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

[SweetSue]

Lots of knowledge around here. I have some reading on organics for the future

The forum surrounds you with knowledge and some of the most incredible minds willing to set ego aside and share what they know.

to the thread Dankman. I opened this room because I knew so little about LOS it was sad, and I knew I wasn’t going to take the time to learn what these members already knew.

They’ve been generously accommodating in helping others learn to raise happy soil communities. Feel free to ask anything. Someone will help you find the answer that satisfies.

 

[Dankman_420]

Thanks Sue for the warm welcome

 

[hedzenmedz]

Today, I picked up this carton of pure hen manure at the Canada Tire store. It is certified organic by Ecocert Canada and OCQV (Organisme de Certification Quebec-Vrai). Is this equal to OMRI certification? See photos. Has anyone tried this product and if so, how was it applied? Thank you for your consideration.

 

[bobrown14]

Interesting stuff. When we go to the cottage gonna have to stop and get some.

Weird they say "Plus Calcium".

If its chicken poop from hens that are egg layers - they feed those chickens extra Ca to help the hens lay eggs with stronger egg shells.

Tricky marketing but I bet it works pretty good.

As with any new amendment, go easy with it and see how your plants respond.

The NPK on the label is the Minimum of what it is so it could be quite a bit hotter than advertised why I suggested going easy at first.

Chicken poop is usually pretty hot stuff (will heat up soil as it breaks down/composts). This product looks promising. I like it.

 

[hedzenmedz]

Interesting stuff. When we go to the cottage gonna have to stop and get some.

Weird they say "Plus Calcium".

If its chicken poop from hens that are egg layers - they feed those chickens extra Ca to help the hens lay eggs with stronger egg shells.

Tricky marketing but I bet it works pretty good.

As with any new amendment, go easy with it and see how your plants respond.

The NPK on the label is the Minimum of what it is so it could be quite a bit hotter than advertised why I suggested going easy at first.

Chicken poop is usually pretty hot stuff (will heat up soil as it breaks down/composts). This product looks promising. I like it.

I think that we’ll try a small amount in the next ACT that we make. Also, we have 40 gallons of no-till soil that we have unused from last year. I was thinking of re-innoculating this soil and when I do, I’ll add a few handfuls and let it “reheat” before it get used. Do you think that is a good idea? I have not been able to find out much info regarding amending no-till soils between grows. Have only been growing for about 18 months - still a noob. Started with the no-till about 9 months ago and we have been OK with it. However, I know there’s lots of room for improvement.

 

[GodOfPot]

Those pots look lovely! There’s so many different ways to amend no-till soils that it really comes down to a style you adapt for yourself.

If those pots haven’t had anything grow in them for a while it should have plenty of readily available nutrients in it...microbes with still be there, perhaps just in a dormant state and will be awoken with activity.

 

[hedzenmedz]

Those pots look lovely! There’s so many different ways to amend no-till soils that it really comes down to a style you adapt for yourself.

If those pots haven’t had anything grow in them for a while it should have plenty of readily available nutrients in it...microbes with still be there, perhaps just in a dormant state and will be awoken with activity.

Great point about the microbes -

 

[hedzenmedz]

Great point about the microbes -

Sorry - hit the post button by mistake. I keep the no-till pots watered between grows and I keep the clover, oats, alfalfa et al trimmed and they also get some compost tea between grows. It’s been about three weeks since the last grow.

 

[bobrown14]

Great point about the microbes -

Your cover crop there - the clover, its roots are keeping the micro-herd active.

Leave the clover in there and just plant another cannabis plant. When the cannabis plant takes over the canopy the clover will die back. It's roots will release some nitrogen as a bonus and it's a perenial and will come back after the chop. Just water FTW!

Looks good. Love to see a fellow no-tiller having at it.

When I up-pot or transplant I add some mycos on the root ball.

Been trying a new one lately that is killing it.

Google:
"Wallace Organic Wonder Premium Mycorrhizal Inoculant 1 Pound"

This stuff I found on KIS website - Tad recommended it. I couldn't get my usual supply this year so I tried this stuff. Plants gone wild.

Highly recommend.

Hedz - start a journal for your next grow and invite us. It'l be a lot of fun and interesting too. Meets some peeps along the way.
I have more friends here on 420mag that I do in real life.. lol.

