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

kelticBlue said:
I cannot think of the word for what Aloe does. It adds and I draw a blank. :hippy:

What do ya feed mealworms? I am sure their poop is fine. But ya may make it better by targeting the feeding for nutrient rich poop. I dunno never raised worms meself just thinking out loud.
Click to expand...

Oh boy, I can understand a blank mind all too well. :cheesygrinsmiley:

Mostly the mealworms and beetles eat fruits and vegetables, oatmeal (their bedding), with the addition of some protein sources such as dried crickets, shrimp, and fish flakes. Funny story, not too long ago I asked my husband to pick up a can of grasshoppers for my beetles. Without realizing it he picked up these jumbo sized ones that were as big as my finger! The beetles were like, "Hell no, you take godzilla-hopper out of here. We're not touching him." :rofl:
 
Aloe is a great plant food source of Phytochemicals and Polysaccerides.

Keith
 
Thank you both! Could I add the aloe to the sprouted seed teas? Or do you think it would be better to do them separate?

I'm doing research on the beetle poop. It's called frass and it supposedly makes a good soil amendment. Some things I've learned:

  • It contains a balanced proportion of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium with good bioavailability, micro-organisms and plant-available chitin.
  • It bolsters a plant's immune defense against bacterial and fungal diseases.
  • It improves nutrient cycling, availability, and root growth.
  • It can be used as a substitute for fish hydrolysate in compost teas.
  • It can be used as a foliar by adding 2 teaspoons per gallon water. Let sit for 30 minutes, strain, then apply.
  • For soil, mix in 1 cup frass per cubic foot soil. Top dress or drench with 1/2 cup (per gallon water if drench) beginning at week 4 and approximately every 4 weeks thereafter.
  • For compost tea, use 1 cup frass per 15 gallons of tea to achieve fungal dominance.
  • Possibly top dressing or root drenching with frass may kill fungus gnats if repeated every 3 weeks and possibly other insects like mites.

Eh, I'm game. Tomorrow my beetles and mealworms are going to be rehomed in something with a screen to harvest their frass.
 
Whew, I made it through all the pages. I learned a lot, got confused by a lot more, and just hope enough sank in to help with a successful harvest. Thanks for the thread everyone! :)

Continuing my frass research it seems some people say you can use frass raw, others say it's best to compost it. I don't understand all the ins and outs of why so I figure I'll play it safe and just toss the frass in my worm bin after I'm sure there are no unhatched eggs. Shouldn't hurt. Might help with the addition of chitin.
 
Indeed, you will read much conflicting information, organic folks seem to have strong opinions concerning their methods. I've been composting my own soils for many years, but my methods aren't "right" according to some folks. I try to never give advise in general in this area, I would just confuse beginning composters. For me it's all about the compost stew ingredients, cook time and temp, and stew agitation. If it works for you and the product grows great plants, it's not "wrong", it's a just different method of skinning the proverbial cat.

Keith
 
Fuzznutter said:
I'm working my way through this thread, but I'm only on page 19 so please forgive me if what I'm about to ask has already been covered.


Second, I see a lot of people using aloe in their water, but I'm having trouble finding information on what exactly it does. What makes it so popular?

:thanks:
Click to expand...

No problem asking questions about topics already covered. Its always good for everyone to go back and look at what has been done compared to what we do now... and reflect and discuss. That's how we ALL get to be better farmers.

Aloe is an amazing plant. I use it in ALL stages of growth, starting when I take cuttings and dip the cut ends into a fresh Aloe Steak and into cloner. I sometimes get roots in 5-7 days ... sometimes longer.

Then I use it in my foiler/IPM routine and also water in. It's not like I use a shit ton of it but I'm always using it...

Remember to use PURE aloe juice.. without any preservatives if you get it at your local health food/organic grocery store.

What Aloe brings to the table:

As mentioned has a great deal of Salicylic acid (rooting compound) so yeah good for roots, organic gardening is all about the roots/microbial interaction!!

