Living organic soil from start through recycling

[Old_Headbanger]

Very nice first post headbanger, and welcome!

Your post reminds me of one of my grandfathers. He kept worms for fishing in a cement box he made. He fed them scraps from the garden and a couple times a year he took out "extra dirt" from the worm box, and he put it in his garden. It's taken me many years to realize and appreciate what that has been right in front of me for many years. Maybe proof I'm a slow learner.....scrappy

Thanks for the kind words scrappy.

Its funny how sometimes we have to go out and learn for ourselves, sometimes the hard way, before we realize some answers were right in front of us. Taken me along time too...


\m/ ohb

 

[2 Legal Co]

Exactly!

Try this one as well - cut about 12" of a branch with flowers on the end, stick that into the soil about 3" deep - that's it! New comfrey plant.

You can even bury the entire branch (horizontally) and you'll get 3 or 4 'starts' popping up in a straight line - pretty amazing plant.

CC

Cootz
Used to do the same kind of trick when propagating African Violets. Just take a leaf, cut into the major veining where you want to make a new plant. Lay it on top of the moist dirt, with a tent to hold the moisture in.

If you don't cut the veins, it's hit or miss as to how many you'll make. Also low light is preferred as I recall. I used to slide the cloning tray under the shelf, out of the light.

I've propagated up to two dozen from one leaf. Some strains do work better than others, however. It is like cloning, you get exactly what the leaf came off of.

 

[ClackamasCootz]

2 Legal Co

Almost like tissue culture under a weird definition! LOL

Since you know African Violets I wanted to ask you about growing them. At the regular nurseries there are potting soils, nutes, etc. for this plant.

So what's the real deal? - what's the best conditions as far as soil and lighting or anything else you feel is important to consider.

Thanks!

CC

 

[Gascanastan]

Strange...we had this conversation last night staring at a melting African violet. My thought was they might be more of a communal plant. I have no idea... Second thought....commercial planting medium that is lacking.

 

[johnipedestran]

my grandmother used to crush african violets....light was directly from the east, only an hour or three of direct light each day. watered bi-weekly with tap. i know she grew in just bagged miracle grow. less is more with those plants i believe

little organic goodness

peace
jip

 

[BlueJayWay]

Purdy flower!

 

[Gascanastan]

I found a basic care guide for African Violets from the African Violet Society of America ...there's even a magazine for African violets...if you think we're obsessed cannabis nuts,these folks are a close third over roses or orchids...no need to feel alone obsessing over the cannabis plant in the botanical world.

http://www.avsa.org/publications/AfricanVioletCultureBasicCare.pdf

The African Violet Society of America
http://www.avsa.org/



.

 

[ClackamasCootz]

Check out the weird world of Lavender growers - almost insanity.

Especially in Oregon & Washington with all of the lavender farms & festivals. There's a valley in Washington that's pretty famous for the number of producers. It's south and west of Seattle I believe.

There's a hundred acre farm a couple of miles from our home and they're growing 35 varieties and sell different types of extracts, oils, dried flowers, etc.

 

[johnipedestran]

Enjoyed delicious fresh lavender lemonade on my trip to Eugene.

peace
jip

 

[Gascanastan]

...oh I've known/know some lavender farming fruit loops. Had one acquaintance say he was going to buy me a house to repay a debt from all the $$ he was making growing it.

 

[Gascanastan]

DJ Short's 'Velvet Rush'.....1976-77 BOEL Highland Blue Thai x "stretch" Afghani....probable parents of 'Juicy Fruit' before any line work was done. Highland Blue Thai is where all the 'Blue' Lines originated from. The HBT was only imported for a period of 15 months in 76-77...this is where DJ got the HBT....from BOEL sources.

Velvet Rush...This is 'Blueberry' before the Mexican and Chocolate Thai was worked into it.

 

[VerdantGreen]

SS OG

That's the kind of uses that you find on English gardening boards where comfrey is widely used by gardeners and farmers.

CC

qft!

comfrey must be one of the best nutrient 'miners' there is. bringing up elements from deep in the subsoil.
my patch of the bocking 14 has been there 10 years, have never really fed it but it produces huge amounts of biomass every year and you can use it for all sorts of stuff, from simply adding to the compoast heap, lining potato trenches, mulch.. or make liquid feed from it.

awesome stuff. and pretty flowers if you leave it to grow on

VG

 

[ClackamasCootz]

VG

I'm really liking comfrey as a mulch like you mentioned. The black layer Blue Jay mentioned seems to be a good thing. It's a very good choice for tomatoes & chili peppers.

If you process it a bit it's also a good thing to add to your worm bins - just not completely raw.

CC

 

[rrog]

Not completely raw. Good to know. I wonder how it would be if the comfrey were relegated to a corner of my worm bag. As I do with Bokashi currently.

 

[ClackamasCootz]

Take a 5 gallon bucket and add a couple of gallons of peat moss with some compost or even aged horse manure. Get it to the right moisture level as if you were going to add it to your worm bin. Add your chopped comfrey leaves and cover with the same mix, hydrated.

In about 7 days or so it is safe to add to your worm bins and not worry about it heating up like a compost pile.

No big deal.....

 

[rrog]

No big deal is right. Great little technique. Same protocol for any high N source. I love little techniques like this! Thanks!

 

[ClackamasCootz]

Same protocol for any high N source

Exactly - alfalfa, stinging nettle leaves, whatever

 

[VerdantGreen]

VG

I'm really liking comfrey as a mulch like you mentioned. The black layer Blue Jay mentioned seems to be a good thing. It's a very good choice for tomatoes & chili peppers.

If you process it a bit it's also a good thing to add to your worm bins - just not completely raw.

CC

yeah ive just ordered some comfrey pellets to see how they are for making liquid feed - only takes a few days apparently

there was a guy on the TV over here who had the BEST tomato plants ive ever seen, and his complete feeding regime was daily feeds with either comfrey liquid, nettle liquid or wood ash liquid.
i really want to try that this year.... and would like to do a test growing cannabis the same way.

also going to try drying leaves and making 'comfrey meal' to add to soil like seaweed meal. i remember Jaykush saying he had done that before.

VG

 

[unthing]

any love for lamb's quarters? you could eat it too.

 

[VerdantGreen]

good winter salad crop over here (we call it corn salad or lambs lettuce if i'm thinking about the right plant)
never tried/heard of it as a fert, but it may work...

VG