Building my Potting Mix Easy Cheap and Organic for Great Indoor Grow Ops
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2024
- Some of my favorite childhood memories are of gardening with my parents and brothers. This channel is about low cost organic urban gardening in zone 3. I am by no means an expert gardener however I love to share my experiments and journey garden year round. Please feel free to join the conversation and if you think you might like this channel subscribe. Have a great day!
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Steven, Being here in the middle east I have not found a source for fertilizer and every thing I have grown here was using coffee grounds, eggshells ran through the coffee grinder and dried banana peelings also ran through the coffee grinder. I have not had very much success here due to the heat but I do have some nice sweet potato vines planted under a palm tree out front. Thank you as always for your videos.
That is really interesting Ed. I wonder if your issue is too much sun/heat. the nutrients need to be mobile to work and if your having issues keeping moisture in the ground that would be an issue.
I am thinking of having coffee tested to see what kind of NPK the grounds have to see if I can start there and build my own!
I appreciate the kind words my friend! It is always very cool to meet people who live so far away !
Great tips for creating an organic potting mix, Stephen! We've had great success starting plants indoors with worm castings as 20 to 25% of the potting mix. This seems to supply enough nutrients for the plants to thrive without additional fertilizer.
I have to up my game with the worms ;) I went over to my brothers worm farm to see if I could snag some for this but they are still recovering from the last harvest I did ;) my hope is the compost I used will help do that and if not i can fall back on a compost extraction or purchased solution!
I mention coir and compost in my raised bed soil episode filmed last week. I like this episode! Very cool.
They do make a great simple base for the soil and then just adding compost and mulch and bam a simple highly effective soil! I do have to say I have been behind on your episodes my friend and I hope to catch up soon!
Nice looking soil.. I like the suggestion to add the castings, would help to introduce some of the beneficial biota back into the sterilised blend I would think..
Cheers..
It would be good for that and help keep the pests at bay as the worms them selves help keep them down.
Very timely that I caught this video. This coming weekend I am converting a sunny south facing storage area in my basement to an indoor grow room. I will have to cook the soil mix when hubby is at work or I will be sleeping in the dog house. Thanks for sharing!
I am fairly sure if my wife caught me i might get comfortable in the dog house as well. I just make sure to clean the oven after ;)
Let me know how you do my friend!
Great video Stephen! I could not agree more with your suggestion about using square pots indoors, every spring I have to rack my brain in order to find the best configuration to waste as little space as possible with my round pots because I don't have enough square ones. It's a real pain in the ass.
Round pots i believe are so popular with greenhouses for that exact reason. they can save filling it all with soil and it helps keep the plant from showing signs of root bound by allowing it to circle the pot. I on the other hand want to maximize my space so this is what I do lol.
Yeah, I don't have a problem with them once they're out of the small space I can grow indoors with, it's just those first few weeks that annoy me lol
Whenever I bring soil from the outside to use inside, I've always thrown it in an old pot on the bbq grill. It gets really hot & kills all them small flies & other unwanted bugs. I'm also going to be starting a new grow room in my basement this year & your tips, as always, help out a great deal. Best of luck with your indoor garden.
Thank you Rabbit Baker looks like your bbq approach might be similar to the pasteurization process ;) I have kind of resigned myself to just letting it all go and starting fresh each fall to help keep the bugs at bay!
Exactly what I was looking for! Thanks again, Stephen!
+The Peeping Egg glad I could help
Thanks so much for u time
your welcome my friend!
Looking forward to following your indoor growing experience and your projects as well. Thanks for sharing!
it should be a lot of fun this winter! I am nearly done getting the garden ready for winter and then ill focus more inside ;)
Steven, I read on the internet a formula for making a liquid fertilizer, 1 gallon water -1 table spoon of Epsom salt - 1 tea spoon of baking soda - 1/2 tea spoon of ammonia. mix well and apply to plants once a week. hope it works for you. If you try this , I will soon, let me know...Robert
Nice video.
Thank you!
Using your compost to make a steeped nutrient tea for watering can be a nice way to introduce fertilizer into your indoor grow space. Using pantyhose or other fine mesh container, soak a fair quantity of your unpasteurized compost mix for a few days in a bucket of water, stirring occasionally (or lifting and dunking the mesh bag repeatedly) to move the water through the mesh bag and aerate the mixture, just like making a cup of tea. You can scale it up to using a garbage can and filter through the mesh later if you want, if you have a large garden. In this way, you can utilize the water soluble nutrients while minimizing or eliminating pests but without destroying the beneficial enzymes and microorganisms.
