refractometer to measure brix

[EclipseFour20]

MM, as you know, not all DE's are the same and since salt water DE is cheaper (more abundant), most industrial DE is derived from salt water diatoms. If you dig real deep, one will discover that all industrial DEs have chems--to control dust and prevent caking.

Unless the experiment is on industrial DE, why not experiment with the 100% pure foodgrade variety?

Perma-guard is most popular and available at feedstores (where it is added to animal feed to clean out the intestines of parasites and what not). There are only a few places where foodgrade DE is mined...hence it is usually more expensive than the industrial variety.

Also the chemical analysis of industrial DE is not very consistent batch to batch. Raw products vary depending on the location of the processing facility and where the diatoms were mined. Since various chemicals are used to control dust and caking, that too will vary from batch to batch.

A link to chemical analysis of Perma-guard: http://www.diatomitecanada.com/fsf_analysis.pdf.

 

[S4703W]

YosemiteSam, thank you for the insightful information. I've not "flushed" since going to organics, i water with ACT up until the cut, seems to work well. I'll keep the "midafternoon" time frame in mind this upcoming harvest. Kind of related but off topic, I tried a cannamyth way back when in my dro days of leaving the plants in the dark for 3 days before harvest to increase frost, lol sounds really dumb typing it out but i did. I be curious to know how that one started.

 

[shmalphy]

I have the same refractometer that FE has.. Sometimes I use it to determine whether or not to re-amend a no till based on readings at harvest time... Usually not though... Most readings I get are 10-12.

 

[OrganicBuds]

Found this info, sounded useful for raising brix:

this is the recipe that PVFS sent me if you would like to make your own......


The following are the proportions of ingredients we used in our Brix Mixes


Feel free to change the blend to suit your needs and the availability of the ingredients. You do not have to use every ingredient for the mix to be beneficial. For example: if you don’t have Phytamin 4-3-4, you could sub a liquid fish or a dry fish powder, like HFPC hydrolyzed fish. If you prefer, you can use a liquid kelp extract in place of maxicrop. If you don’t have a trace mineral deficiency, you can do without the MB powdered chelates. Keep in mind that kelps, such as maxicrop, do provide some trace minerals. If you don’t have access to a liquid sulfur, just leave it out of the blend.




Liquid Brix Mix


16.5% Molasses

16.5% non GMO pure Malt

25% Phytamin 4-3-4

24% Humax

16.5% liquid sulfur

1.5% Therm-X 70






Dry Brix Mix


13% Maxicrop

19% Fertall MB Powdered Chelates

31% Powdered sugar

37% Diamond K soluble Sulfate of Potash

 

[c-ray]

from http://www.quantumagriculture.com/articles/soil-need-total-testing

Soil: The need for Total Testing
by Hugh Lovel
reprinted from Acres USA

What many farmers probably don’t know is that most soil tests only tell us what is soluble in the soil. They do not tell us what is actually there in the soil, no matter what fertiliser salesmen might like to imply. To find out what is actually there requires a total acid digest similar to what is used for plant tissue analysis. Mining labs run these total acid digests on ore samples which are crushed, ground and extracted with concentrated nitric and hydrochloric acid solutions, but a mining assay does not determine total carbon, nitrogen and sulphur as a plant tissue analysis would. These elements need a separate procedure which is essential for evaluating soil humic reserves.

Most soil tests do measure total carbon, which then is multiplied by 1.72 to calculate soil organic matter. This assumes that most of the carbon in the soil is humus of one form or another. While this may or may not be true, determining the carbon to nitrogen, nitrogen to sulphur and nitrogen to phosphorus ratios is a good guide to evaluating organic matter, and this requires testing total nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorous as well as carbon.

While carbon in almost any form is a benefit to the soil, it helps enormously if it is accompanied by the right ratios of nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorous. Though these ratios are not set in stone, a target for carbon to nitrogen is 10 : 1, for nitrogen to sulphur is 5.5 : 1 and for nitrogen to phosphorous is 4 : 1. This works out to an ideal carbon to sulphur ratio of 55 to 1, and a carbon to phosphorous ratio of 40 to 1. Because soil biology is very adjustable, these targets are not exact, but achieving them in soil total tests is a good indication of humus reserves that will supply the required amounts of amino acids, sulphates and phosphates whenever the soil foodweb draws on them.

Humus as Vague Science

Humus formation and utilization is a fuzzy subject that long has been poorly understood. Humification may result from long-term geological processes as with the formation of peat, brown coal and leonardite. But humification can also result from humus forming activity by mycorrhizal fungi, actinomycetes or any microbial species that can add to or withdraw, somewhat like bees store honey in the hive, from the soil’s storehouse of humic acids. The precise carbon structures of humic acids are enormously difficult to characterize, which means carbon structures end up classified as humic acids whenever they are too large to pass through bacterial cell walls. This pretty much limits humic acids to consumption by fungi, actinomycetes or protozoa. This vague but useful rule draws the dividing line between humic and fulvic acids at somewhere around 2000 atomic weight units—above is humic acid, and below is fulvic.

