Recycled Organic Living Soil (ROLS) and No Till Thread

Miyagismokes

Well-Known Member
Put a black landscape fabric ceiling over your bed. It helps keep the soil surface temp down from the sun. If you keep them fed, watered and shaded they’ll be fine. Worm composting can be pretty odorless if done right too. Don’t compost really stinky shit and cover food scraps with some soil or castings. Only add what the worms can process within a few days or a week. Worms are really easy to keep.

I’m in Florida so haven’t had to worry about winters, but I like the suggestion of burying the pot 75%
I've been considering keeping them indoors due to winter... Enough to turn out some castings for a small 30gal pot or two... Either that or go big, outside.
My problem is until I'm no longer renting, I can't go full bore on it as I'd like; I actually need a minimum of a cubic yard of castings just to do my personal garden "per the recipe" that some folks use... I've never actually used worm castings at all before this season. But if they work well, and should work better fresh, then I don't see why I shouldn't build myself a bed. If I have to move, I can always grab a handful of worms and restart the process...
 

Grow for fun only

Well-Known Member
Here my soil mix is used this year. Its pretty simple and effective. You can see pics of my plants in my grow journal. In 100 gallon pots smart pots. I do use AACT, LABs, and some organic liquid nutrient.

The base soil is out of Paradise CA. It's got some decomposed rock dust, gypsum, and topsoil with a bit of organic matter.
Each pot got:
Paradise topsoil filled until about 2/3 full.
a 30 lb bag of composted chicken manure
a 30 lb bag of worm castings
a 30 lb bag of fox farm soil
10 lb bag of bat guano
3 cups oyster shell flower
3 cups kelp
2 cups mycos
1.5 cups garden lime
3 coffee cans of perlite.
Good to know this.


www.mars-hydro.com.jpg
 

TheBeardedBudzman

Well-Known Member
I've been considering keeping them indoors due to winter... Enough to turn out some castings for a small 30gal pot or two... Either that or go big, outside.
My problem is until I'm no longer renting, I can't go full bore on it as I'd like; I actually need a minimum of a cubic yard of castings just to do my personal garden "per the recipe" that some folks use... I've never actually used worm castings at all before this season. But if they work well, and should work better fresh, then I don't see why I shouldn't build myself a bed. If I have to move, I can always grab a handful of worms and restart the process...
Indoor worm bins are very easy, even on a larger scale. You can stack bins to save space, and keep smell down by adding dirt on top of the stinky stuff. Indoors is better! Have fun!
 

Wetdog

Well-Known Member
I've been considering keeping them indoors due to winter... Enough to turn out some castings for a small 30gal pot or two... Either that or go big, outside.
My problem is until I'm no longer renting, I can't go full bore on it as I'd like; I actually need a minimum of a cubic yard of castings just to do my personal garden "per the recipe" that some folks use... I've never actually used worm castings at all before this season. But if they work well, and should work better fresh, then I don't see why I shouldn't build myself a bed. If I have to move, I can always grab a handful of worms and restart the process...
Indoors is the way to go and all you need is a 18 gallon tote and 2'x3' of floor space. There is no smell unless you are doing something really wrong. I have 6 bins going in the basement and my wife has never commented, even once, about any smells.

Forget that CY and "per the recipe". That might be for bagged castings, but with homegrown the stuff is so concentrated and dense anything over 10% in a mix is asking for trouble. VOE on this.

Wet
 

Miyagismokes

Well-Known Member
Indoors is the way to go and all you need is a 18 gallon tote and 2'x3' of floor space. There is no smell unless you are doing something really wrong. I have 6 bins going in the basement and my wife has never commented, even once, about any smells.

Forget that CY and "per the recipe". That might be for bagged castings, but with homegrown the stuff is so concentrated and dense anything over 10% in a mix is asking for trouble. VOE on this.

Wet
Even at 10%, 6 200gal pots needs 120cf...
That's a lot of worms. I should get my fishing license next year.
 

SageFromZen

Well-Known Member
What are you guys using to emulsify your neem oil?
I stay away from commercially produced dish soaps(ie: Dawn, Palmolive etc), and instead use Seventh Generation Natural Dish Washing Liquid or similar that can be found at Trader Joe's and Sprouts type stores. The ingredients list speaks for itself.

https://www.seventhgeneration.com/dish-liquid-free-clear

Ingredients: Water, sodium lauryl sulfate (plant-derived cleaning agent), glycerin (plant-derived foam stabilizer), lauramine oxide (plant-based cleaning agent), caprylyl/myristyl glucoside (plant-derived cleaning agent), magnesium chloride (mineral-based viscosity modifier), citric acid (plant-derived pH adjuster), and benzisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone (synthetic preservatives).
 

SCJedi

Well-Known Member
What are you guys using to emulsify your neem oil?
I use a one pint Ball jar with a screw cap. I add equal parts Neem oil, Karanja, essential oils, K Sil (potassium silicate) to about 1.5C of water at room temperature.

I screw the cap on and just shake the bottle like mad for a few mins.

If oil droplets are still floating around, I add a bit more KSil and repeat the process. When it's a nice even liquid of yellow milky consistency, I pour into sprayer top water off to 1 Gallon, add a form of saponin (I use Dr. Bronner’s Soap) and go to town. Once in a while I add 1-2oz of Pyganic.

I do this weekly as a preventative IPM.
 

Og grumble

Well-Known Member
Awesome thanks guys. Everyone always says to use protekt, agsil, ksil etc but i thought those weren't organic? Maybe im wrong... I was tempted to get this since its already emulsified but it kinda seemed like a rip off.819oxOoiZGL._SL1500_.jpg
Also it doesnt say what the 30% of other ingredients is... Anyone ever use this stuff?
 

SCJedi

Well-Known Member
Awesome thanks guys. Everyone always says to use protekt, agsil, ksil etc but i thought those weren't organic? Maybe im wrong... I was tempted to get this since its already emulsified but it kinda seemed like a rip off.View attachment 4182625
Also it doesnt say what the 30% of other ingredients is... Anyone ever use this stuff?
I believe that OMRI states as long as the silica used comes from a naturally occuring sand.
 

Wetdog

Well-Known Member
I’m not prepared to undermine or debate the integrity of organic efforts because of something as inconsequential as naturally occurring silica.
To be technically organic something must relate to or contain carbon or its compounds, so minerals are pretty much out along with most elements.

Organically compatible are those naturally occuring things that aren't organic but play well with stuff that is organic like said silica or the minerals in rock dust or greensand for example.

You are totally right about it not being worth the debate or the time wasted in discussion.

Wet
 
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