great info, thanks for the answers, y'all!
-
ICMag with help from Landrace Warden and The Vault is running a NEW contest in November! You can check it here. Prizes are seeds & forum premium access. Come join in!
Living organic soil from start through recycling CONTINUED...
- Thread starter gaiusmarius
- Start date
Tactical Farmer
Member
EARTH JUICE CATALYST - (.03-.01-.1)
oat bran
kelp
wheat malt
molasses
yeast
oat bran
kelp
wheat malt
molasses
yeast
some great advice imo.I've been making a leaf mold pile next to the compost, and added some kashi & lacto also some hay containing about 50% alfalfa, i think some ground oats would really help things move along...
Hi everybody,
This is my first post on the forum. I've been doing a whole lot of lurking and reading. There is so much information to digest here, and really appreciate all yall for it. I am a grower in colorado, and currently my partner and I are using really over priced organic nutes, but we still turn out some pretty weed. I personally am very interested in living soils and now have another grow that I am running where I can do what I want. So I am switching over to a living soil, even though it will be inside. I originally found the subcool supersoil recipe but I am not too fond of all of it and it looks somewhat expensive. It got me researching then led me to IC.
Anyways, I wanted to ask about about this soil recipe I found in the soil directory:
I eventually want to get to a more sustainable method and cut costs but for now all of that is readily available to me and simple.
In short, do you guys think this is a good mix?
This is my first post on the forum. I've been doing a whole lot of lurking and reading. There is so much information to digest here, and really appreciate all yall for it. I am a grower in colorado, and currently my partner and I are using really over priced organic nutes, but we still turn out some pretty weed. I personally am very interested in living soils and now have another grow that I am running where I can do what I want. So I am switching over to a living soil, even though it will be inside. I originally found the subcool supersoil recipe but I am not too fond of all of it and it looks somewhat expensive. It got me researching then led me to IC.
Anyways, I wanted to ask about about this soil recipe I found in the soil directory:
I eventually want to get to a more sustainable method and cut costs but for now all of that is readily available to me and simple.
In short, do you guys think this is a good mix?
I personally don't like to build soils that need to be cooked, I would rather use compost peat castings and drainage and build up from there.
I think the more sustainable bases such as LCs or Coots mix (I use a variation of the two) also end up being the lowest cost while giving best performance. Coot's mix has IPM in mind LCs does not. Anyone I know running those mixes have not turned back.
I think the more sustainable bases such as LCs or Coots mix (I use a variation of the two) also end up being the lowest cost while giving best performance. Coot's mix has IPM in mind LCs does not. Anyone I know running those mixes have not turned back.
Boyd Crowder
Teem MiCr0B35
Mr Big Bear -
Im with the weirdo on this one.
I use LC's#2 with ammendment recipe one as my base.
#1 If you do ANYTHING with living soil, start with the worms, not bags of ready mix
#2 I cannot tell you how to source great EWC in Co, but I found my supplier on craigslist
#3 Start and maintain a worm bin. Buy bait worms from the fishintackle shack and do some youtubing on the subject - you will thank me later.
#4 Check out bokashi , a technique for making your table scraps/compostables more easily digestible to those worms , in just a two week cycle.
Moving on, LC#2 R1 is cheaper initially than Coots and can be sourced from feedstores & the homodepot
so , covenience.
As for the esoterics in the recipes, you can get those at the grow$hops or ebay and amazon.
So heres that sticky on the subject - Organics for Beginners
Im with the weirdo on this one.
I use LC's#2 with ammendment recipe one as my base.
#1 If you do ANYTHING with living soil, start with the worms, not bags of ready mix
#2 I cannot tell you how to source great EWC in Co, but I found my supplier on craigslist
#3 Start and maintain a worm bin. Buy bait worms from the fishintackle shack and do some youtubing on the subject - you will thank me later.
#4 Check out bokashi , a technique for making your table scraps/compostables more easily digestible to those worms , in just a two week cycle.
Moving on, LC#2 R1 is cheaper initially than Coots and can be sourced from feedstores & the homodepot
so , covenience.
As for the esoterics in the recipes, you can get those at the grow$hops or ebay and amazon.
