How to Store your BMO"S SPT

[GrowBabyGrow41]

Ok, What the hell. I got BMO products back in aug. I kept the spt in the G room, in the shade lid cracked open and it still went bad or non active. tried the trick to reactivate it. no luck.. I got my new bottle today.
Can I use a small amount of the new SPT to reactivate the old bottle? I strained out the large floating fungi mass. It's over half a bottle.
also is the heat in the G room bad for BMO products? is the cool temps. better for them? I thought I saw on here a thread about this once. but I can never find chit with the search.

Thanks In Advance

 

[thcheaven]

Dunno about your situation. I store mine in a drawer in my gw. I'm guessing it was the light more than anything. Good Luck, I love SPT!

 

[Ohsogreen]

GrowBabyGrow41...... Exposing any organic fertilizer to direct light will kill the active organisms in it. If kept in a cool, dark place, it will last much longer. You can refrigerate SPT to keep it good for a very long time; just don't freeze it.
.
The floating fungi you strained out, was millions of fungi in a colony. If they were exposed to above average temps above 75, this increases their feeding. The faster they feed, the quicker the deplete their food source. These little critters have a natural hard times defense instinct. When food gets low, or temps get below 45 they slow their activity to the point of suspended animation. Waiting for things to change.
.
So, the reduced activity, is just that. It does not mean they are dead. If the colony is still (white) it's still alive. After they die, as a colony, they would turn dark brown and eventually black.
.
Storing organic ferts or supplements is not like dead chemical ferts, a cool, dark place is a must. Under a kitchen cabinet or, like me, in the garage work bench works just fine. Even in the frig, on the bottom shelf in the back.
.
Don't chunk that old bottle of SPT, pour it into a compost pile and let it improve it. Or add it to a five gallon bucket half full of unchlorinated water, and two ounces of molasses and bubble it for a couple of days. You may find, it's still alive and well, after all.
.
Hope this helps....
Keep it Real...Organic....

 

[GrowBabyGrow41]

Thanks for the reply OSG.... I had unreal results with the SPT the first time i used it.. The clones grew off the chart. roots grow so fast ,I can't keep up.
The old bottle still has white, well a lil brown I used Molasses to feed them. when I tried to reactivate. I get some bubbles in the bottle and very small amount of pressure when shaken with the lid tight for a bit...
I added about 9 ml of the new to the old bottle... I'm going to bubble it and see what happens.. I think it's trying to reactivate..
On a different Note. I bubble everything... what can I use to stop the slim that grows on the bubble stone???? thought about bleach water ,but if I dont flush it enough it might kill good Microbugs.....??????anyone!!!!!

Thanks IN Advance

 

[Ohsogreen]

GrowBabyGrow41..... I just pull off the slimed up airstone and sit it the sun for a couple of days. The slime dries up, and comes off with an old toothbrush quite easily. Since, I just use the cheap ones from Walmart, they come in a two pack. So, I just rotate them, until the SPT breaks them down - which seems to occur ever few months.
.
Keep it Real....Organic....

 

[zombie1334]

When you say "cool", what kind of temps are we talking about? I first had in my grow closet, but I figured that it got a little to hot in the top (probably around 75-80), then I saw this and put it up in the attic, where temps drop to about 40 degrees. I currently have it in the back of our closet, where it is very dark, but the ambient temps are probably around 65-70.

 

[Ohsogreen]

When you say "cool", what kind of temps are we talking about? I first had in my grow closet, but I figured that it got a little to hot in the top (probably around 75-80), then I saw this and put it up in the attic, where temps drop to about 40 degrees. I currently have it in the back of our closet, where it is very dark, but the ambient temps are probably around 65-70.

.
Zombie1334.... Most organic ferts, supplements or inoculants stay fresh longer - if kept between 40 & 70 degree F - (that's cool). Above 70 speeds up bacteria action, below 40 brings it to a halt, 32 and below - can kill bacteria (some not all).
.
Hope this helps...
Keep it Real.....Organic....

 

[GrowBabyGrow41]

Thanks for the Info.
I use vinegar to lower water Ph. is that ok to use with BMO products. Ie. SPT????

 

[zombie1334]

Very good question. I've heard not to use any ph buffer with organics.

 

[Ohsogreen]

Thanks for the Info.
I use vinegar to lower water Ph. is that ok to use with BMO products. Ie. SPT????

.
GrowBabyGrow41..... I do not use any type of pH down with the SPT. I do with organic ferts, just not root inoculants like SPT.
.
I hear these little micro-beasties are very tough and can survive harsh conditions like pH extremes, but I have not tried it. The SPT when added to my water, drops it to a 5.8 from it's orginal 6.4 So, I have had no need to adjust pH.
.
An easy way to find out - mix up some SPT with unchlorinated water, pour some into a soda pop bottle (fill it only 3/4 of the way full) - adjust it's pH - then add 1 tsp of molassess or table sugar. Leave the cap on that bottle loose. Wait 8 hours, by then any chemical reaction between the molasses or sugar & contents will be completely done. Then tighten the cap, place it in a pail or bucket (in case it swells & burst) and leave it there for 24 hours.
.
When you loosen the cap that next day - if presssure escapes - the micro-beasties survived the pH adjustment - survivied & multiplied - the pressure is their methane escaping. If no pressure escapes, when you loosened the cap - the pH adjustment killed them.
.
The first mad scientist to try this - please chime in with the results.
.
Hope this helps....
Keep it Real...Organic....

