Organic Growing: An Introductory Guide

Jubilant

Jubilant

Well-Known Member
This thread should be stickied. I really want to try to make this work now you are converting me Roy! How much smell does bubbling a tea make? That's a concern of mine as outside is freezing and I don't have a garage or anything. What do you think about making the soil 1-2 weeks before use, any risks in that if I keep it moist?
 
Vnsmkr

Vnsmkr

Well-Known Member
Jubilant said:
This thread should be stickied. I really want to try to make this work now you are converting me Roy! How much smell does bubbling a tea make? That's a concern of mine as outside is freezing and I don't have a garage or anything. What do you think about making the soil 1-2 weeks before use, any risks in that if I keep it moist?
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longer it "cooks" the better, but I would say a month, though depends on what amendments you add. If you stick with "seafood" and kelp additions etc then 2 weeks is fine. Smell on tea isnt too bad. I used to make 55 gal drums of it on my roof and the only time it got bad when I added fish to it ;). it smells earthy more than anything
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
Jubilant said:
This thread should be stickied. I really want to try to make this work now you are converting me Roy! How much smell does bubbling a tea make? That's a concern of mine as outside is freezing and I don't have a garage or anything. What do you think about making the soil 1-2 weeks before use, any risks in that if I keep it moist?
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It won't stink rank or anything, it'll have a sweet earthy smell.

Making the soil ahead of time is totally fine and if you can that's awesome. Keep it moist but not overwatered. and mix it up every few days. This method is for those that want to skip the "cooking" process...but you'll be all the better for it if you're able to.

Pop your clones or developed seedlings into the dirt mix. The castings, and compost along with the teas will do the heavy lifting in veg and if you veg appropriately (4 to 8 weeks) your amendments will start becoming available when you're in flower. If things arent breaking down as fast as you need then some teas in flower will correct the issue.

The more you recycle and reuse your soil, the less you'll be waiting for stuff to break down and the less you'll be using teas.
 
Jubilant

Jubilant

Well-Known Member
Just made my base soil! Thank you so much for the inspiration an nudge to go this route, my buddy and I mixed some up today.

  • ~ 40 Quarts of Compost
  • ~ 40 Quarts Perlite
  • ~ 40 Quarts Coco
  • 2.5 Cups Kelp Meal
  • 2.5 Cups Oyster shell flower
  • 5 Cups Worm castings
  • ~3 Quarts Charcoal
I have Fish Meal and Crab Shell Meal (Also Sea Bird Guano for flowering) on order at my local supply shop and I can't wait to add those in! I figured start with what I have and build up what biology I can while waiting for my other supplies to mix in.

I also started a tea bubbling
  • 5 gallons of water
  • 1/4 cups blackstrap unsulfered molasses
  • 2 cups worm castings
  • 4 cups compost
  • 1/2 cup kelp meal
I really can't wait to use this soil with my next grow! I recorded the whole process and will include it in my journal for the grow :bigjoint:
 
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Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
Jubilant said:
Just made my base soil! Thank you so much for the inspiration an nudge to go this route, my buddy and I mixed some up today.

  • ~ 40 Quarts of Compost
  • ~ 40 Quarts Perlite
  • ~ 40 Quarts Coco
  • 2.5 Cups Kelp Meal
  • 2.5 Cups Oyster shell flower
  • 5 Cups Worm castings
  • ~3 Quarts Charcoal
I have Fish Meal and Crab Shell Meal (Also Sea Bird Guano for flowering) on order at my local supply shop and I can't wait to add those in! I figured start with what I have and build up what biology I can while waiting for my other supplies to mix in.

I also started a tea bubbling
  • 5 gallons of water
  • 1/4 cups blackstrap unsulfered molasses
  • 2 cups worm castings
  • 4 cups compost
  • 1/2 cup kelp meal
I really can't wait to use this soil with my next grow! I recorded the whole process and will include it in my journal for the grow :bigjoint:
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Super excited for you friend!

Remember crab shell and fish Meal take time to break down so you'll wanna top dress em into your soil soon as you get em.

