Mixing organics and salts?

[DanTheReggaeFan]

I've already started a grow in coco with bottled nutes but have been reading about organics a lot more recently. I was wondering if using some kind of EWC, kelp, aloe and something else I'm forgetting possibly alfalfa tea would be beneficial or would the salts interfere somehow?

 

[Sunshineinabag]

Salts can be rinsed out yeah? If so I'd use a balanced aged multi animal manure compost.

 

[rolandomota]

Like Nike said just do it the salts and chemicals mess with microbial life you don't have any

 

[Organilush]

I've already started a grow in coco with bottled nutes but have been reading about organics a lot more recently. I was wondering if using some kind of EWC, kelp, aloe and something else I'm forgetting possibly alfalfa tea would be beneficial or would the salts interfere somehow?

If you're in only coco at the moment, not in any soil at all, then you likely don't really have any or much microbes/bacteria/fungi etc present in the medium/around the roots....and it is the microbes/bacteria/fungi etc that digest those organic materials and then "feed" it to the plants. (very simply put). Those things play a big role in organic growing & all plant life on earth.

So adding things like kelp, aloe, EWC, etc to a plant/root system that is only in coco and has only been fed salts won't really do the trick.

And if one is growing organically in live soil, adding salts to the soil will harm the microbes/life in the soil. The extent of which I'm not sure but the salts in bottled nutes def aren't good for soil biology.

What you can do while growing in coco & feeding the plants salts is use aloe as a foliar spray as well as other organic/botanical things like kelp. My plants love aloe & kelp. But unless the medium your roots are in is "alive" adding organic materials to the medium/roots really won't provide much.


I'm an organic/live soil grower myself and don't have any experience with growing via salt based ferts/nutes....But I have been curious about small amounts of salt based nutes being used a few times through an "organic" grow with out impacting the soil life much and if it would provide any benefit at all (as a potential "boost" to the plant)....but with that said, if one has their soil dialed in well that is very much "alive" I feel such a thing isn't needed and a plant will thrive on its own.

I really stick to growing my plants entirely organic, but dabbling with some salts is something I've been curious about.

Actually I do use one salt...Magnesium sulfate....but only tiny amounts maybe 3 times thru the entire grow and only via foliar spray.







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[40degsouth]

Hey DantheRastaMan,
Flylowgethigh’s last post in the sandy soils question, just under this thread, includes a link to some pretty cool soil recipes that might help you with your questions and give you some answers.
They reference “Steve Soloman” who is a pretty snazzy dude in the international soil scene and has a number of books out, “The Intelligent Gardener” being one that l highly recommend to people wanting to take their knowledge to the next level.
Steve uses Canna bottled nutes (from memory) in his own vegetable garden, as a compliment to his organic regime.
Cheers,
40.

 

[thedudefresco]

Most large scale gardeners/farmers supplement "organics" with salts because of the scale.

Lots of manure etc but also salts

 

[Veggia farmer]

Too much salt is not good if growing organic, BUT I have some (for now) organic beds, and I sometimes use salts. Si I use. Silica is very important in my eyes so I went on and the beds is very much alive, still. Think the fungi is most effected, but not sure. Haven`t really noticed anything bad, but I don`t have a microscope too, soo..?

I piss in my beds too, lots of salts there LOL

 

[St. Phatty]

the whole deal with Organics is to feed the Micro-Flora & Micro-Fauna, so that their waste products feed the plant.

If the salts SHOCK those tiny creatures & plants, not so good.

If they say, "oh look, a meal", maybe it's OK.

I have something green (Algae ?) growing outdoors on some large (size of a 5 gallon bucket) pills of Calcium Sulfate (similar to Plaster of Paris).

So I guess sometimes the concentrated chemicals, the plants find a way.

 

[Veggia farmer]

Yep, if doing this you can say its even more important to the rule of less is more.

 

[Bio boy]

Like Nike said just do it the salts and chemicals mess with microbial life you don't have any

Nah they dont posted a guide on it. They dont wokr as they should but they bloody do.

I have to feed hslf salt nute


Im coco and atm my coco is a myceleium block. I do ewc tea weekly. Aloe. Kelp barley and alfalfa


My mate uses same nutes i pull dank he gets bud... Hes always tweaking lights to. Beat me. So i learnt its the organics so noe same boat.



Next round coots mix im sold


Also i rsn them dwc years while i run em i dont need chiller 4 dsys without a chikler gave me rot. 3 days of ewc tea explosive roots.no rot. And stayd away whole cycle due to em and 24c waters