First organic grow

I think if you're thoughtfully amending your own VC, that humus is going to be pretty saturated with cations Ca, Mg, K, etc. Yummy

Yeah I was going to get composite for my soil but all that shit is hard as a rock living here. So since I don't have the worm castings right now would it be better to just wait until after I put the plant in the soil to add them or add them ASAP?

Can you bring a bag inside to thaw? They will need this stuff more later after they start exhausting nutrients.

I can get the worm castings delivered directly to my door step..don't you think that would be better than waiting for the manure which has probably been frozen all winter to thaw inside? Or am I mistaking?

If you are only adding EWC, they don't need to be cooked in. Worm castings are one of the few amendments that does not need to be cooked in when mixed globally. IMO, it's a waste of time to cook soil if EWC is the only amendment you added.

And yea, I would just have em directly delivered but then again, I like simple and certain over possibly shoddy solutions. You might be a more conservative person than me.

silusbotwin said:

If you are only adding EWC, they don't need to be cooked in. Worm castings are one of the few amendments that does not need to be cooked in when mixed globally. IMO, it's a waste of time to cook soil if EWC is the only amendment you added.

And yea, I would just have em directly delivered but then again, I like simple and certain over possibly shoddy solutions. You might be a more conservative person than me.

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I agree with you, mostly. While the worm castings aren't "hot", and don't really need to be processed, I think premixing and wetting down (ideally with AACT) is still a good idea. It allows the microbiology time to adjust to its new surroundings (pH, minerals from your lime, new particle surfaces to populate, etc, etc). That "cook time" will also allow your liming agents to begin breaking down and doing their job. Probably not a deal breaker, but I'll take any advantage I can get.

Another shameless plug by me that I don't feel there's value in AACT, unless it's a brand new soil and you need some Lacto b to get things cooking along. To each his own, and I'm a lazy guy, but I'd rather just add the VC as a slurry and soil drench, rather than amplifying the bacteria, and then delivering the same nute load.

I also feel we should consider the extremely complex universe of soil, microbes, and root. Then we flood this universe with microbes. Then the soil universe has to react to all of this. I'd rather just acknowledge that the plant will attract and maintain the microbes it wants, in the ratios it wants.

Sorry for my little personal rant.

The first organic grow You will be exposed to so much for the first grows that you should maybe limit the variables. i read that composite contains a lot of what you were referring to it.

What is AACT? Sorry..still getting used to rollitup lingo lol.

What's the benefit of using molasses?

215roller said:

What is AACT? Sorry..still getting used to rollitup lingo lol.

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Active Aerated Compost Tea

215roller said:

This is my first grow ever. So I should just use the nutrients you listed above in my soil mixture before planting? Or you're saying I need to put that mixture directly on top of my soil in its solid form? Sorry for any questions that may sound dumb but just trying to make sure I get everything right.

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215roller said:

I have some perlite and some bone meal..would that be okay to add to this mixture as well?

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215roller said:

I read that composite contains a lot of humus..is that what you were referring to? If not would that do?

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No such thing as a dumb question.Yes, most organic nutes work best when incorporated into the soil. On top of what was suggested, I'd reccomend some mushroom compost (50/50) and go to Lowes or Home Depot and get a bag of Espoma Plant Tone or BioTone Starter plus. Mix it in the soil also. THAT in combination with the EWC will be your "Base nutes" and will carry you through the entire grow. Save the Bone meal for flowering, top dress it about a week or so before you flip 12/12. With that said, your teas will be a welcome supplement to them for the plants.