Using plants to supply NPK, Ca, Mg, IPM, etc

Scotch089

Scotch089

Well-Known Member
So it's been on the back of my mind since I decided to switch to organics, but after linking someone up on the ROLS thread I started getting serious about it. I've been wanting to incorporate growing IPM plants in my current garden bed but it will pull away from my space for the veggies I want so I am planning to build another bed specifically for sustainable nutrients.

What I am looking for are plants that are good sources of nutrients, I know dandelions have a shit ton of everything, sunflowers for potash. I used to have a chart.... I think fly linked it but can't find it anywhere. REALLY miss it.

I do have a source for rabbit poo, that on top of growing green nutes to amend, I think it'll be stellar.

Sage, lavendar, comfrey, nettle, are on my list. But I am curious about others I do not know of like marigold - what's in those that I need. Etc.

I'll keep updating this as I research more but I thought along the way peers could help me out.
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Scotch089 said:
So it's been on the back of my mind since I decided to switch to organics, but after linking someone up on the ROLS thread I started getting serious about it. I've been wanting to incorporate growing IPM plants in my current garden bed but it will pull away from my space for the veggies I want so I am planning to build another bed specifically for sustainable nutrients.

What I am looking for are plants that are good sources of nutrients, I know dandelions have a shit ton of everything, sunflowers for potash. I used to have a chart.... I think fly linked it but can't find it anywhere. REALLY miss it.

I do have a source for rabbit poo, that on top of growing green nutes to amend, I think it'll be stellar.

Sage, lavendar, comfrey, nettle, are on my list. But I am curious about others I do not know of like marigold - what's in those that I need. Etc.

I'll keep updating this as I research more but I thought along the way peers could help me out.
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I have been growing comfrey for almost a yr, and it's the coolest shit ever... topdress it with some ewc and some volcanic rock for aeration and the comfrey melts in, it melts! the weirdest "compost" process, after reading more I guess the comfrey was used for letter adhesives for yrs and yrs.. the leaves break down suer fast, and the carbon to nitrogen ratio is less than pure compost.
Easy as hell to get cuts from. I rooted two in water alone, not even bubbling. like a rose in a vase, only it sprouted roots.
I read on another forum of a great way to get more comfrey plants by cutting holes in the bottom of the container that the comfrey is in, and allowing the roots to grow into the ground or another container, and then after a couple weeks, just cut them and the roots will grow on their own.
Rabbit manure is the BEST manure out there, and after composting it the phosphorus levels actually increase!
A fpe of dandelions and comfrey is a great fertilizer to use.
From what I understand, in dandelion, comfrey, and stinging nettles will cover almost everything you need, with the exception of silica, which horsetail has in it, but honestly i'm not sure how or IF the silica from it is bioavailable or not...
I am in the process of making leaf-mold, in which I will have a solitary plant that I will feed only "plants" gonna see if there is any discernible difference.
For the record I find the concept of veganics sorta annoying, this isn't that, I will NEVER go without my castings.
rabbit manure and fpes will grow you so nice herb man.
 
Scotch089

Scotch089

Well-Known Member
Thanks brosiff. I just need to source some nettle. And I guess I should start intentionally growing dandelions instead of pickin em outta the yard lol. Such a pita.
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Scotch089 said:
Thanks brosiff. I just need to source some nettle. And I guess I should start intentionally growing dandelions instead of pickin em outta the yard lol. Such a pita.
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nah, i'd just pick them out of your yard, roots and all and throw them in a bucket with some water, and let it chill for a couple weeks.
I only intentionally grow comfrey, the dandelions are everywhere, and a fpe goes a long ass way, I made ten gallons of it and I still have 4 gallons left and I have been using it on all my plants ( I have tons of reg plants)
All three are insanely invasive, dandelions, nettles and comfrey are all VERY invasive.
Don't plant them in the ground unless you MEAN it....
They'll never leave and comfrey is a crazy ass plant.
In hindsight, a 5 galloon fpe will go the whole year, easy.
 
Scotch089

Scotch089

Well-Known Member
Lol I was being "funny" about the dandelions. My yard is nothing but yellow blips come warmer weather. I'll keep the invasive part in mind, may build removable dividers in the bed or something.

