Organic Growing Made Easy & Fox Farms Ocean Forest!

c4ulater

Active Member
Yeah dude. On the next go.

Okay, so hey - on the website that's not Amazon what kind of hi Cal lime. I saw a few kinds. Could you specifically link it? I'd like to be on the same page with ya.
 

Sincerely420

New Member

Phosphorus – Why Worry? - February 27, 2013
Jeff Schalau, Agent, Agriculture & Natural Resources
University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County

[HR][/HR] Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for all living organisms including the food crops we grow. It’s part of DNA, used in energy transfer in living cells, and contributes to the structure of cell membranes. Moreover, phosphorus fertilizers have been instrumental in boosting crop yields to feed the Earth’s burgeoning population. Backyard gardeners may think of phosphorus as the middle number on the fertilizer package or as the bone meal they use to amend planting holes. Understanding a little more about global phosphorus supplies, fertilizer manufacturing, and phosphorus availability in our soils should help backyard gardeners make informed decisions related to its use.

Phosphorus exists primarily in sediments and rock. When marine organisms die or are eaten and excreted by other animals, some of the phosphorus in their bodies sinks to the ocean floor and gets buried in sediment, eventually becoming rock. Over millions of years, that rock shifts and lifts back up to Earth’s surface. The rocks weather and break down, forming new soil containing phosphorus that can nourish plant growth. Phosphorus from dead plants and the carcasses or excrement of animals is also released to the environment where it can be taken up by plants. Otherwise, it too eventually makes its way to the ocean.

Phosphate rock is the main source of phosphorus for fertilizers. The earth holds a limited amount of easily accessible, high quality phosphate rock. The United States (mainly Florida) produced 14% of the world’s phosphorus in 2012. China is the largest producer at 42% with Morocco, Russia, and Jordan producing 13%, 5%, and 3% respectively (from USGS Reference included below). As high-quality deposits become depleted, remaining untapped reserves generally contain less phosphorus. Some researchers predict that the annual amount of phosphorus retrieved from mined phosphate rock could peak sometime this century. As you might expect, this has sparked conversations about food security.

The plant available phosphorus in rock phosphate is very low. This combined with high transportation costs has resulted in the industrial manufacture of phosphorus fertilizers. Briefly, rock phosphate is treated with acid to produce orthophosphoric acid—the phosphate form that is taken up by plants. One phosphorus fertilizer, triple super phosphate, contains 45% by weight plant available phosphate (0-45-0). Certified organic producers are not allowed to use these fertilizers and must rely on rock phosphate, manure, animal byproducts, or compost to supply phosphorus. These materials have lower amounts of plant available phosphorus than inorganic fertilizers (60-80%) and generally have much higher costs to achieve similar results.

To further complicate our gardening efforts, maximum phosphorus availability occurs between soil pH 6.0 to 7.0. In Yavapai County our soils tend to be alkaline and have a pH of 7.0 to 7.8 and greater. Soils with a pH of 7.5 and higher typically have a high calcium concentration that binds phosphorus as calcium-phosphate creating an insoluble compound that is not available to plants (this is called P fixation).

Vegetable and annual flower gardeners can amend soils with soil sulfur and organic matter to temporarily decrease the soil pH. Where soil pH is 8 or higher, add elemental sulfur annually at a rate of 6 to 10 pounds per 1,000 square feet of area. Elemental sulfur slowly oxidizes in soil to form sulfuric acid. Test the soil occasionally and stop adding sulfur when pH has reached desirable levels. All vegetable and flower gardeners should amend soils with composted organic matter prior to planting. After following the above recommendations, phosphorus fertilizers can be placed 6-8” deep (called banding) where roots will grow into the fertilized soil.

Native plants have adaptations (primarily mycorrhizal fungi infected roots) that allow them to acquire needed phosphorus without using fertilizers. These plants should not be fertilized with anything as this could compromise these desirable mycorrhizal associations. For fruit trees, lawns, roses and other permanent plantings requiring additional fertilizers, apply nitrogen containing fertilizers as recommended. Phosphorus fertilizers should not be applied to the soil surface because phosphorus would be fixed at the soil surface and made unavailable.

We should strive to keep the value and importance of phosphorus in mind as we make gardening and consumer choices. Also, check out the resources I’ve included below.

