Organic Fanatic Collective

[jaykush]

we have been lacking on the info here so here goes.

check the sections on the left side, easy to read and understand.
http://www.soilhealth.segs.uwa.edu.au/components

and some quick movies on about the same
http://www.agron.iastate.edu/~loynachan/mov/

 

[Suby]

Great Link Jaybird as usual.
I liked the info so much I copied it in this post, stuff I find may be lacking in the OFC.

The Soil Habitat


Where are the organisms located in soil?



Most organisms are found in the top layers of soil, usually the top 2-3 centimetres, since this is typically where most of the organic matter is. Organisms do occur to depths of several kilometres below the soil surface, but the types of organisms that occur this far down are not the same as those close to the surface. The organisms in soil are often commonly found close to root surfaces in the rhizosphere, within living and dead roots, on soil particles, or amongst aggregates of soil particles.

Earthworms and other soil animals are able to move through most of the top layers of soil. Fungi can form a mat of hyphae, which can extend centimetres or even metres through the soil. They can also form a network of hyphae inside soil aggregates. Bacteria tend to accumulate inside soil aggregates because they are less likely to be eaten by soil animals such as protozoa and mites in this environment. Bacteria can be carried down further into the soil in water that is percolating downwards, but generally they do not move far.

Soils that are clayey often have more bacteria than sandy soils because the clay creates lots of small pores (spaces) which offer protection for bacteria.
Sandy soils with fewer aggregates and small pores are less suitable habitats for bacteria and fungi unless a large amount of organic matter is added to the soil.



What are the main characteristics of the rhizosphere?



The rhizosphere is the region of soil that is immediately adjacent to and affected by plant roots. The rhizosphere is a very dynamic environment where plants, soil, microorganisms, nutrients and water meet and interact. The rhizosphere differs from the bulk soil because of the activities of plant roots and their effect on soil organisms.

A major characteristic of the rhizosphere is the release of organic compounds into the soil by plant roots. These compounds, called exudates, make the environment of the rhizosphere very different from the environment in the bulk soil. The exudates increase the availability of nutrients in the rhizosphere, and also provide a carbon source for heterotrophic microorganisms. The exudates cause the number of microorganisms to be far greater in the rhizosphere than in the bulk soil. Their presence attracts larger soil organisms that feed on microorganisms and the concentration of organisms in the rhizosphere can be up to 500 times higher than in the bulk soil. However, their growth and reproduction is even higher when grazing by predators is taken into account. This grazing helps release nutrients in microbial pool back into the soil. Thus the turnover of nutrients can be more important than the mount of microbes present at any point in time.

Another characteristic of the rhizosphere is the uptake of water and nutrients by plants. Water is drawn from the surrounding soil towards the roots. The balance between the movement of water and nutrients towards the roots and their removal from the soil by roots means that their concentration in the rhizosphere is usually very different from what it is in the bulk soil. This can affect microbial growth and activity.



What is the rhizoplane?



The rhizoplane is the surface of plant roots in the soil. The rhizoplane is the site of water and nutrient uptake and the release of exudates into the soil.
Like the rhizosphere, the rhizoplane is a constantly changing environment. As roots grow they cast off dead cells and navigate around soil particles, making the rhizoplane highly irregular, blurring the dividing line between the root surface and the soil.



How do organisms in the rhizosphere influence plant roots?


Organisms in the rhizosphere can affect the plant roots by altering the movement of carbon compounds from roots to shoots. This alteration occurs when organisms compete with root cells for carbon that is fixed by photosynthesis. The burrows of earthworms in soil provide an easy route for plants roots as they grow through the soil. Various root microorganism associations can increase nutrient uptake by plants in nutrient poor environments, such as symbiotic (e.g. mycorrhizal) and other specific (e.g. nitrogen fixing) associations and rhizobia. Some soil organisms are pathogenic and attack living plant roots. Azospirillum is a bacterium that commonly lives in the rhizosphere of grasses. Some strains of this organism produce hormones that stimulate plant growth.

Other strains of Azospirillum fix atmospheric nitrogen and may or may not make it available to the grass.



