Organic Fanatic Collective

[vonforne]

Stoney I use a mix of 50% peat, 40% perlite 10% EWC with dolomite @ 2 TBS per gallon.

Works great every time. Make sure you wet the soil and turn it daily or so for 2 weeks.

V

 

[Stoney Bologna]

Thanks jay and von, I think I know what to do now.

 

[bounty29]

So I've got my first tea brewing, just a simple EWC and molasses for the seedlings, but it's looking good.

I'm going to be using these recipes the first go around with the organic thing.

Seedlings less than 1 month old nutrient tea mix-
5 TBS. Black Strap Molasses
1-cup earthworm castings/5 gallons of water every 3rd watering

Vegetative mix-
1/3 cup Peruvian Seabird Guano (PSG) Missing
1/3 cup High N Bat Guano (Mexican) Ancient Organics 10-2-1 Bat Guano
1/3 cup Earth Worm Castings (EWC)
5 TBS. Maxi-crop 1-0-4 powdered kelp extract
5 TBS. Liquid Karma (optional)
5 TBS. Black Strap Molasses
@ 1-cup mix/5 gallons of water every 3rd watering.

Flowering nutrient tea mix:
2/3 cup Peruvian Seabird Guano Missing
2/3 cup Earth Worm Castings
2/3 cup High P Guano (Indonesian or Jamaican) Sunleaves Indonesian Bat Guano .5-12-.2
5 TBS. Maxi-crop 1-0-4 powdered kelp extract
5 TBS. Black Strap Molasses

^scaled down to one or two and a half gallon mixes

I'm not sure if I can get the Peruvian Seabird Guano, if I can't, what would be a good replacement?

I'm using a lightly watered down version of FFOF. I dumped about half the bag in with what was left of my previous soil mix, which was just an airy potting soil consisting of peat, vermiculite, perlite, and some lime I think.

I gave them a light feeding and foliar spray with some liquid karma a day or two ago, they all looked like they responded well. Like I said before, I'll be giving them that EWC tea in a couple days. I'll probably be going into flowering soon, should I give a veg tea in early flower and then use the flowering tea for the rest of the time?

 

[vonforne]

So I've got my first tea brewing, just a simple EWC and molasses for the seedlings, but it's looking good.

I'm going to be using these recipes the first go around with the organic thing.

^scaled down to one or two and a half gallon mixes

I'm not sure if I can get the Peruvian Seabird Guano, if I can't, what would be a good replacement?

I'm using a lightly watered down version of FFOF. I dumped about half the bag in with what was left of my previous soil mix, which was just an airy potting soil consisting of peat, vermiculite, perlite, and some lime I think.

I gave them a light feeding and foliar spray with some liquid karma a day or two ago, they all looked like they responded well. Like I said before, I'll be giving them that EWC tea in a couple days. I'll probably be going into flowering soon, should I give a veg tea in early flower and then use the flowering tea for the rest of the time?

Hey bounty, How is it going?

If you cannot get the PSG just use the Mexican guano. I usually only use one also. I use 1 N source, 1 P source ect. along with EWC every time I make a tea with molasses as a standard.

LK is great to use in your teas also. Can you get some Liquid Kelp? If so it is a great addition also. I never go with out it.

I give veg teas up until the second week of flower and then one fresh water and then go into flowering nutrients. This is when people underestimate the plants ability to absorb N during this time. It causes early yellowing of the lower leaves.

You will have good results out of those mixes. Make sure to dilute them and then gradually increase to meet the plants needs.

V

 

[Pimpslapped]

Well gang we have fungus among us. I started up the fungus culture a few days ago. I have some beginning to form on the surface but I did add too much water and the oatmeal isn't fuzzing up the the coffee grounds on top are really getting to work.

Just a thought here, could it be possible that using the regular Quaker oats may be slowing down the development of the fungi on the oats? I'm not sure what may be added to them in the way of preservatives and such.

I'm going to be trying to culture some fungi myself, so I've been thinking about my options when it comes to ingredients. I'm sure the regular oats will beard up, just might take longer. I could be wrong though, I'm very much still a novice at growing period, let alone organics.

Right now, due to some security concerns (Possibly unfounded, but erring on the side of caution) I'm limiting myself solely to locally available materials. Got lucky enough to score some EWC from Wally world of all places recently. The other hard to find item on my list has been Kelp, but found a source for Espoma Kelp Meal. I see mention of 'Liquid Kelp' quite often, that's something I haven't been able to locate. Would steeping some of the kelp in water prior to introducing it to the soil/tea/etc.. serve as a substitute?

 

[Suby]

Hey PS,

steeping kelp meal is fine and yes the liquid form can be tricky to find at regualr stores.

Suby

PS Erring on the side of caution is ALWAYS a wise choice, you'll be a master of organics in no time

 

[Pimpslapped]

Hey PS,

steeping kelp meal is fine and yes the liquid form can be tricky to find at regualr stores.

