So who here is growing in true organic living soil?

fattiemcnuggins

fattiemcnuggins

Well-Known Member
So would the mix I made be ok for younger plants, and then transplant them into the mix with more worm castings, blood meal, and whatnots?
 
Rrog

Rrog

Well-Known Member
The bagged soil is fine for young plants. I have been following Subcool's method of growing in a 1 gallon pot and transplanting at ~3 weeks. Transplant into the stronger soil that could burn a smaller plant. So from 3 weeks through finish, it's in a 5-7 gallon pot. I use 7 gallon fabric pots.

The bagged soil should be fine, but I like to mix both the base soil and hot supersoil at the same time. Gives the BTI bacteria and chitin-eating bacteria (courtesy of that shrimp shell you added) time to kill off nasty hidden larvae. After 2 weeks I start seedling in 1 gallon base soil while the supersoil keeps baking. In three more weeks I'm ready to transplant from 1 gal to 7 and the supersoil is now 5 weeks old and ready for a three week old plant. That has all worked well for me.

I gotta scroll back and see what bagged soil you have there. I'm sure it's great.

WAIT! That alfalfa will be hotter'n shit. That has got to have a few weeks to integrate and be stowed. Blood meal + alfalfa is a lot of Nitrogen. You could just stick to the alfalfa. Lemme see how much per 1.5 cuft bag...

3/4 cup alfalfa meal instead of blood meal for N per 1.5 cubic foot bag.
 
fattiemcnuggins

fattiemcnuggins

Well-Known Member
Ok right on, so I just won't add the blood meal and I should be on track then. But I will need to add a little more of the alfalfa? I usually use roots so I figured I would stick with it. I have my current plants in 1 gallon containers of roots with some added mycos and ewc. Just add water, maybe some soluble seaweed and humega here or there. They'll stay in the 1 gallons for couple more weeks, until they start to get rootbound, then they will go into 5 gal containers of the new mix that we are working on here. I am getting so close to finishing these sealed rooms. Picked up a new fan, carbon filter, ballast, bulb, hood. Shit is adding up quick but lists are getting shorter.
 
Rrog

Rrog

Well-Known Member
Well... no way this soil will be cool in two weeks. Have you mixed anything at all yet?
 
fattiemcnuggins

fattiemcnuggins

Well-Known Member
Rrog said:
Well... no way this soil will be cool in two weeks. Have you mixed anything at all yet?[/QUOTE

Ok so were talking a longer cook time like 6 -8 weeks? Everything i listed before I mixed up but didnt add water or anything so it isn't cooking yet. I am on the add milk part of the lac b. I will just use roots+ teas and a couppe other things on these plants then, and wait for the next round to use what we are working on here.
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Rrog

Rrog

Well-Known Member
I was thinking 4-5 weeks. You could transplant into larger pots filled with Roots, then top dress with these items. They are all fast release so they'll be used and available. I mentioned earlier in this thread that it would be cool to discuss top dressing strategies.
 
Rrog

Rrog

Well-Known Member
Bloody T, just try a bagged pre-mix like Rootz organic. If you want to add an item or two later, no problem. If you did want to add something, I would suggest some dried crab, shrimp or lobster shell. That will attract microbes that will eat the jaws of the little rat motherfucker larvae. The LRMFL's. Ahem- I digress.

So what do you think? Would you try that? Ask questions and you'll get answers.
 
gladstoned

gladstoned

Well-Known Member
I am getting behind on reading here too I see. I stopped at Superior this afternoon at I got a few small bags of horticultural charcoal and I think I got a bag of gypsum also.
 
Rrog

Rrog

Well-Known Member
Groovy. We need a small worm farm in mid-michigan for top end castings. Sell this stuff at a farmers market.

See, if you feed these raw amendments we're talking about to the worms, the amendments quickly become fully digested and come out incorporated in the humus of the castings. Much more bioactive. Much more potent, yet much cooler for the plants. If you had worm castings that were fully loaded like that, it would make soil mixing and soil amending easier.
 
silusbotwin

silusbotwin

Well-Known Member
I'm pretty geeked to look through this thread when I have more time. Hardcore lurking pending... til then, heres a photo of some TLO Pineapple Express from G13 Labs.

I must say that organics is the best way to go, period if quality and flavor are your thing. If you're looking for huge yields of mediocre product, chems may be for you.
 

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Rrog

Rrog

Well-Known Member
Silus, thanks for stopping by. Be sure and ask questions since that helps everyone.

Glad, Wow I have used Morgan Compost products in the past but they've expanded into that gourmet compost market. I wonder how the prices compare.
 
Q

QuentinQuark

Well-Known Member
fattiemcnuggins said:
So I got what I cld today and mixed it up. Realized I forgot a couple things so I will add them tmrw I guess.I used 1 orange bale promix, per.abes rec. 1 bag roots original. 6 cups worm castings, 1.3 LB fish meal, 3 cups kelp meal. 1.5 cups alfalfa meal. Maybe 3/4 cup bone meal. Couple tablespoons of some foxfarm marine something or other. Was the only thing I could find witj crab meal in it. Couple tblspoons botanicare zho. I forgot thr cowboy charcoal and need to find my dolomite lime. Also need to add the local soil and lactose-b when it is ready. Will liwuid humic do same humus? Does that mix sound alright? Anything else I am missing?
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Get the lime in there soon, that's one that needs to cook for a nice long time.

If possible, innoculate the charcoal before adding it. I don't think this one needs a long cooking time though, so no rush. Someone correct me if I'm wrong :)

That doesn't sound like enough EWC.

What about some blood meal, bump up the N? I know the alfalfa's got it, but 1.5 cups to 2 big bags of soil doesn't sound like a whole lot. And good to have a second source, that goes for all the macros.

What about perlite or something for aeration?

Also what about micro-elements? Greensand, azomite, rock dust, and the like.

Some more suggestions, see what's available in your area that you can get your hands on, that's what I'm doing:
bat guano
fish bone meal (not sure if that's the same thing as fish meal you mentioned above)
feather meal

Great that you got started!
 
Q

QuentinQuark

Well-Known Member
gladstoned said:
I find out there are two different kinds of bone meal (bleached and unbleached), that many of the ingredients are powered and chunky for different time releases like the oyster shell. Holy shit is there a lot to know and understand!
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Uh oh... that's news to me. This is what I bought, got it on sale. Anyone see any concerns?
 
Q

QuentinQuark

Well-Known Member
Rrog said:
Not as well, no. The components of the top dressing are leached down into the soil with the watering. Are you automating the watering somehow?
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Nope, it's sort of like a hempy bucket, but instead of top-watering, there's a tube/pipe inserted vertically before adding the medium, so you pour the water into the tube (using a funnel or something) and the water goes right to the bottom and wicks up as needed - completely passive. Supposed to provide perfect moisture level at all times.
 
Rrog

Rrog

Well-Known Member
I use fish bone meal, but have used steamed bone meal in the past.

3/4 Cup Alfalfa per bag to start them is what I'd recommend. Alfalfa is very hot and I'd use instead of Blood Meal
 
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