It is hardly much easier to determine the precise structures of fulvic acids. Though fulvic acids can also be extracted from peat, brown coal or leonardite, generally fulvic acids are low molecular weight residues from the breakdown of plant and animal wastes. However, much of the carbon chemistry that plants give off around their roots as root exudates could be classified as fulvic acids based on molecular weight. This low molecular weight fulvic chemistry is very versatile and may be taken up by plants, consumed by soil bacteria or used by humus building micro-organisms to assemble stable, high molecular weight humic acids.

Many of these humus forming microbes form symbiotic relationships with crop roots and capitalize on the fact that virtually all plants that are growing well also give off some of their sap as an energy rich bonanza of root exudates. When photosynthesis is abundant these microbes convert surplus root exudates into humic acids and store them in the soil as clay/humus complexes. Then when there is rain or photosynthetic conditions are not so ideal they tap into these stores, much like bees do in the hive. This evens out plant and soil foodweb interactions and keeps things going on a fairly even keel.

Where we really see the benefits of this plant/microbe/humus interaction is where we see root exudate overlap, which will be dealt with later. The important bit here is the organisms that consume humic acids also store them as clay/humus complexes. This is a good reason to use 10% soil in making compost to ensure adequate soil surfaces for humus complexes to form. The large molecular weight carbon compounds in the resulting clay/humus complexes will incorporate amino acids, sulphates and phosphates along with silicates and various cations. Only a small portion of these materials show up on soluble soil tests, even though they are available to the mycorrhizae, actinomycetes and/or protozoa.

Charcoal and Fossil Humates

Carbon is the basis of life, and in almost any form carbon benefits the soil by attracting life. Bio-char is a very beneficial carbon source. But just because something is a carbon source does not mean it has sufficient other elements associated with it. The process of making bio-char pretty much guarantees that most of the nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorous are driven off; and since these elements are anions, the char that results—while bio-active—will have a high pH because it will still contain most of its original calcium, magnesium, potassium and silicon.

Fossil humates, such as are mined or extracted from brown coal or leonardite, also tend to be deficient in nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorous. Even composts, which tend to be better balanced, may be deficient in certain elements. Chars, fossil humates and composts will increase soil life, but will that soil life scavenge the soil for such things as nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorous and tie them up so they aren’t soluble? We only need small amounts to be soluble on a steady basis.

If we want to achieve the best results we should test and adjust our ratios of carbon to nitrogen, nitrogen to sulphur and nitrogen to phosphorous, not only in our soils but also in the chars, humates or composts we apply—and this requires total testing. The significance of these ratios is huge in developing a long range plan for thriving, robust growth, efficient photosynthesis and biological nitrogen fixation without resort to nitrogen fertilisers.

Just suppose the ratio of C to N in the soil reserve is 15 : 1 or even 20 : 1 and there’s not enough amino acid nitrogen in the soil’s humus reserve. In cloudy weather when photosynthesis is reduced, root exudation and nitrogen fixation are low and the microbial symbiosis with crop roots mines the humus flywheel—then it comes up short in amino acids.

Or, suppose the N : S or N : P ratios don’t deliver enough S or P. Will there be enough free in the soil or will the plant come up short? Deficiencies may also include silicon or boron, or any macro or micro-nutrients that might be stored in the soil’s clay/humus complexes. What can the soil’s humus flywheel deliver? Total tests are our best clue.

Keep in mind that we do not want more than a steady trickle of soluble nutrients. For the most part we want our nutrients to be insoluble but available. We should also keep in mind Liebig’s law of the minimum. The great nineteenth century chemist, Justus von Liebig, pointed out that plants can only grow to the extent of their most deficient element, and it won’t matter how much other stuff they have. This implies that whenever there is a shortage of something in the soil’s humus flywheel, the plant may have to slow down and limp along.

Building N, S and P

Truly amino acids are of first importance for protein development, but as long as nitrogen fixation supplies a steady stream of amino acids from the microbial symbiosis around crop roots there is no other element closer to hand in greater abundance than nitrogen.