Are soil organisms dependent on each other in any way?


The soil food web is a way of illustrating the way in which soil organisms relate to each other based on what they eat. The soil food web begins with organic matter, such as crop residues, pasture or any animal or plant material in the soil. Bacteria and fungi consume organic matter and are, in turn, consumed by nematodes, protozoa, earthworms, collembola and some mite species. Nematodes and protozoa are consumed by some mites. Mites and collembola are eaten by beetles and ants.

It is important to remember that the soil is a very complex habitat, in which the diversity of organisms is greater than that of the most diverse plant or animal community. This also means that it s not easy or accurate to generalize about all soil food web processes because the extent to which they occur will be different in different soils, at different times. The same processes (eg. mineralization) can be carried out by different groups of microorganisms.



Fungi vs Bacteria: Their Different Roles in Decomposition of Organic Matter



Even though a high proportion of both fungi and bacteria are decomposers in the soil, they degrade plant residues differently and have different roles in the recycling of nutrients. This is partly due to their different choice of habitats within the soil and the different types of organic matter they consume.Fungi are generally much more efficient at assimilating and storing nutrients than bacteria. One reason for this higher carbon (C) storage by fungi lies in the chemical composition of their cell walls. They are composed of polymers of chitin and melanin, making them very resistant to degradation. Bacterial membranes, in comparison, are phospholipids, which are energy-rich. They degrade easily and quickly and function as a food source for a wide range of microorganisms.

The different proportions of C and N (i.e. different C:N ratios) of bacteria and fungi might also play a role in the mineralisation and immobilisation processes of nutrients in the soil. Due to their structure and C:N ratio between 7:1 and 25:1, fungi need a greater amount of carbon to grow and reproduce and will therefore 'collect' the required amount of carbon available for this from the soil organic matter. Bacteria, however, have a lower C:N ratio (between 5:1 and 7:1) and a higher nitrogen requirement and take more nitrogen from the soil for their own requirements.



Soil Fungi


What are fungi?


Fungi are primarily organisms that cannot synthesise their own food and are dependent on complex organic substances for carbon. Specialized fungi can be pathogenic on the tissues of plants, while others form mutually beneficial relationships with plants and assist in direct nutrient supply to the plants (e.g. mycorrhizal associations).

Many fungi play a very important role in the recycling of important chemical elements that would otherwise remain locked up in dead plants and animals. In the decomposition of plant debris, certain fungi are particularly important because of their ability to derive their carbon and energy requirements from the break down of dead and decaying plant cell walls, cellulose and lignin. They are much less dependent on water than other microorganisms, but interactions with other microbes, temperature and nutrient availability will have an effect on their activity. Fungal activity is greatest in decomposing leaves and wood, and tends to diminish in the later stages of decomposition when bacteria become more dominant.



What are mycorrhizal fungi?


Mycorrhizas are associations between fungi and plant roots that can be beneficial to both the plant and the fungi. The fungi link the plant with soil by acting as agents of nutrient exchange. The fungi receive carbohydrates as energy from the host plant root whilst nutrients such as phosphorus and zinc are passed back into the plant roots from the soil. Mycorrhizal associations may also reduce attack from root pathogens and increase the tolerance of the plant to adverse conditions such as heavy metals, drought, and salinity. In general, mycorrhizas play an important role in sustainable plant productivity and maintenance of soil structure.

Mycorrhizal associations occur on almost all terrestrial plants and are not as plant-specific as other plant-microbe associations that formed between some plants (e.g. legumes) and bacteria (e.g. rhizobia). “Some plant species, such as crucifers (i.e. broccoli) are unusual in that mycorrhizal symbioses are absent. Species with fine root hairs and many root hairs are not as dependent on mycorrhizae as species with well-defined tap roots” (Coyne, 1999).



Are there different types of mycorrhizal associations and what plants are involved with them?


There are four main kinds of mycorrhizal fungi: arbuscular, ectomycorrhizal, ericoid and orchid mycorrhiza. Most agricultural plants, vegetables and orchard plants form arbuscular mycorrhizal associations. Ectomycorrhizal associations are less common in disturbed ecosystems and are more common on perennial plants than annuals. Ornamental plants form associations from each of the four groups and orchid mycorrhizal associations are formed only by orchids.



