GROW CONTEST WINNER: Chief Bigsmoke's Perpetual Groove and Nerdatorium

[yortbogey]

Trap ladybugs in commercial beetle traps that do not contain pesticides. The trap contains a substance that attracts the ladybugs. When the ladybug enters the trap, it falls into the cone-shaped funnel that empties into a collection bag. The top of the bag is small and so it is difficult for the ladybugs to get out. Check the trap routinely to collect the ladybugs before they get out of the bag.

 

[handyandy]

I used too much soap water. at the wrong time. I sprayed when the lights came on the 6 hours later. two day later most the leaves that got sprayed now look like hell. lt looks like burning and spots, not the speckling that spidermites leave. the spidermites were only on about 12 leaves on three plants. now i got a whole room with burnt leaf. Next time I will spray when the lights are going off. Live and learn. only had two little mites and a cluster of eggs under one leaf. pulled leaf. this run will be done in 7 or ten days so no big deal.

 

[handyandy]

Just pulled two catapillers off my basil. both of them reeked of basil. If a catapiller ate a lot of frosty nugs would you be able to eat the catapiller and get high? just a thought.

 

[chief bigsmoke]

Right on... Handyandy glad to hear its under control. Oh the joys of learning. which leads to me to my update after a short hiatus:

Update:

We had to take a short break from updates because we had to close a permit on the building and we had to dismantle the whole flowering area and we were left with a bare bones room with a single 600w light hanging hortizontally.. ick.. it even sounds gross when I typed it.. hortizontal.. blah. So we are in a state of limbo. Waiting for things to wrap up so we can set it up properly.

But just like how a snake propels itself forward by slithering from side to side.. so must we humans. We have to expect the good and the bad, the ups and the downs.. Time to relax and Just Ride the Snake...

Maybe after things are complete we can toss the ol' tent and design a new flowering room. I have 10 foot ceilings that really are not being utilized properly. That could be a fun project for all of us. It will have to be cheap though. Since we are not gazillionaires.

Plant updates: Oh Oh... I've been a bad lil' chief. Since the M.Whites were in weeks six I thought I would try out the pk 13/14 that has been collecting dust on my shelf. So I mixed of a GO nute recipe and added some pk13/14 to the mix. Then a couple days later I started seeing some pistil die-back. Most likely due to heat and nutrient stress. Plus I've seen heat stress marks on the leaves and some light tip burn Ooops. - Live and learn eh' handyandy? That's what I get for using bottled nutrients. bad chief, bad. I had to reenter my room and I leaked a little light 15 minutes after the lights went out so they might have been stressed as well. I even thought of a possible nanner somewhere, but after multiple searches I turned up nothing. But its better to be safe than sorry.

- After the success of the revegged RED I thought it might have been a fluke, but now the last plant the was reveegged and then flowered is doing very well too. This time its a BLUE and the sites are stacked tighter and the flowers are bigger. They both had mutant leaves and some unique physical characteristics.. I have no idea.. what happened was that I had two plants in the flowering room for a week and then I decided to veg them longer so I put them back in. They stalled for a moment or two while they switched gears but they kept on going strong. So weird.. does anyone have experience with these "mutants".

The only other things to update are that school is piling on the knowledge at the moment so its forgive me for my halfassed updates. The next GEN is coming and OH boy will it be Stellar: BC Hashplant, Garberville Purple Kush, Chem4, Sweet Skunk and the Mystery friends.

much love from our garden to yours!

Baamaapi (later in ojibway. since we have no word for goodbye)

 

[chief bigsmoke]

Just pulled two catapillers off my basil. both of them reeked of basil. If a catapiller ate a lot of frosty nugs would you be able to eat the catapiller and get high? just a thought.

I just found my basil crawling with s.mites about a month ago... basil must be a favorite snack among critters. but I don't know if they could eat enough resin, but who knows... catapillars might like to party... haha

you might need one of these catapillers.. but these aren't edible in our culture...

 

[budman678]

sorry about the tear down homie. i know how frustrating that can be. for realz...

all you can do is pickup and start moving again. get back in place and things will fall in line. super soil is cooking, and my seeds are germing....get ready

 

[chief bigsmoke]

am I?

am I?

 

[SeaMaiden]

Just pulled two catapillers off my basil. both of them reeked of basil. If a catapiller ate a lot of frosty nugs would you be able to eat the catapiller and get high? just a thought.

