POH Organics
Member
For the sake of actually getting this done and without carpal tunnel I'm gonna speak vaguely and short, do please ask questions;
Step 1: Shopping List
A: Medium - Peat is an excellent medium, not very sustainable, but useful none the less. When selecting a brand of peat, make sure it is already un-ammended. This is why I have a beef with Promix...it's already charged with calcitic lime (Fuckers are too cheap to use dolomite apparently) and the amount varies so greatly between bales that it creates huge fucking headaches within the CEC. Best bet is a blank peat like Premier bales, far more affordable too. Make sure its canadian, Michigan peat is a shorter fiber and far less desirable.
View attachment 2641617
B. Aeration - I love rice hulls. Cheap, contains silica which removes that bottle of pro-tek, and you avoid that atrocious fucking perlite dust. I do like to use multiple forms of aeration though, usually half PBH and Perlite or Lava rock.
View attachment 2641626
C. Humus - The MOST important part of your soil mix, this provides the microbial life to fuel your soil as well as regulating the CEC. Whether its compost or earthworm castings, source the absolute best you can or even better, go ahead and start your own! Worm bins are cheap and so is bokashi composting, takes time but I guess you gotta ask yourself if im in this for the long haul or not? As far as bagged, store compost goes don't be a cheap-skate, Wiggle worm is awful as are most cow manures (Chicken compost is a good alternative). Roots has a quality EWC called 'Big Worm' for $40 a bag, its worth it..
View attachment 2641637
D. Amendments - All you need is Macro, Micro, Liming agent, and rock dust. Here is my list of the most valuable;
* Kelp Meal - The most amazing thing, ever. Kelp works to provide you with full mineraliztion (Micro) as well as the backbone of your potassium. Also contains cytokins
(Growth hormone)
* Alfalfa Meal - Second most amazing thing, ever. Alfalfa is natures band aid, it contains good amounts of macro and micro in addition to tricontinol. Little heavier in
calcium than most people know, be sure to take this account into account when balancing the CEC.
* Fish Bone Meal - Good phosphorous and nitrogen, also high in calcium. Use sparingly and avoid all other bone/blood meals. Slaughterhouse by product that can lead to
pest problems.
* Crab Meal - The better alternative to fish bone, slightly less NP, but high amounts of calcium and magnesium (Essential for the organic gardener using RO, be sure to use
this in addition to your liming agent, if not using RO, use half crab meal / half dolomite as your liming agent). Also contains chitosin and chitanese, naturally occuring
pesticides found in all shellfish.
* Neem Meal - Neem cake/meal is an excellent ammendment to preemptively combat pests (Also has a little nitrogen), only source able online (neemresource.com). Well
worth the S&H.
* Soybean Meal - Sadly, its gonna have to be GMO soy
, but is essential none the less. Soybean helps convert urea to ureanese. Don't know what either of those are?
Google is your friend
* Biochar - Nitrogen:Carbon ratios are essential to speedy decomposition. Check youtube for tutorials on building your own burner or this will certainly be the most
expensive ammendment you buy.
* Glacial Rock Dust - GRD, Azomite, Granite dust, or really any igneous rock dust will do. Yes, rock dusts do provide essential micro and we love them for that, but they
serve an even more important role; as a home for our microbial life. Fungal hyphae attach to rock dust and use it as an anchor point allowing it to grow even longer, thus
providing more surface area for enzymes. A must have.
* All Purpose Fertilizer - Tomato tone falls into this category, provides the backbone of your npk values at a more than affordable price.
* Dolomite Lime - This is your.....uhhhh...liming agent (Duh). Look for POWDERED dolomite, not the granular chunky stuff. Unless you're letting your mix sit for 6 months
before using, of course.
* Terra Powder - Feldspars, ya know? It's also innoculated with EM-1 (Effective Microorganisms). Only available online from TeraGanix. Don't be a cheap bastard, order that
shit bro..
Step 2: Mixing
I like to grab a $5 roll of plastic from Wal-mart to mix on then I store my soil in totes with pre-drilled holes. Mix Recipe (In order);
A. Base - 50% Peat : 25% Compost : 25% Aeration. Any heavier on the compost and you're looking at a soil mix that takes far too long to dry out. You do want a soil that retains moisture well as its essential to keeping microbes active, but a water-logged soil....ain't nobody got time fo' dat.
B. Liming Agent - 1 Cup of Dolomite Lime per Cubic foot. 7.5 Gallons = 1 Cu. ft.
C. Nutrients - Essentially the best way to do this is as a whole, mix all of your amendments together in a 1:1 ratio (Except kelp, you want kelp at a 2:1 Ratio). For example:
I have 10 cu. ft. of soil so I need 20 cups of ammendment, I'm gonna take 2 cups of each ammendment (4 of kelp) and mix it in a bowl. Now I'm going to apply 20 cups of
this mixture in my bowl and save the rest for my next mix or as a top dress later on (Probably won't need the top dress if mixed properly).
D. Rock Dust - 4 cups / cubic foot. This has a little sway, so if you find yourself going broke, 2-3 cups will do. I've seen mixes with 10 cups / cubic foot that had no ill
effects...
Now you've got it all mixed up on your tarp, water it down with ACT or EM-1 (Or maybe you've been cultivating your own INDIGENOUS MICROORGANISMS (1-5), you sly dog you...
Thats pretty much it guys... I recommend allowing your mix to set for *Drum Roll Please*..........................................................................................................................................................3 Months! I've found the best decomposition and availability at this point, run it any sooner and you hit the risk of deficiency. Keep it moist throughout the cooking process and turn frequently (Or if you're wise and stored in a tote, you can just give it a shake periodically).
