Plant Alchemy With KNF: Korean Natural Farming And Jadam

[Azimuth]

The process of decomposition, when decomposing a very robust carbon source, such as leaves (my personal favorite carbon source), takes a long time, but produces useable carbon along the way.

The problem is that it also requires a steady source of nitrogen as it decomposes.

Outdoors the soil surface area is unlimited so air (78% nitrogen) can be sucked in from anywhere to help supply that nitrogen, but in a pot the surface area is small so a huge portion of the atmospheric intake feed of nitrogen gets gobbled up with that decomposition.

I wonder if that is a large part of my N issue, the leaf mold not being fully decomposed and therefore locking up some of the available N in the process. That would certainly make more sense than the idea that I'm not providing enough N for a normal mix through my JLF's.

I don't like the idea of adding blood meal for several reasons, but could simply increasing my other nute concentrations provide a 'gentler' solution to the issue?

I'm also trying the added microbes with some JMS but today is the first round of that.

 

[Azimuth]

Have you ever made an extract/voodoo potion with weed? Whole plant, stems, leaves, and buds?

You could cycle what your cycling. Maybe a superfood

Zombie weed feasting on other weed plants.

Roaming the tent and you with no camera on your rotary dial mobile? device

Yes, that I do do. I use plant parts in several different ways. I use the trimmings from defoliation exercises to make variety specific inputs including my Crumble as well as JLF's. I've also started a variety specific version of my flower JLF using the lower larf buds from the bottom third of a flowering plant.

I haven't done a root version but that might be a good one as well. The roots from my SIPS are almost entirely the fine feeder roots that I imagine would break down quite easily.

 

[Gee64]

I wonder if that is a large part of my N issue, the leaf mold not being fully decomposed and therefore locking up some of the available N in the process. That would certainly make more sense than the idea that I'm not providing enough N for a normal mix through my JLF's.

I don't like the idea of adding blood meal for several reasons, but could simply increasing my other nute concentrations provide a 'gentler' solution to the issue?

I'm also trying the added microbes with some JMS but today is the first round of that.

It could be and likely is your N problem. Its not locking it up though, its hogging it like a fire sucks oxygen as it decomposes.

Wood chips do it even more.

Like I was saying, theres 2 parts to carbon too.

The part that decomposes needs to be fully decomposed or very close to it, and the part that is for microbes/fungii during the grow needs to be added after all the N ingredients and all the carbon have fully cooked.

I add coco and minerals mixed with used soil to my worm farm with all my scraps of veggie waste.

That coco helps the nitrogen from the scraps be properly digested by the worms and in the process the greens cook and the carbon gets used.

Then when I mix my potting soil its 1/3 that EWC, 1/3 used soil, and "1/3 fresh coco" for microbe/fungii carbon during the grow, not composting carbon. Then some perlite.

The microbes/fungii eat this cabon and bind it to oxygen and CO2 is produced and that C in CO2 is where the plant gets its C from.

You should think of your leaves as that "1/3 fresh coco", and find a way to use them in composting your minerals and meals too, but only enough there to properly and fully compost the meals.

A bit more perlite for a bit more air (78% nitrogen) may help too. But that sand may negate that extra perlite.

I like big pots tho so I can afford the extra volume of the perlite.

 

[Gee64]

Yes, that I do do. I use plant parts in several different ways. I use the trimmings from defoliation exercises to make variety specific inputs including my Crumble as well as JLF's. I've also started a variety specific version of my flower JLF using the lower larf buds from the bottom third of a flowering plant.

I haven't done a root version but that might be a good one as well. The roots from my SIPS are almost entirely the fine feeder roots that I imagine would break down quite easily.

Lol thats kinda funny! I feed perfectly good buds to worms and you make ferments with yours.

My buddies think I'm nuts composting grade A bud but hey... Thats where the best compost is!

 

[Papa OG]

Have you ever made an extract/voodoo potion with weed? Whole plant, stems, leaves, and buds?

You could cycle what your cycling. Maybe a superfood

Zombie weed feasting on other weed plants.