What are Vesicular Arbuscular Micorrhizae?


The most common type of mycorrhizas are the arbuscular mycorrhizas. They are found in natural ecosystems as well as in agricultural areas, are common on both perennials and annuals, and form associations with most agricultural plants. Two exceptions among agricultural crops are canola (oilseed rape) and lupin.
Arbuscules are believed to be the major site where the carbon and nutrient exchange between plant and fungus occurs. Named because of their "tree-like" structure, arbuscules are created by repeated branching of hyphae once they enter a cell within a plant root.

Vesicles are structures formed inside a cell within the plant’s roots. They can be regular or irregular in shape and many times wider than the hyphae on which they form. Therefore, vesicles are usually very distinctive and in some species can resemble spores. These structures are known as a place for storing nutrients. Only three of the five genera of arbuscular mycorrhizas (Glomus, Acaulospora and Entrophosphora) form vesicles.

The fungi are grouped according to the size, shape and wall structure of their spores. The spores are approximately spherical or ovoid in shape and usually have thick walls which allow them to survive harsh environmental conditions. When soil conditions are favourable, the spores germinate and hyphae grow from the spore, entering roots and establishing mycorrhizal associations.
Spores are between 30 and 500 micrometres in size - this is between 30 thousandths of a millimetre and half a millimetre. Identifying and classifying the spores is therefore something that must be done with the aid of a microscope.



What are the benefits of mycorrhizal associations?


Mycorrhizal fungi are characterised by very thin hyphae, which are between 1 and 10 thousandths of a millimetre in width. These hyphae explore the soil for nutrients, transport them back to the host-plant, and help bind soil particles into aggregates. The hyphae form networks between neighbouring soil particles, between roots and soil particles, between roots on the same plant, and between roots of different plants (even different types of plants). They also form networks inside the roots they colonize. These networks of hyphae are also referred to as mycelium.

Mycorrhizas extend the volume of soil explored by the plant, a characteristic that is especially important for phosphorous which does not move in the soil solution as nitrogen does. There is some evidence that the fungi may help the plants tolerate drought. When phosphorus is scarce in soil, plants that have developed mycorrhizas on their root systems have greater access to and take up more phosphorus others. Trace elements, copper and zinc behave in a similar way to phosphorus in soil and plant roots must explore the soil to intercept them.

Although arbuscular mycorrhizas can enhance plant growth in phosphorous deficient soils, the extent to which this occurs in the field in agricultural and natural environments is difficult to measure.


Where do plant pathogenic fungi come from?


Disease-causing microorganisms have always been inherent members of any living community. In natural ecosystems, characterised by uncontrolled and changeable conditions, their population growth is impeded by the scattered distribution of host plants and, in the case of fungal pathogens, by their dependence on rainfall at the time of spore germination. In managed systems, however, such as agriculture and horticulture, monocultures of crop plant species provide an unconstrained food supply for a pathogen. Irrigated systems also provide a constant supply of water which can enable spores to germinate and cause disease in accessible host plants.



What are the most important fungal soil pathogens in Australia?


Climatic patterns can affect the types of fungal pathogens that are dominant in a region. For example, low fertility soils favour necrotrophic pathogens over
biotrophic pathogens. Necrotrophic pathogens are distinguished from biotrophs because they kill host tissue prior to colonisation. Biotrophic pathogens include powdery mildew, downy mildew, rust, nematodes and viruses. Biotrophs live on living tissue and die when the host plant dies.



What soil conditions favour the growth of fungal pathogens?


The soil conditions that exist at the opening of the cropping season (warm-moist soils and low microbial activity) can favour the growth of a pathogen.



How do cultural practices affect the incidence or spread of fungal pathogens?