Suby

PS Erring on the side of caution is ALWAYS a wise choice, you'll be a master of organics in no time

Kelp meal itself was hard enough to find and more pricey than I hoped. But some sacrifices must be made, cost vs convenience vs security... that math can be a bitch.

Since I'm here, I'll see if you folks have some suggestions for me. Currently my only real sources for amendments are the big box stores (Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowes, etc...) and a couple small garden/nursery stores with pretty limited selections when it comes to organics. I'm not 100% organic at the moment and won't be for a while as I use up my beginning stockpiles. I'm a beginner, starting my 2nd run (Bagseed, semi-organic soil, low wattage). My lineup at the moment looks a lot like:

Organic potting soil (Small variety of choices to be found)
Composted Cow Manure
Peat Moss
Perlite
Garden Lime (Pelletized, also have hydrated lime from early purchase before realizing the diffs)
Alaska Fish Ferts (Liquid fish emulsion)
Epsom Salt
Kelp Meal
Blood Meal (most likely phasing out in favor of Alfalfa)
Bone Meal (Possibly phasing out when sourced viable options)
Blackstrap Molasses
EWC (Surprisingly sourced at Wal-Mart, don't know how long it will be available but picked up a couple of extra bags to hold me over)

I'm sure there are a lot of options mentioned throughout this thread, but it's been a bit since I read the entirety of it and I'm a bit high at the moment to try and slog through the other 63 pages

Any suggestions for good additions to what I have now? Preferably items that can be readily found by the average stoner with little woodscraft and limited ability to identify plants in the wild.

And yes Suby, I try to always err on the side of caution. It's served me well in life so far. And when one has certain hobbies and happens to live in an apartment complex full of gossips and nosy retirees, one keeps one's incoming mail as discreet and limited as possible.

 

[Suby]

Hey PS,

you offcially have all you need or very close, the only thing I see missing is a source of P you can use for good boost of P in flowering and the liquid kelp which you can swap for sushi wraps that you can then boil, chuck in the blender, and then bottle and keep refrigerated.

If you use my soil mix on page 1 you've got everything you need.

I would only use the Epsom Salts as a foliar if you need it as opposed to in the soil.

Peace

Suby

PS Your brave to grow in an appartment complex, growing in my house makes me nervous lol.

 

[Pimpslapped]

Yeah Suby, I'm using something roughly based off the mix you listed (Or another one similar to it, don't remember exactly, too many threads in too short a time).

A lot of people seem to be concerned about blood/bone meal due to possible pathogen issues. While I don't really share those concerns myself, it doesn't seem like a bad idea to look into alternatives that would carry less inherit risk.

I haven't really used the Epsom much at all, save for very early on with a failed plant (Had issues from germ... ahh well). But I have it sitting on the shelf, just in case I need it. My water is on the hard side, so thus far I really haven't had any Cal/Mag issues.

As to the apartment... well... in the end, I feel it's a safer risk than hitting up dealers, contacts I feel are trustworthy around here are few and far between. Right now I've got a little 150w flowering area set up in my closet and a foot locker serving as a veg box. Both can be torn down in very short order and stealth has been my primary concern from the beginning. On the plus side, management leaves everyone alone. Only real issue is bored neighbors who like to gossip. Thus no unusual mail/packages/deliveries or anything. Though small flowerbed in front helps explain a few minor things here and there.

It's tricky keeping within the rules I set for myself and trying to put together an organic grow. My local options are pretty bad, though there is a hydro store of unknown quality within about 90 minutes drive, eventually i might make it out there. For now, I'm working with what I can scrape up from the box stores. One reason I'm definitely interested in the fungal cultures, since I can't readily obtain any commercial innoculants.

 

[Suby]

It makes sense to me to use blood and bone meal because it's widely availble and cheap.
If your vegetarian then I could understand that eliminating it would be a concern but if you eat meat using blood and bone meal is an extension of that choice IMHO.

I have never gotten sick from either and I've been using them for a LONG time, I wear a mask when I mix anything powdered up, perlite is the one I'm really carefull with but guanos also carry a small potential for irritation or contamination but again it is SOOOO small unles you hyperventilate into an old bag of blood meal lol.

Before you drive 1.5 hours to a shop call them from a payphone and list what you are looking for, I've driven far for not alot on several occasions.

Peace
S

 

[Pimpslapped]

It makes sense to me to use blood and bone meal because it's widely availble and cheap.
If your vegetarian then I could understand that eliminating it would be a concern but if you eat meat using blood and bone meal is an extension of that choice IMHO.

I have never gotten sick from either and I've been using them for a LONG time, I wear a mask when I mix anything powdered up, perlite is the one I'm really carefull with but guanos also carry a small potential for irritation or contamination but again it is SOOOO small unles you hyperventilate into an old bag of blood meal lol.

Before you drive 1.5 hours to a shop call them from a payphone and list what you are looking for, I've driven far for not alot on several occasions.

