Living organic soil from start through recycling

[Gascanastan]

CC

I have access to all the 'sphagnum moss' I can handle...is this the same as sphagnum peat moss,or is that a different type?

 

[YosemiteSam]

And is the Premeir brand the right stuff?

 

[Gascanastan]

Rice hulls...my experience with them.

Makes a nice bulking material and aeration/drainage amendment. I would consider these 'browns' when re-amending and take in to account that 'greens' from alfalfa,comfrey,nettle,etc. would be the dried balancing material's to use when mixing and allowing the soil to compost,balance out,cook..whatever....before planting into.

I didn't have to add any further drainage material for at least 3 cycles after the rice hulls were added....of course they break down and need to be replaced if that's the route one would continue on.

Also...sequestering nitrogen in char is pretty freaking cool too....

 

[Gascanastan]

Free clay is groovy too....
If you find clay deposits in your local area you can incorporate these types of clay into your soil mix.

Look in old river basins,valleys,stream beds,near lakes,etc. anywhere water and the forces of erosion and depositing of silt material has been boogieing down for a considerable amount of time on the historical level.

Not all clays are the same and after some poking around you'll find out which ones are best to use in your own personal/custom built hot-rod soil mix. Some types have sand mixed in,some types are very gummy.

I bring the clumps back home and dry them out,then powder the clumps and add it as a soil amendment.

 

[ClackamasCootz]

And is the Premeir brand the right stuff?

Correct!

Here's a FAQ from the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association (the only companies authorized to harvest in Canada) - good info that you'll find helpful to answer your other questions.

HTH

CC

 

[ClackamasCootz]

I just called a place called Georgie's and they sell bentonite clay for 4.60 for 5 lbs. And i think he said 50 lbs for 17 dollars.

all natural

I sincerely apologize - you got the right place, the right material, the right price - in spite of my bad information - it wasn't intentional.

CC

 

[BlueJayWay]

^^^^^Yea don't buy clay from skin care places, i got a lb for the same price as the 50lb! LMAO!

 

[all natural]

all natural

I sincerely apologize - you got the right place, the right material, the right price - in spite of my bad information - it wasn't intentional.

CC

Hey No problem CC. I appreciate all the help and info!!

how much of this should I add to my soil? I have about 20 gallons or so of soil that is ready to use and another small bin with about 40-50 in it recycling. I picked up about 10 pounds of the clay.

 

[shmalphy]

So sulfur plays a role in terpene production? I guess that is the science behind my theory "stink in, stink out" meaning if you give the plants stanky teas they tend to give you some rank buds.

Also gives an explanation as to why why garlic is an exceptional pesticide, because the foliar application of sulfur triggers terpene production in the plants which in turn repels the bugs.

 

[ClackamasCootz]

all natural

Azomite is nothing more than montmorillite which is derived from clays that have origin of volcanic activity from deep within the earth. These clays vary slightly in their composition and therefore are called different names like, Bentonite, Montmorillite, Kaolanite, Pyrophillite and Zeolite among others. Collectively they are known as alumino-silicates, a sub-class of phyllites. (source: Ryan Zadow, BioAg)

Azomite is simply a brand name for Peek Minerals' operation. Nothing special. Nothing mystical. Nothing monumental - volcanic rock dust.

Use the same application rate on Bentonite as you would Azomite - whatever that rate is. I use a homemade mineral mix that is 60% glacial rock dust vs. volcanic though I do add 20% Basalt which is a volcanic mineral compound - so the amount I use wouldn't be applicable to using a single mineral source in this class.

Oregon has huge deposits of Basalt though it only became available commercially last year because much of the available deposits are on public lands adjacent to the Cascades - huge environmental hurdles that had to be dealt with. Much of the Basalt previously available was from India and China and that's where some of the Goober Speak about Basalt comes from.

HTH

CC

 

[ClackamasCootz]

^^^^^Yea don't buy clay from skin care places, i got a lb for the sa

me price as the 50lb! LMAO!

BluJayWay

I had the same experience at the vet's office serval months back. Besides being a regular ol' DVM, he's also board-certified in acupuncture and chiropractic medicine.

He's been working with my Lab and the arthritis in her hips so he hands me a bottle of capsules marked Kelp Powder and said that this would help. Fair enough - until I read the label: Ingriedients: Powdered Kelp Meal (Ascophyllum nodosum) and it worked out to be $30.00 per lb.

Same kelp I buy at the farm store for $1.00 per lb. - no capsules though and it isn't powdered so you have to factor that in.

I handed his bottle back and told him that I was pretty much covered on the kelp deal......

CC

 

[BlueJayWay]

It's crazy isn't it CC, I was noticing the same thing @ the nutrition center, a whole aisle of kelps/spirulina etc. and even worse the little bottles of powdered/capsuled ascophyllum nodosum $30+!

It gets my mind goin' though seeing so many "human health" products/supplements that are the same ones used in farming/gardening (10000x marked up though!), like a cosmic epiphany of star dust plant people run through my mind, there's better wording for that but you get the gist (universal similarities?) and i haven't had a full cup of coffee yet!

