Newbie Grower, Carmen Auto x Diva, Outdoors

[Bill284]

Hi all!
We just got visas and permission to move, so now we are looking to move.
First I will rent in the new valley, and will probably start a new thread.
Then I will run that thread until we move to the homestead.
I lost the SIP seedling. It just didn't really come up (did not respond like the others).
That is probably just as well. I will move to the new location, and start a fresh batch.
I will probably harvest some of the girls a little early, just because it will be so much less work to move with harvested than with live plants!
I will need to build a new greenhouse for the new roof, and will start another thread.
In the meantime, I will keep these girls growing, and we will transport any who are too young to harvest early!
I may be spotty for a while but I will post a link when we get to the new thread.
Thanks everyone, for all the good advice and help!
Also the new 20-packs of SIPs should arrive (and if not, I will make my own).
Happy toking!!

Good morning my friend
Hope the move goes well for you.
Where are you going?
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.




Stay safe
Bill284

 

[CBDMed]

Good morning my friend
Hope the move goes well for you.
Where are you going?
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.




Stay safe
Bill284

Thanks, Bill!
It is the Sibundoy Valley, in the Colombian Andes, just on the eastern side of the crest (drains to the Amazon basin).
The Father gave us two properties there, either one would be great, but one is perfect.
The topsoil is a thick (thick!) black clay that gets super hard when dry. Thankfully it is always moist, because it rains almost every day, so I will have to find some way to open it up (gypsum?), but it is thick. The top 1/2 of this cut is volcanic topsoil. Daily high fluctuates around 75F and a very mild humidity. Should be good for cannabis, coca, amapola (poppy), and yage (ayahuasca). The locals are totally into it.

Probably it will be several years of a lot of super hard work getting set up, but it should be totally worth it. I am very excited about it. There is plenty of rain and plenty of water on both properties.
Got to run. I hope everyone has happy toking!

 

[Bill284]

Thanks, Bill!
It is the Sibundoy Valley, in the Colombian Andes, just on the eastern side of the crest (drains to the Amazon basin).
The Father gave us two properties there, either one would be great, but one is perfect.
The topsoil is a thick (thick!) black clay that gets super hard when dry. Thankfully it is always moist, because it rains almost every day, so I will have to find some way to open it up (gypsum?), but it is thick. The top 1/2 of this cut is volcanic topsoil. Daily high fluctuates around 75F and a very mild humidity. Should be good for cannabis, coca, amapola (poppy), and yage (ayahuasca). The locals are totally into it.

Probably it will be several years of a lot of super hard work getting set up, but it should be totally worth it. I am very excited about it. There is plenty of rain and plenty of water on both properties.
Got to run. I hope everyone has happy toking!

That sounds fantastic.
Hope it all goes well for you my friend.
Take care.




Stay safe
Bill284

 

[CBDMed]

@Azimuth , quick question: would you say that you feel confident you can power an SIP grow with your homemade 'nutes?
Or are you close, but not there yet?

The reason I ask is that the plan for SIPs is all supersoil (except for a cup).
I am fairly confident that I have enough supersoil for one good round of 20 SIPs, and then I can recycle this existing batch of soil as supersoil after that, so I can leapfrog batches.

Only, has anyone tried GeoFlora in a SIP?
And (my key question), does anyone know which is more cost effective, supersoil or GeoFlora, or some other top-added 'nutes?
In the long run, if you can power a grow with your homemade 'nutes, then clearly, that will be the most cost effective!
I guess my question of the moment is, should I spend to build a new batch of supersoil>
Or should I spend to import GeoFlora? (And, does it work in a SIP? Does anyone know?)
Thanks!

 

[CBDMed]

@Emilya Green , thanks for all of your great research!
Did you say somewhere that you let all of your supersoil go, in favor of @GeoFlora Nutrients ?
And did you say that GeoFlora is more economical for you than supersoil (at least where you are in the US, with domestic shipping)?

