Organic Feeding 101.

nick17gar

Well-Known Member
Organic feeding provides great results. A good organic grow starts with the soil. (look at subcool's section on that. he knows soil.) Im going to go over strictly what to do once the plant is in the dirt, and you still need to feed them something. Feeding the plants the right stuff is key to successful grows, and knowing what to feed and when, is needed for every grower.

If your plant has some sort of issue, theres threads on that https://www.rollitup.org/marijuana-plant-problems/488004-guide-nutrient-deficiency-toxicity.html . this thread is gonna cover what do to AFTER you notice a deficiency, or just to keep a healthy garden. this will be using only organic nutrients. Ive purchased bottles of guano, and molasses and wondered... what now? well this is what now.

**note: most of these teas/mixtures involve some mixing, but a lot of wait time. this is to fully let the properties of the substance combine with the water, and for microbial activity to start. Do not skip the waiting**

Vegetative Teas:

Worm humus:
Origin:this mix is produced from the excrement of worms. they ingest organic material and you end up with this. The best quality of worm humus is going to be from the Californian worms.
Provides: water soluble, and boosts microbes in the soil
Preparation: In 5 liters of water, add in 400gr (about 2 cups) and let it sit for 2 days. stirring every so often to keep it well mixed and the water somewhat oxygenated.
Application:During the watering, mixing 1 part of poo-juice with 3 parts water. you can add this in weekly.

Blood Meal:
Origin: After removing and drying blood from animals(usually in a slaughterhouse), it is ground up into a fine powder.
Provides about 12-15%N, 1.2%P, and 1%k
Preparation: in a container, add 1 part blood meal to 9 parts water. cover. over 1 week, open to burp the mix, and stir. after, filter with coffee strainer.
Application: Applying usually only when N deficiency is noted, add to water to create a 10%-25% strength solution.

Gypsum
Origin: CaSO4. Its a rock basically, you can find it naturally outdoors, or (probably easier) at a local plant shop.
Provides: Activates healthy microbial activity. Corrects salinity (toxic salt levels). Provides sulfur, calcium and potassium. Regulates pH, and most importantly, helps in the absorption of N.
Preparation: add 1 pound of gypsum powder (use a mortar and pistil if its too coarse) to the inside of a nylon stocking, or other fine screen material. place this inside a container with 5L of water. Cover. leave for 1-2 weeks, opening the container to stir briskly every few days.
Application: Add it in with the water when pH is unstable, max 10% strength (so dilute it!). dilute it to 5% if mixing it with a N tea, and can be used weekly.

Fishmeal
Origin: obtained from dried, ground fish.
Provides: 8%N, 7%P, trace elements.
Preparation: mix 10% of this powder with 90% water in a container. leave it a week covered, and opening it to burp out the gas (dont breathe it in, smells). Filter at the end of the week.
Application: Dilute the mix, 1part fishgoop with 10 parts water. add in weekly with the feedings, or when a N/P deficiency is noted.

Bat Guano
Origin: decomposed bat poo. preferably pasteurized (since bats can and do carry disease, like rabies!)
Provides: High in N, but also contains P and trace elements. Fresher guano has higher N rating
Preparation: 2 tablespoons of bat poo in 4 -5 liters of water. let sit for 1 week
Application: mix the finished poo water, 1 part to 3 parts water. use every 2 weeks.

Mixed Teas: This is ok for veg + flowering.

Compost Tea (one of my favorites, as i use ground up male plants, or the sticks/stems/fan leaves of the harvested females for this)
Origin: The easiest to come across commercially, or to make at home. this is used worldwide with a variety of ingredients.
Provides: A big boost of microorganisms, helps feed the plants, and boosts a plant's immune system. NPK ratios vary depending the type of compost made.
Preparation: Place a bunch of dead plants in a nylon stocking or screen, put that inside a bucket with about 15L of water, adding water as it evaporates (which means leave it uncovered). after 2 weeks, dump the inside of the bag/screen/stocking back with the rest of your compost pile outside or throw it away or whatever.
Application: If you want to foliar feed this, filter it well, then 1:8 ratio of tea to water. otherwise, just add it in when watering, at a 1:5 ratio. use it every 2 weeks.

