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MotherLode Gardens 2017
- Thread starter Shcrews
- Start date
Hi Schrews,
Have you enjoyed some time off?
Sounds like the hill will be loaded with weed this year!
Love that first pic on the first page, wow.
Any new strains this year?
Best of luck for your season!
Have you enjoyed some time off?
Sounds like the hill will be loaded with weed this year!
Love that first pic on the first page, wow.
Any new strains this year?
Best of luck for your season!
first step for me this year is soil. everything that started in balanced soil last year took off perfectly compared to stuff in untested unamended recycled coots. go figure. I plan to buy new soil for my starts this year, or look into amending my native. Also adding 5 mounds so will need at least 30-40 yards of soil by springtime. I can buy a custom mix, or mix my own, or buy bagged... Don't really care.
The mix i got last year from TheOutlawTree was perfect for my seedlings, but i think he used some things which could be hard for me to source. I'm very open to suggestions right now on what people are doing for soil this spring.
Here we already have 3 or 4 different kinds of soil now, stratified in various combinations throughout the mounds that make up my garden. the top layer on all of them is 2016 soil mix i got from TheOutlawTree and his helpful thread last season, but underneath that are various coots mixes as well as some old vermifire in a couple of mounds
everything has had cover crop growing in since last spring, very thick layer on all the mounds now, as well a bit of the hillside between the plants that was previously foxtails and bermuda grass. it's goin to be a pain to cut out the dripline from underneath it, the lines have completely disappeared/been overgrown.
I can send in soil tests from all the various mounds that have different soil in them, and use the results to amend each mound individually. Seems like there a few popular labs on this website now like spectrum, fgl, logan. I really just dont want to waste money on unnecessary tests just to get my mounds amended properly. Would be easier if i used the same soil every season but i will blame that on the learning process. I just want to get everything uniform from this point on, but dont have the means to mix all my garden soil in a giant homogenous pile and then redistribute it.
The mix i got last year from TheOutlawTree was perfect for my seedlings, but i think he used some things which could be hard for me to source. I'm very open to suggestions right now on what people are doing for soil this spring.
Here we already have 3 or 4 different kinds of soil now, stratified in various combinations throughout the mounds that make up my garden. the top layer on all of them is 2016 soil mix i got from TheOutlawTree and his helpful thread last season, but underneath that are various coots mixes as well as some old vermifire in a couple of mounds
everything has had cover crop growing in since last spring, very thick layer on all the mounds now, as well a bit of the hillside between the plants that was previously foxtails and bermuda grass. it's goin to be a pain to cut out the dripline from underneath it, the lines have completely disappeared/been overgrown.
I can send in soil tests from all the various mounds that have different soil in them, and use the results to amend each mound individually. Seems like there a few popular labs on this website now like spectrum, fgl, logan. I really just dont want to waste money on unnecessary tests just to get my mounds amended properly. Would be easier if i used the same soil every season but i will blame that on the learning process. I just want to get everything uniform from this point on, but dont have the means to mix all my garden soil in a giant homogenous pile and then redistribute it.
Hey dude cheers! yes i definitely have been enjoying some time off, chillin at my place in santa cruz and even went somewhere tropical for a couple weeks. The hill will be covered with weed this year! I have a few new strains i want to try but will definitely be popping a lot of the Ancient OG f2's i made last summer.
Since im in pure native soil I grow in root baskets 3 ft tall and 7 ft wide that are half submerged in the ground. I estimate the baskets to hold about 800 gallons so I'm gonna guess the mounds are around 400 gallons. It worked real good last year. The top cover just grew in naturally!
Before top cover:
After top cover:
thats cool, looks good! i used baskets like that before. removed them last year and now i just have mounds. The only top cover that grows naturally here is foxtails and bermuda grass. looks like you had a great season last yr. what's your native soil like? did you get it analyzed? did you amend or topdress with anything? root drench or foliar?
I'm sending in soil tests tomorrow, and digging up driplines. also have to do some cleaning around the house.
my indoor room is doing ok. The ancient og already grew past the lights. that strain is a beast. I gave some cuts to a friend. still want to spread it around a bit more so it doesnt get lost
my indoor room is doing ok. The ancient og already grew past the lights. that strain is a beast. I gave some cuts to a friend. still want to spread it around a bit more so it doesnt get lost
20sackzack
Member
Ah shit shcrews in it to win it 2017! Can't wait yo, something tells me this is gonna be your best year yet 
TheOutlawTree
Active member
Hey schrews, depending on my fate for next season I may be getting a bunch of the same mix made from rare earth sometime in the next couple months. Ill let you know as I go forward.
