"Bootleg Living Soil: The Gaia Green Edition"

[Gorillachaz]

I'm from the United States and can't access Gaia Green Living Soil. I've been working on creating a similar "pre-amended" soil mix, currently using a blend of 40% HP ProMix Mycorrhiza, 30% FoxFarm Happy Frog, 20% earthworm castings, and 444 (3 tablespoons per gallon). I plan on eliminating the Happy Frog from the mix.

Here’s my 2 questions for you:

I'm wondering whether I could add both 444 and 284 bloom to my original 30lb starting soil recipe for 6, 5 gallon plants. Then just go on as normal using only 444 until late veg, and then top dressing BOTH at 3 tbsp per gal during pre and mid-flowering, while also continuing to use main “pre amended” soil that contains both every time I pot up from the start.

Alternatively, rather than preammending with 284, I would be adding a variety of ingredients instead, for instance purchasing "Down To Earth" Alfalfa, Humic acid, Kelp, Oyster shell, etc., that include anything listed on the Gaia Green living soil bag ingredients. Excluding anything that is already in 444 or 284 bloom as to not cause excessive nutrients

What's your perspective on these approaches?

P.s. shout out to @mrcanucksgrowguide

 

[SnoopingAsUsualI]

You can try mixing the needed soil from what you have, adding nutes I guess

 

[ddandurand]

I'm in the united states and have access to this soil so it may just be your area, but I have a few grow shops around me.

But I ended up re amending my soil with earthworm castings, and gain green brand 444 and 284, the soil started out as ocean forest mixed with a local company super soil.

this run I'm using rabbit manure in place of worm castings.

I have yet to over-nute in an organic setting. But i would recommend, mixing it all up and letting it set for a few weeks. to start the break down process. I cant recall what this is called atm. but the book true living organics explains it pretty well.

all i can say is mix it together, give it a run, observe your plants and adjust on the next run. but from my experience if there is life in the pot and food to feed the life you plants will love it.

Good luck.

 

[Natep]

Check out build a soil. Get there 3.0 recipe and some craft blend.

 

[Gorillachaz]

I'm in the united states and have access to this soil so it may just be your area, but I have a few grow shops around me.

But I ended up re amending my soil with earthworm castings, and gain green brand 444 and 284, the soil started out as ocean forest mixed with a local company super soil.

this run I'm using rabbit manure in place of worm castings.

I have yet to over-nute in an organic setting. But i would recommend, mixing it all up and letting it set for a few weeks. to start the break down process. I cant recall what this is called atm. but the book true living organics explains it pretty well.

all i can say is mix it together, give it a run, observe your plants and adjust on the next run. but from my experience if there is life in the pot and food to feed the life you plants will love it.

Good luck.

Gaia Green Living Soil in the USA? If you can link me the website / shop name I’d be all about that and it would save me a ton of effort. The problem is that apparently this soil is hard to move through customs from Canada into the US.

 

[ddandurand]

I will double check, i know i get there nutrients local, the living soil i may be mistaken on.

edit: well Just looked and sadly they have permanently closed recently. there is another shop in town too. I will check with them next time im in.

 

[Gorillachaz]

I will double check, i know i get there nutrients local, the living soil i may be mistaken on.

edit: well Just looked and sadly they have permanently closed recently. there is another shop in town too. I will check with them next time im in.

I appreciate your efforts but yes you may be mistaken because I am quite sure it’s nearly impossible to get in the US.

 

[ddandurand]

yes you appear to be correct bud, best of luck.

 

[budsofgeorgia]

i use gaia green from germination to harvest and i think you would still have to top dress monthly because it would break down to fast to last a whole grow

 

[Gorillachaz]

i use gaia green from germination to harvest and i think you would still have to top dress monthly because it would break down to fast to last a whole grow

The jist of my theory is would amending the soil with both 444 and 284 in my main 30lb mix be beneficial in regards to making a soil that is similar to Gaia Green living soil.

