Amy Gardner Of Eden: Perpetually Organic

[InTheShed]

I don't see a problem with the CD-1 but if you do I believe you. I think they all look great (especially that cool stem on the Jam China cross!) in spite of your struggles with the new soil.

Is there a reason they don't mix it up with perlite? I would think that would provide multiple benefits, from more oxygen to the roots, better drainage, better water intake, and a faster wet/dry cycle.

 

[Amy Gardner]

honestly worked out well

Ahh - think it was you I watched do it recently then Its been in my psyche.
Thanks.

Not sure my daughter understands why there are three separate jars, but she did say “that Dreamberry is no joke” so I take that as a win!

Lovely!

there a reason they don't mix it up with perlite? I would think that would provide multiple benefits, from more oxygen to the roots, better drainage, better water intake, and a faster wet/dry cycle.

It has some, but I believe not enough, exactly!
I am tossing up whether I dilute this further with coco and perlite, amend it with minerals and go again without ever knowing what it started with, or whether to just kick on with building my own. I’ll probably do some of both! But yes it could definitely use more perlite!

 

[Amy Gardner]

but if you do I believe you.

Thanks being believed is good. It’s got the crepe papery thing and there is mottling that indicates cal and/or mag demand that the pics don’t show very well. It’s happened w Candida before in this system where it seemed hungry for some things and getting burnt on the tips at the same time - it’s a head scratcher!

but ues

think they all look great (especially that cool stem on the Jam China cross!) in spite of your struggles with the new soil.

and thanks for that! Yes I do too, overall. Always there are things to observe and ponder, including funky spunky plant architecture

 

[InTheShed]

I am tossing up whether I dilute this further with coco and perlite

I certainly would add perlite; coco seems it might complicate the picture.

 

[Amy Gardner]

that may be tru actually - at the very least, I’ll take the perlite/vermiculite layer on top of these current pots, when they’re done, and mix it in to what’s left of the original batch of soil and see how that mix goes.

 

[Van Stank]

Thanks Van, very honoured indeed. Hope you are doing well today. HAvent been over to check your thing out for a bit. I hope the outdoor harvest didn't kick your ass too hard!


That’s a lot of light! And thanks Chef! I didn’t expect to get it TBH - being on the farside of thIs orb we inhabit but as smiling fortunes would have it, a very cool member here who I do not know the identity of, sent the nextlight crew some lovely thoughts about me and they are indeed offering to send me one. I am over the moon. I havent written back to them yet so the details remain, but I can’t fit a mega in anywhere here so will probably seek a core instead. I need to write back to them today - it’s on email for which i need to be at the computer so i havent made it yet. Today hopefully. Am so stoked.

Hey thanks DW! I appreciate it My native critters are the closest thing I have to pets and often the closest thing i have to friends I’m often doing my gardening business in their company and am very connected to them so it seems only fitting to include them. I started doing it when 420 Mag relaxed the guidelines and allowed folks to share their pets in their journals.

It did, but the world slows down for no one so you just deal with it right? It was a miserable couple of weeks for sure. We moved back into harvesting the indoor girls for a bit this week. Funny though, after those outdoor monsters the indoor girls are a breeze to knock out. A big outdoor harvest will certainly work on your harvest processing skills and make the smaller ladies seem easier.

 

[Amy Gardner]

big outdoor harvest will certainly work on your harvest processing skills and make the smaller ladies seem easier.

That’s for sure! I’m glad you got through it - can really knock the body around, especially when it’s compromised already right! My previous outdoor grows have been about a quarter of what you dealt with and they used to wipe me out for sure, even with staggered harvests. Small-medium plants are absolutely my goal these days. Although, one day amd one of these years I’m looking forward to doing the occasional big’un. I’m actually watching everything I grow from the corner of my mind where that dream lives - always assessing potentials for a big grow . That’s a while away. Meanwhile growing them just the size you want sure takes some practice!

great day to you VS

 

[InTheShed]

the perlite/vermiculite layer

Just keep in mind that perlite sheds water and vermiculite retains it.

 

[Amy Gardner]

Just keep in mind that perlite sheds water and vermiculite retains it.

Oof! That’s right So I’d be better with just perlite for this particular batch.

With the water only soil I don’t mind very long drying-out times so if I was watering it by hand that would probably be fine and still better than it is.

Maybe my own amended faux mix (when I make it) is the better bet for these AutoPots.

I love synchronicity. Just after I posted that reply to Van about growing a big one some day - I landed on this post by DrDoob taking about what his latest run has taught him:

One huge plant is a lot harder to deal with than 4 smaller plants and the four smaller will yield more in the same space.

So that’s something I’ve suspected and have been looking to grow smaller 3-4oz plants (when they’re trained for yield-I get less from the au naturelle ones).

