Taking the concept of 'supersoil' and trying out a 'supercoco' mix

[infinitalus]

Hey guys.

I saw a coco product that is just coming out but dont want to pay the $42 price tag per bag, nor the $32 of the botanicare organic blend. I want to pay less than $20 per 1.5 cubic feet of medium which has enough organic nutrients to start from a seed or rooted clone and last 3.5 months for a long enough veg and flower cycle with a soft fade for most strains.

This is the formula that I want to run. A complete mix of slow and fast acting organic nutrient amendments, trace minerals, humic acid, myco and bacterial inoculation, and lime for buffer.

SuperCoco Recipe	cups	gallons	amount in mix by %
12 cuft washed coco	1440	90	47.27
5 cuft perlite	600	30	19.7
steamed bone meal	10	1.33	0.33
phosphorous bat guano	20	2.66	0.66
lbs blood meal	20	2.66	0.66
oyster shell	10	1.33	0.33
fish meal	20	2.66	0.66
worm castings	150	20	5
humic acid	4	0.53	0.13
8 oz great white myco	1/2 cup
diatomaceous earth	5	0.67	0.16
6 cuft compost	720	45	23.63
nitrogen bat guano	10	1.33	0.33
dolomite lime	5	0.67	0.16
organic soybean meal	10	1.33	0.33
rock phosphate	10	1.33	0.33
fish bone meal	10	1.33	0.33
langbeinite	2	0.27	0.06
	3046	203.1	100.07

Im trying to find out if these ratios are right but havent come up with anything conclusive. Thoughts?

 

[Fenian Brotherhood]

I'd have to see the Bag... Can you post a Link to this Coco product?

This would be really cool for Non Soil Growers, the problem with mixing your own is that you make too much of it. And if the plants don't like it you will suffer...

Again I'd have to see it, but if your theory is True, I'd much rather pay the $40... Chump Change dude.
And on top of that, less work going to the store and getting every individual item, no Mixing, No Waiting for settlement...

Think of it as a Lazy way, but I do not. I think More Time=More experimenting=Better Results

 

[infinitalus]

There is no formula on the bag but it can be found here: http://www.nonutrientsrequired.com/our-product/

It is not quite out yet.

The other product is Botanicare slacker, available at $32 per 1.5cubic feet.

My mix that I sourced via amazon and my local grow shop, will run just a little over $580 for 28cubic feet. Thats the same $32 per 1.5 cubic feet as the slacker, but the slacker has fewer overall ingredients and I dont trust montmorillonite or yucca extract in my pots anyway.

I was also able to find some EXCELLENT chicken manure compost: http://www.amazon.com/Charlies-Compost-Concentrated-fertilizer-antibiotic-free/dp/B00AVA6YMC/ref=sr_1_3?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1371099314&sr=1-3&keywords=compost

I will probably skip the extra cost of humic acid with this stuff, and removed it from my check list and price quote.

28 cubic feet comes out to about 210 gallons. I will be using 32 gallons every 4-5 weeks. This stuff can be stored in a dry and cool environment for a while, I have enough storage space for about 100 gallons. I know a guy close to me that would like to get a 55gallon trash can full. So 100+55+32 = 187. Maybe I can convince him to take an extra 20 for his current grow.

I dont mind spending the time and research that I put into it (about 5 days so far), the time to mix it up, and the space to store it if the end result is a 100% organic product, strong growth vigor of well aerated roots thanks to coco and perlite, well sourced compost and amendments, not too strong or weak in potency, and will only require adding RO water for the entire life of the plant from seed or clone to harvest. Saving 33% (before shipping) on the supercoco (which ingredients are unknown) and with the Slacker not really making it up to par for ingredient content and still requires nutes even if you do a 12/12 from seed run at the same price bracket, this home made mix is the only option.

Edit: 210 gallons is a 6 month supply for me, would be best to make in the fall and again in the spring

 

[infinitalus]

Hey sky, thanks for the like.

Anyone have any insight about the ratios of the amendments?

 

[st0wandgrow]

Hey sky, thanks for the like.

Anyone have any insight about the ratios of the amendments?

A wise old grower shared a basic recipe on another site that I have found helpful when amending a soil. A good ratio to follow is this:

"Food mix" should be added at about 2 cups per cubic feet. The items in your list that would fall under this category would be bone meal, blood meal, soybean meal, fish meal, fish bone meal, etc.

The next category is your "Fix it mix". These ingredients can be applied at around 1 & 1/2 cups per cf. Oyster shell is the only thing you have on your list that would be applied here. You need to get some kelp meal in there, and I would consider neem seed meal and/or karanja seed meal.

The last is your "mineral mix". This applied at 1 to 1 & 1/2 cups per cf. This includes the dolomite lime, rock phosphate, langbeinite, etc.

Other than worm castings, I'm not a huge fan of using poop as an amendment, so apply that at your own discretion. The humic acid can be applied as a diluted soil drench early in veg, or you can use it in an ACT to be applied as a soil drench as well. I would plan on letting this mix inoculate for at least 6 weeks, and I would recommend wetting your mix down with a compost tea to allow the beneficial microbes some time to go to work on your organic inputs.

Good luck!


edit: I should have mentioned that the measurements are a total per cubic foot, not for each ingredient. IE you want to add a TOTAL of 2 cups per cf of your food mix, not 2 cups of blood meal, 2 cups of soybean meal, etc.

 

[infinitalus]

My goal was to provide enough fast and slow releasing NPK nutrients and enough myco, trace elements, microbes, and buffer to really get it going.

After looking at my formula, you are right, I am missing a solid potassium source. The kelp meal will do just that. Im adding that in as 10 cups to the mix.

Comparing my formula to the wise old grower's advice, it doesnt sound too far off.

Thanks a bunch stowandgrow

 

[GenghisKanGrow]

Just out of curiousity, how come you do not want to include yucca extract into your compost pile, or you could always supplement with dandelions and comfrey...

Happy growing
GK