Living organic soil from start through recycling CONTINUED...

[Weird]

my canopy is 5.5 x 11.5 just a little bigger than the foot print of the containers so total canopy is 63.5

I don't calculate flarf as weight it is trim

now let me calculate average wattage so I can come up with gpw that is apple and apple to a non variable light schedule

my wattage is so far 1400 then 1650 and now 1450 (1650 was too intense) assuming I don't go lower and run 9 weeks my total wattage is

2 weeks x 1400 = 2800
2 weeks x 1650 = 3300
5 weeks x 1450 = 7250

total wattage = 13,350

13,350/9 = 1483.33 wattage on average

that means I need 52.96 ounces or 3.312 pounds to get a gram per watt

21 plants goes into 52.96 2.52 times rounded up so 2.5 ounces per plant on average to get a gpw

normally with regular hps I would use 2000 to cover the same space so keep that in mind

I am hoping to get closer to 2000 than 1500 grams but I will be happy to get decent pot in the end, things don't always go as planned and I haven't cashed this one in yet

 

[Rodehazrd]

imo kool bloom could be harming microbiota in your soil

Thanks Avinash
That Kool Bloom I use in week 2 and 4 of flowering. I have started on this run using bone char for a P boost but I don't have a K alternate yet. I am in the beginning of wk 2 now and have watered in the Phostrell bone char. Should I go get some bird guano?
Thanks for your kind attention.

 

[Weird]

day 45 5.5 x 11.5 canopy organic soil and water under 1300 watts on a mover

no gas no chems no humidity or air conditioning

reduced the lights to 675 each because the intensity is driving the plants a bit hard

I left DE out of this one because I had seeded my soil with predator mites as a part of my IPM. I should have upped my calcium and perhaps silica. The real ill effect is some lowers/fans dropping strating from weeks 4+ which is not an issue because I don't defoliate or trim much of the lower parts of the plants other than to take cuts BUT the whole idea of testing my soil with my plants is the exact result I want which is close and I am pleased but I would like it spot on. If it was where I wanted it to be that wouldn't happen until a 10-14 days later. This run looks like it will end quick too which is a soil temp variable as well so that might skew the results. Only time will tell.

 

[Avinash.miles]

looks good, Weird!

can you explain a lil on what you said about the lites driving the plants too hard?
like more light means generally more uptake?

here are some pics of my room; main bed (of recycled soil) is 6x12 (similar to your canopy) but i have 4 plants on each long side of the beds, making entire canopy more like 7.5" x 12"

 

[Weird]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
can you explain a lil on what you said about the lites driving the plants too hard?
like more light means generally more uptake?[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]yeah, since I have been growing in this area (ceiling about 7') I bring my plants close to my lights and expect it to drive deeply

with HPS the light intensity was easier to diffuse for even results but with DE at the wattage I use I notice certain plants and strains deplete stores faster even ones that don't bleach.

I worked up to a mix that worked well under HPS and the performance difference of DE has given me more growth but it is harder to diffuse or balance. I do feel if I had a bottle I could get closer to pushing the envelope for wattage which for me is important because space is at such a premium.

the mover helps and I took off the lenses so there are some differences I am observing and going to dial in after.

I might put up scrog for the row against the wall, IDK, I like to run at least half a dozen strains, I have seven in there now and I hate to scrog different varieties unless they run the same time

I plan on another small flowering space for sativas and seed and to work with LED more closely and get this set for efficient production


[/FONT]

 

[Weird]

day 51

 

[Weird]

schrom

ldawg

glue

 

[Patmando22]

Looking good weird

 

[RiddleMeThis]

You figured out a couple of reasons.

I do not mulch in my containers, I top dress layers of amendments compost and ewc at strategic intervals. This control was important to me. I am particular about what I add back, this has given me a variance that works well in my environment as far as nutrition goes. I feel this has lent to better performance over long term recycles.

Early on I realized my canopy does a fine job at shading so cover crops did not seem necessary. I also run as little soil as possible for my plants, which is counter intuitive to the general LOS suggestions but once again I had very specific goals as I transitioned and the biggest one was at the end of the day I wanted to be able to have the same or superior performance. Having made it work for me I stick with the same process.

IMHO/E in recreating ecosystems for longer than I have grown weed you diversity and complexity is relative to size of that ecosystem

in this case It is nothing more than biologically active soil in small containers

everything is bare bones basic and simple because of prohibition, might have to make it all disappear at a moments notice

You can still top dress with a mulch layer present. I use alfalfa straw, and do some sort of top dress every few weeks for similar reasons as yours. I simply pull the mulch back from the area I am top dressing, then cover back up, rinse and repeat. Fairly quick process in 8 and 10 gallon pots. I have noticed a huge difference since adding mulch to the equation. Give it a try, straw is cheap, and I am confident it will have a positive impact, even if its just better moisture retention (watering less frequently).

That said, your girls are looking great. That glue...

 

[FredyJohnSmith]

Have to say! What a thread it is, Well I always add up a good amount of good old worms in my pots.

 

[Weird]

ftr not done trimming but passed the 1.15 gpw mark and I did not readjust the numbers for total wattage even though I dropped a couple hundred watts more the last couple weeks

 

[growinthehills]

Nice Job Weird those pics look insane! Would love try that stuff.

