Newbie Grower, Carmen Auto x Diva, Outdoors

Azimuth said:
GeoFlora nutes (both veg and flower) are already premixed to give you the ideal range of nutrients needed and are a super simple product to use as it's basically a top dress of the nutrient every two weeks or so. I think that's the one Emilya uses in her grows to great success. Not sure if they ship to your country though.
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Umm, wait. @Emilya uses GeoFlora as a top-dressing, and she also has Subcool's (Purple Cow) in the bottom 1/3 of the pot?
 
Emilya said:
yep, I am crazy that way
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Outstanding!!
Well, it is very nice to know that it is possible to go beyond Subcool's, and to have such great help in learning!
 
I put a good thick layer on, like an inch or more. Finished compost can be used as a mulch layer, I use leaf mold.

Straw, or even your coco could work. I've just found leaving the castings exposed to the air makes it crusty and less usable.

Adding a little sugar like molasses will help feed the microbes so adding a small amount to your water can be beneficial.
 
Azimuth said:
I put a good thick layer on, like an inch or more. Finished compost can be used as a mulch layer, I use leaf mold.
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Well, I am not sure I have an inch in the top of the Solo cup, but I will put on what I can.

How far should I stay away from the stem?

Azimuth said:
Straw, or even your coco could work. I've just found leaving the castings exposed to the air makes it crusty and less usable.
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Whatever space is there, I can try to fill it mostly with worm compost, and then add a thin layer of finished compost on top, as a mulch.

Azimuth said:
Adding a little sugar like molasses will help feed the microbes so adding a small amount to your water can be beneficial.
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Ok, great! I will try that.

I appreciate your and Em's help and advice very much.
 
Ok, great. Thank you!
I filled the cups to the brim, maybe 1/2 - 3/4" of worm caastings in the Solo cups (and no room for a mulch).
I put on maybe an inch in all of the 5G pots.
I put some worm casting on the bubbler with a gallon of water, a tablespoon of molasses, and some BioNova Veganics Grow, to help cure the nitrogen deficiency (and if that works, and the nitrogen deficiency is cured, then I will try Bloom next time).

The CalMag is not here yet, so I will have to work that in next time.
I think the seven Sweet Nurse Autos will be ready to water this afternoon.
I am wondering if they will keep until tomorrow morning, because of the bubbler.
If they look wilty at all this afternoon, should I maybe give them a small sip, to hold them over until tomorrow morning?
 
el gringuito said:
If they look wilty at all this afternoon, should I maybe give them a small sip, to hold them over until tomorrow morning?
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I would as you don't want them to get stressed out and wilting tells you that they are. A little stress is good like the wet/dry thing, but you can go too far with the dry and start frying the root hairs.
 
:thumb:
 
Watering through the castings layer should get the microbes really going and starting to work their way down into the root zone, so keep us posted on whether you see some near term improvement.
 
Azimuth said:
Watering through the castings layer should get the microbes really going and starting to work their way down into the root zone, so keep us posted on whether you see some near term improvement.
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Ok, ¡muy bien!
I gave them each a turkey baster full, to hold them until tomorrow.
(And I hope to see some growth, now that they will actually be getting the food that they need!)
 
Me, too.
 
Well, ok, I made too much worm compost tea.
I mixed a gallon, and I only used half of it.
Can I store the other half in the fridge? Or do I pour it out (on the flower garden, or whatever) and make fresh the next time I need worm compost tea?
 
Flower garden would be my choice. In fact, the longer you brew the worm tea the more the chance of multiplying the undesireables. There's a fine line between increasing the stuff you want and tipping over into bad territory. And you can only really tell that with a microscope and proper training.

That's why I've mostly moved away from brewing teas and more into loading up the topdressing with the stuff I want to give the plants. Then, every time I water some of the goodness seeps down int the mix and in the in-between times, the aerobic microbes can still do their thing.

In fact, the microbes in worm compost are mostly aerobic, and once you stop injecting the air with your airstones the anaerobic microbes will start to have the upper hand. Master Cho says the microbes double every 20 mins or so (I guess depending on which ones) so it does take a little time for the mix to convert over, but it does so on an exponential curve.

Once you do that you get more into Jadam territory, but that's a whole different discussion.

Plus, your flowers will love it. Why not share it with them?
 
Azimuth said:
Flower garden would be my choice.
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Ok, great idea.
The flowers are happy with you.

Azimuth said:
In fact, the longer you brew the worm tea the more the chance of multiplying the undesireables. There's a fine line between increasing the stuff you want and tipping over into bad territory. And you can only really tell that with a microscope and proper training.

That's why I've mostly moved away from brewing teas and more into loading up the topdressing with the stuff I want to give the plants. Then, every time I water some of the goodness seeps down int the mix and in the in-between times, the aerobic microbes can still do their thing.
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Ok, if you do not do the teas, do you ever add molasses and such?
And for this organic cane sugar I bought, would it work to dissolve a little in with the fertilizer, or perhaps lay it on as a top dressing?
And if so, how much would you add?

Azimuth said:
In fact, the microbes in worm compost are mostly aerobic, and once you stop injecting the air with your airstones the anaerobic microbes will start to have the upper hand. Master Cho says the microbes double every 20 mins or so (I guess depending on which ones) so it does take a little time for the mix to convert over, but it does so on an exponential curve.

Once you do that you get more into Jadam territory, but that's a whole different discussion.
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It will be great when I can get to the point that I can learn Jadam, and other advanced techniques.
For right now, I am still trying to get my watering and fertilizing basics down.
Once we have the basics down, then maybe I can learn more about that kind of thing.

Azimuth said:
Plus, your flowers will love it. Why not share it with them?
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'Cuz I am on a budget, and everything costs twice as much, 'cuz you have to ship it.
And you can't eat anything out of the flower strip in this place, because who know what all chemicals have gone into the soil (Roundup, paint, solvents, chemical cleaners, and whatever).
But this time they got a good taste.
I am trying to grow some Colombian marigolds, because the mosquitoes are not supposed to like them. So we will see how they turn out.

Terpinator, Massive, etc., are all way expensive here, because you have to have them re-shipped.
I can have some of them shipped, but some of them I either cannot get, or have to reship.
So are there any home-made recipes to replace Terpinator, or Massive, etc?
Thanks.
 
Emilya said:
I suspect that Terpinator is mainly fermented banana peel... sure smells like it.
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Fabulous! Thank you, @Emilya!!
And now that I got this new bubbler, is there a recipe for how to make fermented banana peel?
(Because we eat a lot of bananas around here...)
 
Emilya said:
stick 3 chopped up banana peels in a quart of filtered water... wait 21 days. Boom... fermented banana peel
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Wow! Fabulous! Thank you!
I will try it.

No bubbler is needed?'

And about how much do I apply?
 
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