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Mjproost · 02-22-2006, 03:15 PM

I recently went to a Lesco dealer near my house that their website said they had Soilmaster select Charcoal in stock. When I got there they did not. But, they did have a torn bag of the soilmaster select Red that they gave me for free!

So, I have a spare 20 long and a shoplight laying around so I decided to set up a tank for my extra plants. I was going to use it capped with a Flourite gravel mixture. I have used Schultz's Clay soil conditioner before with success. I have added a nutrient liquid mixture to it in the past and has worked great.

I filled a 5g bucket 2/3 thirds full of soilmaster, then covered it with water. Then, I added KNO3, KH2PO4, and K2SO4. I stirred as best I could. I notice a slight almost hissing sound and large bubbles coming up. Then the next morning I added Flourish and Flouyrish Fe, and stirred again. More bubbles and almost turpentine smell. Waited a hour or so and dumped off the liquid. The smell was very strong and when I dumped it into the tank, my wife noticed it from the other room. I have never notice this with Schultz's. Also the water I poured off was very red. Also, something I have never noticed with schultz's. The only thing I did differently was not mixxing the nutreint water mixture seperately before dumping it into the substrate.

Should I still use this stuff? Should I be worried?

02-22-2006, 03:15 PM	#1 (permalink)
Mjproost Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 152 iTrader Ratings: 13 iTrader Positive Rating: 100% Plant Points:	Foul smelling soilmaster select red I recently went to a Lesco dealer near my house that their website said they had Soilmaster select Charcoal in stock. When I got there they did not. But, they did have a torn bag of the soilmaster select Red that they gave me for free! So, I have a spare 20 long and a shoplight laying around so I decided to set up a tank for my extra plants. I was going to use it capped with a Flourite gravel mixture. I have used Schultz's Clay soil conditioner before with success. I have added a nutrient liquid mixture to it in the past and has worked great. I filled a 5g bucket 2/3 thirds full of soilmaster, then covered it with water. Then, I added KNO3, KH2PO4, and K2SO4. I stirred as best I could. I notice a slight almost hissing sound and large bubbles coming up. Then the next morning I added Flourish and Flouyrish Fe, and stirred again. More bubbles and almost turpentine smell. Waited a hour or so and dumped off the liquid. The smell was very strong and when I dumped it into the tank, my wife noticed it from the other room. I have never notice this with Schultz's. Also the water I poured off was very red. Also, something I have never noticed with schultz's. The only thing I did differently was not mixxing the nutreint water mixture seperately before dumping it into the substrate. Should I still use this stuff? Should I be worried?