You can still top dress with a mulch layer present. I use alfalfa straw, and do some sort of top dress every few weeks for similar reasons as yours. I simply pull the mulch back from the area I am top dressing, then cover back up, rinse and repeat. Fairly quick process in 8 and 10 gallon pots. I have noticed a huge difference since adding mulch to the equation. Give it a try, straw is cheap, and I am confident it will have a positive impact, even if its just better moisture retention (watering less frequently).

That said, your girls are looking great. That glue...

I like the mulch layer too! I pretty much did the same as RiddleMeThis... pulled my mulch layer back when I topdressed which was almost every week. It didn't take long at all though.

Epic Thread!

 

[PaulieWaulie]

day 51

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Im surprised you don't have any reflective material on those walls. I would think that it would be enough of a benefit to make it worth it. They are right up to the wall, it would bounce right back. Congrats on 1.15 G/W! light mover really makes a difference to max out your canopy hey

 

[h.h.]

I don't pull anything back. I feed my mulch and water it in. Just don't do a lot at once.
I've never seen mother nature with a rake. She just piles it up.

 

[PaulieWaulie]

Im looking at doing a side by side of the 3 Main Basic Mixes By Burn 1, Coot, and Gascanstan.

Gascanstan's Mix seems to be more than 2X to 4X as high in amendments to the Coot Mix on a per Cubic Foot basis. Anyone have any thoughts input or experience on that?

(Ammendments Per/Cubic Foot)
Gascanstan

1 Cup Crab Meal
2 Cup Kelp Meal
2 Cup Fish Meal
2 Cup Fish Bone Meal
1/2 Cup SUL-PO-MAG
1 Cup Neem Seed
1/2 Cup Alfalfa Meal
1/4 Cup Lime Mix

COOTZ

1/2 Cup Neem Meal
1/2 Cup Kelp
1/2 Cup Crab Meal
4 Cups Rock MIX (4 Parts Glacial Rock Dust, 1 Part Bentonite, 1 Part Oyster Shell, 1 Part Basalt)

 

[unregistered190]

Thinking this may be the the best thread for this question. Having a hard time sourcing small lava rock (1/8”) to amend my souls with. Any sources? Or is it fine to use bigger chunks like what they sell for fire pits? Thanks in advance!

 

[CannaRed]

Thinking this may be the the best thread for this question. Having a hard time sourcing small lava rock (1/8”) to amend my souls with. Any sources? Or is it fine to use bigger chunks like what they sell for fire pits? Thanks in advance!

I was having hard time finding lava rock too.
I found it much cheaper in the mulch department than propane grill department.

I like to use a range of sizes of lava so I just bust-up some of the chunks with a hammer.

But it is fine to use bigger chunks only

 

[Avinash.miles]

Im looking at doing a side by side of the 3 Main Basic Mixes By Burn 1, Coot, and Gascanstan.

Gascanstan's Mix seems to be more than 2X to 4X as high in amendments to the Coot Mix on a per Cubic Foot basis. Anyone have any thoughts input or experience on that?

(Ammendments Per/Cubic Foot)
Gascanstan

1 Cup Crab Meal
2 Cup Kelp Meal
2 Cup Fish Meal
2 Cup Fish Bone Meal
1/2 Cup SUL-PO-MAG
1 Cup Neem Seed
1/2 Cup Alfalfa Meal
1/4 Cup Lime Mix

COOTZ

1/2 Cup Neem Meal
1/2 Cup Kelp
1/2 Cup Crab Meal
4 Cups Rock MIX (4 Parts Glacial Rock Dust, 1 Part Bentonite, 1 Part Oyster Shell, 1 Part Basalt)

cootz mix is popoular because it doesn't have to cook at all
im not sure about the gascan soil mix but seems like you may have to cook it before use?

consider lc's soil mix or something that uses blood and bone meal
IIRC i used bone at 2x blood plus kelp and did really well in a soil mix w little more than blood, bone and kelp.

 

[brown_thumb]

I hope this is okay to ask here...

I ordered basalt dust but received fine granules instead. I know the dust will more quickly break down in the presence of the right microbes. Should I return the granules and order dust?

 

[PaulieWaulie]

cootz mix is popoular because it doesn't have to cook at all
im not sure about the gascan soil mix but seems like you may have to cook it before use?

consider lc's soil mix or something that uses blood and bone meal
IIRC i used bone at 2x blood plus kelp and did really well in a soil mix w little more than blood, bone and kelp.

Yeah I think it is recommended 3-4 Weeks, Cootz I think it is recommended 1-2 weeks but, some have said if need be you will be ok without. Considering the inputs are so much higher for Gascanstan mix I would think it could heat up a lot more for sure.

LC's Mix is just the base mix, and I think most are pretty similiar. Im going with Equal parts of PEAT/PERLITE/EWC = 33%/33%/33%

Just curious to the performance and effects when 4 Times as much Kelp is added. Does Gascanstan push nutrient content to the max to the point of it being too much for some plants, in comparison will the Cootz mix not be enough for some plants or runs.

Either way, this thread is legendary so I will use all the recipes and compare them. I look forward to sharing the side by side results, as without the masters frequenting this thread, it seems pretty dead these days.

Im on page 400 so far on the first part of the thread. should be caught up to this page and read my own post in 2-3 weeks!