You'll notice there are two Nutrient Kits available here at BuildASoil and the main difference is the addition of Fish Bone meal at 4-20-0 which is very high in Phosphate. The idea here is to make sure there is enough available P for the flowering phase of growth because P is normally a very challenging element for plants to get as it is fairly immobile in the soil. Most growers use a lot of P and there are a few reasons.
1. Phosphate is only 44% actual Phosphorus. So that big 20# on the bag of Fish Bone Meal is only about 8.8% phosphorus of which maybe only a fraction of will be available in the first season.
2. It's pounded into their heads from the hydro companies because P is an expensive ingredient and it's profitable to sell at high markups. The Bloom Booster market is massive.
3. Mycorrhizae is marketed to the consumer along with High P fertilizers as if they work even better together!
Enter Mycorrhizae and P uptake is dramatically improved as Fungi have been helping plants access P for a long long time. Now that we know a little more about mycorrhizae many farmers are being encouraged to use it because it will dramatically help reduce costs by avoiding expensive P fertilizers.
I was told that high amounts of soluble P will kill your Myco's and I'm still learning about this subject. The ClackamasCoots Nutrient kit has plenty of P in the Crustacean Meal, Neem Cake and the Compost/EWC etc. But many growers are wanting to add more P to this mix because they think adding more is better.
Below are some excerpts from http://www.lebanonturf.com/education/the-truth-about-phosphates-and-mycorrhizal-fungi
Oddly, many people have erroneously concluded that phosphate kills mycorrhizal fungi. In fact, there is no killing effect going on here. Instead, in soils having high available phosphate, the host plant apparently opts to restrict fungal colonization. The fungi and their spores are still alive. They are simply experiencing a higher level of restrictions from the host plant. In fact, there is ample evidence to show that the host plant has significant control over when and where mycorrhizal fungi may enter root tissue. Theoretically, under conditions of high available phosphate, the restrictions are increased. So the levels of soluble phosphate in the soil can affect whether the host plant opens the door to the root widely or narrowly. But the mycorrhizal fungi are not killed by phosphates. This misunderstanding has been promoted by various companies who attempt to blend and sell mycorrhizal products with no real grasp of their biology.
So let’s correct the record regarding phosphates. Here is the real story:
In summary, mycorrhizal fungi and their host plants both need phosphates, and both work hard to accumulate this important mineral nutrient. But when soluble phosphates are abundant, the host plants tend to increase their restrictions to mycorrhizal fungi, resulting in lower levels of root colonization. So avoid applying high levels of soluble phosphates at the same time that you apply mycorrhizal fungi. Instead, consider reducing your total phosphate fertility, and spread your phosphate applications out more broadly.
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If you have been reading about cultivating indoors with organic soil then you've heard of SubCool's Super Soil. I admit to starting with this mix and thought I was really doing something special when I first went for it. I bought all the stuff and was really excited to use it.
My results were actually pretty good, but I've since moved on I think you should too.
Besides the "base soil" being purchased instead of made from scratch, I have many other issues. All in all this taking bagged soil and adding worm castings and nutrients isn't a bad idea, but it can be improved upon and money can be saved.
Here is the Recipe: 8 large bags of a high-quality organic potting soil with coco fiber and mycorrhizae (i.e., your base soil) 25 to 50 lbs of organic worm castings 5 lbs steamed bone meal 5 lbs Bloom bat guano 5 lbs blood meal 3 lbs rock phosphate ¾ cup Epson salts ½ cup sweet lime (dolomite) ½ cup azomite (trace elements) 2 tbsp powdered humic acid
Now I'll go through each item: Read more.....