You're done reading, now go provide for your family and friends, you manly man...you dreamer...you entrepreneur...you can do it
Step 1: Shopping List
A: Medium - Peat is an excellent medium, not very sustainable, but useful none the less. When selecting a brand of peat, make sure it is already un-ammended. This is why I have a beef with Promix...it's already charged with calcitic lime (Fuckers are too cheap to use dolomite apparently) and the amount varies so greatly between bales that it creates huge fucking headaches within the CEC. Best bet is a blank peat like Premier bales, far more affordable too. Make sure its canadian, Michigan peat is a shorter fiber and far less desirable.
View attachment 2641617
B. Aeration - I love rice hulls. Cheap, contains silica which removes that bottle of pro-tek, and you avoid that atrocious fucking perlite dust. I do like to use multiple forms of aeration though, usually half PBH and Perlite or Lava rock.
View attachment 2641626
C. Humus - The MOST important part of your soil mix, this provides the microbial life to fuel your soil as well as regulating the CEC. Whether its compost or earthworm castings, source the absolute best you can or even better, go ahead and start your own! Worm bins are cheap and so is bokashi composting, takes time but I guess you gotta ask yourself if im in this for the long haul or not? As far as bagged, store compost goes don't be a cheap-skate, Wiggle worm is awful as are most cow manures (Chicken compost is a good alternative). Roots has a quality EWC called 'Big Worm' for $40 a bag, its worth it..
View attachment 2641637
D. Amendments - All you need is Macro, Micro, Liming agent, and rock dust. Here is my list of the most valuable;
* Kelp Meal - The most amazing thing, ever. Kelp works to provide you with full mineraliztion (Micro) as well as the backbone of your potassium. Also contains cytokins
(Growth hormone)
* Alfalfa Meal - Second most amazing thing, ever. Alfalfa is natures band aid, it contains good amounts of macro and micro in addition to tricontinol. Little heavier in
calcium than most people know, be sure to take this account into account when balancing the CEC.
* Fish Bone Meal - Good phosphorous and nitrogen, also high in calcium. Use sparingly and avoid all other bone/blood meals. Slaughterhouse by product that can lead to
pest problems.
* Crab Meal - The better alternative to fish bone, slightly less NP, but high amounts of calcium and magnesium (Essential for the organic gardener using RO, be sure to use
this in addition to your liming agent, if not using RO, use half crab meal / half dolomite as your liming agent). Also contains chitosin and chitanese, naturally occuring
pesticides found in all shellfish.
* Neem Meal - Neem cake/meal is an excellent ammendment to preemptively combat pests (Also has a little nitrogen), only source able online (neemresource.com). Well
worth the S&H.
* Soybean Meal - Sadly, its gonna have to be GMO soy
, but is essential none the less. Soybean helps convert urea to ureanese. Don't know what either of those are? Google is your friend
* Biochar - Nitrogen:Carbon ratios are essential to speedy decomposition. Check youtube for tutorials on building your own burner or this will certainly be the most
expensive ammendment you buy.
* Glacial Rock Dust - GRD, Azomite, Granite dust, or really any igneous rock dust will do. Yes, rock dusts do provide essential micro and we love them for that, but they
serve an even more important role; as a home for our microbial life. Fungal hyphae attach to rock dust and use it as an anchor point allowing it to grow even longer, thus
providing more surface area for enzymes. A must have.
* All Purpose Fertilizer - Tomato tone falls into this category, provides the backbone of your npk values at a more than affordable price.
* Dolomite Lime - This is your.....uhhhh...liming agent (Duh). Look for POWDERED dolomite, not the granular chunky stuff. Unless you're letting your mix sit for 6 months
before using, of course.
* Terra Powder - Feldspars, ya know? It's also innoculated with EM-1 (Effective Microorganisms). Only available online from TeraGanix. Don't be a cheap bastard, order that
shit bro..
Step 2: Mixing
I like to grab a $5 roll of plastic from Wal-mart to mix on then I store my soil in totes with pre-drilled holes. Mix Recipe (In order);
A. Base - 50% Peat : 25% Compost : 25% Aeration. Any heavier on the compost and you're looking at a soil mix that takes far too long to dry out. You do want a soil that retains moisture well as its essential to keeping microbes active, but a water-logged soil....ain't nobody got time fo' dat.
B. Liming Agent - 1 Cup of Dolomite Lime per Cubic foot. 7.5 Gallons = 1 Cu. ft.
C. Nutrients - Essentially the best way to do this is as a whole, mix all of your amendments together in a 1:1 ratio (Except kelp, you want kelp at a 2:1 Ratio). For example:
I have 10 cu. ft. of soil so I need 20 cups of ammendment, I'm gonna take 2 cups of each ammendment (4 of kelp) and mix it in a bowl. Now I'm going to apply 20 cups of
this mixture in my bowl and save the rest for my next mix or as a top dress later on (Probably won't need the top dress if mixed properly).
D. Rock Dust - 4 cups / cubic foot. This has a little sway, so if you find yourself going broke, 2-3 cups will do. I've seen mixes with 10 cups / cubic foot that had no ill
effects...
Now you've got it all mixed up on your tarp, water it down with ACT or EM-1 (Or maybe you've been cultivating your own INDIGENOUS MICROORGANISMS (1-5), you sly dog you...
Thats pretty much it guys... I recommend allowing your mix to set for *Drum Roll Please*..........................................................................................................................................................3 Months! I've found the best decomposition and availability at this point, run it any sooner and you hit the risk of deficiency. Keep it moist throughout the cooking process and turn frequently (Or if you're wise and stored in a tote, you can just give it a shake periodically).
You're done reading, now go provide for your family and friends, you manly man...you dreamer...you entrepreneur...you can do it
i'll +rep you if I can...
