Recycled Organic Living Soil (ROLS) and No Till Thread

[Mohican]

Yes! Lights, fans, irrigation...

 

[SupraSPL]

Anyone think an indoor worm farm is doable? say during winter months when outdoor worm farming isn't an option.

I have 4 rubbermaid 10 gal totes full of hundreds of redworms I collected from leaf piles (sometimes there are piles of castings in the leaf piles as well). I cut out a large opening in the lid and duct tape screen (paint strainer) over it so worms and gnats cannot escape. I collect pill bugs, springtails, mites and spiders too. Avoid centipedes. I use leaves and cococoir as bedding, never paper. Only organic food scraps as food.

There is no drain but because of the large air opening it is more likely to get dry than wet. Sometimes I keep them in the living room sometimes in the basement. The worms breed and make awesome castings, I can never have enough.

One warning, when the rubbermaid totes are brand new they have a plastic smell. I wash them thoroughly with dish soap and rinse thoroughly in the tub before use.

 

[RedCarpetMatches]

My worms would beat the shit out of any of your worms!

I don't take 'manure' shortcuts. I let em work for it. They were fighting to death over the mango...the REDS won

I agree with the extra air holes. Keeps the decomposing cooler, and the food keeps things moist. Perfect balance.

I really am digging (so are the worms) the coco and leaves combo. Keeps everything diverse and fluffy moist.

 

[abe supercro]

appears adding that crabshell action early on is really working on Fungus Gnats. the crab shell juice bacteria, that it attracted, must me munching on the few that have been around or they'd populated by now. learning dirt

 

[RedCarpetMatches]

appears adding that crabshell action early on is really working on Fungus Gnats. the crab shell juice bacteria, that it attracted, must me munching on the few that have been around or they'd populated by now. learning dirt

BTI dunks will nuke em and add even more bacteria.

 

[abe supercro]

Thanks... I was just stopping back to edit n add that I thought it was my BT sprinkle bits that had the impact on gnats, but I'll replenish my 'dunks' to stay on it. Oh I need Spinosad too, I worry about root aphid and thrips all while still confusing the two.
see there's a lot to read here, took me awhile to find HERE.

 

[st0wandgrow]

BTI bits and sticky traps should do the trick abe

 

[RedCarpetMatches]

I like to put the sticky traps on top of soil too.

 

[snowboarder396]

Spinosad can be bad to beneficial insects and bugs I wouldn't use it

 

[RedCarpetMatches]

Baby oatmeal is a great way to get your fungus going. Skips the whole undercooked brown rice or wetting oatmeal thing. Very cheap too.

Any thoughts on SSTs causing early fade?! I notice very nice vigor after the SST. Do the enzymes and hormones cause faster nutrition deprivation? Don't know how else to explain 6-7 week fade on 10 week strains. I use very rich 2" top dress, and don't think I'm running out of nutrition. I doubt it's a PH prob, because plants are great until the later weeks.

 

[foreverflyhi]

Baby oatmeal is a great way to get your fungus going. Skips the whole undercooked brown rice or wetting oatmeal thing. Very cheap too.

Any thoughts on SSTs causing early fade?! I notice very nice vigor after the SST. Do the enzymes and hormones cause faster nutrition deprivation? Don't know how else to explain 6-7 week fade on 10 week strains. I use very rich 2" top dress, and don't think I'm running out of nutrition. I doubt it's a PH prob, because plants are great until the later weeks.

Define early fade? Like leaves start dying out? Change color?
The only time i ever notice a "fade" on new growth was with a sst mix with bio ag, i think i might of over done it with the fulvic, but it was back to normal within a couple of days..

I do notice at times my plants fading a little quicker then usual in late maturity, but havemt link to sst.. Think of it more as genetics.

 

[RedCarpetMatches]

Define early fade? Like leaves start dying out? Change color?
The only time i ever notice a "fade" on new growth was with a sst mix with bio ag, i think i might of over done it with the fulvic, but it was back to normal within a couple of days..

I do notice at times my plants fading a little quicker then usual in late maturity, but havemt link to sst.. Think of it more as genetics.

The fading/yellowing/sucking the food out of fans/lock out???, is starting around week 6 and full blown at 8. This is happening on 10-11 week strains. IMO that's VERY early.

What makes it really weird, is that I've been doing 12/12 from seed. I also top dress when I see pistils. The nutrition is there. Now why would plants look lush until that exact 6 week mark?

Maybe too much Ca in combination to my hard tap? I have tons of Ca with my calphos, crab shell, oyster flour, gypsum, dolo, egg shells in EWC, tap, kelp, etc etc DAMN that's a lot. Thought the extra Ca would help with the coco dom mix it's happening in. Hasn't happened in my peat dom mix yet.

I'm trying to narrow it down to either SSTs creating monstrous nutrition sucking bitches, too much Ca, doubt a PH prob? Calling all soil heads!!!

 

[foreverflyhi]

Ah hard water.. Theres your problem, how ling u been growing with hard water? I use RO water, most bad grows i had where link to hard water, even some super soil grows. You just never really truly know whats in that shit, espeically if your in a heavy urban area

 

[DonPetro]

I would have to agree with above. A pure water source is a huge key.

 

[RedCarpetMatches]

DUH lol!!! Thanks. Just went back through some old journals, and noticed I never had early fade issues with RO. I'm on my third full organics run now...all with tap.

Any RO unit recommendations?

 

[foreverflyhi]

Stealth is always decent price with good customer service. But i say go with the cheapest one you can find, even on CL. Its the internals that matter, membrane, filters can always be replaced. If u happen to find one that needs a membrane hit me up, i got a bunch new ones

 

[hyroot]

I've been using tap water for years. No problems. My tap is around 100 ppm's.
Red you are over thinking it. Your plants have early fade because you didn't use enough nutes or the nutes haven't broke down enough.

 

[RedCarpetMatches]

I've been using tap water for years. No problems. My tap is around 100 ppm's.
Red you are over thinking it. Your plants have early fade because you didn't use enough nutes or the nutes haven't broke down enough.

My tap is 8.3 @ 400-500ppm...on top of the tons of lime.

 

[DonPetro]

I've been using tap water for years. No problems. My tap is around 100 ppm's.
Red you are over thinking it. Your plants have early fade because you didn't use enough nutes or the nutes haven't broke down enough.

100 ppms is all good. Reds is way to high.

 

[PSUAGRO.]

My tap is 8.3 @ 400-500ppm...on top of the tons of lime.

http://www.420magazine.com/forums/do-yourself/116351-diy-reverse-osmosis-small-scale-grower-cheap-portable-effective.html genius stoner, no need to take it apart just run in straight from the garden hose on the rinse setting; TDS results are impressive for such a cheap unit. You got a pep boys/autozone near you red??



edit...........nevermind it's been discontinued...........bummer