A more urgent deficiency to remedy is sulphur. Sulphur works at surfaces and boundaries making things accessible. As such it is the catalyst for most of plant and soil chemistry. For example, sulphur is what peels the sticky, miserly magnesium lose from its bonding sites in the soil. Without sufficient sulphur the plant may not take up enough magnesium even if it is abundant in the soil. This deprives the plant of sufficient chlorophyll to make efficient use of sunshine, and then there is a shortage of sugary root exudates to feed nitrogen fixation—which requires ten units of sugar to produce one amino acid. Considering how common magnesium deficiency is in plants growing on magnesium rich soils, we shouldn’t ignore sulphur deficiencies in the soil reserves. Many soils are abundant with magnesium, but without the 55 to 1 carbon to sulphur ratio needed for optimum growth plants can easily be magnesium deficient, poor in photosynthesis—and when they don’t make enough sugar they won’t have good nitrogen fixation.

One can amend sulphur in the soil in various ways. With chars or raw humates, both of which are deficient in nitrogen and sulphur, small amounts of ammonium sulphate (30 to 80 lbs/acre depending on the case) can be helpful. But keep in mind this is a soluble chemical and only so much can be absorbed by the soil’s carbon complexes and the microbial life they support.

Potassium sulphate might also be of use, but total testing often indicates an abundance of total potassium and more in soluble form interferes with magnesium uptake, which usually is counterproductive. Gypsum (calcium sulphate) is most commonly used for corrections, though only about 50 ppm of sulphur (0.4 to 0.6 tons/acre) can be absorbed by the soil in one application.

The problem here is sulphate tends to leach if there's too much. That might be good if all it carried with it was magnesium, as most soils are high in magnesium. But, what if the sulphate carries copper, zinc, manganese or even potassium along with it? Can we afford such losses?

If we try to keep soluble sulphur topped up at 50 ppm (Morgan test) by using gypsum mixed with compost or raw humates, gypsum probably will work beautifully and not acidify the soil. It may take a few years to build sulphur levels into the soil totals, but patience is a virtue. However, when the soil pH is already 7.0 or above, elemental sulphur becomes the input of choice. Elemental sulphur pulls oxygen out of the atmosphere as it oxidizes to sulphate and this lowers pH—which for alkaline soils is desirable. Again, try to keep the soluble sulphur level around 50 ppm and gradually build this element into the soil reserves as humic reactions or interactions progress.

Visual Signs

Sometimes we can see a field that had water standing in a streak, puddle or blanket for a day or two, which leached some of the sulphur and left a meandering, light-colour streak or area where the water was. Often such events are repeated, which can make the area of leaching stand out rather clearly. This is sulphur deficiency, which leads to magnesium deficiency in plant growth on what is probably a high mag soil—which would explain not draining fast enough in the first place. Usually on such soils the calcium leaches leaving the magnesium behind. Fixing such problems takes careful applications to the deficient area rather than just making a simple recommendation for an entire field. It may be possible to remedy such a deficiency by eye by following the lighter coloured area with one or more sulphur applications—most likely gypsum—along with compost, fossil humates or bio-char.

Phosphorous may also be deficient, though sometimes total phosphate is surprisingly high without sufficient phosphorous availability. If a total tests show the N : P ratio is too high, add enough rock phosphate to compensate for the deficiency and apply this with compost, raw humates or char inputs. As with sulphur, calculate the amounts once the inputs are spread and don’t go overboard. Adding too much can be like having a soup with too much salt in it.

Keep in mind it is not rare for total tests to show 10 to 100 times as much total P as shows up on soluble tests. Although sulphur deficiency limits phosphorous availability, the key deficiency that often must be remedied to make phosphorous available from soil totals is copper. Phosphorous is useless without copper. Though 2 ppm soluble copper is generally considered adequate, 5 ppm gives more margin and 10 is not harmful unless the soil is extremely light with poor humus reserves.

Zinc deficiency can also keep phosphorous tied up, and a 10 to 1 phosphorous to zinc ratio is a desirable target in total tests. Total tests of rock phosphates generally show the desired amount of zinc. Usually trace mineral deficiencies such as copper and zinc show up most clearly in winter where these elements work 1/100th less efficiently at 30 or 40 degrees F as they do at 70 or 80 degrees F. The signs of these deficiencies are quite obvious in winter, and if the deficiencies are remedied, growth in cool periods of spring or autumn will be much better.

Silicon and Boron

Even though silicon is secondary in importance to sulphur, silicon accounts for all transport in plants. It is the basis of capillary action. As a co-factor, boron works with silicon to provide sap pressure and often is found in appropriate amounts in siliceous rock formations. Boron has an affinity for silicon in the capillary linings where borate molecules take the place of silicate molecules. However, boron forms three electron bonds where silicon forms four. Boron’s inability to form the fourth bond creates a hunger in the surrounding silicate molecules, which causes then to draw water and electrolytes from the roots through the capillary system to the transpiration sites in the canopy. Without sufficient boron, plants with high boron requirements like legumes, crucifers, vines, etc. will have too little sap pressure to feed their canopy. Then they may wilt at mid-day or not have enough root exudation at night. Where plants have high brix in the early morning, boron is deficient.