Reduced tillage practices help maintain infested residues at the surface of soil, increasing the damage to young seedlings. Conventional cultivations bury this inoculum source which gets broken-down more rapidly by soil microorganisms than when on the soil surface. Rotations with susceptible hosts can increase the inoculum potential of the pathogen in soil. Certain herbicides also increase the disease severity (e.g: the disease caused by the Take-all fungus and root rot caused by Rhizoctonia).




Soil Bacteria




What do bacteria look like?


Most bacteria in soil are about one micron in length or diameter (there are a thousand microns in a millimetre). Some are slightly larger than this, up to several microns, and in rare cases even larger. Their size varies with their environment. Bacteria in environments that have high levels of nutrients may be larger than those in nutrient poor conditions.

The majority of bacteria in soil usually occur as single cells. Bacteria sometimes join together in chains or clusters. They mainly have one of two shapes - spheres (called cocci) and rods (called bacilli). Other bacteria have more varied shapes including spirals and long thin hyphae (although these are less common).



What do bacteria do in soil?


Bacteria are able to perform an extremely wide range of chemical transformations, including degradation of organic matter, disease suppression, disease, and nutrient transformations inside roots (e.g. reducing bacteria in roots, bacteria cause nitrogen fixation).

Azobacter, for example, is a genus of free-living bacteria that converts atmospheric nitrogen into ammonium, making it available for plant use. This process may only take place, however, if the following conditions are met:

An easily degradable carbon source is available
Any nitrogen compounds such as ammonium or nitrate, are not already in present in substantial concentrations
Soil pH levels are between 6 and 9
High levels of phosphorus are present
Very low levels of oxygen are present
Azobacter is inhibited by a large range of toxic mineral and organic compounds, but may tolerate relatively high salinity and their activities are enhanced in the presence of clays (Lavelle and Spain, 2001, p.212).

In general, bacteria are the organisms in soil that are mainly responsible for transforming inorganic constituents from one chemical form to another. Their
system of external digestion means that some of the metabolites released by the use of extracellular enzymes may be used by other organisms, such as plants.
The bacteria gain nutrients and energy from these processes and provide other organisms with suitable forms of chemicals they require for their own processes. For example, in the conversions of nitrate to nitrite, sulphate to sulphide and ammonium to nitrite.



Where do bacteria live in soil?


Bacteria are aquatic organisms that live in the water-filled pore spaces within and between soil aggregates. As such, their activities are directly dependent
on relatively high soil water contents (Lavelle and Spain, 2001, p. 211).

Bacteria are normally found on the surfaces of mineral or organic particles or congregate around particles of decaying plant and animal debris. Most are nable to move and hence, their dispersion is dependent on water movement, root growth or the activity of soil and other organisms (Lavelle and Spain, 2001, p. 212).



What are rhizobia?


Rhizobia are one of the groups of microorganisms living in soil. They are single celled bacteria, approximately one thousandth of a millimetre in length.

Rhizobia belong to a family of bacteria called Rhizobiaceae. There are a number of groups (genera and species) of bacteria in this family.

Rhizobia belong to a specific group of bacteria that form a mutually beneficial association, or symbiosis, with legume plants. These bacteria take nitrogen
from the air (which plants cannot use) and convert it into a form of nitrogen called ammonium (NH4+), which plants can use. The nitrogenase enzyme controls the process, called nitrogen fixation, and these bacteria are often called "nitrogen fixers".

Rhizobia are found in soils of many natural ecosystems. They may also be present in agricultural areas where they are associated with both crop legumes (like soybean) and pasture legumes (like clover). Usually, the rhizobia in agricultural areas have been introduced at sowing by applying an inoculum to the exterior of the seeds as liquid formations or pellets.

How are nodules formed on the roots of legumes?


The nodulation process is a series of events in which rhizobia interact with the roots of legume plants to form a specialised structure called a root nodule.

These are visible, ball-like structures that are formed by the plant in response to the presence of the bacteria.

