New Grower New autoflower grower, help needed. (Soil mixture, Nutrients)

[thegreenlife420]

Whats up guys, I have a few seeds on the way and I just want to make sure I have everything perfect before starting. Im making my own soil with the following: My own garden soil (PH-7), worm castings, perlite, vermiculite, garden lime, and compost and manure mix(if needed).
-Now my question is, what do you guys think a good ratio of each would be to make a nice soil that I wont have to use any nutrients until flowering(I know is almost immediately).
-Also nute wise, I bought: Tiger bloom, Big bloom, Big bud, and grandmas molasses. What strength would you guys recommend of each nute when first starting out.
Any advice is greatly appreciated, like I said its my first grow so anything helps, thanks.

 

[brd1984]

Are you using lights or greenhouse etc?

Also why not buy a potting soil its like £5?

With a decent potting soil around 25% perlite 20% vermiculite, hand full of garden lime, few handfulls of blood meal worm castings and bone meal you wont need to use any veg nutes for around 2 weeks or so.

You are looking at between 6.3 and 6.8ph for your soil any higher or lower might cause nute lock out.

Hope this helps

 

[brd1984]

Also on youtube if you type in things like super soil for weed. you will get to see them make up soil mixes. Actually quite helpful.

 

[thegreenlife420]

Thanks for the quick reply, also im growing in a greenhouse. So would using potting soil be a better bet than my actual garden soil?

 

[brd1984]

yeah defo.

I am doing exactly the same as you if you read my thread there is some good info on there for ya.

What part of the world you from?

 

[thegreenlife420]

Thanks, and I'm from Northeast usa. Ill def check out your threads

 

[thud]

My own garden soil (PH-7), worm castings, perlite, vermiculite, garden lime, and compost and manure mix(if needed).
-Now my question is, what do you guys think a good ratio of each would be to make a nice soil that I wont have to use any nutrients until flowering(I know is almost immediately).

Garden soil, worm castings, compost and manure mix = nutrients
Perlite and vermiculite = mosture control
Garden lime = ph control.

Now a lot of folks say to avoid garden soil, too much risk of pathogens. Not really a problem in a greenhouse though, they will get in anyhow. I actually like adding a handful of garden soil to bagged soil. All that fungi breaking down the soil can be a good thing as well as a bad. You have to watch it with manure though, burns plants. Best to leave it a few years to compost. Talking of burning plants, your potting mix is not the same as your super soil. Put a seedling in a rich soil and it will burn right up. So you are going to make a potting mix with a lot less nutrients to start your seeds in. Some say you should never transplant an auto, I do. Do them exactly the same as you do for any other veg. The super soil is what we are going to transplant our now robust seedlings into. Stick to about 20% perlite/vermiculite. We don't want to waste space on stuff that provides no nutrients. Adding lime is like half a cup full. You better check your ph though, chicken poop manure is alkaline. Also take a look at your garden lime, is it dolomite lime? We want that magnesium because it is such a common deficiency.