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soil Soil Mix Ratios...

Right now I am dosing with a 0-10-10 to make up the difference until I pot up to the 5 gal in a few weeks and some cal-mag to help with the N.

-J
 
You used 40 lbs of composted manure in the mix? Should be enough N for the time being. I also have noticed a pretty neutral ph in mine after the first watering.
 
Just a word of warning about the pH meters you can get for a few bucks at the home centers. I've tried every one I could find and every one of them was pretty much useless. No matter what I stuck them into the readings always came back around 8. I'm talking sticking it in my home made mix, used coffee grounds, tap water, water from my filtering system. Nestle's chocolate milk mix in milk, mud after a wicked rainstorm and Pro mix BX and HP you name it I've stuck the darn things in it. The capsules with the powder are better, in my opinion, but if you're colorblind and I am, forget about it.

I've also found that when making your own mix if you end up buying all the extras, bone meal, blood meal, lime and everything else you think needs to go in it you're usually better of buying the already made stuff.
 
The cheap pH probes are usually junk in my opinion.
If they aren't packaged in the store, take a few metres to the garden section and try them out. I did this once and all metres registered different :(

Edit: Patrick beat me to it :)
 
I got this one, and it actually works pretty well.. it fluctuates sometimes by .5 but that is just dependent on where I stick it in the soil.. and where I just happen to spread the nutes and stuff.. but as long as you just watered the soil, and twist it around a little, and wait like 30sec. .it has worked great so far.. and read the directions on the back.. and keep it clean, they say if you touch the probe a lot it can screw it up.. I guess the ones that are open in the stores have probably been knocked around and touched a lot which is why they don't work too well.. this one comes with a little "ion stripper" which is just a rough piece of fabric to make the probe slightly charged..

but it's worth the $15 I think.. the other ones I haven't tried though but mine has been pretty good, and changes when I would expect it too
http://www.homedepot...r&storeId=10051

Edit: lol just saw the reviews for it.. besides the battery being dead for one of them.. the other guys must just be... well idiots, it says on the package that the soil has to be pretty moist.. which makes sense for me.. otherwise how are the ions going to cling to the probe and therefore the probe be able to read the difference between the tip of the probe and the charged shaft.. but anyways.. it works great for me.. just need to follow the directions on the back.. I wouldn't think you could expect to stick it in dry soil over and over without either charging (rubbing the probe :lol: ) or brushing off all the previous degree.. but yeah, that's all I have to say for that I guess.. I dono, to each his own
 
I used the test tube baby makers to test the soil... I have since learned that these too are for the most part junk. So far so good with the plants..nothing is showing any real signs of distress or any issues outside of normal outdoor wear and tear. Lots of good information for next season, I truly appreciate it!

-J
 
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