Once you've removed your bag, you can toss the solids right back into your compost pile and let it continue to break down. The next time you make the tea/fertilizer it will provide those benefits all over again.
That is a great idea. I have planned and done the initial analysis on the method to see what kind of fertilizer potential steeped compost extractions have. I am also analyzing compost tea.
I also have a frozen pile all winter. Might make it tough ! Lol
Though it is a small expense, if you make a small enclosure similar to a raised bed, with a closed bottom specifically for your compost, the organic activity can keep it from freezing and also prevents nutrients from leeching out the bottom of your pile in wet weather. I like to use drums and/or lidded yard cans for that reason. If the lid is tight enough, you can even set them on the side and roll them around to turn it but you have to make sure to open the lid every day or so to let it air out and prevent methane from building up.
Great video. I cannot source a good potting soil here in Toronto. I will try this method and look forward to hearing about homemade indoor fertilizers. I did see a woman on youtube soak dried sea weed in a bowl for fertilizing a balcony garden. She claimed it would work inside as well. Not free, but cheap.
If you use a good compost I have found for the large part there was enough nutrients in the soil already. I did not have to use any fertilizers.
I look forward to your INDOOR gardening journey. I grow 'greens' and some herbs indoors for the winter season. I am always concerned about the 'bad guys' hiding in my potting mix. This year I bought some of those 'sticky' yellow paper traps. So far, so good. BUT we will see how the plants are growing after a couple of months in my south windows. Thank you for guiding & inspiring us to grow INDOORS. :0)
The worst thing that can happen indoors is a silly pest infection! outside we just make sure there are good predators available but we can't do that inside ;) hopefully Lark your indoor garden is a great source of enjoyment !
I watch closely for an infestation. I have 4 mature (7') trees in my house. We don't want them getting sick.
that must be beautiful! I would not want to lose them as well!!
i always put mine compost in the microwave for five to ten mins. but don't tell my husband. lol
Karen I'm fairly sure if my wife caught me in the oven she would murder me ;) it helps keep the pests at bay!
Sounds like a good mix. Best of luck with the indoor season! ;) I'm still trying to strech my outdoor season in the greenhouse
If we had not had the earliest frost in 10 years Im fairly sure i would be stretching my outdoor garden ! It has been so nice! a greenhouse would have helped me get the extra few weeks. Oh well next year !
***** oh a greenhouse would change many things, believe me ;)
if only i had the space ;) One day my friend one day!
***** ah yeah space....
I had not considered making my own potting mix. Looking forward to the winter videos.
I could not find a mix that met my needs so I made my own. turns out its cheaper too lol.
Instead of peat or coconut coir (I have used both) I now get a bag of horse bedding made from ground corn cobs. A 40lb bag costs about $6 (US) and can absorb up to 18 gallons of water. Works like a champ as a water retaining material.
I have not seen that Debie! I bet it does work great! I might have to go see if I can find some ;)
Thank you so much!
Not sure who would sell it up there but I get mine at the Tractor supply store and the have a website. I know a lot of feed stores carry it too.
I have a bunch of feed stores I'll go check them out ! Thanks for the tip
Price went up almost double since you posted this and it's about the same price as peat moss now. Question is, is 40lbs of horse bedding more than 2 cu. ft of peat moss?
Nice post I was wiring lights last night. Be interesting to see what sort of plant food that can be made that could be a good field trial in its self. The plants I have inside have only had worm juice from the little bin I have for the last 9 months and all seem to be doing well. I have pasteurised soil in the micro wave before the oven is a better option ;-)
the oven is a bit cleaner ;) Im thinking something similar might be good food for the plants ;)
With the micro wave you get a bit of snap crackle and popping going on lol. Just need to find out what the worm juice is lacking and add to it. If its lacking anything. And dont forget to put my name in the small print when you make your product;-)
I dont think ill make a product to sell my friend. you know im here to show evidence so you can use it as you please ;)
if thats how i do it you will get the credit due!
No mate just pulling your leg ;-)
off to look at the shelf life of worm pee.....
;-)
As far as "free" fertilizer goes, how about a worm bin in the basement, and using the liquid (watered down of course) for fertilizer? Or compost "tea" from the worm castings (again watered down)?
worm tea is a fantastic way to feed your plants. I don't think you need to add air to grow the bacteria as they will do their own thing. simply steep some of it use the water and you can even return the castings to the bin.
Awesome Stephen my wife would kill me if I put dirt in the oven lol, Love these informational videos you make my friend
I am glad you enjoyed the video! If my wife ever catches me ill be toast ;) or cleaning the oven twice! lol
id just be toast lol
Do what I did, dampen the soil, then bake the soil outdoors in a weber bbq grill
Thats a great idea!