Roaming the tent and you with no camera on your rotary dial mobile? device

My plants eat my other plants. Minus the buds. They prefer all stem stalk and root material. It's all cycled back into each grow. Kinda cannibalistic

 

[Azimuth]

Is the fact that I only start seeing an N deficiency after about 6 weeks consistent with your theory of 'not quite finished' leaf mold or not? I'm thinking if it is that issue, that I'd be seeing it earlier than that but maybe since it's almost finished that the deficiency takes longer to kick in?

 

[Azimuth]

Lol thats kinda funny! I feed perfectly good buds to worms and you make ferments with yours.

My buddies think I'm nuts composting grade A bud but hey... Thats where the best compost is!

Well, I'm not using Grade A bud. There  are limits to the madness, after all.

 

[Azimuth]

My plants eat my other plants. Minus the buds. They prefer all stem stalk and root material. It's all cycled back into each grow. Kinda cannibalistic

My stems generally go through the worm bin and the roots into the old soil bucket, but now I'm thinking maybe making a rooting extract from those roots might be a good thing.

In another month I'm going to try planting some willow both in the ground and in a pot. The pot version would be used to more easily access the roots after the season for my extracts, the same as I presently do for my stinging nettle and comfrey.

So, make a willow root extract to help root cuttings. Might be even better than that made from the leaves and new shoots.

Only one way to find out, I guess....

 

[Gee64]

Well, I'm not using Grade A bud. There  are limits to the madness, after all.

In Canada you are limited to 1 kilo dried so after that my buddies and the worms get it. It adds up quick.

It makes excellent compost. I freeze it, leaves, stalks, and buds, and then crush it into meal when its frozen.

It works really well. The worms seem to like it.

 

[Azimuth]

In Canada you are limited to 1 kilo dried so after that my buddies and the worms get it. It adds up quick.

How ridiculous is that law? Having to compost perfectly good bud. It should be limited to what your plants can produce. If they want to limit that, ok, but perfectly good bud? That's just encouraging the black market since not many people are going to follow your lead on that one.

It makes excellent compost. I freeze it, leaves, stalks, and buds, and then crush it into meal when its frozen.

And how to you crush it, still in a freezer bag with a hammer or 2x4 or something?

It works really well. The worms seem to like it.

Do the worms seem to work just as well stoned? I'm surprised they haven't come up with a law for that one yet...

 

[Gee64]

How ridiculous is that law? Having to compost perfectly good bud. It should be limited to what your plants can produce. If they want to limit that, ok, but perfectly good bud? That's just encouraging the black market since not many people are going to follow your lead on that one.

The black market got crushed. Everyone has 2 pounds of weed. They have so much they compost it up here

And how to you crush it, still in a freezer bag with a hammer or 2x4 or something?

I freeze it in large ziplock freezer bags then just crush it with my hands while its in the bags. It shatters to meal really easy.

Do the worms seem to work just as well stoned? I'm surprised they haven't come up with a law for that one yet...

Thats the best part, the stoned Mofo's don't even know they are at work. They are just high with the munchies

 

[Gee64]

Is the fact that I only start seeing an N deficiency after about 6 weeks consistent with your theory of 'not quite finished' leaf mold or not? I'm thinking if it is that issue, that I'd be seeing it earlier than that but maybe since it's almost finished that the deficiency takes longer to kick in?

Yeah thats totally correct. Thats why I said finished, or almost finished. You have a couple weeks to settle into a new pot. You want it finished by then.

There's another free pure carbon source but not everyone gets to use it to its full potential. Root exudates.

Photosynthesized sugars (carbons) that are produced by the plant and pure energy.

The higher your brix levels the higher your exudates.

At about 13 brix the plant crosses the threshold into bulletproofness. That means it produces enough sugars to satisfy its every need and its entire immune system and is still turning a profit.

It uses that extra profit to grow its empire of CO2 exhaling microbes/fungii to turn a bigger profit to support more microbes/fungii to turn a bigger profit...Tail Chasing, who needs that!

So race to high brix and the rich get richer.
Carbon, phosphorus Oxygen, Calcium, and microbes/fungii. Brix boosters. Remember sugar is C6 H12 O6.

 

[Azimuth]

Yeah, after thinking on it some more, it seems that, and not a calcium deficit is more likely. If it were a calcium deficiency that should start early and fade a bit later as more becomes available from microbe breakdown. Plus my JLF nutes should bring a pretty good mix of inputs to the table right out of the gate.