So heres that sticky on the subject - Organics for Beginners
Cool thanks a bunch for the input guys.
I have read the organics for beginners thread, and was actually just at the store pricing all of it out as well. I like method one for amending the soil and it was my second option. With that mix you have to cook it too though right? For a couple weeks?
Forgive me if my questions are too noobish. The way I have understood this so far is that when you add all the amendments in the soil, it has to be alive and thriving for optimal nute uptake?
I'm used to hand watering soilless with various ferts, but the new grow I'm working on I want to make it a just add water situation.
I have read the organics for beginners thread, and was actually just at the store pricing all of it out as well. I like method one for amending the soil and it was my second option. With that mix you have to cook it too though right? For a couple weeks?
Forgive me if my questions are too noobish. The way I have understood this so far is that when you add all the amendments in the soil, it has to be alive and thriving for optimal nute uptake?
I'm used to hand watering soilless with various ferts, but the new grow I'm working on I want to make it a just add water situation.
Boyd Crowder
Teem MiCr0B35
i cooked mine for two weeks with plain water, but i also added some bottled mychoz like sos and some of tha great white stuff , just freebies I had laying around.
Really tho , if you can get really high quality ewc, you will hAVE PLENTY microherd activity out of the box so to speak
Really tho , if you can get really high quality ewc, you will hAVE PLENTY microherd activity out of the box so to speak
Cool. You think it's still okay to use LC mix 1 with amendment recipe 1? I want to avoid using peat if possible, mainly because of its environmental impact, and plus coir is cheaper for me anyway, 10 bucks for 2cf.
So with the 1st amendment recipe, it's blood, bone, and kelp, greensand, and dolomite. No need for azomite or anything else?
So with the 1st amendment recipe, it's blood, bone, and kelp, greensand, and dolomite. No need for azomite or anything else?
hey everyone long time lurker been reading non stop for who knows how long know I've never grown organic but I've been wanting to switch over to organics and get away from commercial nutes hopefully I've come up with a decent mix I've looked over so many different recipes nd kinda mixed a couple to come up with what I got if yall could leave feedback on your guys opinons on if my ratios are rite id greatly appreciate it
19cf @3.8 cf per bag 5bags for 19cf 142.5gallons befor ammendments
per cu ft total for 19cf base
Fish meal 2cups 38cups
fish bone meal 2 cup 38cups
shrip/crab meal 1/2cup 9.5cups
alfalfa meal 1/2cup 9.5cups
flax seed meal 1/2cup 9.5cups
neem seed meal 1/2cup 9.5cups
kelp meal 1cup 19cups
oyster shell flour 1/2cup 9.5cups
gypsum 1/2cup 9.5cups
dolomite lime 1/2cup 9.5cups
azomite 1/3cup 6.55cups
glacial rock dust 1/3cup 6.55cups
soft rock phosphate 1/3cup 6.55cups
humates 1tsp 2/5th cup
green sand 1/2cup 9.5cups
k mag 1cup 19cups
earth worm castings 1/2cu ft 9cu ft
pro mix 3.8cuft per bag 6 bags 19 cu ft +3.8 for cutting it down for younger plants
I feel as though this is off some how I've read thru numerous mixes nd this is what I came up with any help is greatly appreciated
19cf @3.8 cf per bag 5bags for 19cf 142.5gallons befor ammendments
per cu ft total for 19cf base
Fish meal 2cups 38cups
fish bone meal 2 cup 38cups
shrip/crab meal 1/2cup 9.5cups
alfalfa meal 1/2cup 9.5cups
flax seed meal 1/2cup 9.5cups
neem seed meal 1/2cup 9.5cups
kelp meal 1cup 19cups
oyster shell flour 1/2cup 9.5cups
gypsum 1/2cup 9.5cups
dolomite lime 1/2cup 9.5cups
azomite 1/3cup 6.55cups
glacial rock dust 1/3cup 6.55cups
soft rock phosphate 1/3cup 6.55cups
humates 1tsp 2/5th cup
green sand 1/2cup 9.5cups
k mag 1cup 19cups
earth worm castings 1/2cu ft 9cu ft
pro mix 3.8cuft per bag 6 bags 19 cu ft +3.8 for cutting it down for younger plants
I feel as though this is off some how I've read thru numerous mixes nd this is what I came up with any help is greatly appreciated
dcasper try mixing the mineral stuff w/ your soil & use the plant animal fish stuff as light topdressings. mulch these w/ your ewc