Gaia green living soil contains a variety of nutrients and minerals from their selection such as rock dust, oyster shell, kelp, humic acid, insect frass so I’ve also acquired some of those things as well.

I agree with your statement about having to top dress. My top dressing plan would remain the same, monthly adding 3tbsp per gal of soil. 444 during veg and then both 284 and 444 at flower. Would love to hear others thoughts on this recipe.

 

[budsofgeorgia]

I don't know I amend my soil to start out with 3 tbs per gallon of media with a 75/25 mix of all purpose and power bloom then 4 weeks later I top dress with 1 TBS per gallon

 

[MellowRello]

I'm from the United States and can't access Gaia Green Living Soil. I've been working on creating a similar "pre-amended" soil mix, currently using a blend of 40% HP ProMix Mycorrhiza, 30% FoxFarm Happy Frog, 20% earthworm castings, and 444 (3 tablespoons per gallon). I plan on eliminating the Happy Frog from the mix.

Here’s my 2 questions for you:

I'm wondering whether I could add both 444 and 284 bloom to my original 30lb starting soil recipe for 6, 5 gallon plants. Then just go on as normal using only 444 until late veg, and then top dressing BOTH at 3 tbsp per gal during pre and mid-flowering, while also continuing to use main “pre amended” soil that contains both every time I pot up from the start.

Alternatively, rather than preammending with 284, I would be adding a variety of ingredients instead, for instance purchasing "Down To Earth" Alfalfa, Humic acid, Kelp, Oyster shell, etc., that include anything listed on the Gaia Green living soil bag ingredients. Excluding anything that is already in 444 or 284 bloom as to not cause excessive nutrients

What's your perspective on these approaches?

P.s. shout out to @mrcanucksgrowguide

Bro just pre amend the soil yourself with the Gaia Green. If you do ProMix, worm castings, Gaia Green 444, Kelp meal, and some humic acids, you have Gaia Green soil. ProMix HP has dolomite in it, so does Gaia green, adding oyster flour and glacial rock dust ect will screw up the PH buffer.

I do 444 for seedlings, teens and a 70/30 blend of 444-284 for final pot.
DO NOT use 3 tbls per gallon unless it's a gigantic soil bed that you plan to water only the entire life cycle. I do 7Tbls total for 5-7 gallon pots and it's plenty for 4 weeks, provided you top feed in week 3 for week 5+.

Anything under 5 gallons is going to be challenging. 7 gallon and up will make life much easier. I found 7 gallon square fabric pots that are the same footprint as 5 gallon rounds on Amazon.

I think the Canadian Gaia Green is different from the US version. I've seen Canadian feeding charts that suggest way more nutes than the US feeding charts. Using Mr Canuks ratios will kill your plants. Believe me, I know.

Be aware of the dolomite in ProMix and Gaia green, which also has glacial rock dust (raises PH) feeding too much can cause PH to spike.

 

[MellowRello]

So to be clear, start plants Ina cup, then up-pot to one gallon using 1-1.5 TBLS of the 444. Grow a fat root ball in that one gallon, they will blast off when up-potted to 5-7 gallon loaded with the 70/30 blend.

Top, LST and transplant same day, pre load soil with 7 tbls of 70/30 blend.
Veg in final pot for only three weeks, maybe 4 if they got stunted from transplant stress etc.
Avoid transplant stress at all costs, timing of feeding is everything.

Flip to flower.
Day 1: 5tbls 70/30
Week 4 5tbls 60/40
Shift two biweekly feedings after week 7.
Week 7: 4 TBLS 60/40
Week 9: 4 TBLS 50/50
Week 11: reduce to 1-3 TBLS 50/50 every other week depending on how long they take to finish.

You may want to do a booster feeding of 1tbls in between feedings, but dumping more than 5tbls of bird poo etc into your soul at a time is sketchy for PH and toxicity.