CACTUSFLOWER
Member
I grow outside but your scientific discussions and debates are informative and interesting, I've been able to scale up many of your principals in my no till garden, thank you organic thinkers out there
Last edited:
-
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
I grow outside but your scientific discussions and debates are informative and interesting, I've been able to scale up many of your principals in my no till garden, thank you organic thinkers out there
My 2 cents is to focus on your soil life.
Mulch, cover crop, include forest duff and many sources of local soil.
With the amount of Mg in there you need to make it available. Dolo takes a long long long time to break down. Especially in a soil that is not acidic, being feed acid chemicals or very alive. That is why I don't like dolo lime. If you are worried about Mg and k. Why not try sulpomag.,
To much Mg can lock things out and give you Mg deficiency.
Better to let the microbes work it out then trying to add more of something and o speak from experience.
I
Mulch, cover crop, include forest duff and many sources of local soil.
With the amount of Mg in there you need to make it available. Dolo takes a long long long time to break down. Especially in a soil that is not acidic, being feed acid chemicals or very alive. That is why I don't like dolo lime. If you are worried about Mg and k. Why not try sulpomag.,
To much Mg can lock things out and give you Mg deficiency.
Better to let the microbes work it out then trying to add more of something and o speak from experience.
I
When getting ready to run the same soil again is it advisable to mix amendments with a bit of soil and let it 'cook' for some weeks before top dressing onto new plants?
I have been keeping a mix of EWC, FBM, kelp and wood ash slightly moist in buckets for top dressing. It seems to cut the lag time down.
Is everyone here actually getting full potential in flowering with only using kelp for K? Is anybody solely using kelp for added K?
My mixes have been consistently low on K when not using something else to supplement. Wood ash has been my simplest way to resolve the issue. Is wood ash used less due to the ph and soil caking possibility? I have used sulpomag in the past but prefer more sustainable methods.
My mixes have been consistently low on K when not using something else to supplement. Wood ash has been my simplest way to resolve the issue. Is wood ash used less due to the ph and soil caking possibility? I have used sulpomag in the past but prefer more sustainable methods.
i've been wanting to use sulpomag, have used solely kelp in the past and fish bone meal and kelp as well. also have woodash in my soil mix, haven't added much recently (been about a year)
imo kelp alone was not the best
imo kelp alone was not the best
-4-5 cups of rock dust mix per cubic feet of soil.
(4x glacial
1x bentonite
1x powdered oyster shell
1x basalt.)
Is it ok to use Wollastonite in stead of oyster shell powder in same ammount. I tried to google it but found mentions only to aplication to ha or to dry soil but I grow in pots and dont want to dry all my soil just to add Wollastonite.
(4x glacial
1x bentonite
1x powdered oyster shell
1x basalt.)
Is it ok to use Wollastonite in stead of oyster shell powder in same ammount. I tried to google it but found mentions only to aplication to ha or to dry soil but I grow in pots and dont want to dry all my soil just to add Wollastonite.
It is not inert. www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/8/4/293/pdf
I think I will go with same ammount as oyster shell flour. I can get it under 1€/kg from pottery supplier. And my coffee grinder is broken so I cant make any oyster shell flour.
I think I will go with same ammount as oyster shell flour. I can get it under 1€/kg from pottery supplier. And my coffee grinder is broken so I cant make any oyster shell flour.
Punisher 421
Member
I would like to start some living soil!! Is there a list somewhere of what to use, where to get it, and how much to use, how often to amend, etc. Etc..??? That would be a huge help
Punisher 421
Member
I'm by the great lakes in united States if this helps anyone that would like to help me. Thank you all
Look for this products if you wish living soil, http://www.lebanonturf.com/
beneficial bacteries and mycos are a must in this game..
I've got a quick question on horse manure compost that has cedar chips in it. I just grabbed 2 yards of it today. Supposedly 5 yrs old, still steaming? I was going to mix it with some old hay from the barn and let it set for a while. I'd keep adding stuff to it and turn it now and then. Maybe use it next Spring. Stuff looks like it's only 5 months old not 5 yrs as stated in the ad. Should have walked away.
On the other hand I could just cut my losses and use it in pathways where the muck builds up in the rainy season.
On the other hand I could just cut my losses and use it in pathways where the muck builds up in the rainy season.
self
Member
could someone explain the need for the high ratios of glacial rock dusts and oyster shell flour (vs calcite) in these mixes? Those items really push costs up when you are dealing with large volumes of soil. I can see adding 1 cup/cf, but over that and the costs just get prohibitive. Considering budget, can someone recommend a similar alternative or explain to me why I would need to add so much mineral flour to my mix.
Thanks!!!
Thanks!!!
volcanic rock dust is a great alternative to glacial. you can even use basalt for both the basalt portion & the glacial. granite would be OK too. any CaCO3 source is a suitable alternative to oyster. mainly folks wanted to get away from the excessive magnesium associated w/ dolomite. Solomon's 3 part lime mix was a good 1st step {2 parts oyster 1 pt ea of gypsum & dolo} it still left a few people w/ too much mag.
many do OK using dolomite lime. seems like the humus portion is most important. you don;t want it to contribute too much K & you do want it to be alive {the critical part}
seems like i read something about cedar being problematic? idk but, if it seems particularly fresh anyway, you'll want to let it compost for a while ~so that time may just fix the cedar "problem" {if there actually is one}
many do OK using dolomite lime. seems like the humus portion is most important. you don;t want it to contribute too much K & you do want it to be alive {the critical part}
seems like i read something about cedar being problematic? idk but, if it seems particularly fresh anyway, you'll want to let it compost for a while ~so that time may just fix the cedar "problem" {if there actually is one}
