Building A Better Soil: Demonstrations & Discussions Of Organic Soil Recipes

bobrown14 said:
Male Preying Mantis or some specie of mantis??

This time of year the female would have a large abdomen full of eggs - this one obviously does not have that sac.

He's going to reproduce and right after mating will be eaten head chopped off and spat aside by the much larger female! There's many instances in nature where the female is dominant to the point of killing off her mate right after having sex. Actually very many instances.

Good thing we human males are more useful that just reproduction, eh?

Here's a little buggy vid for ya's - this one actually started with the eye! ouch...

Thanks honey that was HOT, now out with your eyes! Ready .... WRESTLE

Female 1 male 0

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This appears to be a Mantisfly or Mantidfly - - Leptomantispa pulchella

A year round native of Canada about 1.3cm long (1/2") about which very little is known. Not known in Massachusetts per this link Species Leptomantispa pulchella - BugGuide.Net
A Mantisfly (Leptomantispa pulchella) - Information on A Mantisfly - Encyclopedia of Life

This Mantisfly has the prettiest eyes :kiss:


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Radogast said:
This appears to be a Mantisfly or Mantidfly - - Leptomantispa pulchella

A year round native of Canada about 1.3cm long (1/2") about which very little is known. Not known in Massachusetts per this link Species Leptomantispa pulchella - BugGuide.Net
A Mantisfly (Leptomantispa pulchella) - Information on A Mantisfly - Encyclopedia of Life

This Mantisfly has the prettiest eyes :kiss:
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Thanks for the share Rad - there I go learnt something new again today! I never heard of a mantid fly - I guess the fly "looks" like a predator and that is his/her defense against predators. That's one unusual insect right there. Lays eggs/larvae live on spiders.. that's bizarre.
 
Just wanted to say that I've enjoyed reading this thread a lot. I'm a long time fan and student of organic soils and growing, but this is my first cannabis grow. So far, I'm out of my mind with enjoying the challenge of researching this new approach (for me) of growing anything in a tent under lights. But, It's been fantastic. I love a new challenge, and this one involves growing medicine i really need.

I have some ideas about soils and some questions. Maybe I'll post them later this week. In the meantime, thanks for the great info!

p.s. yes, this is my first post. Stop giving me that sideways look of suspicion :cheesygrinsmiley:
:Namaste:
 
crashbox said:
Just wanted to say that I've enjoyed reading this thread a lot. I'm a long time fan and student of organic soils and growing, but this is my first cannabis grow. So far, I'm out of my mind with enjoying the challenge of researching this new approach (for me) of growing anything in a tent under lights. But, It's been fantastic. I love a new challenge, and this one involves growing medicine i really need.

I have some ideas about soils and some questions. Maybe I'll post them later this week. In the meantime, thanks for the great info!

p.s. yes, this is my first post. Stop giving me that sideways look of suspicion :cheesygrinsmiley:
:Namaste:
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eeeks! a newbie! Hi crashbox!
I am also learning a lot from this thread. I am in my first round of using organic soil and learned that it is not as easy as I assumed it was going to be; not just a matter of mixing and growing. Glad I am not the only new organic grower in here. Welcome!
 
Radogast said:
Well, except for those of us who are here to be helped. :rofl:

I'm just coasting with my soil until I get an idea what to do next.

The fact that I am growing in organic soil and harvesting marijuana, and it is actually working, makes me smile :)
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Hopefully we are all here to help and be helped in some way.

And I still haven't figured out how mother nature has managed without us. :laughtwo:
 
Hi all! I have some pretty decent living soil now, but I'm looking forward to my next grow where I can incorporate some of the recipes in this thread. So much more to learn!

I have four plants doing well and at about day 14 of 12/12. I've inoculated the soil a few times already with fresh EWC tea and mycor spores. I believe I have seen positive results from these teas, but this being my first cannabis grow I guess I wouldn't really know :cheesygrinsmiley:.

My question has to do with EWC teas which have complex additives like in the Rev's 'Flowering Tea' recipe here:

From The Rev's book 'True Living Organics':

For use from the start of flowering to halfway through
1 tablespoon all-natural molasses
20 drops CaMg+ by General Organics, or comparable liquid mineral supplement
1 tablespoon dry, all-organic, all-purpose fertilizer (with N-P-K ratios close to 5-5-5)
1 tablespoon kelp meal
1 teaspoon dry, high-nitrogen bat or bird guano (with N-P-K ratios close to 12-8-2)
1 teaspoon dry, high-phosphorus bat or bird guano (with N-P-K ratios close to 0-5-0 or 1-10-0)
1 teaspoon liquid fish fertilizer (with N-P-K ratios close to 5-1-1 or 3-3-0.3)
¼ cup Big Bloom by Fox Farm
BUBBLE THIS FOR 24 HOURS THEN ADD
½—1 cup fresh compost or earthworm castings
BUBBLE FOR AN ADDITIONAL 24 HOURS​

What are people's thoughts on teas like this which are much more than some molasses to feed the micro herd? Does the soil benefit from these added ingredients in a tea? If so, does the plant benefit in such a way that flowering is boosted?

My (limited) understanding is that the plant roots use exudates to attract the micros which will extract and ultimately deliver the nutrients the plant needs. If this is even close to true, then how do complex teas like the one above help? Wouldn't I be bombarding the plant roots with billions of micros which maybe it doesn't want at this time? Or, would it be a welcome boost to the herd?