 

[hedzenmedz]

Your cover crop there - the clover, its roots are keeping the micro-herd active.

Leave the clover in there and just plant another cannabis plant. When the cannabis plant takes over the canopy the clover will die back. It's roots will release some nitrogen as a bonus and it's a perenial and will come back after the chop. Just water FTW!

Looks good. Love to see a fellow no-tiller having at it.

When I up-pot or transplant I add some mycos on the root ball.

Been trying a new one lately that is killing it.

Google:
"Wallace Organic Wonder Premium Mycorrhizal Inoculant 1 Pound"

This stuff I found on KIS website - Tad recommended it. I couldn't get my usual supply this year so I tried this stuff. Plants gone wild.

Highly recommend.

Hedz - start a journal for your next grow and invite us. It'l be a lot of fun and interesting too. Meets some peeps along the way.
I have more friends here on 420mag that I do in real life.. lol.

Hey Bob - thank you for your reply. I use Great White for mycos when I transplant. Almost out of it, so will try the WOW. Just checked it out on amazon - much better price than GW. Appreciate the heads up. One question - how do I invite others to a journal?

 

[blazeaglory420]

I'm trying this for the first time. It's called "Roots Organic Potting Soil" but can be used in ground as a soil amendment as well.

https://aurorainnovations.com/original-potting-soil.html

It's Coco fiber based as I don't want to use peat due to the destruction of bogs around the world. It has allot of good stuff in it. I've added Fox Farms bone meal/calcium/beneficial microbe supplement. So far so good. My roots are growing super fast and are white and furry.

Im all for the natural growth of things and can't stand what people do to their yards. It's like who thought pushing a mower over grass that's pumped with nitrogen and pesticides, weedicides, fungicides would be a good thing? I'm Orange County, especially where I'm at (used to be wetlands until drained), my soil is sandy loam and really doesn't need anything but to be left alone. Anything grows here without feeding but people over use and abuse the soil to the point of sadness. My neighbor was killing earthworms one day because he thinks they eat the grass lol seriously

I also have a compost bin that I put shredded paper, left over fruits and veggies, certain yard clippings, etc... and I just let it do it's thing while watering it once a month or so. I never have dirty trash cans because 75% of all my waste can go into that bin. It turns into black gold at the bottom. I love it when the soldier flies lay their HUGE larvae inside because it aerates the bin. Fence lizards lay their eggs in the warm areas of the bin and feed off the moths/ spiders that come in the box... It's a little microbial eco system!

 

[GodOfPot]

I chopped down a plant yesterday...this is what the pot looks like today;

226ADC16-9216-46A2-9B3F-38200B75657A.jpeg

• GodOfPot
• May 3, 2019

My first stage of curing is to defoliate the big fan leaves(ones with no sugar) and just put them right back on top of their old pot...I would use this pot today if I had to, but I have enough in rotation now that I can give them time between grows.

In a week or 2 as the leaves break down I’ll sprinkle my cover crop mix on it (red clover, crimson lentil, fenugreek) and it’ll start looking more like so;

8F5CF9F7-66E9-4666-A117-55FB9DBF1F3C.jpeg

• GodOfPot
• May 3, 2019

This pots ready for a new resident now, just haven’t decided what I’m putting in there yet lol

I go straight from seedling/clone(usually red Dixie cup) to final home(10, 7 or 5 gallon smart pots)......so only get one chance with mycos(have been using extreme gardening Mycos)...I try to give the plant as much time as possible in its final home.

I follow the same general ‘feed’ for all of my pots...doesn’t matter if it’s in the flower tent or the veg tent;
Day 1 Plain water

Day 2 No watering - IPM folair

Day 3 MBP top-dress watered in with Aloe/Fulvic/Silica (agsil or your silica source of choice - I use Grow-sil personally)

Day 4 No watering

Day 5 Plain water

Day 6 No watering

Day 7 Neem(or karanja)/kelp tea

Day 8 No watering - IPM folair

Day 9 Plain watering

Day 10 No watering

Day 11 Coconut water

My older pots (4 cycles each veg > flower) will not need the neem/kelp teas anymore...will most likely start to do a top dress instead, once during veg and once during flower or something now that they seem more “established”. Once I switch over to top dress, it’ll only be plain(RO) watering.

