how long before becoming available in soil

GoRealUhGro

Well-Known Member
I was just wondering how long it takes for certain things to break down in soil and be readily available..one being ash... I plan on putting some in my pile.. I actually already have.. But i was going to try and mix my soil, aeration, and compost together soon... Along with. Very limited amendments atm... I was just wondering if i woild mix a few things into my soil and let them sit for a coule months.. Mo and a half... If it would be ok.... If anyone knows the typical breakdown time for anything actually... I understand super living soils will break down things faster... So im sure we cant get an exact time.. But something close... Ty
 

ShLUbY

Well-Known Member
I was just wondering how long it takes for certain things to break down in soil and be readily available..one being ash... I plan on putting some in my pile.. I actually already have.. But i was going to try and mix my soil, aeration, and compost together soon... Along with. Very limited amendments atm... I was just wondering if i woild mix a few things into my soil and let them sit for a coule months.. Mo and a half... If it would be ok.... If anyone knows the typical breakdown time for anything actually... I understand super living soils will break down things faster... So im sure we cant get an exact time.. But something close... Ty
ash is quite readily available. the smaller the particle size, the quicker its available. i've seen neem meal in a top dress getting broken down rapidly after one week. i'd say 2 weeks typically for the softer things, and minerals being a month or more. there is no real time frame anyone of us would be able to say for sure. it's all speculation.
 

GoRealUhGro

Well-Known Member
With a healthy living soil it would still be speculation?.. No data has been done to see this kinda thing?
ash is quite readily available. the smaller the particle size, the quicker its available. i've seen neem meal in a top dress getting broken down rapidly after one week. i'd say 2 weeks typically for the softer things, and minerals being a month or more. there is no real time frame anyone of us would be able to say for sure. it's all speculation.
 

GoRealUhGro

Well-Known Member
And thanks for that btw... I thibk ill add some ash to my soil mkx and let it sit fir a min... Well i have to let it sit so.... I wonder what amonnt per cf would be a goodd amount
 

ShLUbY

Well-Known Member
And thanks for that btw... I thibk ill add some ash to my soil mkx and let it sit fir a min... Well i have to let it sit so.... I wonder what amonnt per cf would be a goodd amount
probably not a lot, i think it's fairly strong. what is the ash from?
 

alphapinene

Well-Known Member
And thanks for that btw... I thibk ill add some ash to my soil mkx and let it sit fir a min... Well i have to let it sit so.... I wonder what amonnt per cf would be a goodd amount
why not knock 2 birds out with one stone and use some biochar? it's great for aeration/holding water&minerals and is a great source of carbon
 

GoRealUhGro

Well-Known Member
why not knock 2 birds out with one stone and use some biochar? it's great for aeration/holding water&minerals and is a great source of carbon
Would it be available just as fast? If so thays whats up... And i just am leary of using it uncharged feom the things iv heard.... Is it easly charged?
 

GoRealUhGro

Well-Known Member
probably not a lot, i think it's fairly strong. what is the ash from?
A mixture of hardwood... But i sobt have to use it.. I mean i can burn more... I use to know how much to add and what not to add... Isnt black walnut bad for a lot of stuff
 

GoRealUhGro

Well-Known Member
I thought oak wasnt actually the best... Ill Have to look but i think youre not supposed to add as much hw over sw or vise versa
 

alphapinene

Well-Known Member

ShLUbY

Well-Known Member
I thought oak wasnt actually the best... Ill Have to look but i think youre not supposed to add as much hw over sw or vise versa
i would start with 1/4cup per cu.ft. the first round and see how it goes. i would bet its pretty soluble. low N, medium P, and high K from what I can tell. i'd be careful with it until you get the feel for it.
 