STOW! that's the list!!! I have been searching since I posted this looking everywhere. I could Have Sworn It was a a pdf so I kept that in the Google search. THANK YOU
 
Scotch089

Scotch089

Well-Known Member
I'm noticing some different scientific names for stinging nettle. Is there a major difference in these?

Looking at Urtica Dioica
 
Scotch089

Scotch089

Well-Known Member
I'm curious as well, my plan is to dry the plants and create meals to amend after each harvest (since these cant burn the growing plants, being plant matter, just not bio available yet, correct?) but then wonder about what hormones/stimulants i could be missing out on vs fermentation
 
st0wandgrow

st0wandgrow

Well-Known Member
hyroot said:
I know oats, mung beans, other lentils and romaine lettuce have a wide spectrum of nutes.

@stowandgrow what are your thoughts on fermented botanical teas vs composting the same plant material. Top dressing or teas

I think this thread should be a sticky too
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Scotch089 said:
I'm curious as well, my plan is to dry the plants and create meals to amend after each harvest (since these cant burn the growing plants, being plant matter, just not bio available yet, correct?) but then wonder about what hormones/stimulants i could be missing out on vs fermentation
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I tend to stick with top dressing or mixing bio acumulators right in to the soil. FPE's are plant available so in that regard I guess they can be useful if you're noticing a deficiency or something, but I'm on board with letting the soil food web do it's thing breaking down organic matter slowly.
 
greasemonkeymann

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
st0wandgrow said:
I tend to stick with top dressing or mixing bio acumulators right in to the soil. FPE's are plant available so in that regard I guess they can be useful if you're noticing a deficiency or something, but I'm on board with letting the soil food web do it's thing breaking down organic matter slowly.
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that's the beauty of comfrey, it breaks down so fast.
I have used comfrey as both a FPE and as a topdress/soil additive.
the FPE works really good on powder mold if sprayed, like it disappears in a day, kinda cool.
I use the hell out of my FPE, I made too much, I can tell you that jasmines, lavender, bleeding heart clerodendron and hybrid tea roses love it, as well as my cannabis.
I use it the same way you'd use a reg nutrient tea, it's a dandelion and comfrey mix, i add two pints per 4 gallons.
 
Scotch089

Scotch089

Well-Known Member
Just ordered some stinging nettle, comfrey, and lambs quarters seeds. Held off on horsetail, I don't know if I'm gonna get some. Don't like the bamboo like growth...
 
Abiqua

Abiqua

Well-Known Member
....also look around your hood :).....look for the weeds...alot of times good ones can be found...related to dandelion, like Nipplewort

Just for instance...I can find houndstongue [borage] related to comfrey, wild mints, wild vetch, wild carrot...Nettle, thistles, lambs tongue, clover....collect the seed and just spread in your planting areas...I have collected about 5 species this way so far and then grew them out a previous year....yarrow too...

Most weedy plants you can find out your front door, are probably for the most part high in nutritional value...after all that is a significant trait of being "weedy".....but don't pick weeds in polluted areas, that's probably just about the only golden rule...Asters are such a cosmopolitan species you can almost find them anywhere literally...dande's... thistle.... daisies....chicory.... sowthistle.... milkweed... lettuce[lactuca]...yarrow...pussytoes etc etc....
 
C

CC Dobbs

Well-Known Member
This is the wrong place to look for info like you need. Most people on here don't even have pubic hair so don't expect too much.
 
C

CC Dobbs

Well-Known Member
It is easy to be satisfied if you don't know what a good answer looks like. You are looking to create symbiotic relationships within your plant communities and use plants to mine and retrieve molecules that have gone beyond the root zone of cannabis. You are hovering on the edge of Biodynamics. That might be a word that you could look up.
 
st0wandgrow

st0wandgrow

Well-Known Member
CC Dobbs said:
It is easy to be satisfied if you don't know what a good answer looks like. You are looking to create symbiotic relationships within your plant communities and use plants to mine and retrieve molecules that have gone beyond the root zone of cannabis. You are hovering on the edge of Biodynamics. That might be a word that you could look up.
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Well, that's the wonderful thing about the Internet. Any info kicked around here can be easily verified with a quick google search.

The topic of dynamic accumulators isn't exactly rocket science. People have been utilizing these plants for a very long time
 
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