100 gallon smart pots indoors

Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
Ran into a bit of a hiccup with my living mulch plan. My mostly broken down compost I wanted to use is frozen outside and it's in too big and heavy of a tumbling composter to bring inside. The next week we are supposed to get some above freezing temps so I'm hoping I can dig it out and set up the layer later.

Just rewired my room this morning and now that Christmas Eve festivities are concluded I'm about to go hang some lights and get some soil beds ready for transplant.
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
Got three pots filled up...Am so unbelievably sore from mixing up the soil for those. Got one left but kinda gotta hype myself up to push through this last one. Moving all that soil and mixing it up with a shovel...My joints hurt, back, hurts, everything hurts, lol. All in the name of a richer and fuller soil environment! Pics and video soon!
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
Rasta Roy said:
Got three pots filled up...Am so unbelievably sore from mixing up the soil for those. Got one left but kinda gotta hype myself up to push through this last one. Moving all that soil and mixing it up with a shovel...My joints hurt, back, hurts, everything hurts, lol. All in the name of a richer and fuller soil environment! Pics and video soon!
Click to expand...
Exhibit A for why I don't do organic soil, lol
 
ShLUbY

ShLUbY

Well-Known Member
you can get one of those compost tumblers and start mixing your soil in that :) you'll just have to go in batches but hey.... saves a lot on the back for about 100$.... i like mine :) (i have 2) don't even use them for compost cause the shit goes anerobic to easily in that thing for some reason! besides, the ground is better for compost anyway bongsmilie
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
ShLUbY said:
you can get one of those compost tumblers and start mixing your soil in that :) you'll just have to go in batches but hey.... saves a lot on the back for about 100$.... i like mine :) (i have 2) don't even use them for compost cause the shit goes anerobic to easily in that thing for some reason! besides, the ground is better for compost anyway bongsmilie
Click to expand...
I got six of those tumbling composters! Problem is there stuck outside full of frozen compost lol. My problem with them is they work fine for about two-three weeks...But then they cool off before they're fully composted. They don't maintain temp right like a good pile on the ground does. It does break down enough for me to use as a mulch and worm bedding. But it's nothing I would make a fresh soil mix with tho.
 
ShLUbY

ShLUbY

Well-Known Member
Rasta Roy said:
I got six of those tumbling composters! Problem is there stuck outside full of frozen compost lol. My problem with them is they work fine for about two-three weeks...But then they cool off before they're fully composted. They don't maintain temp right like a good pile on the ground does. It does break down enough for me to use as a mulch and worm bedding. But it's nothing I would make a fresh soil mix with tho.
Click to expand...
you have to keep adding stuff to them to keep them hot. but careful not to add too much moisture. Coffee grounds work great for that. I just find that the compost doesn't get enough air when in the tumblers. I'm experimenting with an indoor compost in my basement. I have a 27 gal tote loaded with a bunch of leaves, some food scraps (though I have stopped adding those), amendments, canna leaves, more leaves (lol), and i have been adding coffee grounds every 4-5 days now which is helping maintain the heat production. i swear it's making my basement that much warmer it seems lol, probably just making shit up though :8 . I will have a designated tumbler for mixing soil from now on though.... SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much easier....

....... did i mention it's a lot easier??? :clap:bongsmilie:peace::peace::peace:
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
ShLUbY said:
you have to keep adding stuff to them to keep them hot. but careful not to add too much moisture. Coffee grounds work great for that. I just find that the compost doesn't get enough air when in the tumblers. I'm experimenting with an indoor compost in my basement. I have a 27 gal tote loaded with a bunch of leaves, some food scraps (though I have stopped adding those), amendments, canna leaves, more leaves (lol), and i have been adding coffee grounds every 4-5 days now which is helping maintain the heat production. i swear it's making my basement that much warmer it seems lol, probably just making shit up though :8 . I will have a designated tumbler for mixing soil from now on though.... SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much easier....

....... did i mention it's a lot easier??? :clap:bongsmilie:peace::peace::peace:
Click to expand...
I collect about 35-50 gallons of used coffee grounds weekly through my compost business so they are definitely heavy in use in my home compost as well. And yeah that definitely has kept it hot, if I continually add them, but then my carbon nitrogen ratio would be off and I still wouldn't be happy with my end product. It does make a good mostly composted mulch that has been perfect for my worm bedding though. It's worked better than anything else ive used for bedding so that's all I do with the bins now.
 
Vnsmkr

Vnsmkr

Well-Known Member
Rasta Roy said:
I got six of those tumbling composters! Problem is there stuck outside full of frozen compost lol. My problem with them is they work fine for about two-three weeks...But then they cool off before they're fully composted. They don't maintain temp right like a good pile on the ground does. It does break down enough for me to use as a mulch and worm bedding. But it's nothing I would make a fresh soil mix with tho.
Click to expand...
Have you tried introducing some LAB to it and see if it speeds up? Its an idea, see what happens ;). LAB has many purposes, speeding up composting is one
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
Vnsmkr said:
Have you tried introducing some LAB to it and see if it speeds up? Its an idea, see what happens ;). LAB has many purposes, speeding up composting is one
Click to expand...
I definitely have used it before! It did seem like it improved the situation but I got so many other uses for it, it's the last place I wanna use it usually. Especially when I've got standard piles that don't require a bunch of extra effort to make them work how they should lol. The tumblers make great worm bedding! I just got busy and I didn't get a chance to clear out them out before the first snow storm came in!
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
1226160716c.jpg
Recycled soil, compost, more perlite
1226160716d.jpg

1229160408.jpg
1229160409.jpg
Messy as all hell trying to put this all together.

1229160423.jpg
Dumping on a nice thick layer of worm castings on all of em.
1229160505.jpg
All mixed in!

1229160616a.jpg
Straw mulch game strong.

I still gotta squeeze in my tubs for my companion plants, you can see I got three random cannabis plants in tubs outside of the big beds. Those are extras I'm gonna use to fill out any holes in the canopy between pots. Broke a couple fans while I was setting everything up (I am a clumsy oaf)...so those need to replaced...but other than that more or less good to go!
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
Your magnetic ballasts are costing you. Upgrade to 315W CMH lights or COB LED. Better light and much more of it for less watts and less excess heat.
 
NaturalFarmer

NaturalFarmer

Well-Known Member
Last edited:
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
ttystikk said:
Your magnetic ballasts are costing you. Upgrade to 315W CMH lights or COB LED. Better light and much more of it for less watts and less excess heat.
Click to expand...
I would need to get 12 of those lights to replace what I can do with 4 1000watt lights. I've played around with LEDs, and CMH's before, they do not suit my needs or grow style. I can manage the heat, this time of year I actually use it to my benefit. I'm sure they work well for some.
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
NaturalFarmer said:
Looks awesome! Now that is some serious soil mixing!
Are you monocropping? About 500 gallons is it? Damn no wonder your back hurt

Maybe something like this would help.

http://www.harborfreight.com/material-handling/dollies/30-in-x-18-in-1000-lb-capacity-polypropylene-dolly-69565.html

I went with the cheaper ones and the weight of the dirt (with 45 gals) will eventually wear them out by the end of next year. Ill go beefier next time. These seem like a good price though
Click to expand...
No monocropping! I'm gonna throw in some companion herbs. I would do some comfrey too soon as I get a hold of some seeds.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top