And the key question, do you think GeoFlora Nutrients would work in an SIP, if poured on from the top?
Alternately, do you think GeoFlora would work in an SIP, if pre-mixed into the soil, in lieu of supersoil? And if so, at what rate?
Thank you very much!

 

[Azimuth]

@Azimuth , quick question: would you say that you feel confident you can power an SIP grow with your homemade 'nutes?
Or are you close, but not there yet?

A sip is simply an alternative watering structure so anything you can do in a regular pot you can do with a sip.

I'm sure Geoflora would work fine. I'm only about two weeks into flower on my 2 gal sip so can't say for sure about powering it all the way through, but I like my chances.

 

[Emilya Green]

I am following these guys lead. I am intrigued and will be trying SIP, I am just trying to figure out how I want to implement it. I see no reason that Geoflora wouldn't work just fine.

Regarding Geoflora vs Supersoil... it is now very expensive to gather the parts for Supersoil, easy to lose track of where the soil is nutritionally after several uses, and I find it easier, cheaper and more consistent to use Geoflora and not have to worry about my soil in that regard.

 

[CBDMed]

A sip is simply an alternative watering structure so anything you can do in a regular pot you can do with a sip.

I'm sure Geoflora would work fine. I'm only about two weeks into flower on my 2 gal sip so can't say for sure about powering it all the way through, but I like my chances.

Thank you, @Azimuth !
That is extremely helpful!

 

[CBDMed]

@Emilya Green , thank you!!

I am following these guys lead. I am intrigued and will be trying SIP, I am just trying to figure out how I want to implement it. I see no reason that Geoflora wouldn't work just fine.

Great!! I would love to see how you work a SIP!
I am sure it takes some time to ruminate on the best approach, but it will be fabulous to see how you approach it!

Regarding Geoflora vs Supersoil... it is now very expensive to gather the parts for Supersoil, easy to lose track of where the soil is nutritionally after several uses, and I find it easier, cheaper and more consistent to use Geoflora and not have to worry about my soil in that regard.

Hmmm.... ok, thank you very much! That is very good information!
And I am sure the costs are different here (after shipping), so I will have to run those details down on my end.
But time is precious here, so I really like the idea of saving time (a lot) and I was seriously considering purchasing a used cement mixer for mixing the supersoil, because it takes time to mix!

Some questions, please:
If I may (just for a datapoint and cost comparison), do you know about how much GeoFlora Veg and Bloom you used on that monster auto that you grew??
If I knew how much GeoFlora Veg and Bloom you used for that monster, then I could get an idea of how to compare my costs here.
(It would be rough ballpark, but if the costs are equal or better, and GeoFlora saves precious time, then I think I could be better off using up the supersoil I have, and then switching to GeoFlora.)

Thank you!!

 

[Azimuth]

Great!! I would love to see how you work a SIP!
I am sure it takes some time to ruminate on the best approach, but it will be fabulous to see how you approach it!

Lol. She's going to have to find something to fill up her time since watering is about a 5 second event.

 

[CBDMed]

Lol. She's going to have to find something to fill up her time since watering is about a 5 second event.

Well, you know, that Em seems like a very talented and capable woman! I am sure she will find something constructive to do with her time (especially now that she is on staff)!

 

[Emilya Green]

@Emilya Green , thank you!!

Great!! I would love to see how you work a SIP!
I am sure it takes some time to ruminate on the best approach, but it will be fabulous to see how you approach it!

Hmmm.... ok, thank you very much! That is very good information!
And I am sure the costs are different here (after shipping), so I will have to run those details down on my end.
But time is precious here, so I really like the idea of saving time (a lot) and I was seriously considering purchasing a used cement mixer for mixing the supersoil, because it takes time to mix!