Lest we forget, however, the key role of sulphur is in the soil biology around plant roots where sulphates and sulphur containing amino acids interact with the surfaces of soil particles, most of which are siliceous. Actinomycetes and mycorrhizal fungi in particular need sulphur to peel silicon and boron away from the surfaces of clay and sand particles in the soil. This is a gradual process because it only works at surfaces. It is the nitrogen to sulphur ratio in soil total tests that lets us know whether the soil foodweb can do an adequate job of silicon and boron access—and this makes a huge difference with how well alfalfa, tomatoes, grapes, wheat or whatever can transport things.

Most importantly, since photosynthesis is hugely dependent on the efficiency of transport, silicon and boron are essential for efficient photosynthesis. Energy has to travel in chemical form from the chloroplasts, which capture sunlight, to where sugars are made. Also any newly made sugars have to get out of the way of the next sugars being made, and so forth. Anything that slows down transport slows down photosynthesis and will ultimately slow down the nitrogen fixation that chlorophyll formation depends on.

Sugars and Nitrogen Fixation

Usually sugar is the most limiting factor in nitrogen fixation. This shows up in root exudate overlap. Where garlic, ginger, corn, beans, bananas, etc., double their root density in the soil and have root exudate overlap between plants, they grow more vigorously.

Ever notice where corn is planted too thickly so that five or six seeds sprout in just a few inches? Always the corn sprouts in the middle grow fastest. Later if the corn isn’t thinned there may be competition for nutrients and moisture; but if nutrient and moisture competition was all that was going on the middle corn seedlings wouldn’t be the most robust.

Native Americans used to plant corn—without fertiliser—as a soil building crop by planting their seeds in triangle shaped groups or hills to maximize root exudation, nitrogen fixation and amino acid uptake. They grew big, tall, long season corns that built carbon into their soils. In some cases they bundled the stover for winter fuel, which they burned, sprinkling the ashes back on their fields. They did this for hundreds and even thousands of years without recourse to nitrogen fertilisers. In terms of efficiency, agriculture took some giant steps backwards in the 20th century.

If we had corn planters that perfectly singulated seed and we could plant with double drills that alternated seeds from left and right drills with 10 inch spacing in each drill and 5 inches in between drills, the seeds would come up in a zig-zag pattern that maximizes root exudate overlap in high population corn plantings. This would minimize the need for nitrogen fertilisers.

An Eye Opener

As an agricultural consultant in far northern Queensland, Australia I grew 2 to 3 thousand dollars of culinary ginger in my garden as well as an aloe vera nursery—without nitrogen fertilisers. Both were high silicon crops. At nearby Mt. Garnet we had a diatomaceous earth mine that sold diatomaceous earth (DE) at $300/ton—somewhat pricy, but an excellent silicon fertiliser. When I sprinkled this DE on my ginger it grew beautifully, and was twice as robust wherever I spilled a liberal amount. The same was true for my aloe vera. What was clear was that nitrogen fixation and amino acid uptake by both ginger and aloe was far more abundant with high silicon availability. On a nearby banana farm using the same diatomaceous earth at a rate of 1 ton per hectare (2.5 acres) there was 1.28 more new leaves per month, a sure sign of quality nitrogen availability and robust growth. This meant silicon was a huge influence in nitrogen fixation.

One of the most common problems is too much soluble nitrogen at any given time. A little nitrogen on a steady basis is good, but it is easy to go overboard. Nitrogen availability is a double edged sword because too much soluble N leads to the nitrification of amino acids, which strips silicon and boron from the soil while shutting down nitrogen fixation. The result is insufficient transport in following crops. We have to be observant and intelligent in our management of soil nitrogen, as ignorance is hardly bliss.

Grasses usually are the best silicon accumulators, which makes maintaining them in our soil cover along with legumes a good idea. Bare soil is always a dead loss and a sure way to ensure silicon and boron leaching—which easily results from too much cultivation, and this welcomes weeds. Weeds love soluble nutrients, which is one of the reasons we don’t want soluble nutrients. What we want is insoluble but available nutrients, and we want to get all our nitrogen from the air where it is abundant.

My target on pastures is to keep soluble silicon levels above 80 ppm with totals above 1000 ppm—not so hard without nitrogen fertiliser abuse. For tomatoes I like 100 ppm soluble silicon which is more difficult; and for cherries—a really silicon sensitive crop—I aim for 120 ppm. This really takes good management, though it pays off handsomely. Hopefully American soil laboratories will take total testing on board as my Australian lab, Environmental Analysis Laboratories (EAL) has.

