I could see the transplant steal a few days of growth form the plant.... autos like to be in that final pot from the start, I've had no luck with autos. Probably cause I was using 3.5 gallon pots
Maine 4-Season Greenhouse Grow
- Thread starter Blew Hiller
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- #502
I have never transplanted autos because I heard that as well...I just couldn't stand looking at a half-ass grow anymore...if they suffer, lesson learned. But they might also reward me for my audacity...
This ain't over yet.
I grew 3x autos in 7-gallons and they were sweet...I am running 4-5 autos this summer in 20-gallons (but 3/4 full...I don't have anything between 7 and 20!).
Calcium is a huge part I put some bone meal in my bin? Not a lot at all but some. And some Epsom salt.... bad? Worms are friggen going ape shit in there!
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- #504
Add any/all of that afterwards...let the worms work their magic and when you have finished VC add whatever you want.
Epsom salt definitely bad for worms.
I use crushed eggshells...the worms love them (good grit for their digestion and allows them something to scratch against). Also has...calcium.
Soil, veggie scraps, eggshells, water...KISS.
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- #505
Add any/all of that stuff afterwards...
But aren't you interested to see how just your basic VC will perform before you start tweaking it?
Yep but just confused still lol. I'm pretty soil illiterate. So for y'all soil buffs.
Can I just mix I my minerals and plant or do they need to "cook" for 4 to 8 weeks in the VC first?
Honestly blew my goal is to use only use recycled cannabis plant material, and dryer long and egg shells. But that's it. Maybe some veggie scraps, but my thinking is I let the worms break down cannabis into nutrient rich cannabis food. All I need will be there because I'm using the plant itself to create the food the next generation of plants.
Essentially a sustainable medium recycler slash enhancer
Can I just mix I my minerals and plant or do they need to "cook" for 4 to 8 weeks in the VC first?
Honestly blew my goal is to use only use recycled cannabis plant material, and dryer long and egg shells. But that's it. Maybe some veggie scraps, but my thinking is I let the worms break down cannabis into nutrient rich cannabis food. All I need will be there because I'm using the plant itself to create the food the next generation of plants.
Essentially a sustainable medium recycler slash enhancer
Did you ever put salt on a snail as a kid? I can't imagine the worms are enjoying it much at this junction Dabber ....lol....could possibly be the reason for them going ape shit.
I am! but I was curious if you did it. I have read some people add it in there with the worms....didn't know if it made the worms happier or not!
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- #509
A great book is The Rodale Book of Composting...(Compost | Rodale Institute). Basically the bible of composting and still 99% accurate (from 40 years ago).
The trick is to use waste and convert into something useful....but always KISS.
Nothing cooks in the worm bin. Things rot, worms eat bacteria and fungi and convert it into amazing plant available nutrients. Feel free to add whatever, but realize you may be degrading your VC and the work you invested...
If "plant material" means soil, roots, etc...perfect. Dryer lint, eggshells...also good. But you need ROT, and my GH floor is covered in trimmed cannabis leaves that are dried and blow around...but they don't rot. Using the byproduct of you harvest is great, but you need to add incentive for the worms to break it all down..and that is in the rot.
Here is my question for you Dabber.....do you want to be able to grow complete using ACT or water only? Or are you going to be using nutrients along with your VC? Because the answer to your question will depend on your answer to my question.
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- #511
Never for me. The fanciest I did first time was using veggies AND fruit....fruit rot attracted fruit flies and wife got pissed (rightfully so..they are annoying in your basement in the winter!).
I keep is simple af now and the result is consistent and awesome.
I don't add anything before or after. Mainly because I am lazy, but also because it already works for me.
I added maybe a 2 tbs to the entire tote. Can't get it out now. Yes, I've don't the salt and snail. I know coco retains cal and mag so I figured it was okay to add a touch of mag and the bone meal contains lots of cal. Again only a tiny amount added relative to the size of the tote... I meant going nuts as in they are all over the place already. Going ham on the treats I've fed them.
So @Van Stank if I choose to cook it what would and or should I add? And would that mean I would or wouldn't need ACT etc.
@Blew Hiller any other good organic garden books to look into? Van you know any either?
So @Van Stank if I choose to cook it what would and or should I add? And would that mean I would or wouldn't need ACT etc.
@Blew Hiller any other good organic garden books to look into? Van you know any either?
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- #513
I have many books on composting...that is the best and only one you need.
Well thats a great question and one that probably has about as many answers as the number of people you ask.
If you grow in a big enough pot, then no you don't need to amend it with anything. With enough soil and many of the key nutrients being mobile, you get enough just based on the soil mass. For that kind of thing I would recommend at least 10 gallon pots. Thats me personally. Others would have a different opinion.
I would certainly amend with minerals (Azomite, Glacial Rock Dust, Basalt), some additional calcium (keeping your ratio with magnesium in the prime range (5-1 up through about 10-1). I would also add Alfalfa meal, Neem and Karanja Meal, some guano (seabird or bat), Crustacean Meal (lots of Chitin....good for pest resistance), Bone meal, and a few other things.
But really if you get the VC dialed in, you could just pick up mineral packs from KIS and Amendment packs and follow their directions. Generally takes at least 30 days for the stuff to break down in the soil, or to 'cook'. You could get more time fairly easily though. Stick to starting them in a small cup or pot of good VC and you get at least 2-3 weeks before you need to up-pot to 1 or 2 gallon pots. Again, you could probably grow in just the VC for an addition 3 weeks in your 1 or 2 gallon pot before up-potting to the final pot. See...just netted you the necessarily 'cooking' time without having to delay or change anything!.
As for my original question.....do you want to be able to go with just using water and or/ACT (Aerated Compost Teas) for the entire grow? Or are you going to use bottled nutes with the grow like I see others doing?
I ask because if you intend to use nutes, I would just do the VC and call it good. No need in making your soil rich for the herd if you are going feed them soluble nutes from a bottle.
If you want to just use water and ACT and stop spending money on all the bottled nutes, then I would find plan on amending with additional stuff (minerals at a minimum) and 'cooking' it. You could literally go from start to finish with water only if you have it dialed in correctly. I like using the ACT just to keep the herd happy and buzzing which in turn keep the plant happy and healthy.
I really need a worm bin... I compost but i don't pull anything from it.... just a wooden box I plopped behind the greenhouse.... I just pile on stuff and watch it go down. Worst thing is I don't have a spot for them in the winter
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- #516
In your grow tent...stack plants on top of the bin(s)...
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- #517
@Van Stank I have a few bags of Azamite lying around...might use this summer. Also need to get my lazy ass down to the beach with the trailer and grab a load of seaweed...
Lol. My light always ends up pretty much against the roof. Way less then the recommend 12 inches. Just thought of a spot.... would my crawl space under my house work?
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- #519
Perfect. Temps?
Can't go wrong there. I've been getting coral and sea urchins for the greenhouse
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