I was even reading an article the other day about different plants side by side AND microbial interaction between the 2 plants roots... feeding off of each other in a sorta 3 way....

Also Aloe has a decent concentration of Saponin. This is a good deal when mixing an IPM with OIL - saponins help a great deal with oil and water mixing together... if you use your imagination you could use this deal in a lot of different applications. The best saponin is Soap Nuts... another gem!!

So what can we use a saponin for?

Mix with water when mixing soil with a CSPM base - it will help with water absorption.

Also can be used washing everything including you, your teeth and your clothes. Think hippie tree hugging stuff! :thumb: Oh... yeah that's how we used to clean ourselves before say 1890...! Well the people that actually cleaned themselves! Soap nuts grow on trees (Saponin Tree) ...literally.. soap on a tree, not on a rope. FTW

Point.. Saponin is also in Aloe.. and how we use it to mix our IPM when we add essential oils to the mix, but also add aloe in for the roots and the microherd.

Real world ... this last run this past summer was the ONLY time we had issues with mold/bud rot... very minor, but we had some (throw the buds in the worm bin). We weren't home to do our usual IPM with aloe ... that was the ONLY negative. So it helps the plant ward off mold, pests and disease. Also for us humans same deal.


Quote:
"(Aloe) Contains natural ingredients that promote cell replication (plant growth) with polysaccharides for high absorption of nutrients, Phytochemicals of Aloin, Salicylic Acid and Saponins. These aid with foliar feeding, and balancing the plants health, and are also an excellent fungi food for soil."
 
bobrown14 you are quite the gem! That is some excellent information. Thank you. I actually use soapnuts for laundry sometimes.

Ok, I'm convinced. I ordered some aloe and should have it on Wednesday. But just in case I should have an insect problem, :wood: I also ordered that Monterey insect spray with spinosad I see everyone using. Any opinions on that as a last line of defense?

:thankyou:
 
Fuzznutter said:
bobrown14 you are quite the gem! That is some excellent information. Thank you. I actually use soapnuts for laundry sometimes.

Ok, I'm convinced. I ordered some aloe and should have it on Wednesday. But just in case I should have an insect problem, :wood: I also ordered that Monterey insect spray with spinosad I see everyone using. Any opinions on that as a last line of defense?
thankyou:
Click to expand...


Those are my FIRST line.. plan A ... last line of defense is Dr Bronners Peppermint soap, aloe and Neem oil added to the first line ... it works and your home will smell really really clean!

The best way to keep pests away is to leave the plants alone and water them when needed.

Think pests hitchhiking on your shoes and or clothes etc. specially if you also have an outdoor garden. If I'm in our outdoor garden I never go into the flower room unless changing clothes and showing.. no shoes ... you get the idea.

Don't get all paranoid ... that will happen later hahahaha. Growing plants is fun... make it so!

We use soap nuts for laundry.. $10 for a 6 month supply ... yeah wow... that's impossible to beat and it's GREAT for the environment and us. If you drink tea (and or smoke a lot of weed) and your teeth get stained, you can use soap nut water for a rinse and it will whiten your teeth too... no harsh chemicals either.

Call me a tree hugger... I've learned all kinds of good things trees bring to the table and I'm still learning...
 
bobrown14 said:
Those are my FIRST line.. plan A ... last line of defense is Dr Bronners Peppermint soap, aloe and Neem oil added to the first line ... it works and your home will smell really really clean!

The best way to keep pests away is to leave the plants alone and water them when needed.

Think pests hitchhiking on your shoes and or clothes etc. specially if you also have an outdoor garden. If I'm in our outdoor garden I never go into the flower room unless changing clothes and showing.. no shoes ... you get the idea.

Don't get all paranoid ... that will happen later hahahaha. Growing plants is fun... make it so!

