Miracle Grow Soil.

I know a lot of you are organic diehards but I'm growing in miracle grow general purpose soil. Anybody know its ph or approx how long nutes last before it needs fertilizer. I usually grow hydroponically but after moving house have had to scale right down. At present ive got one 400w hps light with a growlux bulb. Just started ten of nirvanas ice seeds . Mixed the soil with perlite in buckets. I'm assuming miracle grow soil will work adequately untill i get up and running with some clones etc. Any adive on this soil?

 

it should say on the pack-normally soils have enough fert for a few months but little extra doesnt hurt. the ph should be sumting around neutral (6.5>7.5) but as i said it should say it more accurately on the pack

 

The MG has worked just fine for me, B-man, although since it's composed with a lot of spagnum moss, it tends to be slightly acidic. (pH level wasn't labelled on the bag, though.) The starting pH on my meter usually hovers between 6.75 and 7, but declines throughout the grow. It wasn't too drastic a decline for me last time, finished the grow with a solid pH of 6.75 wherever I measured. (I like to take 3 or 4 readings in each pot.) I did have a brief nose dive in pH this current grow, but some judicious use of hydrated lime sorted it out very well.

The MG soil I'm using also came with some extra ferts(21-7-14), but I still have to start feeding at about 2 weeks into the grow. The N migrates like clock work, for me. I added extra perlite as you did, 20% parts by volume, since there was some mild compacting by the end of the grow.

 

Excellent info covers everything I wanted to know, thanks.

 

dont even fuck with soil go hydro.

 

Sounds like great stuff. Any information on the side of the bag as to what the analysis is? Calcium most likely will be a problem if it is heavy organic material. The ratios always come out wrong on going from residues to compost to balancing the soil. If it were that easy, a lot more folks would go organic.

Spike in calcium carbonate (hydrated lime is a bit too caustic), you can also use dolomitic lime. Put in four or five fingers of calcium per plant. This way the plant can have all it wants without futzing with the overall pH and the problems associated with balancing the pH.

I am sure you will need more micros as well as magnesium to max out your plants along with an overall N P K program. Post fotos!!!

 

Miracle grow I have since discovered does need added magnesium.

 

B-Man--yer right about the low Mg, I didn't think to mention it, sorry.

SlowNi--yeah I was initially worried about using hydrated lime, knowing how it can burn. I hadn't stabilized the soil with dolomite lime before use (stupid, stupid, stupid, I know...), so when the pH levels bounced a bit, I used the hydrated stuff at HALF strength. (Can always increase your dosages when necessary far more easily than taking stuff out/flushing.) It incidentally cleared up all the algae on the top soil and also gave a needed Ca and Mg boost to the plants.

I don't recall much of the soil analysis of the particular potting mix I got beyond the fert levels. I do remember that the ingredients listed the sphagnum moss component as being anywhere from 50-65% of the total mix, though. Damn, I shoulda jotted the info down into my notes before tossing the bag out.

 

tHANKJS hERBALtEA,