The process involves complicated signals between the bacteria and the host roots. In the first stages, the bacteria multiply near the root and then adhere to it. The small hairs on the root's surface curl around the bacteria and they enter the root. Alternatively, the bacteria may enter directly through points on the root surface. The method of entry of the bacteria into the root depends on the type of plant. Once inside the root, the bacteria multiply within thin threads. Signals stimulate cell multiplication of both the plant's cells and the bacteria and this repeated division results in a mass of root cells containing many bacterial cells. Some of these bacteria then change into a form that is able to convert gaseous nitrogen into ammonium nitrogen (that is, they can "fix" nitrogen). These bacteria are then called bacteroids.

The shape of the nodules is controlled by the plant and nodules can vary considerably - both in size and shape.

Most plants need specific kinds of rhizobia to form nodules. The rhizobia that form nodules on peas, for example, cannot form nodules on clover.

Nodulation can be impeded by low pH, Al toxicity, nutrient deficiencies, salinity, waterlogging, and the presence of root parasites such as nematodes or genetic incompatibility with the plant host (Lavelle and Spain, 2001 p.439).


Why are nodules pink inside?


The nitrogenase enzyme is extremely sensitive to oxygen and is only active at low oxygen levels or anaerobic conditions. The physical structure of the nodule acts as a barrier to oxygen and the enzyme leghaemaglobin binds oxygen and transports it away from nitrogenase to respiratory sites. Leghaemoglobin gives the inside of nodules their reddish-pink colouring.

What are some of the other plant-bacterial associations that fix atmospheric nitrogen?


Associations between bacteria and plants that fix atmospheric nitrogen include an association between species of Frankia bacteria and several tree species such as those of the genera Casuarina and Allocasuarina. Another example is between that of Azospirillum and grasses.



Organic Matter Breakdown: Releasing Nutrients for Uptake


How is organic matter broken down in the soil?


Organic matter break down is a biological process because it is the soil organisms (microorganisms, earthworms, microarthropods, ants, beetles etc) that perform the chemical and physical transformations. Break down of organic matter involves physical fragmentation, chemical alteration of organic matter and finally release of mineral nutrients. Different organisms are involved with the different stages of the decomposition.

Leaf and root systems are naturally colonised by microorganisms. Break down starts almost immediately after the organism, or part of it, dies. These colonies of microorganisms use enzymes to oxidise the organic matter to obtain energy and carbon (C). Earthworms and other larger soil animals, such as mites, collembola (springtails), and ants assist in the decomposition of organic matter by incorporating it into the sub-surface soil, where conditions are usually more favourable for decomposition than on the soil surface. The soil animals fragment the organic material, which increases its surface area and allows it to be further colonised and decomposed by microorganisms.



an plants immediately take up nutrients released from decomposition?


Mineralisation is the biological process in which organic compounds are chemically converted to other simpler organic compounds or inorganic forms, such as ammonium or phosphate, by soil microorganisms. When microorganisms mineralise a protein molecule, for example, the molecule may undergo several changes to simpler organic molecules before the carbon is converted to carbon dioxide and the nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur become readily available to plants as

ammonium (NH4+), phosphate (PO43-) and sulphate (SO42-).

Bacteria and fungi are responsible for most of the mineralisation of organic matter in soil by releasing enzymes that oxidise organic compounds. This process

releases energy and carbon, some of which is used by the microbes for constructing cellular components such as cell walls and membranes.





How long does organic matter take to break down?


The chemical compounds in organic matter undergo breakdown at different rates. The first organic compounds to be broken down are those that have simple

cellular structures, such as amino acids and sugars. Cellulose breaks down more slowly and phenols, waxes and lignins will remain in the soil for the longest

time. The chemical structures of these molecules are very complex; very strong chemical bonds hold the molecules together.

Stems and leaves do not break down at the same rate because they are made up of various combinations of molecules that differ in the strength of their

chemical bonds. Specialised enzymes are required for their degradation. Leaves generally have more cellulose and less lignin than stems. Cellulose is a

simpler, chain-like molecule that can be decomposed more rapidly than lignin which has a complex, folded structure. When lignin is linked with cellulose

within plant cell walls, the cellulose becomes more difficult to degrade because it is less accessible to enzymes. Under most conditions it might take three

times as long to degrade stems as it does to degrade leaves.



What is the C:N ratio of organic matter and why is it important?


