Building my first soil

[jonnynobody]

Im just harvesting my first organic grow,easy as all the leaves were gone long ago lol.Buds dont shrink nearly as much as hydro ones.Organic ones barley shrink at all.

Reminds me of my soil grows. Dam plants didn't have no leaves left on them by the time they were chopped, but my god the quality was out-funking-standing. And you are absolutely unequivocally correct. Hydro buds shrink. Then they shrink some more. Day by day as I pass my drying nets I sometimes panic thinking "if they shrink anymore I'm fucked." The numbers always workout, but it happens every cycle. Harvest, dry, shrink, panic, dry some more, panic some more, then finally relief when the numbers workout far better than I expected. That leaves me with a thought though. How much more weight would I have pulled if I had grown the plants in dirt? I'm working on answering that question as we speak If the Godfather OG goes off without a hitch using the same system I used 10 years ago 4 cycles in a row then I'm converting the entire garden. Which really isn't hard for me, because I use water to waste hempy buckets and not a complex flood and drain system with irrigation lines, drain lines, and electric wires running allover gods creation. Basically I just need to get 28 10 gallon containers. 14 for my nurseries and 14 for my flower room. I've already got tons of the 18" large plant elevators on hand to keep the bottom of the bucket off the drip saucer. Something you should do when using synthetic fertilizer in soil. Not necessary in no till for obvious reasons. I'll convert 2 of my 32 gallon hydro reservoirs to dirt holding stations. 1 full of ocean forest. 1 full of happy frog. I've already got a large work tote to mix in. Light speed ahead dude. Fasten your seat belt sir. We're now entering flavor country

 

[Hollatchaboy]

Lol yea i guess in most cases, efficiency just makes man lazier. At least me it does.. lol

 

[jonnynobody]

Lol yea i guess in most cases, efficiency just makes man lazier. At least me it does.. lol

Shit I'll spend a few minutes a day on the peloton just so I can be lazy in every other aspect of my life and be completely guilt free about it

There's a way to circumvent every problem in life. You just gotta want it man

 

[Bertalishas]

I'm moving from hydroponics to organic soil. Slowly I would like to transition my entire garden to dirt. The flavor of hydroponic grown flower compared to dirt grown is worlds apart. It's not that the hydroponically grown flower isn't potent and flavorful. It's just not special like the dirt grown flower is. Years ago another dirt grower made a post that hit me like a ton of bricks. He said when you smoke his flower it will actually leave a pungent flavor on your pallet. It's been over 10 years since I've grown in dirt, but that's exactly what I remember. The flavor was just magical and it stayed on the back of your tongue for minutes after smoking. You could breathe on someone and it was like a fresh bud had just been broken up. Breathe on someone after smoking some hydro and you're gonna get a slap in the face. It's a stark contrast. The plant develops stronger more complex and more aromatic oils when grown in dirt. The same is true of vegetables. Hydroponic tomatoes look like something that came off a 3d printer. And they taste like nothing. There is no flavor. It's just like a lifeless copy of an actual tomato. Like a tomato mannequin. Looks great, but take a bite and instantly you notice something isn't right. Your eyes tell you nothing is wrong. It looks gorgeous. But your pallet knows the difference. I believe dirt is what makes the difference. Not necessarily organic. I've grown plants in dirt using synthetic nutrients. The pot was absolutely incredible and it left a flavor on the pallet. The bowl was enjoyable to the last puff and burned to a clean gray ash. It was a pleasure to smoke. However, the plants were fed very lightly on a water, water, feed, water, water, feed regimen. They received very little synthetic fertilizer, but that is what I used. So I don't believe you must go 100% organic to obtain incredible results. I believe 100% organic would most likely produce the best results, but it also comes with a large learning curve. I'm ready to learn at this point, but I will continue using synthetic fertilizer in my dirt containers while I learn how to build a proper soil. I really like the fox farm brand as a base soil. Particularly the ocean forest and happy frog. HF for seedlings. First transplant into 50% HF and 50% OF. Final transplant into 100% OF. What I would like to do is amend these soils on a tarp with additional goodies. I just don't know what to throw in yet

I hear good things about oyster shell flour and crab meal for calcium sources. Also, another large commercial outdoor gardener suggested epsoma tomato tone. He said he starts all his plants in it that eventually wind up in 200 gallon fabric pots. Then he feeds the soil with teas from his 250 gallon reservoirs. Alfalfa meal tea is a regular one on non fertilizer water in days. I'm nowhere near ready to do teas or anything like that, but eventually I would like to move to that.