But, if it's not quite finished leaf mold, then it would be fine for a while as the microbes initially have what they need, but after a while the leaf mold starts to get broken down leading to a higher N requirement. Makes total sense.

I really don't want to heat the mix by adding in blood meal, but do you think a regular, but light, top dressing of something like it would help?

There's another free pure carbon source but not everyone gets to use it to its full potential. Root exudates.

Photosynthesized sugars (carbons) that are produced by the plant and pure energy.

The higher your brix levels the higher your exudates.

And how might one go about accessing that source?

 

[Gee64]

I don't like the idea of adding blood meal for several reasons, but could simply increasing my other nute concentrations provide a 'gentler' solution to the issue?

It totally could, more nitro burns carbon quicker, but I would choose cooking longer over cooking quicker myself.

 

[Azimuth]

It totally could, more nitro burns carbon quicker, but I would choose cooking longer over cooking quicker myself.

Which is to say what, mix up my 8 part mix and let it sit for a while, or something else?

 

[Gee64]

Yeah, after thinking on it some more, it seems that, and not a calcium deficit is more likely. If it were a calcium deficiency that should start early and fade a bit later as more becomes available from microbe breakdown. Plus my JLF nutes should bring a pretty good mix of inputs to the table right out of the gate.

But, if it's not quite finished leaf mold, then it would be fine for a while as the microbes initially have what they need, but after a while the leaf mold starts to get broken down leading to a higher N requirement. Makes total sense.

I really don't want to heat the mix by adding in blood meal, but do you think a regular, but light, top dressing of something like it would help?


And how might one go about accessing that source?

By increasing calcium, phosphorus, carbon, oxygen, and fungii/microbes.

Calcium and phosphorus run the photosynthesis dept.

Carbon and oxygen get the hydrogen from the water, (carbon stores water) to create C6 H12 O6 inside that photosynthesis dept, and more microbes/fungii make more of everything to increase the supply chain.

Turn your plant into a sugar factory.

 

[Azimuth]

By increasing calcium, phosphorus, carbon, oxygen, and fungii/microbes.

All of that seems quite doable. Calcium from WCA, phosphorus from my fruit and flower mix, carbon more properly digested to start, fungi by feeding my FAA early in the pot up, and microbes with regular JMS.

Unfortunately, the CBD plant that I would try it on, and just flipped a couple of weeks ago, is turning out to be a male so I won't have a new plant to flower for a while as I try to root my CBG plant, and the other plant in flower is just starting week 6 of a 7-8 week estimate.

I'll start a new ACDC CBD seed as well, but that too will be a while.

Crap, just when things were getting interesting.

 

[Gee64]

All of that seems quite doable. Calcium from WCA, phosphorus from my fruit and flower mix, carbon more properly digested to start, fungi by feeding my FAA early in the pot up, and microbes with regular JMS.

Unfortunately, the CBD plant that I would try it on, and just flipped a couple of weeks ago, is turning out to be a male so I won't have a new plant to flower for a while as I try to root my CBG plant, and the other plant in flower is just starting week 6 of a 7-8 week estimate.

I'll start a new ACDC CBD seed as well, but that too will be a while.

Crap, just when things were getting interesting.

Thats OK actually. Let that leaf mold keep maturing. Keep those 5 things in mind and see how it goes.

 

[Gee64]

Thats OK actually. Let that leaf mold keep maturing. Keep those 5 things in mind and see how it goes.

I had a Candida CD-1 CBD motherplant that I carried for 3 years. I finally crossed it with a Cinderella 99 and got rid of the mother.

 

[Azimuth]

Thats OK actually. Let that leaf mold keep maturing. Keep those 5 things in mind and see how it goes.

I'd rather not take extraordinary measures on the main pile of leaf mold, but would mixing up a smaller batch of my mix with a bit of blood meal and then let that sit for a few weeks accomplish the task?

And, if so, how much blood meal would be added if I make, say, a two gallon batch?

-----
I'm pretty disappointed with the fact that it's a male. That is (soon to be was) a beautiful plant, well supercropped so it was nice and level and nicely filled half the flower space. I'm tempted to let it go and collect the pollen and probably would do so if the other plant was a week further along, but alas, the timing isn't going to work out. I've got a couple of clones of it so maybe I'll keep one of those going and use it for pollen later when I can better control the timing.