The C:N ratio refers to the amount of carbon relative to the amount of nitrogen present in organic matter. There is always more carbon than nitrogen in organic matter. It is usually written as a single number, because it expresses how much more carbon than nitrogen there is. For example if the ratio is 20, this means that there are 20 atoms of carbon for each atom of nitrogen in that kind of organic matter. If the ratio is 100, it means that there are 100 atoms of carbon for each atom of nitrogen. When the number is low it means that the organic matter has a high concentration of N, while if the ratio is a large number, it means that there is considerably more carbon than nitrogen. The C:N ratio does not tell us what form the carbon and nitrogen are in, just the amounts of C relative to N.

The C:N ratio of the organic matter is important to consider in relation to the availability of nitrogen (and other nutrients) after breakdown has taken
place. Incorporating organic matter that has a high C:N ratio into soil, for example, will probably cause some nitrogen deficiency in the crops/plants, at
least in the short-term, unless additional N is added. If there is a shortage of nitrogen, the plants may suffer first because microorganisms can access nitrogen in soil more easily than plants. Legumes which are effectively nodulated can fix nitrogen to avoid the impact of nitrogen immobilisation.

Well boysand girls..class is in session.

Suby

 

[emmy75]

hey suby

nice joint rolling skillz you display in can u roll thread. my rolling skillz are mediocre. more of a bong hitter for sho

 

[jaykush]

heres some info on compost, bacterial and fungal dominant info. materials, brewing tea. the works.

http://www.homeorchardsociety.org/article/24/

im with emmy cant beat a nice fat bong rip. but a nice joint is good every now and then.

 

[Suby]

Damn emmy I missed that post, thanks for the props, I have ALOT of practice lol.
I'm always the designated roller at parties, that and making bongs with apples.
I've never owned a real glass bong that i could dump ice in and rip big, I've never even tried one.
Then again I own a Volcano and I really enjoy it and my lungs feel alot better.

JK, great link, 1more 1readin0g lo20, dammit my daughter s 101smaking the keys lol.

 

[jaykush]

since everyone is trying to be sustainable lately (it must be the new thing :wink , instead of buying crap soil build the soil in your backyard or local area to top quality soil. heres a simple test to know where to start for having the best soil around.

Identifying your soil type: Soils are generally described according to the predominant type of soil particle present: sand, silt or clay. By conducting a simple soil test, you can easily see what kind of soil you're dealing with. You may want to repeat this test with several different soil samples from your lawn and garden.

1. Fill a quart jar about one-third full with topsoil and add water until the jar is almost full.

2. Screw on the lid and shake the mixture vigorously, until all the clumps of soil have dissolved.

3. Now set the jar on a windowsill and watch as the larger particles begin to sink to the bottom.

4. In a minute or two the sand portion of the soil will have settled to the bottom of the jar (see illustration). Mark the level of sand on the side of the jar.

5. Leave the jar undisturbed for several hours. The finer silt particles will gradually settle onto the sand. You will find the layers are slightly different colors, indicating various types of particles.

6. Leave the jar overnight. The next layer above the silt will be clay. Mark the thickness of that layer. On top of the clay will be a thin layer of organic matter. Some of this organic matter may still be floating in the water. In fact, the jar should be murky and full of floating organic sediments. If not, you probably need to add organic matter to improve the soil's fertility and structure.
Improving Soil Structure

Even very poor soil can be dramatically improved, and your efforts will be well rewarded. With their roots in healthy soil, your plants will be more vigorous and more productive.

Sandy Soil. Sand particles are large, irregularly shaped bits of rock. In a sandy soil, large air spaces between the sand particles allow water to drain very quickly. Nutrients tend to drain away with the water, often before plants have a chance to absorb them. For this reason, sandy soils are usually nutrient-poor.

A sandy soil also has so much air in it that microbes consume organic matter very quickly. Because sandy soils usually contain very little clay or organic matter, they don't have much of a crumb structure. The soil particles don't stick together, even when they're wet.