We use soap nuts for laundry.. $10 for a 6 month supply ... yeah wow... that's impossible to beat and it's GREAT for the environment and us. If you drink tea (and or smoke a lot of weed) and your teeth get stained, you can use soap nut water for a rinse and it will whiten your teeth too... no harsh chemicals either.

Call me a tree hugger... I've learned all kinds of good things trees bring to the table and I'm still learning...
Click to expand...

Thank you so much tree hugger! :blalol: :laughtwo:

Actually, I could be called a tree hugger too. I try to use organic and natural products whenever possible. I didn't know you could whiten teeth with soap nuts though. I'll have to try that. I make my own toothpaste from coconut oil, baking soda, bentonite clay, and activated charcoal. Not only does it whiten, it repairs cavities. (Yeah, yeah, I know dentists say it can't happen, but the healed holes in my teeth say otherwise.)
 
bobrown14 said:
Awesome Fuzz thats kick ass :thumb: thanks for the recipe on the toothpaste... for soap nut teeth whitening you wash or scrub with a re hydrated soap nut and rub your teeth with it.... white teeth. FTW
Click to expand...

What does it taste like? I'm curious to try, but I keep having these youthful flashbacks of having my mouth washed out with soap (for something I didn't do btw).
 
Fuzznutter said:
What does it taste like? I'm curious to try, but I keep having these youthful flashbacks of having my mouth washed out with soap (for something I didn't do btw).
Click to expand...

I had the same thing happen, and for domething I never did and would never have considered Doug. A scene I've never forgotten.

AngryBird and I launched a new thread dedicated to home remedies. I'm sure all of you have one or two or more that you'd love to share with the community. Gather them up and post them in our thread. Help us build the most amazing resource. I look forward to your participation.

Home Remedies: A Community Project
 
Fuzznutter said:
What does it taste like? I'm curious to try, but I keep having these youthful flashbacks of having my mouth washed out with soap (for something I didn't do btw).
Click to expand...

Bitter ... it works
 
I've always considered bobrown14 to be one of our most valuable resources, and I've not been quiet about my admiration of his extensive knowledge bank and his willingness to share with us. Today I finally took his advice on Integrated Pest Management and whipped up a batch of his IPM On Steroids to do battle with the incessant Borg invading my auto tent.

His recipe, with my narrative:

- 1 gallon RO water
- 1 tablespoon Pro-tek (I have TM7)
- 2 tablespoons Ful-Power
- 2 oz Dr Bonner's Peppermint soap
- 1/2 tsp 200x aloe powder (I have fresh aloe)
- 1-2 Tablespoons neem oil

Mix it all up, put it into a sprayer and spray the hell out of everything in the tent except the light - plants, soil, pots, walls, floor, the rug right outside the tent. Wipe the ceiling. Wipe the fan. When you're done, take the bottle of Dr. Bonner's soap and shower. Wash your clothes. Be prepared to have to do this all over again someday, so keep this recipe handy. If you grow in soil and can't control heat you should anticipate a visit from opportunistic mites.

This is a repost from my grow journal. Enjoy.

SweetSue said:
Conquering The Borg

bobbrown's Integrated Pest Management on Steroids

Step one: Making The Mix

Begin by gathering the supplies.

image18202.jpeg


Now start mixing. I emptied some water into another container to make room for the ingredients, then topped it off with RO at the end.

1 Tablespoon (yes, you read that right) TM-7

image18204.jpeg


2 Tablespoons Full-Power

image18205.jpeg


2 Tablespoons neem oil

image18206.jpeg


2 ounces Dr. Bonner's hemp-peppermint soap

image18207.jpeg


The gel milked from a fresh aloe fillet

image18208.jpeg


Top it off and shake until that aloe mixes. It helps to leave some water out so you have more empty space to mix around in. Otherwise the aloe gel will clump instead of mix. Next time I make this I'll dissolve the aloe in some water and add it to the mix.

image18209.jpeg


Step two: Application

Prepare the staging area. How ironic that just yesterday I scoured this tub and enclosure. :laughtwo:

image18212.jpeg


Haul the plants in.