Alfalfa Tea. (can also be used during flowering)
Origin: your rabbit's food. this is ground up alfalfa, leaves, stems.
Provides: 2.5%n, 5%p, and 2%k.
Preparation: grabbing a nylon sock and filling with 1 part of the alfalfa, setting it into a bucket with 10 parts water. leave it for a week to create a strong tea.
Application: use every 2 weeks, diluted 1part tea with 10 parts water.

Manures
Origin: the business end of various animals.
Provides: This really depends on what the animal ate, and what the animal is. Rough estimates are:
Cows: .6%N-.3%P-.3%K
horse: .6%N-.6%P-.4%k
Rabbit: .5%N-1.2%P-.5%K
Sheep: .8%N-.5%P-.4%K
Pigs: .6%N-.6%P-.4%K
Preparation: 1 part crap to 10 parts water, in a bucket. 2 weeks, stirring periodically. (again, this is better for the nylon stockings, otherwise your gonna have to filter it - yuck)
Application: 1 part poop water to 1 part water. can be used every 2 weeks.

Fruit tea, with or without Molasses.
Origin: made with fermenting fruits. its recommended to add molasses for flowering.
Provides: Rich in NPK, but also contains calcium and some other trace elements. Very rich in microbial activity. Using molasses adds a large amounts of carbs and can contribute to fungus (in high heat grows)
Preparation: Cut fruits into small pieces. place in a container and cover them with molasses( OR cut up fruits, place into a ziploc bag with NO molasses or air) Let it sit for 2 weeks, opening it periodically to let out gases. filter.
Application: 1 tablespoon of fruit rot juice (ew) to 1 liter of water. use it every 10 days.

Flowering Teas:

Banana Peel Tea.
Origin: Bananas. Cheap to make. eat the banana, use the peels.
Provides: Strong Potassium Boost. ideal for flowering.
Preparation: after selecting 4 bananas, and eating the insides, place the 4 peels into a pot, with 4 cups of water (1L). You can also add in 2 tablespoons of molasses. Bring to a boil. let boil for 5 minutes. remove the peels. let cool. place in jars for storage.
Application: mix this 1 part banana goop to 2 parts water. use every 2 weeks.

Sea Weed
Origin: algae or kelp, dried, ground into a powder.
Provides: Lots of K, and trace elements, aminoacids, vitamins, hormones.
Preparation: 100grams of algae powder + 2Liters of water, let sit overnight.
Application: mix 1 part of sea weed juice to 3 parts water, and apply during waterings. can be used every watering.

Paper Ash tea.
Origin: This powder is obtained from burned paper. make sure the paper has no pigments (inks), glues, adhesives, or plastic covering. just plain paper. the cheaper the stuff, the better.
Provides: 5% P and 2% K
Preparation: Burn the paper fully. Ground up the ash. 100g of ash mixed with 2 L of water. let sit 10 days, then filter.
Application: use every 15 days, mixed 1 part ash juice to 2 parts water.

Bonemeal
Origin: Bones, crushed, ground up.
Provides: some N (3%?) and around 7% of P. high in calcium
Preparation: cook in a pot for 10 minutes, 200grams of bonemeal with 6 liters of water, and 1/2 cup of baking soda. let cool, then remove any grease that may have formed at the top. filter the rest of the mix.
Application: Use 1 part bone water to 3 parts water. use it at the start of the 12/12 cycle, or the start of flowering. will last the entire grow.



if you guys have other recipes, post them on here!
 

Rising Moon

Well-Known Member
Great list, just a few things I would add...

A couple of major tea herbs have been left out of this list that should definitely be included.