Only if you decarboxylate it, first.

 

[chief bigsmoke]

Study Notes - part one

Study Notes - part one

I have a whopper of a quiz that I'm studying for... Composting, Soil Chemistry, Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrient Sources and Deficiency/Toxicity Symptoms... dun dun dunnnn

too much work and not enough studying... Time to share some study notes and perhaps we can learn together. enjoy! I apologize in advance for the bullet points

- The importance of composting was known and practiced by the ancients: In the bible days, they used to pile human waste into piles outside the side walls and manure was sometimes spread directly onto the fields.

- compost "obviously" reduces the need for chemical fertilizers - conserves natural resources

- Microbes are essential to composting. Adequate amounts of air, moisture, temperature, organic matter with the correct C:N ratio and pH are needed to support these helpful friends

- aerobic microbes = Needs Oxygen, anaerobic microbes- in the absence of oxygen

- The ideal moisture level for compost should be "damp" like a sponge not wet. no water should drip out when compost is squeezed in your hand

- too much water = lack of oxygen

- too little moisture slows decomposition

- microbes stop being active below 13 degrees celsius (55f)

- a compost pile must be a minimum size to insulate the microbes ( at least 1m in every direction

- The optimal outdoor temp for a pile is 60 degrees celsius

- during decomp the high temps (60c-65c) help to pasteurize the soil. most weeds seeds are laid to waste at 63c

- disease and organisms are destroyed at 55c (131f)

- if temperatures in the compost pile exceed 70c then the rate of decomp will halt because the bacteria will begin to die-off or go dormant

- Carbon:Nitrogen ratio = All organic matter is made up of substantial amounts of carbon (C) combined with lesser amounts of nitrogen (N). The balance of these two elements in an organism is called the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C:N ratio). For best performance, the compost pile, or more to the point the composting microorganisms, require the correct proportion of carbon for energy and nitrogen for protein production. Scientists (yes, there are compost scientists) have determined that the fastest way to produce fertile, sweet-smelling compost is to maintain a C:N ratio somewhere around 25 to 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen, or 25-30:1. If the C:N ratio is too high (excess carbon), decomposition slows down. If the C:N ratio is too low (excess nitrogen) you will end up with a stinky pile.


Below are the average C:N ratios for some common organic materials found in the compost bin. For our purposes, the materials containing high amounts of carbon are considered "browns," and materials containing high amounts of nitrogen are considered "greens."

Estimated Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratios

Browns = High Carbon C:N

Ashes, wood 25:1
Cardboard, shredded 350:1
Corn stalks 75:1
Fruit waste 35:1
Leaves 60:1
Newspaper, shredded 175:1
Peanut shells 35:1
Pine needles 80:1
Sawdust 325:1
Straw 75:1
Wood chips 400:1

Greens = High Nitrogen C:N

Alfalfa 12:1
Clover 23:1
Coffee grounds 20:1
Food waste 20:1
Garden waste 30:1
Grass clippings 20:1
Hay 25:1
Manures 15:1
Seaweed 19:1
Vegetable scraps 25:1
Weeds 30:1

- Compost should smell like a fresh earthy forest. It shouldn't smell bad.

- Add finished compost to soil one month before planting

END of Part one... I'm hungry ;P

 

[chief bigsmoke]

Study Notes Part Two

Study Notes Part Two

Soil Colloids

The colloidal state refers to a two-phase system in which one material in a very finely divided state is dispersed through second phase.

The examples are:

Solid in liquid - Clay in water (dispersion of clay in water)
Liquid in gas -Fog or clouds in atmosphere
The clay fraction of the soil contains particles less than 0.002 mm in size. Particles less than 0.001 mm size possess colloidal properties and are known as soil colloids.

General Properties of Soil Colloids

1. Size: The most important common property of inorganic and organic colloids is their extremely small size. They are too small to be seen with an ordinary light microscope. Only with an electron microscope they can be seen. Most are smaller than 2 micrometers in diameter.