Though growers can send samples to EAL, I’d prefer a quicker, more responsive domestic approach. So far the Texas Plant and Soil Labs in Edinburg, Texas and Midwest Laboratories in Omaha, Nebraska have indicated interest. I’m not sure how they do with the Mehlich III analysis, my preference, but I’d like to think they can perform adequate totals testing including totals for C, N and S. Their details are below:

Environment Analysis Lab

Texas Plant and Soil Labs
5115 W. Monte Cristo Rd
Edinburg, TX 78541
Office (956) 383-0739
Fax (956) 383-0739
E-mail: [email protected]

Also:

Midwest Laboratories
Matt Stukenholz
13611 B Street
Omaha, NE 68144
402 334 7770
E-mail: [email protected]

 

[Microbeman]

"This pretty much limits humic acids to consumption by fungi, actinomycetes or protozoa."

Interesting perspective that protozoa consume humic acids. I failed to find where this information came from. In my experience protozoa consume live food, like bacteria and other protozoa. If you or Hugh have some supportive data, I'd love to see it.

I did find this; http://www.igrowhydro.com/infosheets/InfoSheet-BeneficialMicrobiology.pdf

but it seems equally full of ....
Who knows?...always room to learn something new.

 

[c-ray]

from http://www.acresusa.com/toolbox/reprints/Sept07_BalancedCompost.pdf

Building Balanced Compost
Tips & Strategies for Production & Management
by Bruce & Athena Tainio

Charles Walters, as quoted in Secrets of the Soil, by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird, says of microbial life: “There are more kinds and numbers of minute livestock hidden in the shallows and depths of an acre of soil than ever walk the surface of that field.”

As much as a cattle rancher’s livelihood depends on healthy livestock, he and his cattle’s very lives depend on armies of beneficial microbes for survival. Microbes are the foundation for all life on earth; without them the earth would be nothing more than a barren rock. There would be no fertile soils, no plants, no trees, no insects, no animals and no humans.

Soil bacteria secrete acids that break down rocks, and enzymes that break down dead plant and animal matter into rich, life-giving soil, while transforming minerals into forms that are usable to plants. Microbes help prevent soil erosion, combat disease organisms that attack plants, animals and humans, and are an important link our food chain.

Like any livestock, microbes need proper food and shelter to grow and thrive. Composting is an easy way to provide a suitable environment for raising your own “herd” of beneficial microbes and ultimately build nutrient-dense, energy-packed soil for your farm or garden. All that’s required are a few basic ingredients, a little space, a good nose, and a little know-how.

THE RIGHT STUFF

Before starting the composting process, it is important to know how to blend the right materials to provide a balanced food supply for your digester microbes. No single material is sufficient by itself to create good compost.

The two main elements essential to compost are nitrogen and carbon. Nitrogen is the essential building block of proteins for microbial growth and reproduction. A shortage of nitrogen-rich materials causes slow growth rates of the microorganisms, which slows down decomposition. Carbohydrates (sugars) are required for energy (heat) and a source of carbon for microbial cellular protoplasm.

Creating a nutrient-balanced compost requires a wide variety of materials. Some plants contain substances that enhance beneficial microbial activity, while others are accumulators of specific minerals and trace elements.

In general, weeds are more likely to provide better nutrient balance than most cultured crops. For example, certain types of vetch are selenium accumulators. Comfrey and lamb’s quarter provide manganese, and dandelion is high in potassium (see Table 1). Yarrow, one of our favorites, carries more than 6,000 species of microbes on its leaves and makes an excellent microbial inoculant as well as an overall source of nutrients and complex amino acids.

Crushed eggshells are a good non-plant source of calcium. Just rinse, dry and grind them in a blender or food processor before adding to the compost pile. And here’s a great idea from the owner of our local health food store: instead of throwing away outdated vitamin and mineral supplements, grind them up and add them to the compost pile.

The rule of thumb here is, the more variety of materials you have, the better your mineral balance is likely to be.

Ideally, the carbon-to-nitrogen ratios of a successful compost program should be 30 to 1. The precise amounts of carbon and nitrogen are difficult to ascertain, but knowing proper ratios is not so important as long as the compost is working well and remains warm. As a general rule, use two-thirds high carbohydrate matter, such as dry leaves, stems, straw, shredded paper, etc., to one-third green, succulent material high in nitrogen content, such as fresh grass clippings or weeds. See Table 2 for some carbon/nitrogen ratios of commonly used materials.

Because microbes are the work force behind the transformation of waste materials into a usable soil amendment, one needs to ensure that a good variety of digester microbes go into the mix. Besides the traditional shovel or two of rotted livestock manure or garden soil to start microbial action, it is possible to achieve a faster and surer response by adding a multiple-strain microbial digester product (such as Tainio Technology’s Herman III). By using digester microbes, creating the right C/N ratio and maintaining proper aeration, it is possible to produce finished compost in as little as 12 to 14 days.