I love your videos and objective approach to gardening. I always pick up a tip or two. As for an indoor organic fertilizer, what I've just started using is a mix of urea, potash and bone meal (1:1:2). Mix 5 ml with 4 L of water and use every watering. You can make your own urea if you wish (water: urine; 20:1). Found this suggestion on the web, but can't remember where, otherwise I would credit.
I'm wondering if you use your potting mix to germinate seeds.
I did know you could use urea I am still working on the research to present that one :)
So far my compost has kept my plants happy :)
I am really glad you enjoy my videos ! It makes the work well worth while !
How are your plant starts doing ?
I live in Oliver, BC (next door to you) and I planted my pepper and tomato seedlings a little early this year (Feb 15 & Mar 1). I had to transplant them to the garden last week as they were getting too large. Fortunately, I have rigged up covers for my raised beds, so I think they'll be okay.
next door but way warmer ;) It will be a few weeks until I can plant outside! I won't lie my wife and I would love to live in BC not only for the growing season but the easier winters!
Make sure Captain to share photos on my Facebook page !! I love to keep up with my friends gardens!
Once I used soil straight from the garden and had a terrible infestation of fruit flies, so I can relate. :-)
Try using "Mosquito dunks" in your watering can, Abiout 1/4 per can. They kill the larvae in the soil.
That's a good tip. These are organic aren't they?
suburban homestead Yes. It's BT, all natural!
Thats a good tip Tommyr
suburban homestead I tried to bring a plant i dug up from the garden inside for the winter... white flies and spider mites just about took everything!
I know, right! That us a great tip
Good stuff, my friend!
Thank you!
Great video Stephen, nice to see your still growing even with winter approaching. Have you considered using compost tea indoors? I understand this isn't technically a fertilizer, but plants always seem to love it. I know a few people growing organically indoors and use compost teas in regular intervals to help keep their soils thriving.
Bryan Wickizer I have actually considered it. OneYardRevolution recently posted an episode on compost tea. There is some questions in the academic world regarding actively aerated compost tea. I might do a compost extraction if I can find a good source with out too many pests in it ;)
Hi, I love this channel! thanks for doing this. I am originally Polish (where allotments are a big thing) - currently live in North Wales where climate is much milder. Just got an allotment here in the UK - cant wait till spring! As to the indoor growing series - I was wondering (and excuse my ignorance as I am beginner:) if I have got a south facing sky light windows in the part of my flat where there is space for a little indoor project, couldn't I combine artifical lights (like LED lights) with natural light for better results? I always see indoor projects done in kind of closed spaces - wouldn't such a hybrid of natural and artificial light be a good idea?:)
+UKimpress if you can combine both natural direct light and supplemental LED, CFL or HPS light your right it is all good! The combine light will help your plants get some more usable energy!
the closer space is usually for CFL and florescent lights mostly due to the decay the light goes through. LED and HPS don't require the close proximity.
I am glad you enjoy my indoor growing series. I will be doing more starting a in a week ;)
here is a playlist of videos for indoor growing that might help: th-cam.com/play/PL5mfR-r4BXH0sQIoFdcU2VYPdR9HYRVDz.html
Indoors I use mainly peat moss and perlite. No real need to cook them. I grow a lot of carnivorous plants in the same mix. For "normal" plants use just a organic fertilizer like a seaweed type or fish fertilizer type. I DO use non organic fertilizers for things like flowering plants but far LESS in the fall - winter months since they do not need it.
I ended up storing my peat moss outside this summer and it had all sorts of fun little critters in there when I brought it to the garage. I had to make sure I was not causing more issues.
If i can avoid any insects inside i will!
*****
Absolutely!
I prefer the smell of chocolate chip cookies, but roasted critters ain't bad. :-)
lol me too my friend me too!
Great videos that make a lot of sense, appreciate the effort. Keeping it simple and using the nature to do its work is what I get from your videos.
Im running an experiment on my terrace with pots/containers where I want to focus on creating a potting mix that will do well with most plants. Im using 1/3 each of vermiculite, compost and coco peat and trying out other ammendments like kelp mean, benficial bacteria and fungus etc etc. Its an utter failure at the moment.
However, comming to my question.
Without soil tests, is there a way to create and maintain a good soil/potting mix for a container garden for a variety of plants ?
Some plants have specific requirements and can thrive in certain soild conditions, but at the same time, there must be a good enough soil that can take care of most plants without having to worry about the composition details.
