how to make 50 gallon batches of fortified potting soil - Knowledgebase Question

Bulbs
Grass Valley, CA
Question by kasrxasi
May 14, 2007
I would like to use organic products (like bone meal, green sand, bat guano)to make a premium potting soil- similar to Fox Farms super premium potting soils- but need to know how much of each product to use. The organic products only give application amounts for linear feet (of row crops, etc). Where can I get info that suggests amounts to add to each 50 gallon batch ?. Thank you!


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Answer from NGA
May 14, 2007

0

 Here are a couple of recipes for organic potting soil:
Special potting mix
1 wheelbarrow-load sifted soil
1 wheelbarrow-load aged manure
1 wheelbarrow-load sifted old flat mix
5 shovelfuls sifted peat
2 4? pots bone meal
2 4? pots trace mineral powder
2 4? pots blood meal


Organic potting mix
1 part sphagnum peat
1 part peat humus (short fiber)
1 part compost
1 part sharp sand (builder's)

to every 80 qts. of this add:
1 cup greensand
1 cup colloidal phosphate
1 1/2 to 2 cups crabmeal, or blood meal
1/2 c. lime


Seedling mix for soil blocks or seedling flats
Sphagnum peat moss: 2 3-gal. buckets
Lime: 1/4 c.
Fertility mix: 1 1/2 cups
Colloidal (rock) phosphate: 2 cups
Greensand: 2 cups
Blood meal: 2 cups
Bone meal: 1/2 cup
Kelp meal: 1/4 cup
Vermiculite: 1 1/2 buckets
Compost: 1 1/2 buckets

And here's a mix for veggies:

2 bales sphagnum peat moss (3.8 or 4.0 cu.ft. bales)
1 bag coarse vermiculite (4.0 cu.ft. bags)
1 bag coarse perlite (4.0 cu.ft. bags)
6 quarts of a fertilizing mixture comprised of:
15 parts steamed bone meal
10 parts kelp meal
10 parts blood meal
5-10 parts dolomitic limestone (80-90 mesh)

As you can see from the above recipes, the measurements are not critical. Be sure to mix everything thoroughly before using. Best wishes with your garden!

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