KNOW YOUR LOCAL SOILS

Many regions are historically deficient in certain minerals. Here in eastern Washington, the soil is typically deficient in selenium, so even if we use vetch — a selenium accumulator — as one of our ingredients, our compost will still most likely be deficient in this important trace mineral. The addition of a broad-spectrum mineral source such as rock powder or seaweed is good insurance against any possible nutrient deficiencies when building compost.

This simple addition may have saved an organic fresh-market vegetable farmer who contacted us several years ago, desperately seeking help for his failing crops. An Extension agent from the local university had diagnosed his problem as some unknown virus, and not being a regular client of ours, he had no soil test to give us any clues. What Bruce Tainio found when he arrived at the farm was not a virus, but a crop of nearly dead plants with all of the classic symptoms of manganese deficiency, which was later confirmed by a tissue test.

The farmer couldn’t believe it was possible to have a deficiency in his soil because, he explained, he used the best organic materials he could find in his composting program — manure from the dairy down the road and a variety of straw from a neighboring grain grower. With all of that, how could his soil be deficient in manganese? Tainio explained that the soils in and around this coastal farm community were typically deficient in manganese, and therefore any local materials he used for compost would not supply him with adequate supplies.

Unfortunately, at that time the organic certification program was still in its infancy, and supplement choices were very limited, and so this farmer’s crop could not be helped in time. The few sick and nutritionally deficient vegetables that survived were harvested and sent to market, where the consumer paid premium prices for what they assumed to be healthy food.

A happier story concerns the Findhorn Garden community founded in the 1970s, and how a free and abundant supply of seaweed from a nearby beach was instrumental in turning a wind-blown patch of sand where nothing would grow into a rich and productive Garden of Eden. Perhaps if the farmer with manganese problems had known of and taken inspiration from the story of the legendary Findhorn Garden, his own story might have turned out differently.

The moral is to know your own region’s soils when planning your composting strategy — and to get a soil analysis!

BUILDING & MANAGING COMPOST

With these facts in mind, then, let’s look at a basic approach to an effective composting program.

First, once you have collected your ingredients, chop or shred your materials as much as possible. All places in the stems, skins or leaves that have exposed or open areas are places that provide entry points for the digester microbes, so the finer the material, the faster the digestion process. The largest pieces of stem and stalk will be the slowest to decay. Mix the chopped materials uniformly.

One important key to successful composting is moisture. The material should be moist but not soggy. Green materials usually provide all or most of the moisture the compost needs. Turning will cause much of the moisture to steam off, so in dry weather it may be necessary to add some water. Remember, however, that excessive water can drive oxygen out of your compost, leach nutrients, and lower the temperature — so water sparingly and only when necessary.

Other important elements for rapid composting are frequent aeration and appropriate temperatures.

The first turning should be made on the second day after the compost is built; again on the fifth day, then again on the seventh day and once more on the eleventh day.

During the process, monitor the temperature of your compost daily. Ideally it should range between 140 F and 160 F. If it gets too hot, turn the pile more often. If it isn’t reaching optimum temperature, add more nitrogen material.

After the last turning, the temperature of the compost should begin to drop down to about 110 F. At this point your compost should be finished and ready to apply. Fresh compost is rich with living energy and should be used quickly. If it is left to age in the pile, the microbe population will gradually dwindle or turn anaerobic. To revive compost that has been stored too long, just mix in a little microbe digester product before you apply it. (A good idea when using commercial, bagged compost, too, whether for soil application or tea brewing.)

FOLLOW YOUR NOSE

You can use your nose to monitor and diagnose the state of your compost. For example, having excessive amounts of nitrogen materials causes an excess of ammonia-smelling gas to be released when the compost is turned. If this happens, just add more carbohydrate material to correct the balance. Keep in mind, however, that it is better to add too much nitrogen-rich material than to not have enough to heat the decomposing matter. Heat is needed to augment microbial activity as well as to kill weed seeds, parasites and pathogens, and to digest any toxic chemicals. This became a problem a few years ago for a large commercial composting operation in our area. When people’s tomatoes began to die, they traced the culprit back to an herbicide commonly used on lawns and brought in on grass clippings. The composting plant had failed to provide the right combinations of elements to ensure proper temperatures and microbial numbers.

The objective is to promote aerobic (oxygen-rich) digestion of your materials. If you fail to turn your compost enough or it becomes too wet or too compacted, the microbes can turn anaerobic (without oxygen) and create a sulfur or rotten egg smell. See “Let Your Compost Breathe” in this issue for more information on aerobic versus anaerobic conditions in the compost pile.

