Description
HP-W is a ‘high-porosity’ soil-less growing medium which consists of high-grade Canadian sphagnum peat moss, perlite, mycorrhizae and dolomite lime. This mix is superior to, and exceeds the standards in the growing industry.
At StepWell, we take pride in our Super Soil, cultivated with beneficial bacteria and fungi.
Our Super Soil is not simply any average blend of soil, but it is a carefully measured formula of ingredients that is mixed together, and then delicately aged to ensure maximum growth of microbes, bacteria, and Fungi. The cultures in the soil help break down and provide nutrients for the plant.
StepWell Soil’s SS-W is designed for all general growing needs but caters specific needs of each plant. This blend is made by growers, and with the input the community we have developed a great organic base to grow premium and chemical free fruits and vegetables.
With the Proper sized pots and good atmosphere control, Gardeners are able to grow with ease using little to no nutrients. There are many different types of strains available on the market and not every strain will respond the same. Every strain will have their own unique characteristics which causes them to feed more or less on different nutrients. StepWell Soil has a nutrient kit available to help feed plants that may need a little more attention or just to cater to specific needs to bring out the best natural expressions of your cultivar.
Choosing your genetics
- Do some research on the genetics you want to grow
- Is it for indoor or outdoor?
- Look on forums and social media platforms for examples
- Find out the average yield
- How long the flower time is
What Can be Grown
IN SS-W
- This soil was designed for all species of plants
- Use it as a potting soil for your organic vegetables and flowers.
- After harvesting, you can take the used soil and top dress your flower/vegetable garden.
CHOOSING POT SIZES
- Each Bale is 3 Cuft Compressed, Loose Volume is approximately 34 gallons or 127 Litres
- Check our pot size guide , see how many weeks of veg and the proper size pot for that amount time. The sizes are in gallons.
- We recommend minimum 7-10 gallon pots for indoor growing with a veg time of 3-4 weeks.
- Minimum 15 gallon pots for outdoor growing
- Choosing a small pot will have less nutrients and like humans the bigger you are, the bigger the straw you need to drink from. The straw being an example of the pot size
TRANSPLANTING
- Make sure your soil is moist before transplanting, transplanting dry can cause transplant shock.
- Conditioning the soil is the best way to ensure the soil has properly expanded from the bale and it will help the soil absorb water easier
- Condition by putting the soil in a pale or tub and mix about 500 ml of water per gallon of soil
- Clones and most seedlings are able to go straight into the soil
- Plants can be started in small pots and transplanted up to their final pot with the exception of Auto Flowers
LIGHTING
- Every light will have its pros and cons. Choose the best light that suites your growing target
- HPS/MH, CMH are excellent lights to get great yields and has been proven to work really well. The upfront cost is fairly economical. The downside is the heat it produces and the electricity it consumes
- LED’s are the next wave of grow lighting technology. There are different varieties of LED grow lights. Some LED’s cause harder feeding on calcium, magnesium and iron due to the colorsand light spectrum. Use organic supplements such as Kelzyme from Kootenay bio soil or an organic top dress if your garden show’s signs of deficiencies. EM1 Water mix can be used as a foliar spray to help with these issues as well.
- Natural sunlight is free energy that produces much more power then any artificial light on the market. Nothing beats Mother Nature.
ATMOSPHERE
- For indoor growing maintaining temperatures between 22 to 28 Degrees C would be most ideal
- Humidity should be around 50–60 %rh
- If your growing outdoor. Make sure your plants have been hardened off (acclimated) to the outdoor weather. Temperatures can fluctuate more. The light intensity will be much stronger. It is best to leave them in full shade for a few days before putting them in the sun to reduce chances of bleaching. At the Start of the season when there is frost at night, bring the plants indoor at night the first week so they don’t stress in the cold.
- Growing in partly sunny with shady spots is said to get the best results.
WATERING AND FEEDING EM1
- Having an excellent source of water is very important, use chlorine and chloramine free water such as rain water, Reverse Osmosis, Distilled, or Filtered water.
- Water usually does not need to be ph balanced for our soil. If the ph is too high, Lime juice or apple cider vinegar can be used to bring down the ph lightly. If you choose to balance your water, ph the water to around 6.4.
- Check with your municipality on how they treat the water.
- Leaving water out can help evaporate chlorine but not chloramine. Use a water filter that can eliminate it.
- EM1 can be added to your regular watering schedule at least once a week. It can be used as a foliar spray as in Veg. Mix 1-2ml of EM1 to 1000ml of water for watering in the soil or foliar spraying.
- Keeping the core of the soil moist will help microbial life stay active and produce nutrients efficiently
- Water approximately 500ml per gallon of soil in each pot. Water frequencies will vary on temperatures, humidity and the size of the plant. Typically, we water every 2-3 days with fabric pots indoors.
- Outdoor watering can vary from every 2-3 days or even once a week. This depends on the pot size and temperature and the frequency of rain.
- Using blends of cover crops such as clovers, legumes, barely, buckwheat and alfalfa will help create armor for the soil and pulls nitrogen from the air. Having cover crop also benefits the rhizosphere and aids spikes in temperature.
ADDITIONAL NUTRIENTS
- In most of StepWell’s gardens we do not add any extra nutrients because we use the larger sized pots to grow in. Our preference is water and microbes from beginning to end.
- Growers may use organic supplements to enhance their grows to hit certain targets. Products such as Compost teas, top dressing, and fertilizers that do not contain salts and chelates.
IPM (INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT)
- Using an Ipm in your garden is crucial to keeping unwanted pest from harming your plants
- Adding nematodes to your soil will help prevent or get rid of fungus gnats and other soft bodied larvae
- Contact your nearest IPM suppler, they will be able help you with your pest control. We use Natural Insect Control.
- If using bugs to fight bugs isn’t your preference, natural Insecticidal soaps sprayed on your plants will help deter or kill off unwanted pest. Use Method 1 pps or Safers Insecticidal soap.
HARVESTING
- Check for swollen calyx’s and receded hairs. This is a way to check for plant maturity or another method would be checking for cloudiness and amber trichomes.
- When time gets near to harvesting your plants, Flushing is not required. There are no synthetic chemicals or fertilizers to flush out like in hydroponics. This is one of the biggest reasons why terpenes are more announced with organic growing.
- Hang dry for 10-14 days at 60F/60%rh
