Just wondering how growers growing in super soil are watering there plants. Going to add 1/3 of my fabric pot (bottom) of super soil then the next 1/3 half super soils half soil then my top 1/3 just soil. Will then mulch. Will be growing out doors. My question is on watering. Indoors I have been bottom watering. Find it the easiest to avoid fungus gnats. However I’m wondering with super soil if this will flush out nutrients in my bottom layer. Was thinking top watering and trying to avoid any run off so im not washing out nutrients. What’s everyone’s experience with this and recommendations?
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I grow in a living super soil outdoors in fabric and yes, you can lose nutrients from excess watering. If your runoff is dark with tannins then you are losing some nutrient value. The soil I grew this year was a bit too hot for my seedlings and they were languishing in it so I flushed their solo cups with a molasses and powdered seaweed tea. The seedlings perked up nicely after that. Young plants in my experience are not fond of an overly rich medium and do better in a more benign soil. When the plants become more mature you can pump up the nutrient content with a simple top dressing of fresh super soil. It's good practice to fully water the entire container so that you maintain a good microbial balance throughout. Layering your soil is a smart choice but I found that "pocketing" works better for me. By pocketing, I mean creating different zones within my container that contain varying nutrients my plants may need during its lifecycle so the roots can choose where they need various nutrients from without creating a stratum effect the roots must pass through. I add pieces of fish to certain pockets for nitrogen, potassium rich soils in other pockets, and phosphorus soil to others. Another tip is to try and let your final container develop for a couple weeks prior to transplant. Water it regularly just as if you were growing a plant in it. The microbial presence will work wonders creating a PH balance in your container.-
Well my soil mix is about the same later in the season i notice outdoor yellowing i'll top off with some worm casings. But i see the buds really forming i will switch to a bloom nute only and some unsulferated molasses once a week during the last month of flower. Oh boy it's getting that time for outdoor
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crucialbunny how much do you top dress with. I’m always scared to burn the base of the stem or cause rot. I was going to mulch this year but leave an inch or so around the stem.
I actually have my super soil cooking right now. It’s still below freezing at night here so I have it in the heated garage at night and move it outside during the day making sure not to let it dry out. I typically do this for a few weeks prior to planting. I thought about layering too with a higher nitrogen blend for the middle 1/3 then full subcool super soil on the bottom so the plants hit the nutrients they need first for veg then the nutes the need for flowering after. Leave the top 1/3 as basic potting soil mix (make my own based on paramount seeds recipe) with worm castings mixed in. I made the mistake of burning a few plants last year going straight into super soil. Not a great idea. -
When top dressing I will usually just put a half inch layer over the top of my container and water as usual. I've never encountered any issues with stem rot and in fact sometimes the stem will develop new root growth where it is covered.
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