About to order my russian comfrey roots today, $12.50+ shipping for a lifetime supply & then some.

 

[ClackamasCootz]

It's crazy isn't it CC, I was noticing the same thing @ the nutrition center, a whole aisle of kelps/spirulina etc. and even worse the little bottles of powdered/capsuled ascophyllum nodosum $30+!

It gets my mind goin' though seeing so many "human health" products/supplements that are the same ones used in farming/gardening (10000x marked up though!), like a cosmic epiphany of star dust plant people run through my mind, there's better wording for that but you get the gist (universal similarities?) and i haven't had a full cup of coffee yet!

About to order my russian comfrey roots today, $12.50+ shipping for a lifetime supply & then some.

Plant nutrition & human/livestock nutrition are far closer than most realize.

Take Glucosamine for example - Chitin is a long-chain polymer - N-acetylglucosamine, a derivative of glucose

Guess why Chitin is grown in labs that produce health supplements?

Try and explain that to Stoner Joe and his buddy, Cash Crop Stupid though - to them it's all about the art work on the label and the company's YouTube videos, grow board sock-puppets, etc. God forbid they use their 6th grade chemistry and read the 'Active Ingredients' section.

CC

 

[ClackamasCootz]

So sulfur plays a role in terpene production? I guess that is the science behind my theory "stink in, stink out" meaning if you give the plants stanky teas they tend to give you some rank buds.

Also gives an explanation as to why why garlic is an exceptional pesticide, because the foliar application of sulfur triggers terpene production in the plants which in turn repels the bugs.

The 3 basic elements for life on this planet are Carbon, Sulfur and Nitrogen

 

[ClackamasCootz]

BlueJayWay

Try this:

1/4 cup Barley seeds (not pearled barley from Safeway)

Sprout like you would any seed like Alfalfa, Mung beans, etc.

Once they're sprouted (about 2 days) add to 1 gallon of water and let that sit for 3 or 4 days and it will turn cloudy. Strain and mix 2 cups of this 'tea' to 14 cups of water = 1 gallon.

Spray your plants from top to bottom and hit the soil.

Let me know what you think. This works equally well using alfalfa, wheat, oat, etc. seeds.

"Enzymes"

CC

 

[shmalphy]

Thanks for that link CC. This whole time I have been focusing on C:N ratio, and I never gave sulfur much of a thought, other than to repel pests and fungus in the form of garlic spray...


In technology, there is a business model called "Value Added Reseller" where a company basically sells you a product with the information on how to integrate/implement/customize it etc. The instructions on the back of the bottle are the "added value" as they ostensibly represent some level of research, and should serve as a turn key solution for someone with limited background knowledge.

 

[ClackamasCootz]

In technology, there is a business model called "Value Added Reseller" where a company basically sells you a product with the information on how to integrate/implement/customize it etc. The instructions on the back of the bottle are the "added value" as they ostensibly represent some level of research, and should serve as a turn key solution for someone with limited background knowledge.

I understand the concept of 'value added' from another industry - the wholesale produce sector where 'value added commodities' generally mean something raw that's been processed - salad mixes, chopped carrots, sliced this and diced that - a sign of just how lazy and silly people are with their food dollars. I don't need to pay anyone to chop up a head of Romaine lettuce.

But that isn't what goes on in the retail fertilizer world which in and of itself is bad enough. But the heretofore unregulated grow store sector has taken this to levels unheard of. They're finally be called on it and their products are being removed from shelves in part by pricks like me and other activists in the organic & sustainable world.

And it will get worse for them. Petitions have been filed with OT to de-certify powdered seaweed extract or at least modify the USDA NOP ruling that allows Potassium (or Sodium) Hydroxide to remain at measurable levels as it now allows. Then factor in that OT is going to be merging with CCOF in October, that alone will push some of the 'approved for organic food production' crap off the list.

Between OT and CCOF certified farms, orchards, etc. you're talking about 40% of this nation's organic food production. They will swing a bigger hammer than the clowns at USDA and especially OMRI have shown

CC

 

[rrog]

It's fascinating to hear about the behind the scenes efforts

 

[ClackamasCootz]

It's fascinating to hear about the behind the scenes efforts

"Think globally and piss off the locals" - CC's credo

 

[Gascanastan]

So once upon a time I visited a gardener who followed my advise and then was led astray by the hydro-store mentality....he went to the hydro-store and spent his paychecks on bottles of "you have to have this brand"...Subsequently his garden went to shit.

Recently he asked my advise again and I said the same basic things I always say concerning building soil and raising humic levels.

Hey dooood...Incorporate EWC and compost and stop using bottled nutes from the hydro store.

Guess what...I looked at the the garden yesterday,it's in top shape and all the plants look perfect.

Simple stuff kids..build a good soil and use composts and/or EWC. It's the fastest way to get to a point of trouble free gardening...over and over and over...garden after garden after garden they either get it or not depending on if they utilize the same basic information.

I point many people to this thread....if they can take in the info provided they will succeed.