Let your nose be your guide: finished compost should have a sweet, earthy smell.

AROUND THE BARNYARD

If you are fortunate enough to have horses, goats or rabbits, you have the ingredients for another type of compost. All you need in addition to barn waste is a good digester microbe product and some patience. We have two miniature horses that provide us with plenty of manure, an occasional bale of moldy hay, and some bedding chips. Every few months we just sprinkle some microbes over the manure pile and keep layering on more barn waste. Microbes and worms continually digest the waste, so that the size of the pile never becomes too unmanageable. (Digester microbes and enzymes mixed together and sprayed around the barnyard work well for controlling fly-attracting odors, too.)

Every year or two, we push back the newest top layers (14 to 16 inches) to find a cache of rich, sweet-smelling compost with an amazing capacity to hold moisture; a much-appreciated bonus in our semi-arid climate. Added benefits that come with our manure compost are the huge colonies of red worms and beneficial fungi that have taken up housekeeping there.

This no-fuss method of composting works well with horse manure because horses have relatively inefficient digestive systems, which means the manure contains high levels of partially digested carbohydrates and lower levels of nitrogen. The C/N ratio is about 20:1, and with the addition of a little bedding and hay waste, the ratio is excellent for composting. In addition, the round, compact shape of the manure creates spaces for air circulation in the pile.

It is important on food crops to use manure only if it is well-aged and composted to insure against possible parasite contamination. Composting time will also allow for microbial remediation of any residual chemicals such as de-wormers.

COMPOSTING FIELD STUBBLE

Cornstalks or grain stubble left in the field after harvest can be composted where they stand. Disc or till so that the stalks are well chopped, then spray-apply a combination of enzymes and digester microbes. By the following spring, most of the stubble will have been digested. Any remaining debris will shatter into fine particles when tilled, leaving the soil richer in available minerals and abundant microbial life.

 

[c-ray]

epic bump

from http://bionutrient.org/library/audio-archive

2013 Soil & Nutrition Conference: Putting Principles into Practice
With John Kempf, Dan Kittredge, and Derek Christianson. Our second annual conference aims to grow the movement for enhancing soil fertility as a basis for the long-term ecological and economic sustainability of farming, the environment, and society as a whole. The focus of this year’s conference is applying practical management strategies on the farm from principles of biological soil fertility. Below are audio recordings of the event, and accompanying slide presentation materials.

Audio:

• John Kempf: Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4
• Dan Kittredge
• Dan Kittredge & Derek Christianson
• Dan, Derek & John: Part 1 / Part 2

Accompanying slide presentations:

• John Kempf: Answers for the Challenges in Farming Today
• John Kempf: Crop HEALTH Transitions
• Derek Christianson: Powerpoint Slides - Improving Nutrient Circulation on the Farm
• Derek Christianson: Soil Fertility Recommendation Worksheet
• Refractive Index of Crop Juices - International AgLabs
• Worksheets from Steve Soloman’s Book, The Intelligent Gardener
• Hugh Lovel: Biodynamic Quality Assurance
• Dan Kittredge: PowerPoint Slides - Systems and Management

 

[VortexPower420]

I can attest to the last post being epic as I was in attendance.

John Kempf is one of those people who we will all be talking about in the future. HE understands plant systems like few others and draws from the greatest mind in soil/human/animal health.

Dan and Derek are awesome as well and are to be watched as they are brilliant. They bring a great deal to the table as well.

I am really glad they but this up for the public, I have thought about posting it but was uncertain if they would be pleased. Dan is all about spreading truth and knowledge. Amazing knowledge put forth here.

Timbuktu

 

[vapor]

I've had one for a while now,, nice little tool to own & easy to operate.

A loupe is an essential tool for viewing trichomes etc. were as a refractometer will give you an indication of the internal health of a plant.

Among other things: high brix levels give you a longer shelf life, a higher yield & enhanced taste, which is exactly what I'm trying to achieve.

Plants with low brix levels tend to be more susceptible to insect & pathogen attack.

Brix readings before and after a fertiliser application can help determine the suitability of different inputs, eg. if the brix rises (after 1- 24 hours after application) then it can be considered suitable, if it stays the same or reduces, it would be considered not suitable at that time.

I'm not trying to sell anything but there are plenty of good reasons for using a refractometer.

Best of luck growing better ganja OrganicBuds.

[URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=6845&pictureid=113298&thumb=1]View Image[/url] [URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=6845&pictureid=113300&thumb=1]View Image[/url]

Got me this model too, but i have not tryd yet. soon. I have some ph papers as well.... 5.5 and up to do the sap.....

