2017 Grow your own thread

Canadain Closet Gardener

Canadain Closet Gardener

Well-Known Member
storage bin.jpg Hi All
I think I've been inspired by a certain backyard gardener, to get out of the closet and go outside next year. :)
So I mixed 100gal plus of a custom supersoil mix for outdoors next year.
Found the bins at Canadian Tire on sale for $24 each Rona also has them for $29.99 reg price
I'm thinking of using the bins as planters. Lets hope the bins survive the winter?
Cheers
CCG
 
Jay p123

Jay p123

Well-Known Member
Canadain Closet Gardener said:
View attachment 4034579 Hi All
I think I've been inspired by a certain backyard gardener, to get out of the closet and go outside next year. :)
So I mixed 100gal plus of a custom supersoil mix for outdoors next year.
Found the bins at Canadian Tire on sale for $24 each Rona also has them for $29.99 reg price
I'm thinking of using the bins as planters. Lets hope the bins survive the winter?
Cheers
CCG
Click to expand...
Sounds like your on your way to a very nice garden next season.
 
Jay p123

Jay p123

Well-Known Member
Canadain Closet Gardener said:
View attachment 4034579 Hi All
I think I've been inspired by a certain backyard gardener, to get out of the closet and go outside next year. :)
So I mixed 100gal plus of a custom supersoil mix for outdoors next year.
Found the bins at Canadian Tire on sale for $24 each Rona also has them for $29.99 reg price
I'm thinking of using the bins as planters. Lets hope the bins survive the winter?
Cheers
CCG
Click to expand...
When the soil has a nice layer of webbing looking like mold take a pic and post it. That'll be a great sign your soil is doing what it is supposed to do.
The only thing with doing that super soil now is some of the food you put in may not be available when you actually need it cuz the food breaks down after so long.
I believe you are supposed to make it 1 month or 2 before you use so all food is available during the cycle. ( Don't quote me in that though. Maybe longer is better ).
 
GroErr

GroErr

Well-Known Member
Thought I'd post this here for you folks that do sifting of your crops (90% of my crops end up sifted for meds). I've tried different things over the last couple of years and recently found a great option, really cheap.

I had a standard DIY sift screen, some 1x2" wood for the frame with 180 micron stainless steel screen held between them. Worked great but no matter where I put it, I'd end up with a sore back from leaning over it to sift/card material.

The batch of sift above was run over a total of ~2 hours with a standard 24" (30cm) sieve and catch tray. With this setup I was able to sit on the couch, feet up and the sieve/catch tray on my lap. Almost no effort and very comfortable. Winner combo imo and cheap.

I use 180 micron/80 mesh which is clean enough for meds. For those who prefer to smoke it they have them down to 200 mesh/74 micron which is typically good enough for full melt. You can use one catch tray and one sieve, or have a couple of sieves for different purposes (e.g. meds @80 or 100 mesh, 200 mesh for smoking material. The sieves sit on a lip which fits the catch tray. You can sit it on your lap and spin the tray as you;'re carding material through the screen, easy, quick, effective.

They run $22.50 USD each so for under $50 USD delivered you can have a comfortable and easy way to sift larger loads in a few hours.

Ali Express links:

Catch tray:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1-s...32759266221.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.G16BsI

Sieves:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/R30...32819699896.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.G16BsI

Mesh to Micron Conversion:
http://www.universalfilters.com/MMCC.html
 
Canadain Closet Gardener

Canadain Closet Gardener

Well-Known Member
Jay p123 said:
When the soil has a nice layer of webbing looking like mold take a pic and post it. That'll be a great sign your soil is doing what it is supposed to do.
The only thing with doing that super soil now is some of the food you put in may not be available when you actually need it cuz the food breaks down after so long.
I believe you are supposed to make it 1 month or 2 before you use so all food is available during the cycle. ( Don't quote me in that though. Maybe longer is better ).
Click to expand...
It's only been 7 days but I'm already starting to see the mold on the top of the soil.
The soil will be outside in winter so I'm thinking it will take longer to compost as it will be frozen for a few months

20171106_140101.jpg
 
dienowk

dienowk

Well-Known Member
GroErr said:
Thought I'd post this here for you folks that do sifting of your crops (90% of my crops end up sifted for meds). I've tried different things over the last couple of years and recently found a great option, really cheap.