Follow the Backyard Gardener on Twitter – use the link on the BYG website. If you have other gardening questions, call the Master Gardener help line in the Camp Verde office at 928-554-8999 Ext. 3 or e-mail us at cottonwoodmg@yahoo.com and be sure to include your name, address and phone number. Find past Backyard Gardener columns or provide feedback at the Backyard Gardener web site: http://cals.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/hort/byg/.

Additional Resources

Phosphate Rock, U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2013
2013USGSphosphorusmineralcommoditysummary.pdf


Understanding Phosphorus Fertilizers, University of Minnesota Extension
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/cropsystems/dc6288.html


Phosphorus Fertilizers for Organic Farming Systems, Colorado State University Extension
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/crops/00569.html


Managing Soil pH in Utah, Utah State University Extension
http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/AG-SO-07.pdf


Salvage Job: With Fertilizer Prices Skyrocketing, Scientists Scramble to Recover Phosphorus from Waste, Science News February 23, 2013; Vol.183 #4
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/348109/description/Salvage_Job
 

Sincerely420

New Member
I can see tht with your method the terpenes n terpoids should be off the chart!
Wahts the signs of pathogenic infection?
Beech
Here you go Beech! Just passed by this one! Doesn't say a whole lot, but there's some useful bits of info abound!


Plant Diseases - May 23, 2012
Jeff Schalau, Agent, Agriculture & Natural Resources
University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County

[HR][/HR] The study of plant diseases is called plant pathology or phytopathology. Plant diseases can occur if a pathogen (disease causing organism) is present on a susceptible host plant under suitable environmental conditions for the necessary period of time. These four elements (pathogen, host, environment, and time) are the points of the “plant disease tetrahedron”. Remove or alter one of these elements, and the plant disease will not occur. This relationship is also the rationale for treatment of plant diseases.

Living organisms that cause plant diseases (biotic pathogens) include fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes, parasitic plants, phytoplasmas, and spiroplasmas. Plant diseases can also be caused by non-living factors such as wind, drought, air pollution, extreme temperatures, herbicide injury, poor drainage, etc. These are called abiotic plant diseases and no infectious pathogen is involved. Biotic and abiotic diseases are often differentiated by determining if the disease is spreading within or between plants. When the disease spreads, we look for living pathogens. When the disease is stationary, it is likely abiotic.

Diagnosing plant diseases is like being a plant detective. You begin by looking for clues: signs and symptoms. Signs are visible evidence of the disease organism itself and could be fungal fruiting bodies (mushrooms or conks) or bacterial ooze. Symptoms are how the plant reacts to the pathogen. Examples of symptoms are cankers, blight, wilt, necrosis, and other types of abnormal growth. Plant disease diagnosis requires some experience in recognizing normal vs. abnormal growth.

Fungi are similar to plants, but lack chlorophyll and must find energy through associations with other living or dead organisms. They are the single most important cause of plant disease. Of the 100,000 known fungal species, 10,000 can cause diseases in plants. All plants are attacked by some form of fungi and many fungi can cause disease on a wide variety of plant species. For example, Cotton Root Rot (Phymatotrichum omnivorum) has been recorded on over 2,300 species of broadleaf plants. However, monocots (grasses, lilies, palms, bamboos, and many others) are resistant. Management of most fungal plant diseases is difficult. The most common approaches are prevention and sanitation (cleaning tools, sterilizing soil, etc.). Fungicides are most effective as preventative treatments. Once the fungal pathogen is present, it is much more difficult to manage.

Bacteria are the most abundant of all organisms and they occur mainly in soil and water, but can also be airborne. They are generally very small (0.5-5 microns) and occur as single cells. Many bacteria are beneficial to individual organisms and ecosystems (such as those present in our digestive systems). A few species of bacteria are plant pathogenic. These bacterial plant diseases are mostly managed through prevention, sanitation, and somethimes through the use of antibacterial sprays. Fire blight is an example of a bacterial disease that affects some plants in the rose family.

Viruses are much smaller than bacteria and made up of only genetic material (DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protein coat. They are commonly introduced to plants through an insect vector (often aphids, whiteflies, and leafhoppers). Once inside a plant, they reproduce and cause various symptoms. Prevention and sanitation are the only management strategies available. Curly top virus is a common disease in our area that affects beets, tomatoes, peppers, beans, potatoes, spinach, and cucurbits. It is vectored by the beet leafhopper.