Seabird guano is great for teas, it can be top dressed too but IMO guano works best when applied as a tea. Did you get the all purpose or the high phosphorus?
 
Jubilant

Jubilant

Well-Known Member
Rasta Roy said:
Super excited for you friend!

Remember crab shell and fish Meal take time to break down so you'll wanna top dress em into your soil soon as you get em.

Seabird guano is great for teas, it can be top dressed too but IMO guano works best when applied as a tea. Did you get the all purpose or the high phosphorus?
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How do you recommend to do the top dress? I was jut going to break the soil into 3 containers and evenly mix it in (as far as the fish meal and crab shell meal) I decided for the high phosphorus as they had nothing remotely close to your N-P-K you suggested.

Also with my tea, do you recommend to dilute that or just pour it into my soil after it's done bubbling?
 
Vnsmkr

Vnsmkr

Well-Known Member
FYI next time you mix a soil up, just wait until you have everything available before mixing it together because it ALL needs to "cook" together. Its not such a biggie as its "seafood" but still
 
Rasta Roy

Rasta Roy

Well-Known Member
Jubilant said:
How do you recommend to do the top dress? I was jut going to break the soil into 3 containers and evenly mix it in (as far as the fish meal and crab shell meal) I decided for the high phosphorus as they had nothing remotely close to your N-P-K you suggested.

Also with my tea, do you recommend to dilute that or just pour it into my soil after it's done bubbling?
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@calliandra has the right of it. I only dilute guano teas. You can tho if you need to stretch it out to water more plants.

For top dressing just work the amendments into the top couple inches of soil. Don't rip down into your roots just lightly work it in to the top layer. I was thinking you had already planted into the mix! If you haven't yet just mix it in like normal.
 
Jubilant

Jubilant

Well-Known Member
Vnsmkr said:
FYI next time you mix a soil up, just wait until you have everything available before mixing it together because it ALL needs to "cook" together. Its not such a biggie as its "seafood" but still
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Please correct if I'm wrong, as I am here to learn :p but the guy at the store agreed with we as well and he was very knowledgeable from what it seemed (most everything he was talking about lines right up with Our own Rasta Roy) but I figured mine as well start and mix what I have and get some teas poured in to build up as much biology as possible in the waiting time to ship the rest of the supplies up here.


Rasta Roy said:
@calliandra has the right of it. I only dilute guano teas. You can tho if you need to stretch it out to water more plants.

For top dressing just work the amendments into the top couple inches of soil. Don't rip down into your roots just lightly work it in to the top layer. I was thinking you had already planted into the mix! If you haven't yet just mix it in like normal.
Click to expand...

Thank you again for your help I'm sure my girls will be grateful as well friend! :weed:
 
Vnsmkr

Vnsmkr

Well-Known Member
Jubilant said:
Please correct if I'm wrong, as I am here to learn :p but the guy at the store agreed with we as well and he was very knowledgeable from what it seemed (most everything he was talking about lines right up with Our own Rasta Roy) but I figured mine as well start and mix what I have and get some teas poured in to build up as much biology as possible in the waiting time to ship the rest of the supplies up here.





Thank you again for your help I'm sure my girls will be grateful as well friend! :weed:
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No you are good, its just a general rule of thumb I like to follow. Rasta is right, not so much necessary with seafood additions, but also gives times for things to "synergize" . I like the seafood additions too, I don't do the whole blood and bone shit, for me its local vietnamese promix, my own compost, and castings (with worms in every pot), and I feed with water, water + aloe, water + unsulphured bs molasses, water + fish hydroslate. I add some red lava rock and neem pellets, then cover cropped it with an organic blend and off we went.
 
Jubilant

Jubilant

Well-Known Member
I feel ya on that everyone has their own way and the more time all the ingredients spend together to more synergistic the biology will develop. I would prefer to do to that way myself if possible but we'll see how this one goes :p So the grow store I went to hard no information on neem cake unfortunately. Is this something I should look into for top dressing?
 
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