Peace
S

Thanks again Suby. I'm really not concerned about the blood/bone meal and am most definitely not a vegetarian by any stretch of the imagination. Phasing it out is my long term goal, but nowhere near being a priority. It's basically something I think about doing now... but know that I won't be able to accomplish for quite some time. I may never do it, but it's one of those things I think about.

Good point on calling the hydro shop, though to a point I want to just walk around and browse, see what all is avail. So for now I'm just waiting until I have another reason to be in that area as I don't see myself in critical need of a visit.

Wish I could source the guanos right now, but that'll have to wait (Maybe the hydro shop, another reason to get out there.. scales slowly tipping over towards a visit. A mask is important, especially when mixing. I worry a bit about the combination of all things present at once. Seems like things could be much more unhealthy when all the factors are added in.

On the health topic.. I love the feel of good soil, but I tend to have small cuts/nicks on my hands most of the time from work. I've been using those cheap disposable vinyl gloves, but they seem to have a tendency to split open pretty easily. Since we're promoting the growth of bacteria and fungi (Plus who knows what other microscopic things) in our soils, this concerns me a little. But then, the other half of the time I just wanna play with it in my bare hands... good dirt is nice.

 

[Relik]

Hi guys, hope everyone is doin' well... just thought I'd share a link to some good reading... not directly organic pot related but the spirit is there. I haven't had time to check it all out but there's a few articles that seem really interesting.

http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library.html

Hey Pimpslapped, gotta love the smell of rich living soil! I love sticking my hands in the compost pile and feel the life in there! However as you said there's a health concern, I always make sure to wash my hands clean after playing in the garden, especially when I've squeezed a few bugs out there

Cheers

 

[jaykush]

hey great link relik. i specially like this one

http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/QR/QR1.html

ps: gotta love the feel of quality soil.

 

[Suby]

Hi guys, cool links.

Here is a link Vash posted in another thread, I liked the tea recipe and I found it insightfull.

Compost Tea Brew Recipes


In essence, compost tea is not a fertilizer though there are nutrients available in a finished brew. Tea contains beneficial organisms needed to revitalize soil and reestablish a microcosm of bacterial and fungal groups. These groups make available nutrients needed by plants to maintain healthy growth and suppress disease. You may choose to customize your tea to be more bacterial or fungal-based, or have both microbial populations well represented in your finished tea. Using a well-balanced combination allows you to adopt a plant care regimen of enhancing plant growth and, at the same time, suppressing disease pathogens.

The recipes given are for 5 gallon brews.

Bacterial Tea

1 ½ cups compost
¼ cup kelp meal
2 oz. blackstrap molasses
2 oz. fruit juice (apple)
¼ cup chopped feed hay
1 oz. fish emulsion

Fungal Tea

1 ½ cups fungal compost
2 oz. liquid humates
2 oz. blackstrap molasses
1 oz. yucca extracts
2 oz. fish hydrolysates
¼ cup kelp meal
¼ cup chopped feed hay

Bacterial/Fungal Tea

¾ cup compost
¾ cup fungal compost
¼ cup kelp meal
2 oz. liquid humates
2 oz. blackstrap molasses
2 oz. fish hydrolysates
¼ cup greensand
¼ cup chopped feed hay

There are numerous recipes for tea you can custom blend one for specific or general needs. It is recommended to have a sample of your recipe analyzed and alter it accordingly. It is best to add all liquids to the water and combine dry ingredients in the filter bag. This will limit the need for any straining.

A "liquid nutrient solution" (marketed by the Soil Soup Co.) is available as a substitute for the molasses. Fish hydrolyzates or fish oils feed fungal groups, where as fish emulsions feed primarily bacterial groups. Chopped hay provides a food source for protozoa and certain plant extracts (yucca, comfrey and nettle) are also needed for fungal teas. When using plant extracts do not use any with a preservative (i.e. alcohol), as it will kill any beneficial organisms present in the tea.

If you decide to use compost tea in your garden and landscape, it is recommended that you not use commercial fertilizers for plant performance.

"Mycorrhizal Tea" is obtained by adding mycorrhizal fungi spores to the working brew. The spores will germinate within a few hours after being introduced into the tea solution.

Suby

 

[Suby]

Ingham from A to Z

Ingham from A to Z

Found this while I was googling fish hydrolase and I liked the content to bring some up to speed.

GLOSSARY: A to Z
Ingredients Analysis
Dr Elaine Ingham’s Soil Additives and Compost Ingredients Commentary

Dr Ingham prepared this technical data for Australian Soil Additives & Products (ASAP) Pty Ltd after a series of testing took place in Australia from 2005. She provides within this glossary insight on specific tested product information to help growers consider the array of compost tea ingredients and soil additives that are available in the marketplace. However, when you read carefully through her advice you will see that some products do not enhance the Soil Foodweb™. Without compromising various manufacturers, Dr Ingham has given a wealth of information here. If you have any suggestions about improving this glossary, feel free to contact us.