Nematodes are microscopic roundworms. Many nematode species are considered beneficial because they parasitize pest insects. The root knot nematode is the most common plant pathogenic nematode encountered by home gardeners. Root knot nematodes feed on plant roots causing swelling of root tissue and impairment of water and nutrient uptake. Treatments for root knot nematodes are limited. Since it is not a native organism, it must be introduced through soil importation or infected plant material. Here again, prevention and sanitation are the only practical management strategies.

Common parasitic plants in Arizona are true mistletoes, dwarf mistletoes, and dodder (a stringy, straw-colored mass growing atop other plants). These are seed plants that infect a host and use its resources. True mistletoes are green, contain chlorophyll, and conduct photosynthesis to produce carbohydrates. They rely on the host for water and mineral nutrients. Dwarf mistletoes and dodder lack chlorophyll and rely on the host for water, mineral nutrients, and carbohydrates. Management strategies vary based on the host and the specific pathogen.

Phytoplasmas are spiroplasmas are relatives of bacteria, vectored by insects, and uncommon plant pathogens outside the tropics.

In many cases, plant diseases are “complexes” consisting of multiple causal agents. For instance, a tree may have been damaged by a string trimmer at the base and that wound could become an entry point for a pathogen. Being a plant disease detective requires knowledge of plants and diseases, field experience, and a broad view of the entire picture.
 

Sincerely420

New Member
Gonna pick some up here within the next week!


Grow Some Aloe Vera - June 22, 2011
Jeff Schalau, Associate Agent, Agriculture & Natural Resources
University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County

[HR][/HR] Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis) is probably the most widely used medicinal plant in the world. It is originally from Africa, but the exact geographic origin of Aloe Vera is questionable because it is easily transplanted and has been used medicinally for over 6,000 years. It is widely used in the home to treat cuts and burns, but has been used to treat other maladies by various cultures. There are references to Aloe Vera from the Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Indian, and Chinese cultures. The Spanish brought it to South America and the Caribbean Islands. It is in most homes and people continue to share it with friends.

There are about 180 Aloe species. All are succulents and they range from short-stalked clumps, like Aloe Vera, to trunk forming forms that resemble small trees. In Africa, they occupy the same ecological niche that Agave occupies in our southwestern deserts. Aloe Vera grows as a flattened, rosette which spreads outward by underground rhizomes and forms a cluster of fleshy leaves edged with short, soft prickles. The leaves are usually 8 to 10 inches long and speckled with patches of light green and gray, giving a mottled appearance. Aloe Vera can be grown outdoors in areas where there is no chance of freezing and produces flowers in the spring in the desert. The flower stem is 2 to 3 feet tall and topped with profuse tubular yellow flowers.

Aloe Vera makes an excellent potted indoor plant when kept in a bright location near a south or west facing window. During the summer months, the soil should be completely soaked, but allowed to dry between watering. Use a good commercial potting mix with extra perlite, granite grit, or coarse sand added or packaged 'cacti mix' potting soil. The pot should have a large drainage hole. Fertilize in the spring with a dilute solution of bloom type fertilizer (10-40-10). Potted Aloe Vera plants can be moved outdoors during the summer as long as you remember to bring them back indoors prior to the first fall freeze.

Aloes are often propagated by removing the offsets (also called pups) which are produced around the base of mature plants, when they are a couple inches tall. If needed, cut the offset away from the mother plant with a clean sharp knife. Allow the wounded area to dry and scab over for two or three days before replanting in the potting mix. This will prevent disease organisms from harming the young plant. Aloes can also be grown from seed but takes time and is most successful under greenhouse conditions.

Aloe Vera is also big business. One company lists over 300 kinds of cosmetics, medicines and ointments that are made from various Aloe extracts. Most of the Aloe grown commercially is from the Caribbean, south Florida or south Texas. The leaf is cut lengthwise to extract the sap within. The sap is evaporated and yields a crystalline glycoside called “aloin” which is very bitter. This is used in many products and is listed as “Aloe extract” on the product label.