Some questions, please:
If I may (just for a datapoint and cost comparison), do you know about how much GeoFlora Veg and Bloom you used on that monster auto that you grew??
If I knew how much GeoFlora Veg and Bloom you used for that monster, then I could get an idea of how to compare my costs here.
(It would be rough ballpark, but if the costs are equal or better, and GeoFlora saves precious time, then I think I could be better off using up the supersoil I have, and then switching to GeoFlora.)

Thank you!!

Let's just roughly figure it. The auto vegged for about 5 weeks. She was fed once at solo stage (2 tsp), once at the 1 gallon (2 tblsp) and once at 3 gallon (1/3c). She was moved to her 5 gallon final, and fed 4 times before harvest at 1/2 cup each time.

Total for that plant, 2 2/7 cups. 1 4lb bag of geoflora is approximately 8 cups of product and costs me about $24. That one grow then cost me approximately $6

 

[CBDMed]

Let's just roughly figure it. The auto vegged for about 5 weeks. She was fed once at solo stage (2 tsp), once at the 1 gallon (2 tblsp) and once at 3 gallon (1/3c). She was moved to her 5 gallon final, and fed 4 times before harvest at 1/2 cup each time.

Total for that plant, 2 2/7 cups. 1 4lb bag of geoflora is approximately 8 cups of product and costs me about $24. That one grow then cost me approximately $6

@Emilya Green , awesome!
(Perfect math!)
So if it cost you about $6 it would hypothetically cost $11 here (with shipping).
So, now I need to calculate my cost on a batch of supersoil components sourced here locally, and then divide by how many 5g pots it should make.
I can probably make time for that math tomorrow. (Math is very hard for me after my head injury, and I have to do everything a few times, just to make sure.)

THANK YOU!!!!
And would you please let me know when you start your SIP grow??? I want to be in with quadruple popcorn (for a quadruple Emmie harvest!)!

 

[CBDMed]

Ok, maybe I should post in my own thread once in a while? Haha.
I got keys to the new place, and we are thinking to move in a few weeks.
I might get frisky and start my new grow before then, but all things considered, it would be better to wait until I am all set up before soaking beans.
I get 20 plants here, so I thought I could do some experiments for the group. I thought maybe we could have a SIP / SWIK / @Bill284 Perlite Parfaits, RezDog's 60-40 mix, and Hafta's weights.
I don't have all the nutes and additives here, but maybe we can design some good experiments?
I will try to start a new thread soon, so we can plan it.
I think multiple people want to come up with a stupid-simple plan for newbie growers with no time, and maybe I am "newbie grower" (and stupid simple) enough to test them out? Haha.

If you can please help me build them, and give any special instructions (trying to keep it simple), I will be glad to try to follow the instructions as best I can, and then we can see what works best??
How does it seem?

 

[CBDMed]

@Azimuth, @Bill284 , @Hafta , @Emilya Green , @ReservoirDog , @Buds Buddy , and who did I forget????

Oh, before I forget again....
I have two big garbage cans of supersoil that is already composted and cold.
I have been noticing that a lot of people have CalMag deficiencies in the SIPs, and that when CalMag deficiencies start they seem to spin rapidly out of control.
Is there some way to mix extra CalMag into my (already composted) supersoil, so that I don't have issues during the grow? (I can't imagine trying to fight 20 SIP buckets with CalMag deficiency all at the same time.....)

I have Dolomite Lime, and also Epsom salts.
Is there a safe way to boost the CalMag without composting 2 months?
I am guessing there is a risk of lockouts, but I am also guessing that I may have a SIP crisis if I don't do something for CalMag.
Thank you!!

 

[SCD]

Hi mate, excellent idea of getting your list going well in advance of your next run.
Oyster shell flour amended in your soil might be a good source of Ca. I’m not advanced enough to suggest a good source of Mg.

 

[Emilya Green]

@Azimuth, @Bill284 , @Hafta , @Emilya Green , @ReservoirDog , @Buds Buddy , and who did I forget????