Dr Ingham is also acknowledged as a prolific educator, teacher and soil microbiology specialist with the largest touring schedule of her peers. She has published individually and in collaboration with others. The Soil Biology Primer, published in 2000 is an excellent example of Dr Ingham’s clear, visually stimulating and constructive approach to soil health, which is the challenge of sustainable agriculture. We recommend you start with this book if you would like more information.

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ASAP does not stock all of the products discussed below. That’s because they don’t give results. Beware of misleading claims. If the product does not have test results showing a clear beneficial result at specific quantities, do not use it in your teas or add directly to your soils.
A

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ACIDS:


Humic Acids: Humic acids are complex, highly condensed organic matter, with a high molecular weight which results in a deep, rich dark brown color to these products.

Depending on the exact structure of the molecules (no one has completely defined exactly what structures are involved, nor how complex these molecules can be), humic acids bind salts, heavy metals, toxics, pesticides, and a variety of other reactive or ionic materials. Estimates have been made that each 1 g of humic acid material can tie-up 1mg of ionic material. This means that the toxic material is no longer plant available. The benefit of having complex, highly condensed organic matter is readily apparent. The amount of humic acid material and thus the ability of that material to bind ions depends on the original source of plant material.

Typically humic acids are extracted with very strong acids and bases from leonardite, which is soft, brown coal. These strong acids and bases have to be neutralized before addition of the microorganisms, or the acids and bases will harm the organisms. In addition, the humics extracted are denatured by the acid base reflux used, and thus the best products for growing microbes re-nature the humic acids before use.

If the pH of the product is very acidic or basic, the material needs to be brought to neutral pH before use. If pH is not adjusted, then the organic material will need processing by microbes before benefit will be apparent.

Fungi do the most work in the condensation processes of building highly complex materials like humic acid, although microarthropods, earthworms, protozoa and bacteria are also needed for full diversity of good humic materials.

As fungi decompose humic acids, they release simpler compounds, so of which are bacterial foods. Thus most humics have both a fungal and a bacterial growth response.

Fulvic Acids: Less complex, and of lower molecular weight, as compared to humic acids, but more complex than other organic compounds. Fulvics are honey to tan in color. More bacteria are able to use these condensed materials than humic acids, although fungi are still strongly favored by a true fulvic acid material.
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Aerobe: An organism requiring atmospheric concentrations of molecular oxygen as the final acceptor in metabolism.

Anaerobe: An organism requiring reduced oxygen concentrations, or elevated carbon dioxide concentrations in rider to be able to perform metabolic processes. Strict anaerobes typically are killed by even the slightest oxygen concentrations, while facultative anaerobes can function in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions, but use very different metabolic pathways depending on oxygen concentration.

B

Bacteria: Unicellular micro organisms, occurring in many forms, existing either as free-living organisms or as parasites, with a broad range of biochemical, often pathogenic properties.

Beneficial organisms: Non-pathogenic life - often improving the growth of a desired organism in a more-or-less mutualistic association where both organisms benefit from the presence of the other.

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BIOACTIVE

BioActive: The ASAP brand name for out independently quality tested products.

BioActive Compost: BioActive Compost has high levels of beneficial living microbes at proven quality standards. BioActive compost is used for starting a compost tea brew, or to apply directly to the soil.


BioActive Compost Tea: Actively aerated compost tea made by ASAP, or brewed in an SFI quality approved BioActive brewer - such as the BioActive 100 brewer or the GeoTea compost tea brewer. BioActive compost tea contains all the soluble nutrients extracted from the compost, but also contains all the species of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes in the compost. Making sure only beneficial species are present in the compost is therefore critical. Good, aerobic compost contains a huge diversity of organisms.

BioActive Compost Tea Brewer: The BioActive Compost Tea Brewer is an Australian designed and made ASAP 1000 litre compost tea brewer. This compost tea brewer has been quality tested by the SFI institute to ensure it provides high qulality and consisted BioActice compost tea, when used as directed.

BioActive MicroBrewer: To be released in 2007. This handy 20 litre mini-brewer makes high quality BioActive compost tea for areas up to 1000 square metres. This brewer is ideal for the home gardener or grower.


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C

Complexity: means number of species and the number of different kinds of species in the soil.

Compost: is the aerobically decomposed remnants of organic materials. (see also BioActive compost)

Compost tea: According to Dr Elaine Ingham, "The simplest definition of compost tea is a water extract of compost that is brewed, or in other words, the organisms extracted from the compost, the bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes, were given a chance to increase in number and activity using the soluble food resources and nutrients present in the liquid. An enormous diversity of bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes should be present, depending on the quality of the compost. It is usually made over a 24-hour cycle for optimum extraction and diversity…It is not manure tea, bacterial tea or leachates. Real actively aerated compost tea does not contain human pathogens." (from the Compost Tea Brewing Manual, 5th Ed., page 1) (see also BioActive compost tea)
Compost tea brewing: Compost tea is a brewed water extract of compost that contains all the soluble nutrients, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes from the compost it is brewed with. Production methods include completely aerobic - (actively aerated compost tea - AACT), using fermentative selective conditions (fermented compost tea - FCT), using long term brewing conditions where the tea returns to aerobic conditions after several weeks, as the smell goes away (long brew compost tea - LBCT), or using truly anaerobic conditions (non aerobic compost tea - NACT). A true compost tea should contain ALL of the organisms that are present in the compost. Loss of the aerobic groups when FCT, LBCT or NACT are made leaves it questionable whether these products should even be called compost tea. They lack a large component of the biology needed to obtain the benefits that are possible from compost or compost tea.
(see also BioActive compost tea)




D

Decomposition: The process of conversion of organic material from one form to another, generally with biomass production by the organism doing the decomposition, production of metabolic waste products and carbon dioxide.