Any recommendations on a good basic soil recipe? Should I be using something other than Fox Farm? I really don't know a great deal about soil gardening other than knowing my pot tasted a lot better and was more enjoyable to smoke than my hydroponic grown pot. Thanks for any advice!

I just switched from synthetics to organics and I’m soooooo hyped! Exciting stuff

 

[Highlife42]

You're correct. Hydro is a step down in flavor but the organic growers get the idea all wrong. The plant can't tell a synthetic element from an organically produced element. So what makes the difference in flavor from hydro to soil? It's the dirt acting as a buffer between the roots and the fertilizer slowing the rate of absorption. I've heard plenty of anecdotal stories over the years of terrible pot coming out of lot's of organic gardens so going organic is no gaurantee of success. Synthetic fertilizers work great when paired with soil as a medium. You will supply the plant reliably and consistently with all the elements required. They will want for nothing. The no till industry has conned a vast number of people into believing the best pot must be grown without synthetic fertilizer. Why the con job? Follow the money. The chicken hawks in the synthetic industry are exponentially worse. Advanced Nutrients anyone? 'Nuff said there. There's a happy median in between the organic nuts and the full on hydro growers. It's less profitable for new gardeners (or any gardener for that matter) to understand that though. If I wanted to convert my garden to no till I'd spend a grand just rounding up all the bullshit. The one's preaching it the most have financial ties to their statements. Is organic gardening awesome? You bet your tits. Is it required to grow top shelf out of this world dope? Instead of giving you the answer I'll ask another question. How easily are you conned?

I know that prices in that regard are going higher. However, there are many cost-effective ways to naturally farm. It has been around for decades, dating back to decades of using your natural environment, and adding your natural environment and fermented food and plant waste to naturally farm. Not organic. IMO difference. Dating back a long time, all our medicine was derived from plants and foods. Many different species of plants and trees alike. Did you know that penicillin was invented from rotting food waste. So that said, back then. That's how communities were treated. People were healed through homeostasis in the body with homeopathy too bc extracts taken from plants actually met the body virus, a cold lets say, and fought it off. VS traditional medicine like today (since humans learned we could create synthetic compounds; compounds that were FIRST taken from plants. Separated at the molecular level and now what we have today. Many pharms and and medicine that doesn't work. It suppresses the body's reaction to the virus aimed at the virus. Therefore, no cure. Still there to come back later. So, as well as the synthetic industry. I don't think we would be able to implement NPK to our plants in synthetic form if it wasn't for, the beginning. Plants and trees as medicine. Hell, look at biological capacities of fungi to degrade polyurethane. A by product of petroleum=Plastic bottle Cant have 1 without the other. Im not conned bc i know industries exist today creating large amounts of synthetic plant nutes, that end up where? In our rivers and streams. Well waters.. lakes.. Harmful to aquatic life and also creates stagnant environments bc nature does not know what to do with all the synthetics. Mushrooms solve that too though. We spray our food with chemicals bc they are OMRI listed as having no POTENTIALLY harmful sprayed pesticides/synthetics, we are growing our medicine with syns too now bc OMRI says those pesticides/insecticides are not harmful.. Hence Potentially. Omit for sure they do. They dont want to say its harmful to use when it runs the agriculture economy. So when I farm. My ferments can be applied to plants and washed into the river where aquatic life can live with it. Will Actually create a diverse and healthy ecosystem for miles.

Understanding that plants have stomachs just like animals. That need to breakdown energy aka food how? By fermenting it in the stomach. Although, i say stomach for plants. Its a different biological process. Ferments create readily available amino acids, polysaccharides, enzymes, and much more, ready for the plant. Now we break it down for them. A great example. Potassium for plants on the NPK structure, is in bananas. Ferment those with EM-1 microbes. Aloe vera is awesome and has many benefits for cannabis plants. This is all possible. Just like synthetics are. Doing it the right way by educating our minds through research and then practice. Not research as we practice. Get it down. And you can supply a plant with NPK with kitchen food waste. Enzymes, secondary metabolites as well.

