Many of you are familiar with Subcools Super Soil. He uses this soil for all of his breading projects (TGA Subcool seeds) and he swears by the recipe. I have no doubt that it works just as it is, but I've been having some issues finding some of the fertilizers for the soil... blood meal mostly, but also the azomite and the powdered humic acid. That being said, I first thought of using a high nitrogen guano instead of blood meal. The next thought was to substitute the bloom guano and the blood meal for 10-11 pounds of all purpose seabird guano(10-10-2). If you have used the recipe before and you have an opinion please let me know what you think. I can't seem to find the blood meal, but I can find all sorts of guanos around my area. Here is the original recipe:

- 8 large bags of high quality organic potting soil with coco and Mycorrhizae (I am currently using 4 bags of Roots (40l) and 4 bags of Biobiz Lite Mix (50l).)
- 25-50 lbs. of organic worm castings
- 5 lbs. of Fish bone meal
- 5 lbs. Bat guano (Bloom formula)
- 5 lbs. Blood meal
- ¾ cup Epsom salt
- 1 cup Sweet lime (Dolomite)
- 3/4 cup Azomite ( Trace element)
- 2 Tbs. powdered Humic acid (Optional)

My main concern is if the seabird and bat guanos release nutrients similarly to the way blood meal does. I also want to know of the guanos are potent enough(or too potent). Thanks for the help...

I see that my NPK ratios were off, but I did find a guano that would work. It is a high nitrogen bat guano with a npk ratio of 13-6-2. Would this work? Would I use 5 or 10 pounds? Any help would be great... peace

I am not really sure what your question is. Are you asking about using that guano for the guano called for in the recipe or in place of the guano and blood meal?

If you are going to use this soil to flower in, you would be best off to make sure you do not have too much nitrogen as that can slow flowering. You also do not want to end up short on phosphorus, as it is essential for making flowers. I have a hard time believing that you can find guano but no blood meal.

I'm trying to get the same npk ratios without using blood meal... I can't find any quality blood meal and I honestly didn't feel comfortable using it anyways. The only blood meal that I can find (locally) is miracle grow and I've not heard many good things about them. The nursery that I get supplies from doesn't sell blood meal. I want to stay as close to the original recipe as possible, but if I have to use different guanos all together I will. If it's just a matter of numbers then I can figure it out, but this is my big question: is guano just as nutritious as blood meal or will I be missing something by changing ingredients? These are the number I'm going after:

- 5 lbs. of Fish bone meal (3-16-0)
- 5 lbs. Bat guano (0-5-0)
- 5 lbs. Blood meal(12-0-0)

Sorry to ask stupid questions... I'm still learning.

Both guano and blood meal are immediately available to your plants. Some people prefer to stay away from blood meal for a few reasons. You would do fine to substitute the guano for blood meal. I would personally, only use 5 lbs.

I think you may do better to eliminate the blood meal, add more worm castings, and stick w/ a bloom guano. Achieving the same exact numbers as Subcool is not as important as one may think. I would be more concerned w/ not overdoing any one nutrient. With guanos around, you will always be able to make tea. Tea will give your plants needed nutrients, if deficiency occurs.

Only about half of blood meal is immediately available. If it's 12%, figure 6-0-0.

You can replace blood meal with feather meal, which is slightly less "hot" initially. Otherwise, higher N guano.


If you're silly and like purchasing some "seabird" or "bat" guano, go ahead. If you're intelligent buy a 20kg pouch of 4-4-2 or 5-5-3 pelletized chicken crap. Also a guano, way less expensive.

I agree with you Tomato about chicken crap. It's good stuff but must be used in small amounts. Chicken crap is very hot especially when harvested farm fresh.
I choose bat guano because it releases a lot slower and is very unlikely to burn your plants unless a ridiculous amount is used. I've gotten burnt leaf tips from top dressing with chicken crap. Just go easy with it.
The best idea IMHO would be to add it to your soil bin and let it break down for a whole season so it will lose its "hotness".

Peace, E1

While I agree with everything you said about fresh chicken manure: the commercially available pelletized versions are fully composted and kiln dried, before being pressed into little pellets. I've yet to burn a plant with it. But again, common sense prevails, two heaping handfulls won't come near a tomato plant's salinity threshold but it'll fuck up your carrots or whatnot.

Just out of curiosity, Tomato Pie, why is seabird and bat guano silly? I have never used seabird guano, but was tempted to start adding bat guano to my soil mix. I have been using bat guano to make tea for a few years, but never mixed it in my soil. I have been using chicken litter for some time. So, I guess I am intelligent, but you suggest that I am also silly for buying guano.

Also, I was under the impression that blood meal was immediately available, and breaks down quickly. Is this not true?

In regards to the blood meal: Part of it is immediately available. Part of it requires organisms to decompose, and yes it happens fairly quickly. Depending on soil temperatures, root exploration, etc. It can last up to a month though.

Bat guano is mainly MARKETING. It grows plants tremendously well, but it ridiculous in terms of transportation and harvesting costs. And in some regions of the world they destroy bat ecosystems, and bats are more and more endangered in north america.

On the other hand chicken manure is a product we have PLENTY of, it's renewable, transport costs are much lower, and it's overall a good product.

There are plenty of NPK formulations on the market and to be honest out of the shelf of fertilizers I have, organic and chemical, I've mainly used pelletized chicken manure this year. 90% of my fertilization I'd say.