Living organic soil from start through recycling

[VortexPower420]

So I just saw a few days ago there were some issuse with the price of kelp I just found a 50lb OMRI listed (ha) kelp meal for amimals called sea life from North American Kelp for $44.99 from my local feed store.
Boy do I feel lucky seeing the hydro shop wanted 13 bucks for a 5lb algamin. God damn theifs.

 

[ClackamasCootz]

Hi Coot,

I was wondering why you have a preference for freeze-dried over spray-dried? Does this have to do with the processing, or is it merely a convenient indicator of the quality, since most freeze-dried come from reputable Australian sources?

I have some spray-dried that states its origin in the USA. Aloe Barbadensis, which I am not sure is identical to Aloe Vera.

Thanks!

think_fast

RE: Aloe Barbadensis

That's the species that is widely grown and used, i.e. the right one

On the preference for freeze-dried it really came down to being able to get organic pharmacy-grade powder and I was only able to find that out of Australia. The reason that this was important is that I drink aloe vera juice daily (bone issues) and I also give a daily dose to my older Lab for the arthritis in her hips.

The spray-dried kilos were $225.00 and the organic version was $250.00 so basically the same price more or less.

You mentioned that it was processed in the USA - probably Texas or Arizona I would guess. Texas grows and produces a lot of aloe vera plants and there are several packers with very nice products. The big national aloe vera company, Lily of The Desert, is based in Phoenix.

Just curious as usual!

CC

 

[W89]

I just squeezed the juice outta a leaf and mixed it 1:15 with my kelp tea ive given them a spray, isnt the half life on this mix 20 min or something init?

 

[W89]

Is it me or is the site messing up tonight? posts going missing and all that shit?

Ok so I just squeezes the juice out of a aloe leaf, mixed it 1:15 with kelp tea and sprayed it on.. 1 leaf made enough to spray them a couple times in the 20mins time you said about..

 

[W89]

this page has been not available to me all afternoon it was stuck on a post i made hours ago...

Cootz did you see my post about the alfalfa I got? do i just soak it and the triacontinol will just be available in the liquid? also My seeds I got are they any good? the mung bean? i know alfalfa and broccoli is good.. Ive just added a tea spoon of alfalfa seeds to some water I will drain the liquid when i get up in the morning so they would have been soaking 12-18 hours... then im gonna just add them to 1ltr of water... as I dont need 1 gal to spray 6 seedling so making it with 2 table spoons would just be a waste.. I got the cocoa shells and im now adding them to my mix ... and will add 1 cup of alfalfa and im hoping my crab will be here tomorrow and il add 1 cup of that... the mix will be 2cuft now... with 2 cup kelp, 1 neem, 1 alfalfa, 1 crab and 1 poultry manure. does that sound good to you?
I also got a good handfull of dandilion leaves and cut them up into tiny bits will dry it out and use later

 

[Microbeman]

mox nix........lol. macht nicht

ya I did not think the translation was quite correct hence the question. Interesting though as I have not read much Sikh faith.

Thanks masterji!

小宇宙是真正的教師

hehehe

 

[Microbeman]

So I just saw a few days ago there were some issuse with the price of kelp I just found a 50lb OMRI listed (ha) kelp meal for amimals called sea life from North American Kelp for $44.99 from my local feed store.
Boy do I feel lucky seeing the hydro shop wanted 13 bucks for a 5lb algamin. God damn theifs.

Excellent price!

 

[YosemiteSam]

Backyard Composting

Backyard Composting

Static(ish) piles or a more aggressive turning approach?

Do windrows give off too much NO2, ammonia, CO2? It sure seems to me they are good for nothing but reducing biomass...but let me know if I am wrong

 

[think_fast]

think_fast

RE: Aloe Barbadensis

That's the species that is widely grown and used, i.e. the right one

On the preference for freeze-dried it really came down to being able to get organic pharmacy-grade powder and I was only able to find that out of Australia. The reason that this was important is that I drink aloe vera juice daily (bone issues) and I also give a daily dose to my older Lab for the arthritis in her hips.

The spray-dried kilos were $225.00 and the organic version was $250.00 so basically the same price more or less.

You mentioned that it was processed in the USA - probably Texas or Arizona I would guess. Texas grows and produces a lot of aloe vera plants and there are several packers with very nice products. The big national aloe vera company, Lily of The Desert, is based in Phoenix.