 

[Hollatchaboy]

I have a strain I previously grew in dwc. I'm now growing it organically, and when I defoliated this time, the smell is different, and stronger. Has anybody else noticed that?

 

[jonnynobody]

I know that prices in that regard are going higher. However, there are many cost-effective ways to naturally farm. It has been around for decades, dating back to decades of using your natural environment, and adding your natural environment and fermented food and plant waste to naturally farm. Not organic. IMO difference. Dating back a long time, all our medicine was derived from plants and foods. Many different species of plants and trees alike. Did you know that penicillin was invented from rotting food waste. So that said, back then. That's how communities were treated. People were healed through homeostasis in the body with homeopathy too bc extracts taken from plants actually met the body virus, a cold lets say, and fought it off. VS traditional medicine like today (since humans learned we could create synthetic compounds; compounds that were FIRST taken from plants. Separated at the molecular level and now what we have today. Many pharms and and medicine that doesn't work. It suppresses the body's reaction to the virus aimed at the virus. Therefore, no cure. Still there to come back later. So, as well as the synthetic industry. I don't think we would be able to implement NPK to our plants in synthetic form if it wasn't for, the beginning. Plants and trees as medicine. Hell, look at biological capacities of fungi to degrade polyurethane. A by product of petroleum=Plastic bottle Cant have 1 without the other. Im not conned bc i know industries exist today creating large amounts of synthetic plant nutes, that end up where? In our rivers and streams. Well waters.. lakes.. Harmful to aquatic life and also creates stagnant environments bc nature does not know what to do with all the synthetics. Mushrooms solve that too though. We spray our food with chemicals bc they are OMRI listed as having no POTENTIALLY harmful sprayed pesticides/synthetics, we are growing our medicine with syns too now bc OMRI says those pesticides/insecticides are not harmful.. Hence Potentially. Omit for sure they do. They dont want to say its harmful to use when it runs the agriculture economy. So when I farm. My ferments can be applied to plants and washed into the river where aquatic life can live with it. Will Actually create a diverse and healthy ecosystem for miles.

Understanding that plants have stomachs just like animals. That need to breakdown energy aka food how? By fermenting it in the stomach. Although, i say stomach for plants. Its a different biological process. Ferments create readily available amino acids, polysaccharides, enzymes, and much more, ready for the plant. Now we break it down for them. A great example. Potassium for plants on the NPK structure, is in bananas. Ferment those with EM-1 microbes. Aloe vera is awesome and has many benefits for cannabis plants. This is all possible. Just like synthetics are. Doing it the right way by educating our minds through research and then practice. Not research as we practice. Get it down. And you can supply a plant with NPK with kitchen food waste. Enzymes, secondary metabolites as well.

Your post reminded me of Paul Stamets. The guy is a super hero for the planet. Very cool video on fungi saving the world:

 

[PJ Diaz]

I'm late to this thread, but I agree that a combination or organic and synthetic feed generally produces the most abundant and best tasting herb. I'm not so sure that I agree that it has to be done in soil however.I think that if you are adding organics such as fulvic acid, kelp, an benes to your hydro mix, you can produce fully flavored crops hydroponically. Also, I think the term "soil" is a bit confusing, especially in indoor grow situations, since most often when people say "soil" they really mean a soil-less potting mix which includes organic matter. True soil is only found in the ground, and is made up of tiny mineral particles ranging in size from sand to clay, plus organic matter.

 

[Highlife42]

Your post reminded me of Paul Stamets. The guy is a super hero for the planet. Very cool video on fungi saving the world:

Exactly my dude! Paul is an amazing guy. I could only hope to meet him one day lol I ramble again: If we collectively & continually say NO to synthetic fertilizers then where would those corporations go? Hopefully under one could hope. lol. Farming/growing the goods naturally takes ALOT of work (in the kitchen and elsewhere) to create these natural products that were here long ago. Its adds more labor and time that many people don't have. However, what if synthetics were never invented? Then we would know nothing else but to supply our foods and medicine with nature itself by putting in the work instead of dumping bottles of cal-mag on them and few days later asking, WTF is up with my plants lol As a whole, our country knows nothing but what is put in front of us. Its easy.. Most too lazy to research and just wanna do what the other guy is doing bc it too, "works". I get it, its time consuming, but worth it. Our genetics are worth it, our body's are worth. Your family is worth it.

