ok, its a good start but you need some more nutrients in your soil. This is more than likely why the plants are growing so slow. Id suggest not to use that black and gold bag soil. Use coco coir and peat moss as a substitute for the bulk of soil. the compost and worm castings are good. i read what is in the vegan mix and its all good but your going to want more for nutrients than just that. I personally like to use a wide variety of organic slow release nutrients for a living soil, maybe have something quicker release for nitrogen so your young plants get a quicker start. Fish meal, bone meal, kelp meal, blood meal, humic acids, shrimp meal, crap meal. The more variety the better in my opinion. Also very important is to add some lime and rock dust to your soil. the rock dust and lime is critical to allow for your nutrients to become unlocked my micro organisms and provide you with your trace minerals. There are many sources for Calcium i like to use oyster shell powder. Oh and very very important mycohorrizal fungi!! Use this when you plant your seed and whenever you transplant, rub it on the roots and in the hole you place plant in. It must come in physical contact with the roots.
This is a basic soil recipe:
To make 15 gallons of soil
(1/3) 5 gallons- compost/wormcastings
(1/3) 5 gallons- coco coir and or peat moss
(1/3) 5 gallons- aeration (perlite or popped glass)
This right here will be the bulk of your soil, now you need to add your nutrients
Some simple math 1 cubic foot = ~7.5 gallons---->15 gallons = 2 cubic feet
Add two cups per cubic foot of lime or calcium to your soil, for this example would be 4 cups
now in a 1:1 ratio mix your nutrients in a bucket EXAMPLE (fish meal, kelp meal, neam meal, crab meal)
You would mix 1 cup all of those nutrients in a bucket. After you mix them together, add ~1 cup of the mix per cubic foot to your soil. For this example you would add two cups of the mix into your soil.
Blend all of these ingredients together thoroughly on a tarp. Add water to it or even better compost tea as you are mixing. After finished mixing and getting it wet, your soil is almost complete. you should allow 3-4 weeks for your soil to "cook". This means letting the micro-organisms multiply and begin to break down the nutrients and organic matter. After 4 weeks there will be sufficient nutrients available for plants to immediately use. Once your plant is introduced the soil food web will be complete and everything should thrive. This is a water only soil recipe, compost tea and clean water free of chloramine is all you need to get all the way to harvest
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