Hÿdra;9816734 said:
I have a question: SO i make fully organic ROLS type soil, which from what it seems should be feed water only. So when, why and how often do you feed Organic teas?
Its a bit confusing for me, as everyone has different ideas.
DO i feed the tea every watering? Once a week? Do i feed when needed?
what is the difference between feeding with teas, and just feeding water?
I am starting a 10 gallon pot of ROLS soil in the next few weeks when school is over, so im trying to get my game plan laid out before hand.
Im done with bottled nutes, Phing and all that shit. I want some 100% organic goodness.
ROLS was originally coined as recycled living soil. When we were done with a run we would take the remaining soil with root balls and all and allowed them to break down and then we would reamend with kelp, compost, ewc etc in a pile or in my case garbage can.
No till was soon replaced the ROLS way because there is less labor and destruction to the living biomass you're trying to create. By tilling you create more work and destroy that delicate little environment you created in the container used.
Now the new term is simply, LOS or Living Organic Soil makes it easy. Still one pot no till.
Back to the question Hydra, LOS or CC mix or most of the recipes you could get by with just water only. Adding teas or nute solutions and enzymes only enhance growth like all those chemical growth hormones they sell in bottles.
Now in order to achieve this you need to start with quality materials and start building humus. Look up humus building and this link
http://www.sierravistagrowers.net/growild/sites/default/files/Soil flocculation.pdf
When feeding a tea or nute solution typically the solution is ready and available especially the enzymes teas we make like SST etc. You need to be careful when using certain organic (natural) amendment teas you can risk burning especially small plants. Always start light.
Topdressing is more forgiving and a slower process. The microbes and other life forms breakdown organic matter creating humus. Topdressing is typically how farmers broadcast their amendments with tons of land. Making teas can be pain and I'm starting to learn unless they are live enzymes topdressing is much more lazy and makes sense since the microbes are doing the work for you.
Basically, I do 1 tea a week and 1 x IPM foliar per week. Everything else is automated via drip irrigation.
Hydra focus on long term. Don't be in this for the quick turnaround as soil takes time. Its only as good as what it's made from hence the lesson of humus building I have laid out for you.
Google humus building and start from there.
Cottonwood eh? I know that area a little that was my first place I landed when I arrived in the beautiful state of AZ. I don't mean that with sarcasm, yes I have talked a little smack being a Cali native but it's the politics here and blatant corruption here is just absurd. Northern AZ was very a calming experience.
