nutrients and dirtbaggers--

[abe supercro]

well.. I generally use roots as a base at the bottom of the container along w some promix. Into that I mix Azomite, green sand, kelp, bat guano, bone meal, lyme and about three varied dry beneficial mycos and add perlite. I use the orange label pro-mix with mycos for the rest of container.

I really liked your idea about adding the neem meal long before you pot. Fungus gnats can be an issue.

Almost forgot, I also place worm castings as well. And use UNsulphured Molasses to feed mycos too.

 

[Rrog]

Too much Neem meal can hurt Fungi, so I use just a little, as I outlined in that recipe.

The crab shell meal is so cool, because the shell is made from Chitin. Chitin in the soil brings... chitin-eating bacteria. Why do we want them? Because the jawbones of many larvae are made from chitin. The larvae don't survive with no mouths...

The BTI and Nematode combo is also effective and lasting. Nematodes last, BTI doesn't tend to linger. These two guys also prey on larvae and can be sprayed as a foliar.

I'm telling you, this stuff all creates an army of trillions patrolling for invaders. Like packs of guard dogs. It's all very effective and cheap. The soil can be re-used with simple amendments, meaning your initial soil investment just keeps paying off.

The final kicker is the the recycled soil gets better as it gets older. Slow-release nutrients like P, CA+, etc have time to be released via microbial digestion and become accessible to the plant. You can go 12-13 cycles with same soil, getting better as you go. I just get a real thrill out of all that.

 

[scroglodyte]

nope don't use cowshit--all though some pholks swear by it-

dont use animal dung at all---unless you count my brothers --the worms---
would use rabbit shit since it is the coldest and best of the dung-- if I did like to use shit
have seen the hillbilly dirt guys here with all the poop from the zoo-
have wanted to try it--

maybe you smell bokashi? since that is one of my secrets but it is not a secret if you are aware of it--

not sure what your smellin but.....pfffft yourself unless you were hittin a phattie--then I don't take it personal

have you ever mixed soil for a 400gallon pot?

have you ever met anyone that watered with a 2" "fire" hose?

have you studied NPK? and how much variation you can make? a lot of pholks use a 20-10-10 or 30-20-20 what are you after?
rapid growth and a huge monster?
have you watched your plants when you give them everything they need in abundance?

so if I grew 12 plants 3-5 ft high or 2-3 8' tall--how would you do your mix according to the size of the container and plant?

whats the difference if I am applying outdoor grow experience to my smaller indoor garden?

do you mix your own medium or are you hydro which I see so much here---?

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[buckaroo bonzai]

Too much Neem meal can hurt Fungi, so I use just a little, as I outlined in that recipe.

The crab shell meal is so cool, because the shell is made from Chitin. Chitin in the soil brings... chitin-eating bacteria. Why do we want them? Because the jawbones of many larvae are made from chitin. The larvae don't survive with no mouths...

The BTI and Nematode combo is also effective and lasting. Nematodes last, BTI doesn't tend to linger. These two guys also prey on larvae and can be sprayed as a foliar.

I'm telling you, this stuff all creates an army of trillions patrolling for invaders. Like packs of guard dogs. It's all very effective and cheap. The soil can be re-used with simple amendments, meaning your initial soil investment just keeps paying off.

The final kicker is the the recycled soil gets better as it gets older. Slow-release nutrients like P, CA+, etc have time to be released via microbial digestion and become accessible to the plant. You can go 12-13 cycles with same soil, getting better as you go. I just get a real thrill out of all that.

you can buy neem powder and top dress or you can also add neem oil into the water to allow the plant to uptake the neem and keep those pesky mites from being attracted to your plants--just a little though

are the chitin your describing the same little fossilized skeletons in diatomaceous ? curious-

a lot of old guys use pot of gold for base soil --amending every year after season--I have friends that run the same soil for years with only amendments to adjust---pot of gold was one of the first to become popularized


you can get a whole cycle out of a roots bag ---they were designed for guerilla--off the grid pharming
pop in start and just water--try it once and you can learn somthings

i always explain to friends to try growing a plant with nothing except water and dirt--then once you have tried that you will learn how amendments and super mixes can benefit ---and create 'soil'

pit also helps to grow your own food and see the effects nutrients have on your vegetable garden--
or grapes,roses or orchids--similar NPK numbers to make the best flowers

and yes soil can be so much more cheaper to work once you get the synergy down in the container-
little personal preferences will make you a mixer/bartender in no time once you get the basics---


its not really all that esoteric though---it's farming in the natural organic sense