 

[zombie1334]

Ohso, what process do you use when mixing your BMO products? Do you use an aeroator?

 

[GrowBabyGrow41]

Wow, after adding spt to my water it's still 7.8 ph. Damn my city water is way up there in ph. or maybe my old azz pipes have build up and that is affecting the pH ????

Mad Scientist Experiment in progress!! I lower the Ph a lil too much, so if they live throw this, should be no problem... 4 hrs into 8 hr wait.. Did a Normal Ph adjust as well... 6.8 & 6.1...

Now we wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[GrowBabyGrow41]

DOA!!!!!! No pressure at all..... on either bottle 6.8-6.1ph adjust.

Ok, today I mixed a new batch of spt. I check ph before. 7.8 ,after mixing 6.8ph WTF.. I'm confused!!!!!
Does bubbling rise the PH. cause I bubbled the last batch before checking ph, it was 7.8....
My old Bottle of SPT came back alive. the white in the bottem of the bottle has doubled in size and we have pressure!!!!!

If i put the new bottle(SPT) in the fridge do I still leave the cap loose?

OSG, I owe ya, you've been a great help, Thank You!!

 

[GrowBabyGrow41]

I just flushed some girls, I noticed in the flush water lil tiny white floating larva of some sort. gnats?? Maybe??????
Help, please!!!
I know I'm highjacking my own thread, But this is the most help I've got on here. Mostly, I got no answers or lil short tid bits of lil help.....

Thanks in Advance!!!!

 

[thcheaven]

Maybe fungus gnat larvae?????? Keep your soil to moist??????? if so just let it dry out more between waterings.......

 

[GrowBabyGrow41]

Yes I was, But now, but I learned better. I have different girls at different stages of flowering in the same room. so I never water all the same. so one is just about always wet.... would be my guess...

does the Beer and sand work???

 

[thcheaven]

dunno about beer, but have heard that a 1" layer of sand will help.......

 

[zombie1334]

sand works great. I had to use it on my last grow. Just put 1" or more of sand on the top layer of soil. It will drown the little fuckers.

 

[Ohsogreen]

Zommbie1334.... I use a 5 gallon bucket, with a cheap aquarium air pump & small air stone. I bubble ferts one week. I bubble SPT with a little worm castings on the other week. I prefer to fertilize every other week, followed by a water/spt cycle the next week - in constant rotation. This applies to outdoors growing - indoors - because of pot size - watering is about every 3 to 4 days - vice 7-10 for outdoors.

GrowBabyGrow41 ... On the pH thing.... I'm lucky to have good water to work with. In the past, I have checked pH before bubbling a tea, then after. pH usually went down over time, not up, like from 6.4 to 6, but I don't mix heavy or add more than a couple things at one time. I keep to low & slow on making teas / tonics...etc.
.
The pH depends allot on what you're mixing - High N Bat Guano tends to drive pH down, High P Bat Guano will drive it up. If you are just mixing SPT with water - the pH should go down.
.
Glad your old SPT is back up & running - it's amazing stuff - I Love the Micro-beasties.... I do leave the cap, just slightly loose. I keep my bottle in a plastic container I bought at Walmart - where they sell rubbermaid stuff like to store left overs in. I think it was made to hold pasta or ceral or something. I keep the SPT bottle in it, just in case it gets knocked over. I uncap that container about once a week, take the cap off the SPT bottle, pour it out of the bottle into a soda bottle, then back into it's bottle to let it breath - then back into the frig until needed. Loose SPT cap, secure bottle in a rubbermaid container.
.
White larve, probably fungas gnats - not a big deal to established plants, but dangerous to seedlings. Sand on top or Diatomeous Earth - let the soil dry out between waterings. I don't like chemicals - sticky traps for the adults and a fan on constantly - catches or drives them away. They don't fly well in a breeze.....
.
Hope this helps....
Keep it Real...Organic....
.

.
I'd try an outside water source, if the one from the tap is screwy acting. Old pipes do develop buildup - buildup which can break loose any time if feels like it - maybe the source of strange pH fluxuations.......
.

 

[GrowBabyGrow41]

Ok I know this question has been asked a thousand times. But, How much would you water in a 3 to 4 gallon pot? I know it vary's but i would like to see what you do and how much you use at once? I can't seem to get it right...Ie like 1 qt per gallon of soil in flower.. ECT!!!
I just need a base scale to go by..

Thanks again!!!