soil/soiless and ph

ryanhaze92

New Member
if i use growing media that is 50% peat and 50% vermiculite is this classed as soil or soiless and what PH should i be aiming for 5.5 or 6.5?
dr bruce bugbee aims for 5.5 ph and uses liquid nutrients, I plan on using veganic dry nutrients so just wondering if I should be aiming for 6.5 instead?
 

hillbill

Well-Known Member
Now, after years of knowing ph to be less of a concern in organic mixes, I can see clearly now in black and white. Epiphany time on the hill.
Thanks @Tracker
 

bam0813

Well-Known Member
Peat is considered soiless. Im wondering why you would go 50% vermiculite when peat is a sponge as it is
 

PeatPhreak

Well-Known Member
Peat and vermiculite or perlite is "soilless media". A good pH range for peat is 5.5-6.5. I water with 5.8 the whole grow. The runoff pH can get as high as 7.2 at the end without showing any problems.
 

PadawanWarrior

Well-Known Member
if i use growing media that is 50% peat and 50% vermiculite is this classed as soil or soiless and what PH should i be aiming for 5.5 or 6.5?
dr bruce bugbee aims for 5.5 ph and uses liquid nutrients, I plan on using veganic dry nutrients so just wondering if I should be aiming for 6.5 instead?
That's soilless, but it sounds like you want to grow organically. Add some compost and perlite. Around 6.5 is good for soil, but if it's actually soil with microbes the soil will buffer the pH for the most part. So usually there isn't a need to adjust pH with organic soil.

What nutes are you gonna use?
 

ryanhaze92

New Member
That's soilless, but it sounds like you want to grow organically. Add some compost and perlite. Around 6.5 is good for soil, but if it's actually soil with microbes the soil will buffer the pH for the most part. So usually there isn't a need to adjust pH with organic soil.

What nutes are you gonna use?
I wanted to give veganics a try after reading about kyle kushman.

I can get a bag of veganic nutes that have a NPK 2.5/3/3 that contain the following:

Indian Neem Meal, Scottish Seaweed, Tunisian Soft-Rock Phosphate, Sulphate Of Potash, Volcanic Rock Dust, Diastatic Malted Barley & Humic & Fulvic Acids.

Would I be better off with something like 50% peat, 30% compost, 20% vermiculite or would you recommend something else?

I assume I would need to aim for PH 6.5 just for adding the compost correct?
 

hillbill

Well-Known Member
I run near 50% drainage with LED Boards and COBs. That includes some sharp gravel and a bit of sand. I also use NAPA 8822 to replace vermiculite. Increased air spaces help get O2 into the roots.
 
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