I had a standard DIY sift screen, some 1x2" wood for the frame with 180 micron stainless steel screen held between them. Worked great but no matter where I put it, I'd end up with a sore back from leaning over it to sift/card material.

The batch of sift above was run over a total of ~2 hours with a standard 24" (30cm) sieve and catch tray. With this setup I was able to sit on the couch, feet up and the sieve/catch tray on my lap. Almost no effort and very comfortable. Winner combo imo and cheap.

I use 180 micron/80 mesh which is clean enough for meds. For those who prefer to smoke it they have them down to 200 mesh/74 micron which is typically good enough for full melt. You can use one catch tray and one sieve, or have a couple of sieves for different purposes (e.g. meds @80 or 100 mesh, 200 mesh for smoking material. The sieves sit on a lip which fits the catch tray. You can sit it on your lap and spin the tray as you;'re carding material through the screen, easy, quick, effective.

They run $22.50 USD each so for under $50 USD delivered you can have a comfortable and easy way to sift larger loads in a few hours.

Ali Express links:

Catch tray:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1-s...32759266221.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.G16BsI

Sieves:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/R30...32819699896.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.G16BsI

Mesh to Micron Conversion:
http://www.universalfilters.com/MMCC.html
Click to expand...
I am surprised I have not seen more people using these to be honest, they are what I was trained to use in my chemistry program when sifting solids (we used a mechanical shaker and 5-10 different mesh sizes stacked).
 
GroErr

GroErr

Well-Known Member
dienowk said:
I am surprised I have not seen more people using these to be honest, they are what I was trained to use in my chemistry program when sifting solids (we used a mechanical shaker and 5-10 different mesh sizes stacked).
Click to expand...
Yeah they're standard lab sieves, had thought of them about a year ago but when I looked around they were quite expensive here or even online through US manufacturers. But for around $60 CAD for a set with tray they're well worth it and difficult to make anything like that for less. They seem well built, time will tell but looks good. I had tried one of the Pollen Extractor units and tried a bunch of different methods to increase yields (ball bearings, dimes in the container etc.) in the last year, it works but the yields are dismal compared to using a screen and carding, like 1/3rd the yield with the same size screen and material.

Any ideas on where to find or make one of those mechanical shakers? That's my next project. That would be awesome, fill, flip the switch, walk away...
 
Jay p123

Jay p123

Well-Known Member
Canadain Closet Gardener said:
It's only been 7 days but I'm already starting to see the mold on the top of the soil.
The soil will be outside in winter so I'm thinking it will take longer to compost as it will be frozen for a few months

View attachment 4038880
Click to expand...
Ya didn't think about freezing it.
Sweet. Your plants are going to be reaching for the sky lol. Lol lol
 
Last edited:
dienowk

dienowk

Well-Known Member
GroErr said:
Yeah they're standard lab sieves, had thought of them about a year ago but when I looked around they were quite expensive here or even online through US manufacturers. But for around $60 CAD for a set with tray they're well worth it and difficult to make anything like that for less. They seem well built, time will tell but looks good. I had tried one of the Pollen Extractor units and tried a bunch of different methods to increase yields (ball bearings, dimes in the container etc.) in the last year, it works but the yields are dismal compared to using a screen and carding, like 1/3rd the yield with the same size screen and material.

Any ideas on where to find or make one of those mechanical shakers? That's my next project. That would be awesome, fill, flip the switch, walk away...
Click to expand...
That pollen extractor looks like a modified encased rock tumbler, not shocking that it does not work overly well to be honest. I can do some digging on the mechanical shaker, used would be best to find as anything labeled "lab equipment" as you likely know carries a steep inflation on top of the actual cost to produce. For what it is it seems insane that a unit like this https://www.coleparmer.ca/p/cole-parmer-sieve-shaker/49954 costs that much, there is no way that it costs anywhere remotely close to that to produce it.
 
Jay p123

Jay p123

Well-Known Member
Soil is going to be delivered on Wed to start my indoor.
Here is a pic of backyard today.
Finally cleaning it up and collecting the last of the purple popcorn.
Next pic will be the roots when I pull them out later on.

These guys are waiting for the soil to arrive. IMG_1178.JPGIMG_1180.JPG
 
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