 

[SweetSue]

Thanks for that wonderfully detailed share God. The HB guys bury the fans in the soil they’re cooking for the next run. I like this method of yours. The simplicity speaks to me. Lol!

Your pictures caused a little twinge of envy.

 

[SweetSue]

I'm trying this for the first time. It's called "Roots Organic Potting Soil" but can be used in ground as a soil amendment as well.

https://aurorainnovations.com/original-potting-soil.html

It's Coco fiber based as I don't want to use peat due to the destruction of bogs around the world. It has allot of good stuff in it. I've added Fox Farms bone meal/calcium/beneficial microbe supplement. So far so good. My roots are growing super fast and are white and furry.

Im all for the natural growth of things and can't stand what people do to their yards. It's like who thought pushing a mower over grass that's pumped with nitrogen and pesticides, weedicides, fungicides would be a good thing? I'm Orange County, especially where I'm at (used to be wetlands until drained), my soil is sandy loam and really doesn't need anything but to be left alone. Anything grows here without feeding but people over use and abuse the soil to the point of sadness. My neighbor was killing earthworms one day because he thinks they eat the grass lol seriously

I also have a compost bin that I put shredded paper, left over fruits and veggies, certain yard clippings, etc... and I just let it do it's thing while watering it once a month or so. I never have dirty trash cans because 75% of all my waste can go into that bin. It turns into black gold at the bottom. I love it when the soldier flies lay their HUGE larvae inside because it aerates the bin. Fence lizards lay their eggs in the warm areas of the bin and feed off the moths/ spiders that come in the box... It's a little microbial eco system!

I like the feel of you finding your way to natural systems Jones.

Killing earthworms? Seriously?

We’ve cut ourselves off from the natural world. I personally have little use for a grassy lawn. I much prefer spontaneous vegetation.

 

[bobrown14]

Hey Bob - thank you for your reply. I use Great White for mycos when I transplant. Almost out of it, so will try the WOW. Just checked it out on amazon - much better price than GW. Appreciate the heads up. One question - how do I invite others to a journal?

Yes and check out the spore count. Thats what you are paying for. GW is a good product with a fancy container and fancy price tag. I used it once. lol

Geared toward the cannabis industry where a lot of common sense seems to get lost in the wallet shuffle it wood seem.

The thing with mycos is that there are not a lot of companies that make the stuff. So most all of what you see is actually re-packaged and branded with a costy price to go with.

The WOW stuff - its no joke its the best I've seen, my plants I started using it on are growing like crazy-ier.


For Mycos - we really only need to inoculate the roots 1x. I do it again at up-pot but its probably over-kill. They live on and in the roots so they reproduce in concert with the growth of the root ball.

Yeah its super nice to just have to water and IPM. Gives me time to grow clones and seedlings. I've finally got to the point where I can give away genetics to locals and still have a great choice of plants to put into flower.

That process took me the longest to figure out and get in a groove.

The not fussing over plant health is what gives me the opportunity to spend my time with the young plants.

Sue we live in the city. There are a fair amount of folks that don't have to cut grass. They have a natural landscape. It's nice to see. Specially when they plant all native species of plants and they just sorta create a natural landscape without the need to do any maintenance. When we walk by those places, thats where we see most of the wild animals too.

We are moving to the country and our new place has about 5 acre front lawn. FFS. Doubt I have enough time left to convert it over. We do have a lot more property that is natural woodland. But going to have to cut the grass until my wife figures something out.

 

[blazeaglory420]

I like the feel of you finding your way to natural systems Jones.

Killing earthworms? Seriously?

We’ve cut ourselves off from the natural world. I personally have little use for a grassy lawn. I much prefer spontaneous vegetation.

Me too, I love natural growth. I have so many great "weeds" that one finding out are being used right here in this thread! Nettle, horse tail, dandelion, etc... It brings so many interesting creatures.

Sadly most of my family, whom I love dearly, are of the OCD typical square and green "suburban" variety. It's shown me how much actual polluting and waste big grassy front yards create.