Mostly it’s because I’d rather have 4oz each of 4 different plants than a pound of one type. But I’d always thought that a popular one that grows well would be fun to grow big - and maybe it will - but it seems the fun factor is more the reason than potential for yield. Food for thought, plenty of time. Meanwhile... life in the garden of Eden will continue...

 

[InTheShed]

I think it's a lot easier to grow four 4oz plants than it is to grow one 16oz plant. I haven't hit a pound yet!

 

[Amy Gardner]

Yes I’d say so! And much less physically demanding.

 

[MrSauga]

Just keep in mind that perlite sheds water and vermiculite retains it.

I've used both and honestly I can't see any difference, even when looking for the differences. Personally I try and stick with vermiculite now. Maybe it reacts differently in soil over Promix but my watering routine never changed and the soil draws out the moisture from the vermiculite as it dries. Maybe it's more of a concern if running a hempy setup where it seems everyone uses perlite.

 

[InTheShed]

the soil draws out the moisture from the vermiculite as it dries.

And this is the difference between perlite and vermiculite. There isn't much water in perlite for the soil to draw from.

"[Perlite] has medium water retention ratings and low nutrient retention ratings. It is added to soil mixes in order to improve the drainage capability of both soil-based and soilless potting mixes."

"[Vermiculite has] layers or stacks, which are suited for trapping water. It has high water retention and high nutrient retention levels. Vermiculite’s water-holding capability makes it perfect as an anti-caking agent in dry pesticides and fertilizers."
Source

 

[MrSauga]

And this is the difference between perlite and vermiculite. There isn't much water in perlite for the soil to draw from.

"[Perlite] has medium water retention ratings and low nutrient retention ratings. It is added to soil mixes in order to improve the drainage capability of both soil-based and soilless potting mixes."

"[Vermiculite has] layers or stacks, which are suited for trapping water. It has high water retention and high nutrient retention levels. Vermiculite’s water-holding capability makes it perfect as an anti-caking agent in dry pesticides and fertilizers."
Source

Yes, I know the difference, I just didn't see the difference first hand. Nothing changed. I was expecting my pots to stay wetter longer, which it didn't. Maybe large scale but small scale pots I'm not so sure.

 

[InTheShed]

I'm sure a lot of it also depends on how much is in there! When I was in soil, I mixed in 50% perlite. I think with 50% vermiculite instead I would have seen a difference in water retention.

And, the difference isn't between vermiculite in soil and soil alone, it's a comparison between vermiculite and perlite (two words I'm tired of typing!) in soil.

 

[MrSauga]

I'm sure a lot of it also depends on how much is in there! When I was in soil, I mixed in 50% perlite. I think with 50% vermiculite instead I would have seen a difference in water retention.

And, the difference isn't between vermiculite in soil and soil alone, it's a comparison between vermiculite and perlite (two words I'm tired of typing!) in soil.

OK, I only cut mine with 25%, so yes that could make a big difference. That's not soil anymore though at 50%. Don't answer, it was rhetorical and you don't want to spell those words anymore. Neither do I.

 

[PGA Caddie]

Mostly it’s because I’d rather have 4oz each of 4 different plants than a pound of one type.

I bet you would take a pound off a DDA and not complain.

 

[Amy Gardner]

No doubt!

high caddie

I plan to use vermiculite more in outdoor soils in the hopes of some additional water retention. I won’t really have anything to compare it to, to know if it’s any better it not - but I do have a preference for v over p

 

[StoneOtter]

Hi Amy . My soil recipe from The Rev calls for half perlite and half vermiculite. It combines the water retention and shedding and creates pockets all around for microlife. You go!

 

[Amy Gardner]

high otter! Thanks for that. I knew I must have got my v/p mix idea from somewhere. I have The Revs book - reading it in bits and pieces.

For the record tho, about the density of this soil: TBH with a water-only soil I don’t at all mind it taking a super long time to dry out (so long as the plant looks happy, which this one surely does!). Longer the better really, especially outside. I love the fact that this one took 3.5weeks to dry out after transplant because that means less less less work for me and that what I’m always aiming for . It’s only actually an issue for me in regards to the effective wicking function, which that soil seems to lack, because I was hoping to use it for the autopots for outside. This was the test run for that and now I need to test it again really I’m certainly not confident to go the whole hog set up just yet.

If I’m growing with a mild soil and drenches then drying out faster is better of course, for feeding the soil etc.

Looking at the amount of perlite in this mix, I think it could definitely have more - and I think I added some already.

So maybe the v/p mix added to it would improve the wicking function enough. Maybe I should just try it - worst that can happen is I have to add water from the top sometimes. I’m not sure an outfdoor grow can happen this year, but if it can that (the autopot setup) is probably the only way it’ll work.

Definitely seems no problem with oxygen to the root zone either - the plant in this testing arrangement currently is doing brilliantly! It’s the NJ x KC and it’s looking splendid. I hope to get a few feature pics of it later. I really love what it looks like