Living organic soil from start through recycling

[BlueJayWay]

gregor

Stinging Nettles = you could use this plant alone to feed your plants and it would be the best garden you've experienced regardless of the plants involved

Yarrow = Bio-stimulant and a slew of other benefits. Vastly overlooked by even hardcore organic terrorists but if you used it a single time it would become a standard plant in your garden program. I promise you that one.

Horsetail ferns = everything - this plant will be found in wet(ter) areas, i.e. it won't be out in an open field but usually in marsh areas around lakes, streams, etc. A 'nute' powerhouse almost unrivaled except for Comfrey - perhaps.

There's a few native plants that you might be able to find without risking your life. On the Nettles you'll probably want to bring some leather gloves and a jug of Aloe vera juice - the juice will immediately remove the sting from your skin.

HTH

CC

Cool man, I just got some bags of nettle, yarrow, comfrey, yucca root powder, horsetail (as in shavegrass) oh and some red clover seed, i was thinking of sprouting the clover and letting it grow on the piles/bins of reused soil as they wait for their next run i.e. mini cover crop.

When I use alfalfa, I brew a tea, 5gal water, 1 cup EWC & 1/4 to 1/2 cup alfalfa meal (I find 1/2 cup to be a bit strong though, undiluted) & 30 to 50ml molasses, then let it bubble for about a day.

Are there more proven/benefical methods in using any of these other herbs/plants that you've found?

OH and on the Georges aloe juice, Fractional Distillation is their method of extraction/preservation. I couldn't think of it at the time, I'm going to work through the bottle (and take a few swigs myself, tastes like water) then look into other aloe options. Aloe doesn't like being under feet of snow I discovered LOL lets see how they may do indoors...

 

[mapinguari]

Are there more proven/benefical methods in using any of these other herbs/plants that you've found?

You might find the Fermented Plant Extracts thread useful: http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=94673

 

[ClackamasCootz]

BlueJayWay

From USDA ARS:

Chemicals in: Urtica dioica L. (Urticaceae) - European Nettle, Stinging Nettle

Chemicals in: Equisetum arvense L. (Equisetaceae) - Field Horsetail, Horsetail

Chemicals in: Achillea millefolium L. (Asteraceae) - Milfoil, Yarrow

"Dynamic Nutrient Accumulators" - Comfrey would be in this group like Alfalfa, Kelp, Dandelion, etc.

HTH

CC

 

[ClackamasCootz]

Fête des Orties - Annual Nettle festival in France

 

[rrog]

Do they have a Nettle Queen? Does she sting, too?

 

[ClackamasCootz]

Aloe vera......

The ten main areas of chemical constituents of Aloe vera include: Amino Acids, Anthraquinones, Enzymes, Minerals, Vitamins, Lignins, Monosaccharide, Polysaccharides, Salicylic Acid, Saponins, And Sterols.

Amino acids found in Aloe vera include: Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Valine,And Tryptophan. Some Of The Other Non-Essential Amino Acids Found In Aloe Vera Include Alanine, Arginine, Asparagine, Cysteine, Glutamic Acid, Glycine, Histidine, Proline, Serine, Tyrosine, Glutamine, And Aspartic Acid.

Enzymes include Amylase, Bradykinase, Catalase, Cellulas, Lipase, Oxidase, Alkaline Phosphatase, Proteolytias, Creatine Phosphokinase and Carboxypeptidase.

Aloe vera also contains Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12 along with Choline, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Manganese, Chromium, Selenium. Additional elements found in Aloe vera include Copper, Iron, Potassium, Phosphorus, And Sodium.

 

[ClackamasCootz]

Chemicals in: Symphytum officinale L. (Boraginaceae) - Comfrey

 

[ixnay007]

Lots and lots of horsetail growin down by tha river., when my leg works again, I'll need to go harvest a bit, is it a good top dressing candidate?

 

[ClackamasCootz]

Lots and lots of horsetail growin down by tha river., when my leg works again, I'll need to go harvest a bit, is it a good top dressing candidate?

Here's where I get a bit confused because the 'type' of Horsetail ferns that I can harvest in the Mt. Hood National Forest look like this:

However, along the Wilson River, Clackamas River, et al. I find the variety which looks like this:

Anything close to what you find in your area?

 

[Gascanastan]

Lots and lots of horsetail growin down by tha river., when my leg works again, I'll need to go harvest a bit, is it a good top dressing candidate?

I mix dried pulverized horsetail directly into recycled soil as an amendment...try two cups per cubic foot.

As a topdress....why not..

 

[Gascanastan]

Yeah the thing i really like about leaf mold and (real)compost in general is its ability to hold onto moisture and to spread moisture through a dry mix. For example a soil bed that is repelling water and refuses to hydrate or a indoor soil mix that got too dry.

The compost will work so much better than water crystals, especially under a good layer of mulch and with a wee dash of kelp powder in the watering can.

SSOG...long time no see...

Thanks for the words on compost....it has so many benefits I can't remember them all....

I also find that I water less from utilizing compost as a topdress.

 

[ClackamasCootz]

But what about your carbs!

LMAO

 

[all natural]

can leaf mold be made with fan leaves? or is it better to use tree leaves?

 

[ClackamasCootz]

all natural

The accumulation of 'nutes' in a leaf is in direct relation to the quality of the soil that the plant grew in.

GIGO - garbage in = garbage out

Or something close - LOL

BTW - I left you a suggestion on your Spike thread that you might find interesting or at least a curious idea

 

[Gascanastan]

The first time that I used dried horsetail as an amendment everything was fine....and like many others say around here that do all this 'crazy' stuff,I really couldn't see if there was any difference in the end result...this was the same cycle that received aloe treatments as well.
However,...when I emptied the pots there was very little sign of the horsetail remaining...it had definitely been consumed.

 

[Gascanastan]

can leaf mold be made with fan leaves? or is it better to use tree leaves?

..You can use fan leaves,but I'd mix in some deciduous shrub and tree leaves along with a bit of compost to kick it off.....

Not all trees and shrubs are ideal for this practice depending on the time it takes for that particular leaf to break down and how soon I want to utilize it....I stick with the soft tissue leafs like maple,alder,cottonwood,etc over laurel,oak,manzanita,etc..

 

[ClackamasCootz]

Not all trees and shrubs are ideal for this practice depending on the time it takes for that particular leaf to break down and how soon I want to utilize it....I stick with the soft tissue leafs like maple,alder,cottonwood,etc over laurel,oak,manzanita,etc..

Lignin

 

[YosemiteSam]

I have some plants that need an N boost. Can I make a plain old alfalfa tea without aerating or fermenting? And at approximately what concentration? I will need to mix it with about 40 gallons of water for the plants in question.

 

[ClackamasCootz]

YS

The ONLY reason that I aerate these botanical teas is to get the pieces bounding around in the water but it's not mandatory.

Stirring it every few hours wouldn't hurt however for the 2 day steep/brew cycle.

HTH

CC

EDIT: I use 1 cup of Alfalfa meal to 5 gallons of water - I missed that part of your post.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Thanks. That helps a bunch.