2. Surface area: Because of their small size, all soil colloids expose a large external surface per unit mass. The external surface area of 1 g of colloidal clay is at least 1000 times that of 1 g of coarse sand. Some colloids, especially certain silicate clays have extensive internal surfaces as well. These internal surfaces occur between plate like crystal units that make up each particle and often greatly exceed the external surface area. The total surface area of soil colloids ranges from 10 m2/g for clays with only external surfaces to more than 800 m2/g for clays with extensive internal surfaces. The colloid surface area in the upper 15 cm of a hectare of a clay soil could be as high 700,000 km2/g

3. Surface charges: Soil colloidal surfaces, both external and internal characteristically carry negative and/or positive charges. For most soil colloids, electro negative charges predominate. Soil colloids both organic and inorganic when suspended in water, carry a negative electric charge. When an electric current is passed through a suspension of soil colloidal particles they migrate to anode, the positive electrode indicating that they carry a negative charge. The magnitude of the charge is known as zeta potential. The presence and intensity of the particle charge influence the attraction and repulsion of the particles towards each other, there by influencing both physical and chemical properties.
The negative electrical charge on clays comes from

i) Ionizable hydrogen ions and
ii) Isomorphism substitution.

i) Ionizable hydrogen ions: Ionizable hydrogen ions are hydrogen from hydroxyl ions on clay surfaces. The -Al-OH or -Si-OH portion of the clay ionizes the H and leaves an unneutralized negative charge on the oxygen (-Al-O- or - Si-O). The extent of ionized hydrogen depends on solution pH; more ionization occurs in more alkaline (basic) solutions.

ii) Isomorphous substitution: The second source of charge on clay particles is due to the substitution of one ion for another of similar size and often with lower positive valence. In clay structures, certain ions fit into certain mineral lattice sites because of their convenient size and charge. Dominantly, clays have Si4+ in tetrahedral sites and A13+ in octahedral sites. Other ions present in large amounts during clay crystallization can replace some of the A13+ and Si4+ cations. Substitutions that are common are the Si4+ replaced by A13+, and even more extensive replacement of A13+ by one or more of these: Fe3+, Fe2+, Mg2+ or Zn2+ Since the total negative charge from the anions (the oxygen) remains unchanged, the lower positive charge because of substitution results in an excess negative charge at that location in the structure.

4. Adsorption of cations: As soil colloids possess negative charge they attract the ions of an opposite charge to the colloidal surfaces. They attract hundreds of positively charged ions or cation such as H+, A13+ Ca2+ , and Mg2+. This gives rise to an ionic double layer. The process, called Isomorphous substitution and the colloidal particle constitutes the inner ionic layer, being essentially huge anions; with both, external and internal layers that are negative in charge. The outer layer is made up of a swarm of rather loosely held (adsorbed) cations attracted to the negatively charged surfaces. Thus a colloidal particle is accompanied by a swarm of cations that are adsorbed or held on the particle surfaces.

5. Adsorption of water: In addition to the adsorbed cations, a large number of water molecules are associated with soil colloidal particles. Some are attracted to the adsorbed cations, each of which is hydrated; others are held in the internal surfaces of the colloidal particles. These water molecules play a critical role in determining both the physical and chemical properties of soil.

6. Cohesion: Cohesion is the phenomenon of sticking together of colloidal particles that are of similar nature. Cohesion indicates the tendency of clay particles to stick together. This tendency is primarily due to the attraction of the clay particles for the water molecules held between them. When colloidal substances are wetted, water first adheres to the particles and then brings about cohesion between two or more adjacent colloidal particles.

7. Adhesion: Adhesion refers to the phenomenon of colloidal particles sticking to other substances. It is the sticking of colloida1 materials to the surface of any other body or substance with which it comes in contact.

8. Swelling and shrinkage: Some clay (soil colloids) such as smectites swell when wet and shrink when dry. After a prolonged dry spell, soils high in smectites (e.g. Vertisols) often are crises-crossed by wide, deep cracks, which at first allow rain to penetrate rapidly. Later, because of swelling, such soil is likely to close up and become much more impervious than one dominated by kaolinite, chlorite, or fine grained micas. Vermiculite is intermediate in its swelling and shrinking characteristics.

9. Dispersion and flocculation: As long as the colloidal particles remain charged, they repel each other and the suspension remains stable. If on any account they loose their charge, or if the magnitude of the charge is reduced, the particles coalesce, form flocs or loose aggregates, and settle out. This phenomenon of coalescence and formation of flocs is known as flocculation. The reverse process of the breaking up of flocs into individual particles is known as deflocculation or dispersion.