Hey Stephen, I am back from Manitoba for the winter and I can't wait to get started with some of my indoor gardening projects. That was a great tip on making your own potting soil. Did the seeds that I sent ever arrive?
They did arrive and I can't wait to start them in the spring! Im glad you enjoyed the video my friend!
its going to be a long winter so I figure ill grow nicely inside while I wait for spring!
***** Don't remind me about the length of winter. I am sure that it will be starting soon. At least it did not start in the middle of October this year. I feel beat up from the drive. I will talk with you later.
have a good night man! I look forward to seeing your indoor growing!
I put sand as top layer before damping off occurs. The sand wicks out excess moisture from soil. Do not water everyday to prevent damping off disease.
That's a good idea !
I feel like I seen another video you posted where you start with coconut husks and professional growing mix. Could you point me in the direction of that video please? Thanks!
Great tips Stephen, I was hoping you or some one out there could help me . back of my garden have termite and under my plant container have evident tunnel from termite and I plan to bring the plant in door If the container have termite .and I put the whole container in the water up to the top for couple hours , would that kill the termite and then is save to bring the plant in door? any help would be appreciate. Thanks so much
Don't bring that in the house. You can kill the adults but all it takes is one egg to survive and you can end up with termites in the house. Although we don't have troubles with them here I have friends who have had to spend thousands getting ride of them! Sorry about your plant Susan.
Do you add any beneficial bacteria/fungi to reinoculate the soil after the cooking? I've never heard anyone mention how long an abundant beneficial soil microbiology needs to take hold? Might be a interesting side by side comparison test for either this winter or next year eh?
No I have not found a source that also does not come with pest species eggs in them. I am going to try some alternative fertilizers and the bacteria should recover on their own ;) that said the soils good web won't be able to establish in the pot so the full impact likely won't happen.
Side by side might be fun !
Great lasagna recipe my friend :D and great job on sterilizing soil for inside growing, I even think we should to it with store bought potting soil! BTW saw our first snow flakes today :/ I think you already had yours, but aren't they coming earlier each year? That polar vortex is here to stay I'm afraid! I've been trying to make leaf mulch, apparently very similar to peat moss or coco coir, google it up ;)
your right anything from the store should be pasteurized in my opinion. it keeps the chances of contamination down significantly!
Lasagna i would not want to eat lol.
We have been lucky Calgary got slammed in september and we were just missed. now this polar vortex is to the east of us keeping a warm weather system sitting right on top of us! it has been a wonderful few days! That said it won't be long and we will be snowed in!
That's not fair LOL
lol ill take what I can get ;)
Thanks Steven for a lot of information now Iam looking for answer to a good question,Iam a recycler of just about everything I've been collecting water purifiers carbon containers from my kitchen sink,thinking they can be used for something like bio char or a carbon soil mix,,,hope you follow my idea.Do u think the'll work for anything in the garden?
Very good video however cook soil you kill a lot of the organisms that live in the soil.those organisms are part of what is needed. However I respected technique it's just something I would do. Keep up the good work
Your absolutely right. the soil biota is wiped out when you pasteurize the soil. I hope to be able to provide the nutrients via the base components of the compost and external sources. I took this approach as last year we had a few instances where we nearly lost the entire grow operation due to insect infections. sterile soil helps keep those monsters from coming in to begin with!
Thank you for the kind words my friend!
wow that is supper interesting never know that need to bake in oven. May i know what kind or brand of the all the mix you use and ratio of mixing please? thanks so much
+seyha seyha 1 to 1 any potting soil and any compost ;) it all works about the same!
***** thanks :)
my pleasure just make sure it does not have any moisture control stuff. Organic works best from ingredients you can read and understand.
+Alberta Urban Garden Simple Organic and Sustainable oh ic thanks again for advise :) I will do that next year :) this year already to late for me
+Alberta Urban Garden Simple Organic and Sustainable sorry I have other question will this work for flower indoor? my soil indoor for my flower now have a lot of small bug
If you are starting your seeds indoors for planting outdoors, there is no need to use compost or fertilizers. Commercial, organic potting mixes use pete moss or coco coir and vermiculite. That's it. Just mix about 2 parts pete or coir to one part vermiculite or perlite. That's it. No pests. Seeds don't need all that nutrient content to grow until they get around 2 or 3 sets of true leaves. Save the expensive worm castings and compost for outside when they need it. Even if you make your own compost and worm castings, it's still expensive in terms of time spent and resources used.
Do you sterilize the peat moss only after you have used it, or even when you are using for first time right out of the bag...