The only things that had to be sourced in that mix from other parts of country are the calcium bentonite (alabama), and paramagnetic basalt (ontario canada). The shitty thing about the 'pelbon' calcium bentonite is that they charge the same freight regardless if you get 1 ton or 24 tons, and its like 5k or something. The basalt from ontario puts 'cascade' brand to shame as far as the level of paramagnetism, but I think the magnetism's benefits are up for debate.
The only things that had to be sourced in that mix from other parts of country are the calcium bentonite (alabama), and paramagnetic basalt (ontario canada). The shitty thing about the 'pelbon' calcium bentonite is that they charge the same freight regardless if you get 1 ton or 24 tons, and its like 5k or something. The basalt from ontario puts 'cascade' brand to shame as far as the level of paramagnetism, but I think the magnetism's benefits are up for debate.
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plantingplants
Active member
Stoked to see it all over again! Those AOG f2s and the AOGxBLRs are goin in my full season btw. I'm double or triple planting them since I can't seem to break past 5 lbs a plant copying your magical green thumb ass. :X
Can't rent a front loadeR? Are you just gonna amend the top of the soil and irrigate micros in then?
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yah that mix is great. hope the season works out for you. let me know. can anything be substituted for the pelbon? i'll have a look at the discussion from last year again. thanks! peace..
The hill where my lower garden plot is located is too steep and rocky to get anything down there except a wheelbarrow, which is how all the soil (100yds) got there, and so it will stay there.
good call on the AOG's. Triple or quad-planting for the win. Those AOG f2's might be a lot to handle though, the seeds you have are from the biggest female used in the open pollination. similar pheno to the ones that usually hit double digits out here. BTW nothing magical about my thumbs. My place does get a lot of good sun though.
speaking of which, my landlord is pressuring me to buy this spot before the season starts. He's over renting it to me but wants to give me the first shot before he puts it on the market. Said he's willing to finance some of it but i need to pay off his mortgage first and i don't have enough money saved up so now have to think about what to do.
its always somethin
plantingplants
Active member
I like to pretend you got green thumbs so I don't have to face the reality of my lack of skill 
Lol it's cool though. I'm still new to this and learning.
So yea maybe i'll only double plant the AOGs. Or just use the runts too.
That sucks dude. I have to worry every winter about whether or not I'll have to scramble around for a new place before season starts. That's not a fun situation. I feel like you could find an investor though...
Lol it's cool though. I'm still new to this and learning.
So yea maybe i'll only double plant the AOGs. Or just use the runts too.
That sucks dude. I have to worry every winter about whether or not I'll have to scramble around for a new place before season starts. That's not a fun situation. I feel like you could find an investor though...
TheOutlawTree
Active member
Pelbon was used to up the CEC, make soil heavier. I know rare earth has Montmorillonite clay but if I remember correctly, it was much more expensive than the pelbon and it would need to have labs sent in.
Hopefully your land lord is willing to work with you a little bit. Thats a nice spot you have there.
Hopefully your land lord is willing to work with you a little bit. Thats a nice spot you have there.
speaking of which, my landlord is pressuring me to buy this spot before the season starts. He's over renting it to me but wants to give me the first shot before he puts it on the market. Said he's willing to finance some of it but i need to pay off his mortgage first and i don't have enough money saved up so now have to think about what to do.
its always somethin
offer him a large down payment, (as much as you are comfortable)
then pay him $1500. a month (1k toward principal - 500 interest to him) for 12-24 months (start with 24),
and a pay off balloon payment at the end of the 12-24 months (no prepayment penalty).
he's carrying the note so if you default he keeps all down payment, interest, monthly payments and gets his property back, which will probably be worth much more, he really can't lose.
just make sure you go thru escrow so it's all legal like.
I've bought a couple properties this way over the years.
caterpillar710
Member
COme work for me
It would be nice if I could remove the baskets but the gophers and field mice are surprisingly ruthless at this location! They destroyed the whole garden two years ago but now I think I found a solution with these baskets even though it takes more work...
We did alright last season but there is some room for improvement. I amended organics based on a local soil lab test and had mediocre results and had to bottle feed twice a month. I foliar fed and root drenched with compost tea.
I recently got a soil and water test from spectrum done last week. The soil is 5.4 ph and has no excesses and lots of room for nutrients. The well water has a pH of 6.1 and only 19 ppms. Seems to be pretty good.