e.g. soil: 1 TBS ea oyster, gypsum, azomite, glacier dust. i'd skip the dolo & greensand & would want some basalt dust in there. i also like rice hulls as both drainage & silica. typically i add as much ewc as rice hulls which is a quart ea to 5 gallons of mix
once in containers topdress the fish, fish bone, crustacean, alfalfa, flax, neem & kelp ~mix it all up & use from 1 tsp to 1 TBS per 1 gallon soil mix. cover that well w/ ewc
for best effect, mulch that w/ chopped up barley straw & pulse water daily
e.g. soil: 1 TBS ea oyster, gypsum, azomite, glacier dust. i'd skip the dolo & greensand & would want some basalt dust in there. i also like rice hulls as both drainage & silica. typically i add as much ewc as rice hulls which is a quart ea to 5 gallons of mix
once in containers topdress the fish, fish bone, crustacean, alfalfa, flax, neem & kelp ~mix it all up & use from 1 tsp to 1 TBS per 1 gallon soil mix. cover that well w/ ewc
for best effect, mulch that w/ chopped up barley straw & pulse water daily
r.shackleford.
New member
Just mixed up 9cf of the cc mix from buildasoil
For the base I used the premier peat, lava rock, rice hulls, and bu's blend compost.. All mixed and watered with alfalfa and aloe tea per Coots notes here...
Thank you again for all the excellent information you guys are willing to share. CC, Gas, etc etc I have been following your posts and documenting the information you have shared in this thread for a long time.
Merry Christmas
For the base I used the premier peat, lava rock, rice hulls, and bu's blend compost.. All mixed and watered with alfalfa and aloe tea per Coots notes here...
Thank you again for all the excellent information you guys are willing to share. CC, Gas, etc etc I have been following your posts and documenting the information you have shared in this thread for a long time.
Merry Christmas
r.shackleford.
New member
And really nice worm castings I found right down the street from me
Can't believe I forgot those.....
Can't believe I forgot those.....
Xmobotx- . Just mix the base and add everything to the top... Nice approach it seems great mind think alike.
The castings should be enough to get the plant going and by the time the feeder roots hit the top horizon, wormies and microbes will be taking care of the top-dress making it available.
More control, Less chance for burning, no cook time and a more consistent mix.
I was testing out this same mixing method. Might as well just let the worms do the hard part of mixing right?
The castings should be enough to get the plant going and by the time the feeder roots hit the top horizon, wormies and microbes will be taking care of the top-dress making it available.
More control, Less chance for burning, no cook time and a more consistent mix.
I was testing out this same mixing method. Might as well just let the worms do the hard part of mixing right?
i sure like worms in the container too. don't expect it to stratify so much as form a gradient. in a mix like this, frequently, the bottom will end up being a mass of white roots & the top will be dark earthy goodness fading gradually down to that white when you transplant
it's beautiful because you can not only get started this way when just getting your first steps on but, continue ~basically from 'rolling over to running' in one step
of course it gets better as you go though ~it's still ROLS! ~so long as you're using inputs that don't imbalance your mix
it's beautiful because you can not only get started this way when just getting your first steps on but, continue ~basically from 'rolling over to running' in one step
of course it gets better as you go though ~it's still ROLS! ~so long as you're using inputs that don't imbalance your mix
Heard the tunels worms dig when moving around help with aeration. Maybe it's time I try some, too.
I remember trying them in pots but it was a disaster, cause when the soil dried slightly or after i watered it they were going out of the pots and I was finding them dehidrated on the growspace floor. Does this still happen in a bed, or they like it enaugh to forget about commiting suicide?
I remember trying them in pots but it was a disaster, cause when the soil dried slightly or after i watered it they were going out of the pots and I was finding them dehidrated on the growspace floor. Does this still happen in a bed, or they like it enaugh to forget about commiting suicide?