First time out of the bag usually. There is the chance for insects but more likely it has spores for fungus that can cause damping off
I really enjoy your videos and I've learned a lot. Is it true that cooking your soil mix smells terrible ? My wife would kill me.
Nope the soil did not smell but I did get in trouble this year :)
Root eating larva of fungus gnats and some small root eating lice are a problem if you do not sterilize. He sterilized well in video. The bugs ate my seedling roots. Hard lesson. Also fungus damping off happens indoors. Soil should dry periodically. Fan and light helps. Outside natural breeze dries soil but indoors fan is needed.
Hi Steven, How about using em-1 as a soil activator after sterilising? I think it's purpose is to add beneficial bacteria to the soil, which in turn will help release what nutrients is already in there, plus would microwaving the soil act in the same way as cooking it in the oven? I'd rather buy a cheap microwave and use it solely for sterilising.
yes the microwave would essentially do the same thing as long as you get the soil temperature to 140F.
Most of the activated products are dead. in fact I believe a study just came out stating 3/4 of them were dead. That said I don't worry about it too much indoors as I know when they go out in the garden is usually when the plants need that nutrient cycle.
+Alberta Urban Garden Simple Organic and Sustainable so em-1 is no good?
might not be my friend.
I've used EM in my indoor plants including seedlings. It does actually work well. It also makes plants grow quicker than they ordinarily would. I'd say try it. Microwave is good idea... will heat soil, maybe too much.
does the heating process kill the beneficial bacteria as well ?
it does however for seedlings these communities are less essential.
Did that baking the soil in the oven make the oven smell like dirt/soil??
I was thinking of using water from the aquarium to feed the plants. What do you think?
+Me S as long as you don't use a lot of chemicals that should be fine. Usually the dechlorinator evaporates. If you use the water it should have some bacteria in it providing some added value as biomass
The indoor grow op is starting to take shape! We figured out which lights we wanted to use and now how to set up our soil mix for the best results. Tune in to check out some tips that will help keep your grow room healthy this winter.
#indoorgrowing #organic #organicgardening #gardening #CFL #fluorescentlight #soil #pottingmix #organicpottingmix
th-cam.com/video/iJ0mPsexOQw/w-d-xo.html
Alberta Urban Gar den Simple Organic and Sustainability b
is that mix 50/50 coir and compost mix?
huh. i never bother with pasteurizing, matter of fact i never use compost that's not my own, and that's not fresh if i am going to use compost. for most of my plants i just give them the max does of organic fertilizers and introduced microorganisms. which feeds them and helps boost populations in the plant pot. then the fungi start to slowly break down the coco coir and feeding that potted plant, always still fertilizing the plant when needed to boost the plant and the organisms.
in a pot its tough to get and keep the conditions required for healthy soil food web. the other thing I worry a lot about indoors is pest outbreaks!
I am going to try to feed my plants with the compost I have in the soil and fall back on compost extractions and if need be a commercial solution ;)
Coco coir has no nutritional value
Should we be concerned with the environmental impact of using peat because of peat bog depletion and it being classified as a non-renewable resource?
Use Coir. A little less impact
Your right Sher Thom and Double Dog Farm ~ San Juan Island, WA. it is classified as a non-renewable resource. With that in mind I live where it is being disposed of regularly. So using it instead of wasting it seems reasonable to me. The peat being mined is also done to the highest level of environmental protection. If they are removing it for development contractors here are required to protect the local environment and provide compensation for the lost habitat.
The other thing I consider when selecting what to use is how far did it have to be shipped to get to me? Fuel is also non-renewable and when the product travels half way around the world Id bet dollars to doughnuts it cost more non-renewables.
I guess the end result here is its about making a choice that sits best with you. I try not to use much of it and outside I don't have to use anymore as my leaf compost is keeping up with the job. Inside its a little tougher and I really need something that wicks the water up from the bottom. It helps keep the bugs down!
I would love to know what you think!
***** That is why I said, "A little less impact". Because I was sure that the travel card would be played. :-)
Next spring I will be start a whole lot less plants in my greenhouse. I'm thinking of try a mix with no peat, coir or perlite. The pots / flats will be heavy. It would be nice to lighten it up with something local.
i often think people forget the shipping part of sustainable products.
it will be interesting to see how your new mix does!
I don't live anywhere close to peat bogs and only know the bits I hear. I assume gardeners are generally folks who do not want to do environmental harm, so these kinds of discussions are important. Thank you for both of your information.
if time is crucial stay your course. otherwise cover crop, chop and drop.