Comfrey - Major source of NPK as well as other micro nutrients and minerals mined from the Earth's subsoil.

Stinging Nettle - Another great balanced source of NPK, large amounts of Calcium and other minerals and vitamin C, used in Bio-Dynamic farming to give intelligence to the soil.

"Stinging nettle stimulates soil health, providing plants with the individual nutrition components needed. It enlivens the earth and helps to release iron into the soil. Helps to improve the potency of plants by increasing their sensitivity and individualizing them to their surroundings. Improves the nutritive qualities of plants. Mars forces are said to manifest in stinging nettle."

Chamomile - Full of minerals and other plant stimulating compounds, chamomile teas can boost the plants own immunity to disease or pests, and help balance and regulate plant growth.

Valerian - Source of minerals and phosphorus.

"Valerian helps to concentrate phosphorous in the plant and this in turn aids with the plants capacity to attract light in the photosynthesis process. It stimulates the phosphate activating bacteria in the soil. Valerian deals with the forces from Saturn."

Dandelion (flowers and leaves) - NPK, minerals, immune boosting properties, used in Bio-Dynamic farming to help plants "tune in" the the environment and draw nutrients or needed minerals where they are needed.

"Dandelion gives the soil a living, ethereal quality with the ability to supply the substances a plant needs. It increases a plants sensitivity and helps it to attract beneficial elements from a wider area. Dandelion works strongly with silica and potassium and, via silica, draws in forces from the outer planets, particularly Jupiter."

Yarrow - Contains potassium, selenium and sulfur, used in Bio-Dynamic farming to "bring light forces into the soil via its connection with sulfur, helping spirit to penetrate matter and enables it to attract trace elements. Important for reproduction and growth. Venus forces are said to manifest in yarrow."

White Oak Bark - Combats disease, used in Bio-Dynamic farming to "work very strongly with calcium and is an excellent remedy for plant diseases including fungus. It helps to restore balance with the ether body of the plant and control rampant growth. Moon forces become active in the plant in a healthy manner with oak bark. Extended use of the oak bark will help to raise the ph of the soil without the need to add lime."

All text in "quotes" was taken from http://cityfoodgrowers.com.au/biody_prep.php?phpMyAdmin=Z,IJJ48cThaTKeB7RCzlHYx-gCf

All of these herbal teas can be brewed a number of ways, and the Bio-Dynamic people have their own ways of doing each one, however, based on my experience and intuition, whether you simply throw the stuff in a bucket for 2 weeks, use a small air stone and molasses to brew up some microbes, or bio-ferment and bury them in the earth according to the celestial movements... Anyway you use them, they will help.

Personally, I brew the herbs up altogether, individually or in mixes, in cheese cloth, usually with a bit of home made worm castings, in PH neutral filtered water. I add a couple tablespoons of raw honey and bubble them with an air stone for 3 days.
(I have gone up to 5 days, but the thick head of bacterial foam seems to peak around 3 days)
I use it 12:1 or 15:1.

Also, if you do not grow your own herbs (very easy and beautiful to do in any yard, most being perennials) make sure you buy organically grown herbs, the microbes your trying to grow do not like chemicals (pesticides, fungicides and tap water)

Thanks for reading! :leaf:
 

dante76

Active Member
nick17gar - interesting recipes you've got here...a couple of questions.

For your guano tea, where can you find pasturized poo? Sunleaves guanos are not pasturized (I think) but are the easiest to get...maybe i'll check a local nursery. I was considering using a liquid guano becuase i'd rather work with something less toxic...that powder can fly anywhere (eyes, lungs)

For your bone meal tea, what good does the baking soda do? How do you cook it? by boiling like your other recipes?

for those teas you say to sit for a week...is it best to store them in a cool, dark place?
 

Mister Sister

Active Member
This is a great list.

In addition to comfrey, nettles, and dandelions, there are a few other very beneficial and very common plants that I'm sure could be used in the same or similar way.