Disease Suppression: The ability to inhibit, compete with, or consume disease-causing organisms preventing them from causing disease.

E

Exudates: Simple sugars, proteins, carbohydrates, hormones released by plants into the environment, typically for the express purpose of encouraging the growth of bacteria and fungi which for a biological shield around the plant, preventing disease-causing organisms from detecting the root.

F
Facultative Anaerobe: Organisms that can perform metabolism using either oxygen or inorganic molecules as the final electron acceptor in metabolism. These organisms generally switch from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism at low oxygen concentrations.

Fermentation: A specific group decomposition process that typically involves the production of carbon dioxide, Both aerobic and anaerobic processes can be included as fermentative process, although usually this term refers to anaerobic fermentation where alcohol is produced. Wine or beer fermentation, for example.

Foliar foodweb: What is the foliar foodweb?
Dr Elaine Ingham explains that:
“The foliar foodweb is the set of organisms, similar to the soil foodweb, on the foliage of your plant. The plant leaf, blossoms, stems, etc. release exudates, just like the roots, to feed these organisms and keep a protective layer around the plant so disease can’t attack, and nutrients will be cycled correctly for the plant.”



FISH PRODUCTS

Different fish contain very different amounts and types of oils, proteins, bone, and cartilage. Recognize that fish from contaminated waters will be high in that contaminant. Read the Fish Product labels carefully to determine content, as knowledge of too-high levels of heavy metals or inorganic salts will be revealed there.

Knowledge of the level of these chemicals in your soil is necessary in order to know if the addition of a great deal, a little or no mineral would be beneficial to the plants being grown. Data are needed to know how much can be added safely or how much needs to be added to the soil.

As with so much in life, there is a Goldilocks principle in all of this enough but not too much is what is required. You need to know how much can be added, or how much needs to be added, in order to determine the amount of any of these products from a chemical point of view.

Fish hydrolysate: Fish hydrolysate, in its simplest form, is basically ground up fish carcasses. After the fish fillets are removed for human consumption, the remaining fish body, (which means the guts, bones, cartilage, scales, meat, etc.), is put into water and ground up. Some fish hydrolysate is ground more finely than others so more bone material is able to remain suspended. Alternatively, enzymes may be used to solubilize bones, scale and meat. If the larger chunks of bone and scales are screened out, calcium or protein, or mineral content may suffer. Look at the label carefully for the concentration of mineral elements in the liquid.Some fish hydrolysates have been made into a dried product, but most of the oil is left behind in this process, which means a great deal of the fungal-food component would be lacking.

Fish Emulsion: If fish hydrolysate is heated, the oils and certain proteins can be more easily removed to be sold in purified forms. The complex protein, carbohydrate and fats in the fish material are denatured, which means they are broken down into less complex foods. Over-heating can result in destruction of the material as a food to grow beneficial organisms. Once the oils are removed and proteins denatured and simplified by the heating process, this material is called a fish emulsion. How much heating? How much of the fungal food was removed? Testing is needed to determine what organisms the product will select for growth.
Fish Oils: Fish oils, removed when fish hydrolysate is heated to a high enough temperature to drive the oil to the surface, typically are fungal foods. The Carbon:Nitrogen ratio (C:N) of oil is generally wide enough to limit the bacterial response, although contamination with denatured protein from over-heated fish can result in a bacterial response. Both bacterial and fungal growth could be desirable in certain instances, while strictly fungal growth would be desired in other cases. A simple way to assess how much damage to the complex organic structure occurred during processing (cooking and purifying steps) is to determine how well beneficial fungi grow in the material before versus after processing.

Dry Fish Products: Hydrolysates and emulsions can be dried. But many of the complex oils, fats and structurally complex proteins are lost. All dried fish materials need to be tested to determine whether fungal foods are still present after drying.
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Fungi: Plants of the division Thallophyta, lacking chlorophyll, ranging in form from a single cell to a body mass of branched filamentous hyphae that often produce specialised fruiting bodies and including the yeasts, molds, smuts, and mushrooms.(see also VAM)


Foodweb: The set of organism relationships, often based on who-eats– who, or which organisms cycle a particular nutrient within and ecological community.

H

Humics: The mixture of all recalcitrant, long-turnover time organic compounds in soil, includes both fulvic and humic fractions.