To improve sandy soil:

* Work in 3 to 4 inches of organic matter such as well-rotted manure or finished compost.
* Mulch around your plants with leaves, wood chips, bark, hay or straw. Mulch retains moisture and cools the soil.
* Add at least 2 inches of organic matter each year.
* Grow cover crops or green manures.

Clay Soil. Clay particles are small and flat. They tend to pack together so tightly that there is hardly any pore space at all. When clay soils are wet, they are sticky and practically unworkable. They drain slowly and can stay waterlogged well into the spring. Once they finally dry out, they often become hard and cloddy, and the surface cracks into flat plates.

Lack of pore space means that clay soils are generally low in both organic matter and microbial activity. Plant roots are stunted because it is too hard for them to push their way through the soil. Foot traffic and garden equipment can cause compaction problems. Fortunately, most clay soils are rich in minerals which will become available to your plants once you improve the texture of the soil.

To improve clay soil:

* Work 2 to 3 inches of organic matter into the surface of the soil. Then add at least 1 inch more each year after that.
* Add the organic matter in the fall, if possible.
* Use permanent raised beds to improve drainage and keep foot traffic out of the growing area.
* Minimize tilling and spading.

Silty Soil. Silty soils contain small irregularly shaped particles of weathered rock, which means they are usually quite dense and have relatively small pore spaces and poor drainage. They tend to be more fertile than either sandy or clayey soils.

To improve silty soil:

* Add at least 1 inch of organic matter each year.
* Concentrate on the top few inches of soil to avoid surface crusting.
* Avoid soil compaction by avoiding unnecessary tilling and walking on garden beds.
* Consider constructing raised beds.

 

[Suby]

Awesoke post JK, you da man as per usual.
S

 

[emmy75]

thanks jay for posting that. i think ill give it a try. ive always been curious to know what kind of soil i have in my backyard. now i can see and hopefully progress to using it one day.

 

[PHB]

That is great info jay! Thank you!

PHB

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

Hey folks. I brewed up a nice fungal tea with mushroom compost, coffee, buckwheat flour and breadcrumbs i left to mould... put quite a few other things in there and left it to bubble for a few days.

I sprayed my clones which have alfalfa hay as mulch with a dilute and look what happened!


Should i be worried about this mould/fungus or not?

 

[Pimpslapped]

Wow SS... I honestly have no idea on that. It's impressive looking, in a bit of a frightening way. (HELP! It's coming for us!)

If I were you I'd continue growing things out with it just to see what happens.

 

[jaykush]

that doesnt look good. not all fungi and mold is good for your plants and you. id watch that and be carefull.

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

Yeah i will. Plants are all lookin real good and stems nice and healthy.

Its only on the plants with the alfalfa mulch.

I will mulch some with pine bark and see if that keeps it down.

 

[Suby]

Really as long as the plants looks happy your fine, they look healthy from the pictures.
Some types of fungus and bacteria are not desirable but we are all still trying to figure out how to put the bacterial vs fungal teas/compost to the right use.
Worm castings as a topdress would take that down a notch no doubt.

S

 

[Suby]

Soma: bed style organics

Soma: bed style organics

Though this might be a nice addition to the vault.

DUTCH SUPERCROPPING
Our wizened wizard of weed takes a whack at this revolutionary technique. Story & photos by Soma


As I write this article, I am ready to harvest my tenth and final crop in the grow room that my daughter and I started together. I actually think many fathers should try doing a project like this with their sons or daughters, as it is a true learning experience in a myriad of ways. My daughter learned that hard work can be more fulfilling than winning the lottery, and acquiring an earth-friendly skill much more satisfying than relying on food stamps.

