The New & Improved [ROLS MEGATHREAD].

[MileHighGuy]

I've noticed quite a few of you are using the blue mats. These keep the soil constantly moist correct?

So is this beneficial when growing in a living organic soil, or is the old adage of wet/dry cycles what I should be aiming for?

The old adage of wet dry in the extreme sense.... is very wrong.

It's more like moist and less moist haha

The idea is to keep the soil alive and not dry out.

Mulch helps keep the top moist as well but I have noticed considerably healthier plants without letting them dry before watering.

I believe the rizosphere is closer to the surface and it would seem that keeping the top moist is also a good practice. Mulch, Mulch, Mulch!

 

[greenmatter]

I've noticed quite a few of you are using the blue mats. These keep the soil constantly moist correct?

So is this beneficial when growing in a living organic soil, or is the old adage of wet/dry cycles what I should be aiming for?

organics and blumats work great together!

if the soil is feeding the plant and all you have to run through the blumat is water everything works really well. gives you more time to do other things in the garden and makes it so you don't have panic if life gets in the way of hand watering.

 

[HughMungus]

Thank you MileHigh and greenmatter. That makes sense

 

[VortexPower420]

In a living organic soil if you let it dry out when watered it will cause a flush of soluble N, cause great die-off/hibernation of soil life and deplete organic Matter

Blu-mats I'm sure are great but without I do a light watering almost everyday and a heavy one with sprouts or a tea once a week.

Living and dead mulch play a great role in keeping soil moisture through out the soil consistent and help to allow the water to penetrate the soil surface with ease.

Timbuktu

 

[Neo 420]

I believe the rizosphere is closer to the surface and it would seem that keeping the top moist is also a good practice. Mulch, Mulch, Mulch!

Some folks needs visualizations..

 

[c-ray]

Using organic mung bean sprouts will inoculate the soil with the nitrogen fixing bacteria.

interesting, what species are these?

 

[FunTimesIndeed]

Hugh

In the spirit of perpetual moisture (oh god..... i have to say something....at least for the mothersOooooo Yaaaaaaaa) sub irrigated planters are another route.

 

[c-ray]

What I am hunting for is a highly paramagnetic basalt that does not have a lot of iron

I'd talk to these guys:

http://rockdustlocal.com

 

[RanchoDeluxe]

So I gave the girls an alfalfa sprout/dandelion tea. Around an oz. of alfalfa seed and a cup or two of chopped dandelion. This is enough to make 15 gallons or so and that's not including each ingredient would have been enough to make 15 gallons.

I let it aerate for a couple of days in a 5gal bucket...forgot to dilute it. Still had praying leaves when I went in there. Leaves on some of the tops were getting a nice twist to them, dark dark green, tips just starting to burn. Think it's time to chill out and give em plain water for a bit.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I'd talk to these guys:

http://rockdustlocal.com

I found one that pegs Phil Callahan's meter...even got a bit of zeolite in it. We will find out what we find out. It is from Malcomb Beck.

 

[Old_Headbanger]

second score in a week

second score in a week

So I just picked up 200 lbs. of bentonite for $20!! Only reason it was $20 was because he didn't have change. He was gonna charge me $5 per 100lb. bag. Said i could come back next year or whatever for the other two bags. Went to a local well driller. Said he pays about $1.50 a bag, but has to buy a trailer load out of Wyoming, costs him more to ship it.. Check with well drillers first before pottery stores if you can, to save yourself some loot.

 

[Seaf0ur]

I need to make some calls

 

[RanchoDeluxe]

OH- What color is bentonite?

 

[Old_Headbanger]

OH- What color is bentonite?

Almost white. A really light tan. I'll get a pic up when I get home.

 

[growingcrazy]

Hugh

In the spirit of perpetual moisture (oh god..... i have to say something....at least for the mothersOooooo Yaaaaaaaa) sub irrigated planters are another route.

I am considering running a wick system with my no-till 25 gallon containers in my next room. I think it will be the easiest and simplest way to keep the soil moist.

The only thing that I do not like is the fact that the moisture will be entering the bottom of the pot first. I like to keep things as natural as possible, and watering from the bottom obviously is not.

 

[Durdy]

I think you'd still want to do light top waterings to make sure that area doesn't dry out, the first couple inches is critical in terms of where the majority of the micro herd is.

Never bottom watered so maybe that area stays moist with a good mulch but just something to keep in mind.

 

[unklemike]

Hello.
I mixed up a 16 cuft mix that I am letting sit for a month after wetting with ACT. Im kinda worried its gonna dry out will it be OK to re-wet and turn the mix if it dries out? I have it covered with tarps to try and prevent this from happening. Right know its on day 3 of sitting and its just moist.

 

[vonforne]

My bentonite is a light gray and the place that sold it to me said it was calcium bentonite. He said the whiter is the sodium bentonite.

Has anyone heard this before?

 

[Old_Headbanger]

Maybe its gray more than tan. Doesn't say on the bag weather its calcium or sodium bentonite.

 

[vonforne]

ok I was wrong with that last post. This is where mine came from and calcium is an additive.

Quality Clay. It's important to use 100% pure high quality clay. While certain clays are ideal, and others are acceptable though not as good, others should be avoided altogether. The experts agree that 100% pure clean, raw, natural swelling smectite clays are the best. This includes swelling bentonite sometimes called montmorillonite, which are often referred to as Living Clays. Expensive clay is not always the best. Just because it is expensive does not make it pure.

Bentonite is used to make a whole host of products that you use every day. Some are obvious like facial mud mask, soap, and tooth past. But others uses for this mineral may surprise you like; make up, face cream, cat litter, dog & cat wormier, and algae control in koi ponds, and many more. They are made using bentonite as ether the base, or the main active ingredient. The bentonite is diluted first with calcium for these purposes. Bentonite that is diluted with calcium, all though much easier to mix and more readily available, no longer contains the same amount of absorptive properties and does not work as well. That's why our Bentonite is removed before the Calcium is added.
This is the 100% pure none mixed bentonite.

Contaminated clay. It's vital to avoid any clay with additives or any chemically processed clays. Industrial bentonite has been processed with chemicals known as binders. Do not eat that clay.

http://www.bestbentonite.com/index.html