knowing how to amend your soil with the right ingredients gives you all the benefits --
it's mixology like a bartender but that is where the esoteric part comes in---
it's more like alchemy is how I understand--organic alchemy and knowing which combinations of which organic material will give you thebest results and bang for your $

its not that hard it just takes time and patience as you will learn from a couple cycles-


not being closeto the ocean I am finding it harder to get some of the goodies I could easily find when lived there--I am slowly dialing things in here and accepting the fact that I have to work a little harder to acquire some of the ocean products I like to use--

have you tried lobster meal? I have used it before and found this one now here- http://oldheirloomroses.com/ormain.html

most ocean supplements or fish byproducts are the best to use for good NPK numbers--but fish can be hot and use cautiously

i also like to silt from river beds and it is very high in nutrients and minerals--I am getting some tested here now at msu and will keep posting--I have quite a few friends live on rivers here and have collected 2-3 samples to see which one might be best

grape pomace is also another favorite to me---it is very cold and breaks down nicely in a composting container and works great in any mix

here is an interesting breakdown of azomite--from the source http://www.azomiteinternational.com/FAQ/FAQ_Plants.html

i like lava rock and some of the pumice and volcanic material will amaze you--http://www.clppumice.com/horticultural.html
extremely high in minerals and trace elements and very beneficial to any soil mix-
somr pholks use rice hulls in their recipe but I have have seen it break down to charcoal and I would rather use lava rock for aeration and drainage

aslo most mixes start with basically the same ingredients.....it's up to the alchemist to fine tune their art

here are some more basic soil 'recipes' and as you see they are take off from the basic mix sub cool presents--http://forum.growkind.com/showthread.php?t=37414
there are more out here on the net but you have to search

best to start here then improve --Rrog has put up a really good balance recipe mix--
and some really great herb comes out of clackamass--

most of the mixing experience I have had in the past as a foreman were done with front end loaders--
these smaller batches are getting more and more interesting and fun and I am learning new stuff with each mix-

remember you aren't really a good mixer till you taste the bat shit--
what I would tell the kids on my krew-
nowadays I prefer the taste of bokashi-



peace

 

[buckaroo bonzai]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

are we boring you??


what would you have to add Watson?


with ur 7500posts........??

im new here jr.--Is this something we have gone over allready......did I miss something.......?

will there be a quiz....?

mr Garrett is the anti gMO guy with Percy schmeiser--

zzzzzzzzzzzzz yourself ---
do you still eat GMO food?

 

[abe supercro]

I'll try to lay off the bat shit. Lots of good info here, gonna find tha Bokashi. And thanks Rrog...[video=youtube;xJh47LybCkU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJh47LybCkU[/video]

 

[abe supercro]

Ok, this is the Recipe...
read thru some of tha heady buckaroo thoughts too..
appreciate these details and links.. /peas

Base Soil

1/3 Sphagnum Peat from Premier Peat or Alaska Peat
1/3 Aeration material (2 parts Perlite, 2 parts chunky coco, 1 part Vermiculite)
1/3 Humus (1 part EWC, 1 part local / used topsoil, 1 part leaf litter, 1 part compost)

Per Cubic Foot of the Base Soil:

½ Cup DE
½ Cup Espoma Starter Plus
1 cup Charcoal (like spent carbon from our scrubbers)
½ Cup Epsom Salt
4 cups Rock Powders (4X Glacial, 1X Bentonite, 1X Oyster Shell, 1X Basalt)

½ Cup Neem Meal (2 g / L)
1 Cup Crab Shell Meal
2 Cups Kelp Meal (Espoma makes it)
2 Cups Fish Meal
2 Cups Fish Bone Meal
1 Cup Sul-Po-Mag
½ Cup Alfalfa

1.5 Cups Montmorillonite clay
1.5 Cups Pyrophyllite Clay

Moisten with Fresh Aloe (2 Tbs Juice with 1 gallon water) and Accelerant Tea (Comfrey, Yarrow, Horsetail or Nettle)

I pre-inoculate with BTI and Nematodes.

Let this cook for 4 weeks. Initially there's an awful lot of free Nitrogen floating around. The 4 weeks allows the microbes to store it away.

This is based on a soil mix created by my friend Gascanistan with heavy influence from Clackamas Coot, another friend. A couple of contemporary geniuses in my mind.

http://www.clppumice.com/horticultural.html
gets me thinkin.. -Anything Volcanic likely beneficial, it's from the core.

 

[Rrog]

http://www.prokashi.com. Simple and fast way to start.

 

[qroox]

Hope theyre not too dark. Too much nitrogen is bad for the ladies.

You obviously do not have a clue on how a plant works.Please save it for yourself and don't fall for this forum paradigm.N is good for foliage.Foliage is good for buds.