Living organic soil from start through recycling

[SilverSurfer_OG]

Heres some pics of my charring process. I usually have a bit more hot coals before adding the tin. But i always rest it on a piece of wood like that and a bit on top to evenly cook it.



This is my no-till almost ready. The plant hanging down on the right was chopped right after taking this snap. Its Reclining Buddah x Grapefruit (very happy with this x) and Ice on the left. Next run its getting 3 blumats.

25 days ago



Yesterday

 

[IncredibowlBoss]

I knew zeolite sounded familiar.... I became interested in this company when I was doing some theoretical research on electroculture: http://www.zeoponix.com/

They're based near me - I should go pick their brains one day - evidently they're the sole licensees (or was lit licensors?) of NASA's tech for growing plants in space.

I guess I'm gettin away from fact-based organics a bit here, but NASA's prolly got a couple facts up their sleeves.

 

[rrog]

Surfer you are always rockin' down under! Those nugs look very dense.

 

[rrog]

So aside from CEC assistance, is the silica bioavailable like Pro-Tekt or Agisil 16?

 

[Gascanastan]

MileHighGuy

My sincere apology - I saw Hydro Lite and read Hydro Lime in my feeble brain.

CC

Whacha' smoking on this fine brisk PNW day Mr. Coot?....

....I'm being forgetful and overlooking the finer details around me with some Kali Mist.

Good stuff on the biochar .... if anyone hasn't yet tried this in a soil mix.....you should.

 

[rrog]

I have been using spent carbon from my filters. for a year now. But I have not been inoculating. So much to learn...

 

[MileHighGuy]

So aside from CEC assistance, is the silica bioavailable like Pro-Tekt or Agisil 16?

Not certain, and I'm hoping to find out more. I was thinking the same thing.

 

[IncredibowlBoss]

Not certain, and I'm hoping to find out more. I was thinking the same thing.

Intuition tells me that it's not a soluble form of silica (see CC's glass bottle example) - but science may prove intuition a simpleton

 

[rrog]

I'm thinking they're different.

 

[IncredibowlBoss]

I'm thinking they're different.

Which sucks because it seems potassium silicate isn't considered organic for USDA or OTCO certification (ironic that DynaGro Protekt's marketing line is "Beyond Organic").

Coot - shed any light/insight/debunking on this? I take it there's just no natural source of potassium silicate?

 

[floral]

it seems potassium silicate isn't considered organic for USDA or OTCO certification

Someone here mentioned Sil-MATRIX recently, which is OMRI- and USDA NOP- certified. Wonder how that got through. (Also wonder how an individual gardener might purchase the stuff, but haven't gotten around to calling them yet. Has anyone here used it?)

 

[ClackamasCootz]

Which sucks because it seems potassium silicate isn't considered organic for USDA or OTCO certification (ironic that DynaGro Protekt's marketing line is "Beyond Organic").

Coot - shed any light/insight/debunking on this? I take it there's just no natural source of potassium silicate?

IncredibowlBoss

Potassium silicate is found naturally, Basalt contains this mineral compound. The problem is, as usual, that the cost of extracting it is prohibitive.

USDA NOP (National Organic Program) has a general regulation known as 205.208(e) (link) which covers bio-pesticides and bio-fungicides including mineral compounds.

Chemical compounds are contained in a database known as Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) which is part of the American Chemical Society. The listing for Synthetic Potassium Silicate is CAS # 1312-76-1

Under the general blanket regulation noted above, synthetic Potassium Silicate is approved with this stipulation:

The silica used in the manufacture of potassium silicate must be sourced from naturally occuring sand. May be used if the requirements of 205.206(e) are met.

AgSil 16H from PQ Corporation was the product that brought about this ruling by USDA NOP whereas prior to that, synthetic sources were prohibited. Their application and final approval allowed if the restrictions were met.

HTH

CC

 

[ClackamasCootz]

University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences

Silicon: The Estranged Medium Element

This is a very good read and should answer a lot of questions about the function of Si in plant health and growth.

CC

 

[unclefishstick]

had a question i wanted to toss out there for you guys.

how well do you think a living soil in smart pots set up in a water only flood and drain table would work? with perhaps a weekly compost tea..

 

[shmalphy]

not all soil is the same... If you have the proper perched water table you can use sub irrigation/ ebb and flow... Smart pots keep the topsoil dry when using sub irrigation though, so you might want to consider blumats or a dripper, as most of the micro life is in the top 2 inches.

 

[Gascanastan]

....it would work..but like shmalphy says the upper layer will not get as much moisture. ...you'd have to have a really deep ass table. Roots will seldom even grow into that space when dry. With larger pots the matter lessens if one were to bottom water only.....but why waste root space.

I have grown in large,built in place soil beds with decent success. I have also seen whole rooms lined with pond liner and filled with soil to grow in....talk about easy watering.

I think the ultimate beds for a no-till living soil would be close to,if not the Soma design....just deeper~

 

[unclefishstick]

interesting...

in the case of a dripper system would you want to set the timer cycles to just keep the soil moist,or would you want to water to the point of run off?

what im really after is some small level of automation that might allow me to actually do something like go camping for a couple days,as it is im a slave to the garden,i have to water every day.although i have been happy with the results i have been getting with my current system,the garden was only meant to be a part of my life rather than the central focus of every day. after a good deal of reading it seems a living organic soil would suit my style pretty well while maintaining the most important thing,end product of utmost quality...

 

[ClackamasCootz]

interesting...

in the case of a dripper system would you want to set the timer cycles to just keep the soil moist,or would you want to water to the point of run off?

what im really after is some small level of automation that might allow me to actually do something like go camping for a couple days,as it is im a slave to the garden,i have to water every day.although i have been happy with the results i have been getting with my current system,the garden was only meant to be a part of my life rather than the central focus of every day. after a good deal of reading it seems a living organic soil would suit my style pretty well while maintaining the most important thing,end product of utmost quality...

Tropf Blumats will accomplish what you're wanting......

 

[Gascanastan]

...I'm unfamiliar with blumats...but I've built and utilized every possible pvc configuration I could come up with..

The ultimate automated design will be designed by a guy who designs sprinkler systems for golf courses.

Being that you live in a desert..building a soil mix that holds more water might be more of what you are after in a living soil potted desert environment under HID lighting....more vermiculite,sand,peat,these types of water holding amendments.

You might be able to afford a 3 day weekend if you build the right soil and use bigger pots. Maybe consider some kind of home made automated watering system...I've made a couple types for a one time watering when I was gone. Timers,valves and PVC....Pex tubing and fittings would be a better choice these days.

Big pots watered the day you leave is how I've played it for decades....regardless of my bright ideas.

 

[BlueJayWay]

interesting...
what im really after is some small level of automation that might allow me to actually do something like go camping for a couple days,as it is im a slave to the garden,i have to water every day...

I need a vacation too man. I have it set up to water every two or three days. 2 day vacation is the best I get. I looked into blumats when CC mentioned it here and I want use them eventually so I can be gone for 5 days or a week, every so often ya know.... But what does one do with clones and seedlings and various stage veg plants?

Seems I need to reorganize and rethink the plan of attack if I ever want some down time....

...

Big pots watered the day you leave is how I've played it for decades....regardless of my bright ideas.

That's what allows me to be gone a few days as it is. Never fails though, longer than three days and something is drying out....