GoRealUhGro

Well-Known Member
https://buildasoil.com/collections/aeration/products/bio-char?variant=3856320005 build a soil sells pre-charged biochar! according to them......'Pre-Charged Char is soaked with Home Made Compost Tea composed of Worm Power Vermicompost and Molasses according to MicrobeMans Recipe.'
Eh nah.. If i were able to buy stuff atm it wouldnt be biochar... I would never buy biochar... Thanks though... Someone said just making it in a tea doesn't work.. I thought of tossing it in my pile for awhile then getting it back out
 

Richard Drysift

Well-Known Member
It really depends upon how active the compost is to begin with but for most dry amendments as a general rule it takes 30 days to normalize the ph for whatever you added to your recycling soil. I have used amended soil in three weeks without issue before. Availability is not the same as break down time as some amendments like greensand could take much longer than a month to become available for absorbtion yet it is perfectly safe for plants. It is the ph that needs time to rise and there's no way to know for sure it is ok unless checked with a decent quality soil probe. Since I don't have one I just amend the old soil and wait a month and it always turns out ok. Adding a lot of compost especially EWC speeds up the process.
Don't be afraid to amend lightly and use organic fertilizers like liquid fish in the beginning. It takes a few recycles before your mix gets to the coveted supernatural status. Add worm castings and slow release ferilozers like cow or chicken manure to your containers directly to sustain your plants if you don't have a lot of amendments om hand. For a boost in flowering you could just push in a Jobes organic spike or 2 which works the same as a topdress with blood/bone/feather meal would and feeds plants for about 8 weeks.
 

GoRealUhGro

Well-Known Member
I started watching a vid but mt data ran out saying making char in a tea doesn't work.. Iiidk... I mean maybe.. Never studied on it... I was told putting it in compost and or compost mixed w w.e amendments you would want in it is the way your supposed to do it.. Or else it soaks up nutes.. Idk though
 
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GoRealUhGro

Well-Known Member
It really depends upon how active the compost is to begin with but for most dry amendments as a general rule it takes 30 days to normalize the ph for whatever you added to your recycling soil. I have used amended soil in three weeks without issue before. Availability is not the same as break down time as some amendments like greensand could take much longer than a month to become available for absorbtion yet it is perfectly safe for plants. It is the ph that needs time to rise and there's no way to know for sure it is ok unless checked with a decent quality soil probe. Since I don't have one I just amend the old soil and wait a month and it always turns out ok. Adding a lot of compost especially EWC speeds up the process.
Don't be afraid to amend lightly and use organic fertilizers like liquid fish in the beginning. It takes a few recycles before your mix gets to the coveted supernatural status. Add worm castings and slow release ferilozers like cow or chicken manure to your containers directly to sustain your plants if you don't have a lot of amendments om hand. For a boost in flowering you could just push in a Jobes organic spike or 2 which works the same as a topdress with blood/bone/feather meal would and feeds plants for about 8 weeks.
I guess i should of been more specific... I am looking for availability really on most things.. And good shit as always bud... I didnt think a jobes spike would compare to bone meal.. ... Shit.. But im covered on bone meal now that u gave me that info.. Thats gonna be fn neat lol
 

ShLUbY

Well-Known Member
I started watching a vid but mt data ran out saying making char in a tea doesn't work.. Iiidk... I mean maybe.. Never studied on it... I was told putting it in compost and lr compost mixed w w.e amendments you would want in bc is the way your supposed to eo it.. Or else it soaks up nutes.. Idk though
making char in a tea does work, you just need to bubble it for a long time. in compost is the ideal way, but it takes longer. i'm going to experiment with doing some of the char compost charging this year. add it to the list
 

GoRealUhGro

Well-Known Member
I would say outa a deer rib cage and maybe leg bones you would get a good lil bit... I wonder if the more dense the bone the better quality of meal... Ya know what i mean @Richard Drysift
 

GoRealUhGro

Well-Known Member
making char in a tea does work, you just need to bubble it for a long time. in compost is the ideal way, but it takes longer. i'm going to experiment with doing some of the char compost charging this year. add it to the list
I have a brewer or 3 so no prob... How fine should u make it , how long to bubble, and what is a good tea for it... Whatever u want?...wpuld a nute tea of dry amendments be ok @ShLUbY
 

ShLUbY

Well-Known Member
I have a brewer or 3 so no prob... How fine should u make it , how long to bubble, and what is a good tea for it... Whatever u want?...wpuld a nute tea of dry amendments be ok @ShLUbY
you want things that can become soluble or are already soluble. fish hydrolysate, kelp, and alfalfa were what I used for mine long ago, and after i brewed for like 10 days, i threw in some molasses and EWC and brewed a compost tea for 48 hours and strained it and that was it!
 
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