is definitely expensive.. 2-3Kg for around 10$ or so. but rice hulls are pretty common. can get them for free if i ask a friend who cultivates rice on his agricultural land. but its dirt cheap anyway! awesome alternative!

watering the plants is something i have really gotten afraid of. lol.. i understand shit happens but that was just massive! so far haven't watered the plants at all. the top surface of pots feel dry but not down below. the pots still definitely have little weight compared to dry pot with scarecrow! the plants are looking very healthy so far. i will share the picture in evening.

and if i may ask please, one thing i was pondering, if you spray just the top, doesn't that just wet the top couple of inches of pot and leave the bottom of pot dry? and also doesn't the root theory say that canna plants love dry cycles and grow roots rapidly when dry. so why spray daily? won't the roots reach for moisture still left in the bottom halft of pot?