Wrangler23
Member
I have added more nitrogen,, watered with molasses, and inoculated with Microlife C. Cool as a cucumber. I followed subcools recipe, using roots organic and worm castings. Any ideas?
My living soil wont cook!
- Thread starter Wrangler23
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green_machine_two9er
Well-Known Member
Pictures? Snd how much water for what size batch are you talkin?
Wrangler23
Member
62 gallons
The one on the right is 32 gallons (30 days)
one on the left is also 32 at about 7 days
I water to field moisture (handful will clump and a drop or two when squeezed
The one on the right is 32 gallons (30 days)
one on the left is also 32 at about 7 days
I water to field moisture (handful will clump and a drop or two when squeezed
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Wrangler23
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DoobieDoobs
Well-Known Member
How do you know it's not cooking? I've seen around in YouTube videos and around here that you should let your soil mix cook for about 2 months, and my personal experience so far agrees with that statement.
I made my mix, filled the pots with it, I watered slowly slowly untill I saw a little bit of runoff come out of the bottom. Then I did nothing for 2 months besides from watering a little whenever I felt the first two inches of my pot were dry enough, and that's it. So far so good.
I made my mix, filled the pots with it, I watered slowly slowly untill I saw a little bit of runoff come out of the bottom. Then I did nothing for 2 months besides from watering a little whenever I felt the first two inches of my pot were dry enough, and that's it. So far so good.
Wrangler23
Member
Umm, because it is not hot?
What is the core temperature in your soil compared to ambient room temperature in there?
OVH
Well-Known Member
I’ve had soil cook that never gets hot. I like to put leaves from plants into top part of soil and cover. This acts as a gauge for microbe activity.
After 2 months they’re always gone and you know the microbes have also broken down your amendments. If they’re still there you know somethings wrong.
Wrangler23
Member
83 ambient
86 core
81 outside, although it was 90 earlier today
86 core
81 outside, although it was 90 earlier today
Wrangler23
Member
Warmer weather today and the upcoming week. So, maybe that will help too,
Well thank goodness that your soil is at least 3 degrees above. Otherwise it would mean it had less bacteria and fungi respirating in it than ditch dirt. Lol *kidding*
It could be just slow inoculation too if you have a lot of additives with a reasonable C/N ratio and nothing is happening yet. Remember bagged soil can be pretty sterile and I don't know anything about the product you used. I'd rather inoculate my soil with my worm castings because I know the microbiology (and the worms wriggling around in there) are viable and extremely diverse containing local biological inputs (from the garden in my backyard mostly).
sirtalis
Well-Known Member
I recently had some super soil cooking covered with a tarp. It was still cold until I placed it in 10 gal pots where I plan to let the myco web establish for a few weeks. One day later and the center of the pots are a solid 20 degrees hotter than ambient temps.
I don't think I'm going to try to cook in a giant pile anymore, it seems like the activation is slower. Might as well cook in their "homes" and let the myco web establish, without another disturbance event. If you've ever grown shrooms, you shouldn't shake your rye jar more than once.
That being said, if I can think 6 months ahead I'd go for a big pile. I bet it's like drying bud, where the slower the process the better.
I don't think I'm going to try to cook in a giant pile anymore, it seems like the activation is slower. Might as well cook in their "homes" and let the myco web establish, without another disturbance event. If you've ever grown shrooms, you shouldn't shake your rye jar more than once.
That being said, if I can think 6 months ahead I'd go for a big pile. I bet it's like drying bud, where the slower the process the better.
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