image18213.jpeg


Spray the hell out of them. Spray the plants, under, over, around and through. Spray the pots until it runs off. Don't forget the inside of the pot, along the rim. Spray the soil. Spray the plants again. Make sure you sprayed the pots. Do that again. Spray the plants one last time. :straightface:

image18214.jpeg


As they drip dry clean the tent.

image18215.jpeg


image18216.jpeg


Once everything is removed and either scoured clean or wiped with a cloth of the mix (lights, stands, pans, wood, and fan, which got a good detail cleaning today :yahoo:) spray the tent.

Spray the ceiling, the walls, the flap, the floor. Now wipe it all clean.

image18217.jpeg


There ya go. :cheesygrinsmiley:

image18218.jpeg


Move everybody back home. It gave me a good opportunity to get everyone at the same level.

image18219.jpeg


Now, clean up the mess.

image18220.jpeg


TaaDaa! :slide: Now I can take a shower and wash all the dirt and grime and the mix in my hair away. Lol!

image18221.jpeg


image18222.jpeg


A satisfying day. The steamy shower calls.

I have stopped the Borg, at least for the moment. This wasn't as difficult a chore to do as one would imagine. Having such a small tent helps I'm sure, but I have plenty of the mix and can repeat this all over again if necessary. I will come out on top of this battle.
Click to expand...
 
Radogast said:
FYI Sue, the neem oil won't keep. If you re-use tomorrow or later, add back in more neem oil.
Click to expand...

I wasn't aware of this Rad. Thanks for the heads up. That would have been a tragic oversight. I need to work out a smaller volume mix for small gardens. I can use this one and just add the neem when I use it again. I hope that's the only ingredient I need to be concerned with. That's a lot of liquid left in that bottle. :laughtwo:
 
SweetSue said:
I wasn't aware of this Rad. Thanks for the heads up. That would have been a tragic oversight. I need to work out a smaller volume mix for small gardens. I can use this one and just add the neem when I use it again. I hope that's the only ingredient I need to be concerned with. That's a lot of liquid left in that bottle. :laughtwo:
Click to expand...

You are welcome. I've learned a lot from you over many months :)

I'm not sure whether it is caused by mixing with water and soap or by exposure to light, but neem oil mixtures go bad after 4 hours.

I went through several cycles of mix up a batch of neem and water, watch the bugs disappear on the first day of spraying, then watch them come back, disappear again, then come back again. I read somewhere to use 'use right away' and found that anytime less than 4 hours was effective while more than 12 hours was not.
I didn't narrow down the time any closer :)
 
Hello everybody!

I just spent the last week or so reading this entire thread.. Wow! I have to say thank you so much to everyone for their amazing contributions of knowledge and experience. The organic "bug" hit me a few months ago, and I've been deep in study since then lol.. About 2 weeks ago I did mix up my first batch of organic soil! I'm very excited to see how I do.

My recipe..

3 cf Promix HPCC
2 cf #4 perlite
1.5 cf humus (ewc + ancient forest)
Total 6.5 cf

Amendments..

4 cups Neem
4 cups oyster shell flour
6 cups Azomite
3 cups lime
6 cups kelp
3 cups Alfalfa
2 cups mykos

I probably shouldn't have added the lime, but what's done is done.. I also know that the quality of my humus is paramount, and I found a great local supplier that has ewc, compost, and many other high quality goodies. So next time (probably next month) I'm going to build some more. Hopefully with a little guidance from the great minds here! Seriously, you guys rock! My significant other wonders why I'm so "obsessed" with this stuff like soil etc, lol, I try to explain that I'm not the only one! Anyways, sorry for rambling. Thanks again everyone.

PS. The ancient forrest smelled amazing and looked/smelled really nice, though I could be wrong..
420-magazine-mobile809695885.jpg


Sent from my LGMS330 using 420 Magazine Mobile App
 
Back
Top Bottom