While medical research has failed to validate many of the believed properties of Aloe Vera, fresh sap is widely used to sooth minor burns and insect bites. For this use, cut a section of a leaf away from the plant, slice longitudinally, open to expose the sap, and apply sap directly to the affected area. Other claims say that Aloe Vera has healed radiation burns and psoriasis, eased intestinal problems, reduced blood sugar in diabetes, reduced arthritic swelling, curtailed HIV infection, stimulated immune response against cancer, and more. I am not a medical doctor and would not advise a person to use Aloe Vera to heal anything more than a cut, burn, or insect bite without first consulting their physician. However, I would advise growing Aloe Vera as it is one of the easiest plants to grow successfully. It is available in many nurseries and garden centers or simply ask a friend or neighbor for an offset.
 

c4ulater

Active Member
Hey ,

Okay so for the Mycorrhiza , where and what do you get??

I'm putting in my order in now. Just got castings and bat guano today.
 

c4ulater

Active Member
Thanks!

Also says your originally started with adding Glacial rock dust. Do you not re-add this to your soil when recycling?
 

Sincerely420

New Member
It's all good boss, but yeah I went ahead and bought more and added it in.
It's invaluable in the amount of trace elements and minerals it brings to the table.

You don't really add it for any direct nutritional reason, moreso to condition the soil.
As a byproduct of having added it however, we'll get a bonus in everything else!
 

Sincerely420

New Member
5th doesn't have rock dust which is why I got that from Amazon. Everything else I got from 5th tho. I found a new store locally to get EWCs from tho, so I been going that route, but before that, I jsut got the wiggle worm castings from 5th.
Azomite it kinda sorta the same thing, you just have to use it a bit more mildly!
They have azomite there as well tho which I have.

And you're not gonna have to buy anything more for atleast a year boss.
You'll need more compost to recondition you're soil with, and more EWCs but that's it...Maybe more perlite from time to time too, but I only spent money on EWC, compost, perlite and more rock dust for the next grow!

And it'll be that way for maybe 2 more grows!

Then MAYBE i might need to buy more kelp meal, tomato tone, and bat guano!
 

c4ulater

Active Member
Okay cool man!

Dude I thought you were up on that Worm Farm GAME BRO!? GET AT MEEEEEEE

I started mine - LOOKING GOOD son.

Edit : Started a COMPOST as well. Should get some GOLD soon. I'm done spending money when that shit is right chere.


How long will 5lbs of Azomite last????
 

Sincerely420

New Member
Haha I'm working bro! Gotta make some moves to the new place, so figured I'd wait till I'm settled again! But I'm coming back to you when I need some tips lol.

And 5lbs of azomite will last you a few grows bossman.
 

Shwagbag

Well-Known Member
Working on a composter this week myself. I've decided to just build one out of a trash can. I'm sick of throwing away all of my paper, kitchen scraps and plant material. I throw ALOT of plant material away too. I should be able to build a decent compost with leaves, paper, kitchen scraps and grass clippings. Probably throw a bag of compost in there to kick it off with little vermicompost. I figure a trash can can be used to emulate The Earth Machine for a fraction of the expense after watching a few youtube vids.
 

Sincerely420

New Member
Yessiree! Everything they have is legit and at a good price.
Might wanna get some Alfalfa meal too boss. That's good shitt!!!
I'll work some in with my next mix. Haven't use it yet as a whole, but it's WILDLY popular! And there's some in the tomato tone that I use
 

Sincerely420

New Member
Working on a composter this week myself. I've decided to just build one out of a trash can. I'm sick of throwing away all of my paper, kitchen scraps and plant material. I throw ALOT of plant material away too. I should be able to build a decent compost with leaves, paper, kitchen scraps and grass clippings. Probably throw a bag of compost in there to kick it off with little vermicompost. I figure a trash can can be used to emulate The Earth Machine for a fraction of the expense after watching a few youtube vids.
Nice homie! Peep that Phosphorus read a couple reads back! I think you'll find that interesting!
And hell yeah in regards to the composting boss! Sounds like a good idea to me! Maybe even introduce some worms and see how they take to it lol.
Saw one of the earth machine on CL the other day haha, hit the dude up right away and it was gone! It was only $25!

And I was thinking about buying that worm bin but paying that much for something that the simplest ppl are making DIY, just don't sit right w/ me..
So AS SOON as I'm settled in the new place, I'm gonna get to building! Composting and vermicomposting is the way to go totally sustainable for me man, just gotta be able to do is at discreetly as I grow ya know?!
Can't wait tho man! Glad to know I'll have some minds to pick lol
 
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