Thanks for your thoughts......
 
Hello Crashbox

Teas need not be that complex nor do they need expensive guanos and suppliments. Molasses, kelp meal, alfalfa meal, EWC and some Epsom salts will give will give you everything needed by your plants.

Exudes tend to be organic acids and rather than attract mycos, they open up cation exchange sites. For example, if the plant requires more phosphorus, the roots will exude malic acid. This increases the H+ ions in the soil creating a means by which the P ions can bind into a usable form for the plant.

This is why it is rare to see nutrient burn in a true organic soil.
 
A for (lots of) effort to Rev.

The 6 items Robert list will cover you.

Teas, drenches, ACTS....what ever you choose to call them they basically have two functions. Increase populations of one or more types of soil micro life, or supply food materials and humic substances. Choose one or the other when making your tea/act/brew/drench. The microherds we want don't populate well in water with ton's of crap in it, contrary to popular belief. EWC with a tiny dash of molasses bubbled for 18-24 hrs works for population boosts.

But be careful doing that. You could flood with too much of one type of bacteria and throw the whole ecosystem out of wack.

I think we have microbeman's words on ACTS and what not somewhere here on 420. It's worth reading....twice.
 
Idea:
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Experience with moss? Thoughts and/or knowledge to share?

Im thinking this could help with adding or holding moisture.
Im curiously wondering if the short mossy roots would help breakup nutrients faster.
And all but certain itd help with trenching, and help keep the soil cooler.

Im worried once again about the spread of non friendly fungi. Soon as i have some clones, one will live a life in the bathroom with moss in her pot. Just thought id toss some feelers out beforehand..
:Namaste:
 
Heirloom said:
A for (lots of) effort to Rev.

The 6 items Robert list will cover you.

Teas, drenches, ACTS....what ever you choose to call them they basically have two functions. Increase populations of one or more types of soil micro life, or supply food materials and humic substances. Choose one or the other when making your tea/act/brew/drench. The microherds we want don't populate well in water with ton's of crap in it, contrary to popular belief. EWC with a tiny dash of molasses bubbled for 18-24 hrs works for population boosts.

But be careful doing that. You could flood with too much of one type of bacteria and throw the whole ecosystem out of wack.

I think we have microbeman's words on ACTS and what not somewhere here on 420. It's worth reading....twice.
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^^^^ +1 sage advice right here. The Microbeman showed with science keeping it SIMPLE with just EWC clean water teaspoon or 2 of BSM (black strap molasses - MUST be un-sulfured - read the label) proved to provide the maximum micro herd numbers bubbled for 24hrs or so. The more oxygen the better, Microbeman makes a kick ass brewer too.

Folks new to canna with organic soil, and I was one tend to over think growing. It's a weed, it will pretty much grow without any "help" from us and when obsessing over this and that and reading a bunch of hooey you'd think you need to spend your paycheck on a bunch of bottled wonders to ever get a plant to the finish line. Not true... build a proper soil all you need to do is water and get out of the way.

Proper soil:
1/3 peat moss
1/3 aeration
1/3 humus
lime
trace minerals
water

Pretty easy, I spend about 5 minutes every day in the flower room, I'm perpetual harvesting usually 1 plant every 2 weeks or so.

No chems no ferts needed or wanted.

I've recently got back into vaping a little for taste and the difference vaping organic vs chem weed is night and day to the favor of organically grown weed. I can taste the plants subtle flavors with organics and can only taste the chemicals they grow the non-organically grown plants.

Thats just me.. YMMV.

Dank - what's a non-friendly fungi??

You soil needs both fungi AND bacteria to grow plants. You shouldn't have issues with retaining water unless you're growing in small containers.

I doubt the moss will like the growing conditions in a grow room - too much light in my opinion and should most likely cause other un-wanted conditions like mold/mildew while the moss begins to die from too much light.
 
Dank - what's a non-friendly fungi??

You soil needs both fungi AND bacteria to grow plants. You shouldn't have issues with retaining water unless you're growing in small containers.

I doubt the moss will like the growing conditions in a grow room - too much light in my opinion and should most likely cause other un-wanted conditions like mold/mildew while the moss begins to die from too much light.
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Non friendly fungi are those, mold/mildew, bud rot..
My understanding that they need fungal rich microbs in the soil to thrive. Created and fed by whatever im thowing in there.

I get that a balanced soil is where i want to be, im just fearful of introducing the wrong fungicide that would harbor one of those naughties..

Also, i dont see 'too much light' being an issue, not down on the soil parked under a shade tree atleast.

Thanks.
Im an odd one, not just trying to create that easy 'water and go' soil. Trying to learn more about growing in general because its fun ;) im a tinker'er
 
DankWolf907 said:
Non friendly fungi are those, mold/mildew, bud rot..
My understanding that they need fungal rich microbs in the soil to thrive. Created and fed by whatever im thowing in there.

I get that a balanced soil is where i want to be, im just fearful of introducing the wrong fungicide that would harbor one of those naughties..

Also, i dont see 'too much light' being an issue, not down on the soil parked under a shade tree atleast.

Thanks.
Im an odd one, not just trying to create that easy 'water and go' soil. Trying to learn more about growing in general because its fun ;) im a tinker'er
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I think this puts you in the same boat with most of us. We'll just choose to consider it one of your many charms. :battingeyelashes: You feel free to be as odd as you please.
 
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