Humic Acid: see 'Acids'




K

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KELP: Plant material from dried kelp: Kelp contains mineral components normally found in the proper balance for plants growth, in chelated forms. (Also available as Kelp Powder).


If harvested green and rapidly dried, the product will contain bacterial foods in the form of simple sugars and proteins, and fungal foods such as cellulose and wide C:N materials. If harvested after the plant sets seed or goes dormant, then only the fungal foods are normally present. Kelp also serves as a surface for fungi and bacteria to grow on (as does any particulate material).

Different kelps contain different mineral nutrients in varying ratios depending on water quality. Chemical analysis should be available from the seller (see below on kelp products) so the proper choices can be made to return the missing mineral components. Use the kelp which supplies the lacking nutrient in high enough concentration to make a difference, depending on what you need in your soil. The addition will need to be to the soluble pool if soil lacks the proper biology. To the exchangeable pool if the nutrient cycling sets of organisms are present. Possibly no addition may be required if the mineral rock material contains plenty AND the proper biology is present and functioning.

Determination of what is chemically missing requires soil chemistry assessment. If no biology is present, then the soluble soil chemistry pool must be amended, since that will be the only pool available for plant uptake. If biology is present, then an Albrecht, or exchangeable pool assessment can be used, since there will be organisms to do nutrient cycling into plant available forms.

Different kelp species are known to contain very different sets of bacterial or fungal foods. They may contain an inoculum of bacteria and yeast which are adapted for marine habitats, not soil. Highly salty soils may have the same microbes, so in high EC soils, the biology needed can be enhanced. Most soils are not that salty. However some benefits have been observed by adding the species of salt-tolerant, and salt-utilizing microbes that could only have come from the kelp.

Thus kelp can be a very versatile product, supplying bacterial and fungal foods as well as the missing nutrients, if it is harvested, washed, and processed carefully with any eye to preserving all these potential benefits. A careful assessment of what each kelp product can do to the biology and well as what it might fix chemically is required.

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M

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MICRO-ORGANISMS

Effective Microorganisms (EM): Effective Microorganisms were isolated from traditional ferments of vegetable materials, such as cabbage and kitchen waste (bokashi). The main organisms typically found in EM are (1) Lactobacillus (about 6 to 8 species), (2) actinobacteria (as low as one to as many as 20 species), (3) purple, non-sulfur photosynthetic cyanobacteria (typically only 1 species, although at times 2 to 3 have been observed) and (4) many, many different types of yeasts, which are the fungi that can grow in facultative anaerobic conditions.

All of the organisms in EM are facultative anaerobes. Their observed benefits in soil, compost or tea are that they produce copious quantities of snot or sticky material, which can result in rapid aggregation and ability to stick to surfaces. Organic acids which may help stabilize pH if soil is too alkaline are also made in high concentrations but are not the lower pH, much nastier acids made by non-beneficial species of bacteria and yeasts which grow in more classically anaerobic conditions.

Probably the best thing about EM organisms is that they compete with human pathogens in the conditions that the human pathogens are usually the best. EM organisms will typically out-compete any human pathogen growing in reduced oxygen conditions, even with high concentrations of sugar (for example, molasses).

More work needs to be done before regulatory agencies will accept this method for control of human pathogens, but replicated work has been done by both the parent organization of EM as well as a few studies and many observations by SFI in field conditions. Dairy animals fed EM in their food rations did not have E. coli in their manure. Compost made from that manure never had any human pathogens detectable.

Are there limitations and abuses that people could perform to make EM not work? Sure. We need to document where benefit can always be expected, where it might be questionable and need to be tested, and where benefit will not occur.

Mother Cultures: Obtained from distributors of EM and should contain Lactobacillus, Cyanobacteria, actinobacteria and yeasts in high diversity. Guarantee of minimum numbers of each bacterial and yeast species should be given when buying this product.

Activated EM: Fermented culture made from the mother culture and thus depends on the plant material or other foods added into the fermentation. Again, guarantee of the set of organisms in the activated mix should be given at time of sale of the product.

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MINERAL ADDITIVES
Any additive to soil, compost or compost tea should be in an organic or chelated form. Chelation means, in a practical sense, complexed with a protein. Another way to think of this is that an ionic form has been complexed with an organic molecule.

Addition of any salt (ionic or inorganic forms are salt forms) has the potential to harm the biology through osmotic effects, so inorganic additions to soil, compost or compost tea should be avoided to the greatest degree possible. Complexing salts with organic matter solves this negative effect.

Calcium additions: Caclium has been added to soil for a long time, as far back as human has written down records of agricultural practices, calcium in the form of bones and rock powders have been used. Chelated calcium has shown to be much more beneficial to biology than adding the salt forms of calcium, or indeed, any other nutrient. Each formulation enhances different sets of organisms, so data are required to know what will benefit with each product.