10. Brownian movement: When a suspension of colloidal particles is examined under a microscope the particles seem to oscillate. The oscillation is due to the collision of colloidal particles or molecules with those of the liquid in which they are suspended. Soil colloidal particles with those of water in which they are suspended are always in a constant state of motion. The smaller the particle, the more rapid is its movement.

11. Non permeability: Colloids, as opposed to crystalloid, are unable to pass through a semi-permeable membrane. Even though the colloidal particles are extremely small, they are bigger than molecules of crystalloid dissolved in water. The membrane allows the passage of water and of the dissolved substance through its pores, but retains the colloidal particles.

 

[vStagger Leev]

wow... what a nerdatorium!! Lovin the thread man, always loads of info coming out of here! Much love, SL

 

[BCMaster]

Wow, I sure am glad your going to school and gaining all those smarts. I can ask you later!! lol. Looks pretty intense chief!

 

[SeaMaiden]

Uh, chief...? I saw this:

The optimal outdoor temp for a pile is 60 degrees celsius

Is that right? Where on earth, literally, does it typically reach 60C outdoors...? I need to know so I can AVOID IT.

 

[chief bigsmoke]

Uh, chief...? I saw this:

Is that right? Where on earth, literally, does it typically reach 60C outdoors...? I need to know so I can AVOID IT.

The middle of the compost pile... as long as its the minimum size of at least 1m by 1m. so your pile is insulated enough to keep the heat produced by the microbes in... sorry I should have been more clear. silly bullet points

 

[SeaMaiden]

I like bullet points, I was unable to fathom an outdoor temperature of 140*F.

 

[chief bigsmoke]

study notes part 3

study notes part 3

- Compared to other soil particles, Clay particles have a huge surface area

- Some clays have an internal surface area located in its layers

- Humus Colloids - Oxygen, Hydrogen and Carbon Based - Negatively charged like clay colloids. The "Temporary" end product of the decomposition of organic matter. Temp because humus will continue to decompose at a slower rate than its organic parent

- humus is amorphous (structureless) and most clay is crystalline and has a definite structure

 

[chief bigsmoke]

ION Exchange for Dummies (like me )

ION Exchange for Dummies (like me )

Ion Exchange for Dummies

http://www.lenntech.com/Data-sheets/Ion-Exchange-for-Dummies-RH.pdf


ION EXCHANGE. FOR DUMMIES. An introduction. Water. Water is a liquid. Water is made of water molecules (formula H2O). All natural waters contain some ...

 

[chief bigsmoke]

Study notes four

Study notes four

- Two kinds of soil acidity: Active acidity of soil is based on the amount of hydrogen ions in the soil. Reserve, or buffer acidity reflects the amount of hydrogen attached to clay or organic matter in the soil, and exchangeable acidity reflects the amount of aluminum. Active acidity is the easiest type of soil acidity to measure and has the most direct impact on plant health. Because of this, when soil is simply referred to as being acid, it is usually the active acidity that is being referred to.

- Reserve acidity is 50,000 - 100,000 times greater than active acidity

- Reserve acidity determines Soil Buffer Capacity: the ability of the soil to resist pH change

- Soil Buffer Capacity is directly related to a soils cation exchange capacity(CEC). The greater the CEC, the greater a soils buffer capacity (provided all other factors are equal)

- To raise ^the pH of an acidic soil, the hydrogen ions adsorbed on the colloids (reserve acidity) must be neutralized as well. The more humus and clay in a soil, the greater the CEC and the more reserve acidity will need to be overcome before the pH can be raised

 

[chief bigsmoke]

Soil Fertility versus Soil Productivity - Measure and Manage

Soil Fertility versus Soil Productivity - Measure and Manage

MEASURE AND MANAGE
Soil Fertility versus Soil Productivity
By Dale Cowan
[email protected]
Agri-Food Laboratories CCA.On



Fertile soils are usually productive but not always and, productive soils are not always fertile soils.

The soil test we currently use to measure various soil components such as P and K and micronutrients serves us well in determining if we need further amendments. The soil test is designed to measure a soils ability to supply a given nutrient. A high test indicates a soil has a greater ability to supply and therefore we
need less fertilizer and low readings indicate the opposite we need to supply nutrients. How much nutrient to supply at a given test was determined by calibration trials with different rates of fertilizer to determine crop response.