Sugar Maple (the kind people use for sap) is very common, and is an excellent dynamic accumulator in a perennial setting. Prepare the leaves just like you would with comfrey, etc.

Shagbark Hickory - another great dynamic accumulator. These are easy to spot once you know what they look like - the bark looks like the name sounds - Shaggy and flaky. Again, use the leaves to make a great compost tea.

Russian Olives are thought to fix nitrogen in soil, so I would imagine you could make a potent tea using the same guidelines. I would personally use the leaves and twigs both for this one. This is actually a fairly large 'invasive' shrub (with edible berries) that is spreading across certain states like wildfire. The government planted these along roadsides in Michigan and can be found almost anywhere in the state, and I'm sure they can be found in many others.

The best thing about all 3 of these plants is that they are coppicing, meaning that they love being cut down so that they can grow back again and again and again.

Go google image these trees and thank the universe for providing such awesome abundance in such a safe and pure form.

Peace and love

MS
 

dante76

Active Member
what do you mean by mileage? you can use airstones or just tubing from the airpump to get aeration.
 

Rising Moon

Well-Known Member
I run two airstones in my bucket.

They speed things up and help me cultivate "sweet":bigjoint: microbes in my brews, as opposed to letting it putrefy and cultivating "sour":eyesmoke: microbes, to put it simply.
 

nick17gar

Well-Known Member
nick17gar - interesting recipes you've got here...a couple of questions.

For your guano tea, where can you find pasturized poo? Sunleaves guanos are not pasturized (I think) but are the easiest to get...maybe i'll check a local nursery. I was considering using a liquid guano becuase i'd rather work with something less toxic...that powder can fly anywhere (eyes, lungs)

For your bone meal tea, what good does the baking soda do? How do you cook it? by boiling like your other recipes?

for those teas you say to sit for a week...is it best to store them in a cool, dark place?
when i bought guano, it was in a semi-liquid form, but yea, when using anything dusty or powdery, i try to use gloves/mask. especially vermiculite, that crap is very dusty and irritates the hell outa my lungs.

for the bone meal tea, the baking soda was in the original recipe i recieved, id guess its to help break it down more? ill contact the guy and try to find out why they use it. You do cook it, by boiling it... but that and the banana recipe i think are the only 2 you would boil.

and yea sit for a week or so, i think cool and dark is good. you dont want too cold/hot due to the microbes in the teas, you want those to thrive.
 

nick17gar

Well-Known Member
I run two airstones in my bucket.

They speed things up and help me cultivate "sweet":bigjoint: microbes in my brews, as opposed to letting it putrefy and cultivating "sour":eyesmoke: microbes, to put it simply.

yea airstones are great for the teas that have to sit there and get stronger (the microbes have to multiply)
they will not work for the teas youve boiled (good stuff came out of whatever was boiled, no microbes, just elements like potassium - bananas or calcium - bone meal)
 

georgyboy

Active Member
question about the original post. all the directions mention letting the mixes sit for 1-2 weeks. what about anaerobic activity. are any beneficial fungus or bacteria able to survive in these juices, or are these solely for fertilization purposes.
 

Islam

Active Member
Very informative!! Thanks a lot! Now I don't have to waste 70 dollars on nutes and It's organic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bat guano is a hilarious name XD
 

dante76

Active Member
hey sup guys i was just wondering if anybody has used sunleaves bat guano npk 1-10-0.2 and molasses for the flowering stage if so did you get good results?
i used this as an amendment to my base soil (Super Cools Super Soil Recipe) and 1/2 strength guano tea (guano soaking in water for 2 days).

Results were great! Right now most of my buds are curing but from some i've tested out tasted/smoked very smooth and i didn't have to flush either...another benefit to growing organic.
 

Nander

Member
Great info. I am definitely getting a nice air-stone. I grow veggies outdoors, and medicine indoors. I bet my tomatoes, peppers, and pumpkins will really appreciate the beneficial microbes
 
Top