Calcium Carbonate: Also known as lime, which is a salt or inorganic form of calcium. This will alter the pH of anything to which this is added, and by taking up available hydrogen, will cause pH to raise. The loss of available water and the sudden pH shift can be extremely detrimental to organisms.
Calcium sulphate: Also known as gypsum, an inorganic form of calcium and sulfur. This is a salt (disassociates in water, and thus reduces useable water). When sulfate is released, the impact on organisms can be extremely detrimental. Typically the greatest impact is on the beneficial soil fungi. Plate count methods of assessing this impact are extremely mis-leading, as beneficial fungi dont grow in lab conditions on plate media and thus the loss of the important soil fungi is missed when sulfate is released.

Dolomite: A salt of calcium and magnesium. Historically used as a source of calcium but contains more magnesium than calcium, and results in even more rapid soil structure collapse after addition. Albrecht clearly showed that montmorillinite clay structure collapses when the ratio of calcium to magnesium drops below 6. Addition of a material that contains more magnesium than calcium drives the balance towards compaction, loss of nutrients from the soil, and if used long enough, will result in the need to use pesticides. If soil lacks magnesium, the better choice is to use kelp containing high levels of magnesium rather than adding dolomite.
Epsom salts: A salt form of magnesium and sulfate. Often used to leach calcium out of soil and increase magnesium levels. Except there is no way to leach just one compound without also leaching many other nutrients. In addition, the sulfate has quite negative impacts on microorganisms, especially soil fungi. Dont be mislead by plate count studies showing no impact on soil fungi in plate methods are incapable of growing 99.9% or more of the fungi actually in soil, as especially miss the beneficial species. The better choice is a chelated calcium, or kelp.

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MOLASSES
Bacteria grow well and rapidly on simple sugars to exclusion of any fungus, until sugar concentration becomes extremely high. The simple preservative effect with molasses is the high concentration of sugar. Most organisms cannot grow in the high concentration of sugar. Once a container of molasses is sealed, however, condensate can form on the under-side of the lid if the container suffers heating cooling cycles. As the water drips into the top layer of the molasses concentrate, the sugar content can be diluted enough to allow fungal or actinobacterial growth as a surface scum. Just skim off the surface scum before use in soil, compost, or tea. Do not feed to animals or humans after a surface scum has formed unless you can recognize the organism as non-harmful.

Addition of foods that cause rapid bacterial growth can tie-up nitrate nitrogen so fast, and so effectively that plant growth can be harmed, and even stopped. Bacteria win in competition with plants for N in soil, and thus plants can be killed as the result of lack of N. Of course, the solution to this problem is NOT to kill the bacteria, but rather to establish normal nutrient cycling processes once again. How? Get the protozoa and bacterial-feeding nematodes back to work!

Non-sulphured, Black-strap Molasses: Contains no preservative other than the high concentration of sugar. Black-strap molasses contains about 150 different kinds of sugars, from simple to somewhat complex to humics. During the extraction of sugar, heating results in condensation of the sugars into humic-like substances. The majority of foods in molasses are bacterial foods, but a few are fungal foods. Fungi tolerate high concentrations of sugar better than bacteria, so extremely high concentrations of molasses favor fungi. Testing must be performed to assess what concentration is needed to select for fungi and against bacteria in any particular set of conditions. Testing is also needed when using as a nitrate-to-bacterial biomass converter.

Weed control is often STARTED with addition of molasses to tie-up the excess nitrate helping to set the stage in the soil to grow weeds, and not the plants you want to grow. Assess the calcium situation as well, however, because if you add molasses to grow lots of bacteria, and your soil has poor structure, you may just drive the soil into reduced oxygen conditions, which can result in plant death as well. As Arden Anderson says, No number is right until all numbers are right. Or as Elaine Ingham says, Whats the most important organ in your body? And you can stay alive with just that one, most important item? You need all your organs, right? Soil needs all the organisms, in the right numbers and right balance and right function.

Organic Molasses: No strong acids or bases, nor extremely high heat are allowed in the production of organic molasses. No preservatives can be used. Because of the lower temperatures used, less condensation of the sugars occur, so fewer condensed, humic materials are present compared to non-sulfured, black-strap molasses

Feed Grade Molasses: Commercial grade molasses has sulfur and possibly other preservatives and antibiotics added to reduce fungal growth. Sulfur in most inorganic forms make excellent fungal inhibitors. Antibiotics will inhibit, kill and prevent the growth a wide range, but not all bacteria and fungi. Thus feed grade molasses is not a good choice for a biological stimulant. Care must be taken to read about the ingredients so no ugly little surprises confront you you dont get the response you want to see.

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Mycorrhizal Fungi: (see VAM)



N

Nematodes: Any of various worms of the phylum Nematode having unsegmented thread-like bodies. Nematodes are classified into four different functional groups depending on their food source (fungal, bacterial, or root feeders. There are also predatory nematodes that eat other nematodes). Most nematodes are beneficial, forming an integral part of the soil food web. They convert nutrients into plant available forms by consuming either fungi or bacteria. Beneficial nematodes also consume disease causing organisms. The presence of root feeding nematodes in high numbers is an indication that the soil food web is in a degraded state.