Quite often the soil test report is much maligned as farmers experience different responses to different fertilizers in some years and not in others this varied and confusing situation often results in farmers and industry people questioning the validity of soil testing. We are often hopeful that a nutrient application will fix the problem and it may provide some relief however it is not necessarily a long-term fix. Many of us think we can fertilize our way out of production problems. The current magnesium deficiencies are a classic example of adequate fertilizer applied and a high Mg soil test and we still see the deficiency. Plant tissue test on seedling corn have shown low levels of all non mobile nutrients because of poor root development largely due to weather, cold soil temperatures and compacted seed beds early in the spring.

When the soil test is high we are fertile; if we are not productive it is seldom nutrient related. If highly fertile fields are not yielding up to expectations, then question the expectations and dig a little deeper. Dig in the soil.

The answers to poor performance lie not in trying a new soil test method but in understanding how nutrients and water move to and into plant roots. Root interception, Diffusion, Mass flow these are the mechanisms that move nutrients to plants and are largely responsible for desired plant performance. These mechanisms of nutrient uptake work best in well structured, aerated, deep soil, high in organic matter, low bulk density, adequately drained and proportioned micro and macro pore sizes. A productive soil is usually one-third air, one-third water, and one-third solids.
A well structure soil allows for a large unrestricted root system to develop. Big yields come from big plants and big plants have big roots.

We quite often experience a response to starter fertilizer on corn and cereals. The nutrient most often considered important in a starter is the non-mobile nutrient phosphorous. Root interception and diffusion is largely responsible for P uptake. In a high testing soils we should not see consistent responses to applied P
especially row placed. However we quite often witness 8 to 30 bushel responses on corn to starter placed P. The response is often greater on fine textured soils. These soils tend to restrict root growth especially under less than ideal root zone conditions such as compaction. The yield responses are expected under restrict rooting environments (tight soil) and under conditions that do not favor rapid root expansion (cool temperatures).

When the test values are high and the yields are low it is time for the shovel. Digging up plant roots and looking at root development in season can reveal a great deal about root zone quality. Feeling the soil between thumb and forefinger will tell you about texture. A smooth feeling soil that ribbons out from the fingers indicates a clay texture while a coarse gritty feeling indicates a sandy texture. Relating texture and root habit will tell you about root zone quality, possible clues to compaction, poor drainage, low aeration, greater disease incidence, higher pathogen infection, more insect damage, These are all clues to soil problems that have little to do with soil fertility directly. The causes of additional plant stresses can be indirectly related to soil quality factors, which do not support rapid root expansion and therefore vigorous
growth. Out- growing stresses are one of the crops defense mechanisms or tolerance traits. Slow growing plants have a longer window of susceptibility to insect attack and disease infection.
Shallow compacted soils, limit root growth, this limitation can show as a nutrient deficiency, by exhibiting, chlorotic growth, or stunting, or accumulation of metabolites that produce different plant pigments such as purple and red colors signifying a weather induced P deficiency or accumulation of sugars and anthocyanins. Poor root development limits diffusion rates and mass flow making micronutrient uptake difficult. In the case of corn, zinc uptake is by one-third diffusion, one-third mass flow and one-third root
interception. All of these mechanisms need developing roots to take up zinc. Early season growing stresses quite often exhibit micronutrient deficiencies even though micro levels are high or a starter containing micronutrients has been applied. Hostile root zone environments limit root development. Most non-mobile
elements uptake will be limited under stress conditions that limit root growth.

If we learned nothing else from Site Specific Crop Management we should know that yield patterns across the landscape are more highly correlated to slope and texture changes than they are to soil fertility values. Fertility is important as it relates to productivity. A highly productive soil one which is well structured
needs to have adequate and balanced soil test values above the low to medium soil test level. A less productive soil should not have soil fertility levels built or maintained at the excessive rating. This has lead us to a zone management practice of sampling fertilizing and observing crop production in unique or like areas of production within the field. Variable rate nitrogen management is a natural extension of this approach.


Whenever crop performance becomes a concern, check the soil test levels then check the conditions of the
root zone. Relate soil quality to productivity and fertility.

 

[chief bigsmoke]

Helpful Nutrient Chart

Helpful Nutrient Chart

Helpful Chart. Sorry its so small