I am going to go over several methods. I grow in beds with 25 plants to a bed. My beds are made of wood, and are 1.25 meters long, 1.10 meters wide and 30 centimeters high. I coat the entire inside of the bed with thick black waterproof plastic, the kind that is used in making outdoor garden ponds and fountains. I staple it very securely, a few inches up over the top lip.
I then put in 5 centimeters of hydro corals (these little round clay pellets developed by some Dutch genius for growing tulips). On top of the hydro corals I put a piece of plastic-coated, rustproof chicken wire. On top of the chicken wire I place a perfectly fitted piece of felt root cloth, obtainable at most nurseries. In each corner of the beds I place a 70mm-wide PVC pipe that is 35 cm long and goes all the way down into the hydro corals and sticks up through the top of the soil, giving the soil access to a lot of air. The beds are placed on multidirectional wheels, so they can be moved around easily to get to all the plants. Next, I put in 25 cm of organic soil with a large amount of worm castings and about 25% perlite. The pertite is very important for air around the roots. I carefully pack the soil around the PVC pipes in the comers.
After the beds are full, I start planting a few different types of my favorite genetics. I reach into my rich genetic library of cannabis strains and take some clones of what I want to smoke and share in the very near future. The clones are spaced evenly with an equal amount of soil given to each.

Supercropping

Depending on the strain, I veg the plants from 10 days to three weeks under 24-hour light. I have the plants under five 600-watt full-spectrum grow lights, two of which I have turned off during the veg-ging cycle to save on electricity, as the plants don't need as much in the growth cycle. When I put the plants into flowering, I turn the timer down to 12 hours, and switch on the other two 600-watt lamps, giving the babies a full 3,000 watts.
During the growth cycle, I feed the plants with a rich mixture of red and brown seaweed solutions, with added kelp seaweed and vitamin Bl. When the plants are growing in the bed, some grow a little taller than others, so I immediately start to forcefully bend them, a la supercropping technique. I bend them by rolling the stem between my fingers while squeezing fairly hard. When I feel the inner pulp squish together, I gentry bend the stem without breaking it. Within three to four days, it straightens itself out forming an elbow-looking crook in the stem. The added stress makes the lower buds try harder, and the result is super buds (buds that have multiple colas)—hence the name "supercropping."

After the first week of flowering, I give the plants the flowering food for the first time. The food I use has an N-P-K ratio of 1.5-13-14, and is made mostly from guano. I start with a light dose of food, and slowly increase the amount each week into the sixth or seventh week. In the fifth week, I make a pure guano tea with high phosphorus content, and water the plants with it three times that week. In the seventh week, I stop giving the plants food, and start to flush them. Flushing is when you give your plants nothing but water. For the last three weeks, the plants are flushed to take away any extra food taste from the finished jewel.

The strains that I used in this last harvest were Somango, White Light, Somativa, and N.Y.C. Diesel. On some of the Diesels, I have 60 to 100 grams of dry buds, as they have many branches. I like to grow big plants because they have a large root system-as below, so above.
Starting in the sixth week of flowering, I turn the lights down 30 minutes a week, using the timer, and slowly turn the temperature down a few notches, to simulate the onset of winter. I also don't need to water the plants as much, as they use less and less as they get close to finishing. Watering the plants too much in the end can cause bud mold, which is something you definitely want to avoid.
Right now my daughter is a new mother, so she couldn't help me with my last crop. She could help me with my photo shoot, though, and I include some mouth-watering shots of some of the largest indoor buds I have ever grown.

Suby

 

[jaykush]

some good read, its a bit hard to read for a novice but you will learn something

Phosphorus Uptake by Plants: From Soil to Cell

http://www.plantphysiol.org/cgi/content/full/116/2/447

 

[BeAn]

Wasup organic enthusiast's..

Just wanted to show off some girls grown in an organic soil mix consisting of john innes no2, perlite, a bit of bat guano, some chicken poop, fish blood & bone and worm castings..(also some compost maker, just to help it along..)..

^^They really exploded after a re-pot, the larger ones love the hot mix...however the clone in the last pic felt the heat a bit, maybe a bit too much poop..lol.

Keep it green...

 

[Smurf]

High Suby & OFC Gang.....Great link Jaykush , more like study notes for a botanist, hehe. I'm gonna have to read it a couple of times tho just to let it sink in!

You got it all happening there Bean, nice grow mate.


Happy gardening you guys 'n gals

 

[BeAn]

You got it all happening there Bean, nice grow mate.

Thanks man, glad you like..

Be cool Organic Fanatic's...

 

[Levitikuz]

1000!!!