I don't understand so maybe someone could help me understand this- If buds (heck food too) are created from minerals, minerals like Phosphorus and Potassium (micro/macro nutes, SM,..etc) and all the other 2000 molecules, how do you think that bud (fruit) is getting bigger and bigger, how does it go from just stems & leaves on a plant to smoke-able medicine? To a flower to an apple. To something you can eat? IMO by minerals. Minerals that we supplied either unnaturally or naturally. Its the building blocks to why things are tangible. Even you. Fruits hanging off trees didn't just go "poof" they slowly came about by molecules. Reactions and processes that have long been here by nature. IMO "flushing them out at the end" does nothing but wash the roots/soil "clean"". Isnt that why we dislike dispensary weed? Those minerals that were supplied throughout its growing cycle are what brought it to that point, nice pretty budz. Small trees. But those building blocks were "fake". The plant of course doesn't know any better in a way. Its just wants to process those ions for food so it too can live its cycle. So why aren't we smoking basically "fake buds" when the minerals supplied were unnatural that made it become a bud? I have noticed ALOT of people are becoming upset with dispensary goods, myself included. A for profit industry is slowly taking over cannabis (from the pharms that use mass nutes) and leaving behind what it should be; a natural weed for medicine. How can we develop plants that heal us, ease pain, when the minerals supplied weren't from anything that could heal us anyway? I can actually drink my ferments if I wanted, apply to wounds for healing and sicknesses too. One shot of synthetic nutes and id be locked up in many areas too asking for help.

I believe is we supply our plants with minerals that we eat, that our body recognizes that the plant itself recognizes, we as a people can change the direction of how we grow our plants and heal one another. Create happier environments for everyone. Sit down, smoke one to a movie called: A life on our planet, by David Attenborough. Another one called Super Fungi, and another called In the Mind of Plants . Everyone can learn something. Go create some Craft cannabis. Something out of this world, knock your socks off by inviting the terpenoids to say hello to a distant friend and in the end, heal you, happy you. Just like plants that heal us, we too have receptors that invite the natural form.

Heres a dope book!: The Regenerative Grower's Guide to Garden Amendments: Using Locally Sourced Materials to Make Mineral and Biological Extracts and Ferments: Palmer, Nigel, Kempf, John: 9781603589888: Amazon.com: Books

Just a few Learning materials:
+Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects (nih.gov)
+Frontiers | Response of Medical Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) to Nitrogen Supply Under Long Photoperiod | Plant Science (frontiersin.org)
+ Frontiers | Response of Medical Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) Genotypes to K Supply Under Long Photoperiod | Plant Science (frontiersin.org)
+Deficiency & Toxicity - Dutch Master Nutrients
+Dissolved Oxygen: The Key To Massive And Healthy Cannabis Plants - RQS Blog (royalqueenseeds.com)
+Korean Natural Farming- Get Yourself Off the Bottle - Plant Care / Nutrients - I Love Growing Marijuana Forum by Robert Bergman
+How And Why To Create Homemade Organic Fertilizers - RQS Blog (royalqueenseeds.com)

 

[hillbill]

Been 99% organic forever. Organic mixes get much better and less fussy when reused with mild amendments and a little SPM and drainage and compost or castings. Don’t worry much about NPK and even less over the years. I must have some mix that parts are 5 or 6 years old. Not a purist but close.

 

[Hollatchaboy]

Been 99% organic forever. Organic mixes get much better and less fussy when reused with mild amendments and a little SPM and drainage and compost or castings. Don’t worry much about NPK and even less over the years. I must have some mix that parts are 5 or 6 years old. Not a purist but close.

That way and no till are the way to grow imo. I haven't had a problem yet since using top dressing and water only. My plants are really green. No yellow leaves. They look happy and healthy.