Nutrient Cycling: The process of conversion of organic and inorganic material form one form to another, generally with the production of biomass by the organism doing the cycling. Production of metabolic waste products which serve as the next step in the nutrient cycle, and carbon dioxide.

Nutrient Leaching: The extraction of loss of nutrients. The least mobile nutrients will nearly always be the organic forms, and the most mobile, or leachable, are the mineral forms.

Nutrient Retention: The opposite of nutient leaching. Retention requires nutrients to be physically immobilized by inclusion in organic matter (in organisms or organism waste-products such as bacteria, fungi, plants or plant detritus) or by chemically binding on the surface of clay, sands, silts or organic matter.

O

Organism: A plant or animal: a system regarded as analogous to a living body.

Predator: An organism that consumes other living organisms, as opposed to a decomposer, for example, which consumes dead plant material, a primary producer that uses sunlight for energy.

P

Protozoa: Protozoa are single celled organisms that primarily consume bacteria. This interaction converts and releases nutrients into forms that are available for plant uptake. The three major groups of protozoa that occur in soil are the flagellates, the amoebae, and the ciliates. One group, the ciliates, can be a useful indicator of anaerobic/compacted conditions when in large numbers. Amoebae can be separated into naked amoebae, and testate amoebae. Because bacteria contain much more nitrogen (N) per unit C, N is released as ammonium, a plant available form of N.

S

Solubilize or solubilse: (verb) to make or become soluble, as in the addition of detergents to fats to make them dissolve in water.


Soluble: Capable of being dissolved water, in solution.




SPREADERS / STICKERS

Spreaders (also called surfactants): Typically reduce surface tension of water, and so cause water to spread more uniformly across surfaces. Concentration of the material is critical as well. Surface tension reduction can adversely affect the integrity of cell walls, resulting in death of organisms that such a spreader may contact. Testing is required to know effect on the biology at different concentrations.

Stickers:Increase tackiness or ability to stick to surfaces, and thus help the organisms stick to leaf, bark, flower, or seed surfaces. Often, just through the presence of copious amounts of sugar, protein or carbohydrate, organisms will make sticky glue-like materials. The growth of organisms in a tea brew results in the production of the sticky materials required to stick the organisms to surfaces, the instant they reach the plant. Addition of molasses, or oatmeal, for example, increases the growth of organisms that make sticky glue-like materials. Only if dealing with waxy-leafed plants, in dry periods of the year, are additional stickers commonly useful.

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Strict Anaerobe: Organisms that perform metabolism using oxidized forms of nutrients (carbon dioxide, nitrate, nitrite, sulphate, sulfite, etc) as the final electron acceptor in metabolism. Strict anaerobes will be destroyed when they come in contact with di-oxygen or ozone, as their membrane structure is broken down by these compounds.

V

VAM (Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhiza): VAM are a set of mycorrhizal fungi that form arbuscules and vesicles within the roots of plant, while ectomycorrhizal fungi form a net, called the Hartig net, within the first one –to –two cell layers of feeders roots and send rhizomorphs along the root surface, Host ranges of row crops for VAM are quite broad: the important factor to understand in choosing species of VAM is climate. When growing conifers, ectomycorrhizal fungal experts should be consulted.

Suby

 

[jaykush]

http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/weeds/WeedsToC.html

this is for every weed control product/company out there, a good read as well though its a bit long. even the first few chapters will make you think different.

 

[Relik]

Wow, Suby, that A to Z list is quite useful, as you said it saves some time! The link Vash posted is great indeed, however I must spread my reputation before givin' it to him again

Jaykush, nice links too, I still haven't had time to check all of the journeytoforever.org farm library links, but there are definitely some long hours of interesting read to go through! I started skimming the QR compost article, I just love the way the author describes his experiences.

Keep it safe bros

 

[Vash]

Damn, Suby, awesome find! I love the way you "bring it home" for us so we don't have to leave the confines of our comfy place here. My printer is running as we speak. That's going in my notebook.

 

[Suby]

It's your find Vash, I'm glad I have a recipe from a site that appears trustworthy and is in-line with my readings.

Fish Hydrolysate can be bough under the Neptune Harvest brand.
I'll be using alfalfa meal instead of chopped hay and I may replace the green sand with rock phosphate.
I'm still sourcing the yucca and I'm missing comfrey or nettles but we'll see.
If you read the A to Z I noticed that fungal compost can be found as the composting layer of mulch in a forested area, just scrape spme forest soil humus for a good sampling, it's alot easier that trying to breed the fungi and then brew them.

Suby
S

 

[Vash]

Suby, that A to Z list was what I was talking about. You see, info like that "fills in the gaps" for me. Answers some lingering questions that I may have going on in this head of mine. Anyway, here is another link that could be of some value. Definitely things in there we've been discussing here. May take a while to download, but I think it's worth it.


http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/compost-tea-notes.pdf