But yeah, my neighbor is the typical Neanderthal. He insults ppl who don't have grass as well. Like they're breaking a law or being lazy or something. He's always getting into others business and acts like he knows everything. One of those kind

 

[blazeaglory420]

Yes and check out the spore count. Thats what you are paying for. GW is a good product with a fancy container and fancy price tag. I used it once. lol

Geared toward the cannabis industry where a lot of common sense seems to get lost in the wallet shuffle it wood seem.

The thing with mycos is that there are not a lot of companies that make the stuff. So most all of what you see is actually re-packaged and branded with a costy price to go with.

The WOW stuff - its no joke its the best I've seen, my plants I started using it on are growing like crazy-ier.


For Mycos - we really only need to inoculate the roots 1x. I do it again at up-pot but its probably over-kill. They live on and in the roots so they reproduce in concert with the growth of the root ball.

Yeah its super nice to just have to water and IPM. Gives me time to grow clones and seedlings. I've finally got to the point where I can give away genetics to locals and still have a great choice of plants to put into flower.

That process took me the longest to figure out and get in a groove.

The not fussing over plant health is what gives me the opportunity to spend my time with the young plants.

Sue we live in the city. There are a fair amount of folks that don't have to cut grass. They have a natural landscape. It's nice to see. Specially when they plant all native species of plants and they just sorta create a natural landscape without the need to do any maintenance. When we walk by those places, thats where we see most of the wild animals too.

We are moving to the country and our new place has about 5 acre front lawn. FFS. Doubt I have enough time left to convert it over. We do have a lot more property that is natural woodland. But going to have to cut the grass until my wife figures something out.

Sometimes grass is native. So if that grass on your property is a native, might be cool to watch it do it's thing. I'd find out what kind it is.

I would love to see more natural yards where I live. Considering in the early 20th century, the county/cities began draining and capping the natural springs that created wetlands, I would imagine what I lovely sight it would be to behold.

Im trying to plant more native and insect friendly, especially milkweed. I mean, if every city in CA encouraged houses to plant natives, the butterfly populations would thrive.

 

[blazeaglory420]

BTW FREE MILKWEED SEEDS FOR ANYONE IN THIS THREAD!

Ca/ Mexican variety for southwest. Nice Orange blossoms.

Send PM if you're serious about grown them. Time is now!

 

[GodOfPot]

Thanks for that wonderfully detailed share God. The HB guys bury the fans in the soil they’re cooking for the next run. I like this method of yours. The simplicity speaks to me. Lol!

Your pictures caused a little twinge of envy.

Any leaves I pick off during a grow get placed directly on as part of the mulch....usually takes about 3 weeks until a big pile like that from a fresh chop is almost nothing.....past few grows I’ve been saving all my stalks too...letting them all dry out then will chop them up and add them on top as well

 

[bobrown14]

Hey Bob - thank you for your reply. I use Great White for mycos when I transplant. Almost out of it, so will try the WOW. Just checked it out on amazon - much better price than GW. Appreciate the heads up. One question - how do I invite others to a journal?

Yes and check out the spore count. Thats what you are paying for. GW is a good product with a fancy container and fancy price tag. I've used it.

Geared toward the cannabis industry where a lot of common sense seems to get lost in the wallet shuffle it wood seem.

The thing with mycos is that there are not a lot of companies that make the stuff. So most all of what you see is actually re-packaged and branded with a costy price to go with.

The WOW stuff - its no joke its the best I've seen, my plants I started using it on are growing like crazy-ier.


For Mycos - we really only need to inoculate the roots 1x. I do it again at up-pot but its probably over-kill. They live on and in the roots so they reproduce in concert with the growth of the root ball.

Yeah its super nice to just have to water and IPM. Gives me time to grow clones and seedlings. I've finally got to the point where I can give away genetics to locals and still have a great choice of plants to put into flower.

That process took me the longest to figure out and get in a groove.

The not fussing over plant health is what gives me the opportunity to spend my time with the young plants.

Sue we live in the city. There are a fair amount of folks that don't have to cut grass. They have a natural landscape. It's nice to see. Specially when they plant all native species of plants and they just sorta create a natural landscape without the need to do any maintenance. When we walk by those places, thats where we see most of the wild animals too.

We are moving to the country and our new place has about 5 acre front lawn. FFS. Doubt I have enough time left to convert it over. We do have a lot more property that is natural woodland. But going to have to cut the grass until my wife figures something out. I'd do clover.