 

[YosemiteSam]

You were not lying...thanks brah.

epic bump

from http://bionutrient.org/library/audio-archive


[/LIST]

 

[vapor]

first checks ph6.2 sap
brix harmony-14 will take again in 24hrs after foliar spray
seedsmanhaze-12 " "
check back in tomorrow with brix and ph.......
have not foliar sprayed in 2 weeks or so, hit them today after test with lithovit 2ml/L, Biowash 1.25ml/L,ASA 325mg/L,30ml/L simply fish2.2.0... in veg ....

 

[budrunners]

Maybe I might have missed it but does anyone know how to raise BRIX levels, all the answers are being shown in writing from articles pasted in the messages.
Soils have to be analyzed by a lab for high BRIX gardening, high brix soils are energized and with the wrong nutrient levels will impact nutrient uptake in soils.
Brix gardening is more about feeding the soil and energizing it with CEC ingredients, also how to activate it ie. priming the plant to uptake nutrients from the soil thru foliar spraying.
I can tell you low brix levels does allow more pest damages low resistance (brix reading 6-8) high brix readings 14-17 have no pest damages.
My High BRIX MJ is hands down the best tasting, smoother smoking, louder complex smelling buds, more complex stronger medication. There is no other way I would have it.
Brix gardening is folair feeding all thru veg until the last week prior to harvest and the correct soil mix specific to high brix. Best of all no more monitoring ph, leaf burn from overfeeding or nute deficient

 

[Granger2]

Amazing articles, Cray, MM. Thx. -granger

 

[trichrider]

hey guys...thanks for the links!
quite the party here...

keep it real.

 

[budrunners]

My mix for High Brix soil including amendments

25% happy frog
75% peat perlite mixture
worm castings
bone meal
azomite
mineralization mixture consisting calcium carbonate, soft rock phosphate, gypsum (hint read the answers in the pasted articles, this is the key to jump starting high brix, when mixed it has to cook 1 month to make it ready adding microbial tea starts it up)
great white myco.
microbial tea
Fed with Earth Juice grow, bloom, catalyst, microblast, hygrozyme, grande finale.
weak ammonium drench twice during bloom
earth juice bottom fed once a week
foilar fed once a week in veg and bloom with catalyst, sugar peak grande finale, microblast at different strengths, ie more of this early and less of that later vice a versa. Experimenting with Amaze foliar spray and dextrose
Dextrose is a simple sugar and feeds the mycos and soil soldiers
AMAZE is a crystal-clear foliar spray and has a broad spectrum of trace minerals and 5 units of calcium. AMAZE is unique because it combines plant-available phosphate with a soluble calcium. By combining the calcium with the phosphate the calcium becomes mobile in the plant. Phosphoric acid in the mix allows spray to penetrate the leaves.

 

[FatherEarth]

By combining the calcium with the phosphate the calcium becomes mobile in the plant. Phosphoric acid in the mix allows spray to penetrate the leaves.

Do you have any supporting data, studies, research etc to confirm calcium moving within the plant?

Kempf describes the available calcium in your soil as a bank the plant uses as it needs but it does not move around within the plant. The calcium stays put and when the bank runs out the new growth is the first to show calcium def, since otherwise the plant would just move some around to support the new growth...

 

[BugJar]

I took my refractometer out of my brewing kit today and decided to check my brix for the first time. I squeezed a BIG fan leaf and was Barely able to get enough juice to take an accurate reading.

I used the spoon and vice method.

on a side note I have been using a refractometer for a long time and want to make sure everyone is using adequate amount of liquid and making sure that there are very few to no bubbles across the lens. and that you regularly calibrate you meter

next time you calibrate and test a leaf, lift and drop the cover a few times. I 100% guarantee you will be surprised by the results.

In my experience if you aren't getting an accurate amount of liquid or a decent spread on the lens or are out of calibration you will read high from between 2-4 brix.

many years of homebrewing,wine/cider/mead making and hobby/pro grape and fruit cultivation.

I think checking brix on cannabis is awesome and I never would have thought to do so on my own. thanks IC

 

[EclipseFour20]

Try extracting the sap from 3-4 fan leaves.

I use a plastic card folded in half (like a taco shell), then place fan leaves with stems aligned such that about a 1/4 inch of stems protrude from one end, fold the plastic with the leaves inside, place the plastic card on table edge and with a round tool (pencil, pen, metal rod) squeeze the sap from the leaves by pressing the round tool on the card...and 2-5 drops of precious sap will emerge from the stems, which I dab on the refractometer.

Clean up is easy, I walk to the sink, rinse the plastic card and refractometer...and all done. Cost...$0.

Cheers!

 

[OrganicBuds]

I keister about 5 leaves and clench, bam, done and done. Just playing.