Just curious as usual!

CC

Hey thanks!

Well your guess is a lot better than mine as to its origin - it doesn't give a specific state. I got it from a cosmetics website that sells raw ingredients to make your own lotions, soaps, and other beauty 'essentials' lol. It is spray dried organic though, so I think I'm in good hands. Whether it's pharmaceutical grade beats me.

On another note, I never thought that researching plant needs would ever lead me to change my own nutritional habits. I now also take a healthy serving of Aloe and I plan on chowing on some home grown wheatgrass in the near future! Growing organically has made me more aware of what goes into my food as well. My plants are like that nagging mother who told us to eat our veggies when we were kids, only worse - now I need to know what goes into my veggies!

 

[ClackamasCootz]

It is spray dried organic though, so I think I'm in good hands.

Yep - you are!

 

[vonforne]

小宇宙是真正的教師

hehehe

什么他妈的

 

[vonforne]

小宇宙是真正的教師

small teacher is the universe....????

 

[ClackamasCootz]

In and of itself, nothing really matters. What matters is that nothing is ever "in and of itself" - Chuck Klosterman, Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto

 

[Durdy]

I read that book years ago! Maybe time for a refresher

 

[ClackamasCootz]

The theory of the Fonz... - classic!

 

[DuckDuckGoose]

MM, Gas, Cootz or whoever...
so i looked at my soil mix today after applying an ACT two days ago and there appears to be a whitish grey fuzz or something growing on it, very fine and hard to see... could this be hyphae? i turned the soil to make sure it was evenly moist throughout, should i have left that stuff undisturbed and is the fuzz good or bad? soil smells nice and earthy and it is a fluffy moist texture, not muddy or compacted and it's been sitting for about a week now. and if my soil is growing this fuzz and it's in my basement do you think this can cause health risks?
DDG

 

[lonelemming]

Hi all, quick question about the sprouted teas. This is my first time exploring them thanks to CC, and was wondering about the odor when finished. There is no visible mold, just a little bubbly foam on top....but it smells like vomit/stomach bile. I was going to give it a taste to get more information that I could provide you all, but couldn't bring myself to do it.

 

[think_fast]

MM, Gas, Cootz or whoever...
so i looked at my soil mix today after applying an ACT two days ago and there appears to be a whitish grey fuzz or something growing on it, very fine and hard to see... could this be hyphae? i turned the soil to make sure it was evenly moist throughout, should i have left that stuff undisturbed and is the fuzz good or bad? soil smells nice and earthy and it is a fluffy moist texture, not muddy or compacted and it's been sitting for about a week now. and if my soil is growing this fuzz and it's in my basement do you think this can cause health risks?
DDG

DDG,

This concern has been raised before in this thread. I believe the answer was something along the lines, "it's fine. Just turn the soil. Keep it moist, not wet". Regarding the health risks of said fungal growth, IDK, but I've been living with it. Is it hyphae? I highly doubt it, but again, IDK.

I find this is pretty typical when constructing a new soil mix. After the second week or so I don't notice it show up anymore, but sometimes it does make an appearance on some of the smaller pots with newly established clones. Doesn't seem to cause them any harm though.

 

[Budwhyser]

Budwhyser

I think that this is a typical method: hand the plant until the buds feel dry. Trim the leaves and put the buds into a Mason jar. I usually only fill a jar about 1/3 full. Put the top on and beginning the next morning check the buds - they will feel damp to some degree.

Leave the lid off for 3 or 4 hours and check. If they feel dry then put the lid back on. Check again the next morning and repeat if necessary.

When you get the level of 'dryness' that you want then put the lids on the jars and stick them into a dark closet - light & air are your concerns.

As far as curing time - lots of opinions. I like going 6 - 8 weeks but again there are a lot of opinions out there.

HTH

CC

THanks CC

 

[John Deere]

Almost near the end of my first purely organic run. It's been fantastic although between a decent soil mix and blumats, it's been a bit boring, nearly anti-climatic! I realize this may not be the proper forum for this, but from a purely organic perspective I've come to respect the techniques and opinions of those that participate in this group, having said that I wonder if some of the wiser old (or young) owls wouldn't mind sharing their organic drying/curing techniques and philosophies...

I was always pretty good at drying/curing but a hygrometer really helped me dial it in no matter what the time of year or local weather conditions. And <$20 makes it a no brainer.

The title says it all.

A perfect cure every time