Oh, before I forget again....
I have two big garbage cans of supersoil that is already composted and cold.
I have been noticing that a lot of people have CalMag deficiencies in the SIPs, and that when CalMag deficiencies start they seem to spin rapidly out of control.
Is there some way to mix extra CalMag into my (already composted) supersoil, so that I don't have issues during the grow? (I can't imagine trying to fight 20 SIP buckets with CalMag deficiency all at the same time.....)

I have Dolomite Lime, and also Epsom salts.
Is there a safe way to boost the CalMag without composting 2 months?
Thank you!!

¡Hola Amigo!,
First, calcium and magnesium deficiencies are two different things and they appear in different parts of the plant. Second, I don't think you can say that all SIP grows have this problem. Out on the web I see SIP being promoted as THE way to grow vegetables outdoors in raised planters and there is no common thread out there confirming that SIP causes these problems. If there were automatic C or Mg problems associated with this watering method, tomato growers all of the world would revolt and SIP would not be a thing.

I think you are seeing instead, the same problems growers of cannabis have been having all along with their nutes. I personally don't have calcium or magnesium problems in my organic GeoFlora grows, and all I see is an occasional potassium problem with very hungry plants. MC growers tend to deal with calcium and magnesium problems. FF growers fight the dreaded Molybdenum deficiency. Every system is different and has its own quirks. I think the majority of problems that we see out here have to do with the nutes being used and the application of them. And as you asked at the end, those trying to work with supersoil have their own special set of problems that come about by not fully composting their supersoil. Some of the raw elements are quite difficult to break down so as to be able to become part of the soil as needed. Humic acid is powerful, but it is not magic.
Some things just take time.

 

[Azimuth]

I think multiple people want to come up with a stupid-simple plan for newbie growers with no time,

To me, that answer is a simple combination of:

- a good environment which can be had with one of the sponsor's grow tent packages which includes a tent, good light, and a good extraction fan

- a good, simple, easy to use and effective nute like Geoflora

- a good grow media like Promix, or the Fox Farm mix

- a simple container (a SIP) that eliminates the wet/dry issues that holds back most new growers

- some sort of pest control process or products, also easily available from our sponsors

- their own grow journal to allow the community to help where needed and short cut the learning time involved.


That combination of very simple things would all but ensure a new grower would have pretty good success without really knowing much at all to start.

And, although not a necessity, I would also add a good training method, like quadlining, to the list for a very effective grow.

 

[StoneOtter]

@Azimuth, @Bill284 , @Hafta , @Emilya Green , @ReservoirDog , @Buds Buddy , and who did I forget????

Oh, before I forget again....
I have two big garbage cans of supersoil that is already composted and cold.
I have been noticing that a lot of people have CalMag deficiencies in the SIPs, and that when CalMag deficiencies start they seem to spin rapidly out of control.
Is there some way to mix extra CalMag into my (already composted) supersoil, so that I don't have issues during the grow? (I can't imagine trying to fight 20 SIP buckets with CalMag deficiency all at the same time.....)

I have Dolomite Lime, and also Epsom salts.
Is there a safe way to boost the CalMag without composting 2 months?
I am guessing there is a risk of lockouts, but I am also guessing that I may have a SIP crisis if I don't do something for CalMag.
Thank you!!

In my Rev based soil using dolomite lime is critical vs other lime to combat mag def. If I get a mag def I use epsom salts either a Tablespoon in a 10 gallon pot watered in, or in a gallon of water, watered . Keep your eye on things and if you need, epsom works fast and well.

 

[Azimuth]

A calcium deficiency can also be addressed with water soluble calcium extracted from eggshells or seashells using vinegar. That process takes about a week or so initially, but then that batch will be shelf stable for quite a while.

But, I agree with Em, that deficiency you are referencing is due to other factors than the SIP pot structure. It maybe LED lights, or caused by the soil mix, or environmental factors, but it's not the SIP. That pot structure is simply a different way to water. Highly effective, but certainly different.