Shottafire's Manic Organic 2kw Perpetual With Supersoil & Teas

[Curso]

 

[shottafire]

This comment is sort of addressing the 7 or so posts directly above.....

We're trying to produce flowers that:

1. do fantastic things to our consciousness
2. taste great
3. are perfectly healthy to consume in every way

Being a chemist (I'm not) or someone with advanced training in soil agronomy, ornamental horticulture, crop science and soil science is all well and good, and we need people like this on our team.....

But what we really do is more like being a chef than a chemist. A scientist might tell you why something tastes so good, but they could never tell you on paper HOW to make something taste good. That's what a chef does. A chef is a practical chemist.....while a chemist might not even be able to cook.

So, what I'm trying to say is that growing great weed is like being a great chef, not like being a pHD in soil science. We want those people on our team, but we need not have the level of knowledge they have....we do need them to find out certain things for us....but in the end it's personal creativity coupled with hard science that wins the day.

For example: A chemist understands how heat de-natures protein by breaking polypeptide bonds.....In contrast, a chef knows how to make fantastic omelets. The chemistry is the same....but one applies it with style and panache, while the other merely defines it.

So, what am I trying to say?

Learn about the soil and the microbes and how they work in principle. Upon learning the basic principles, start acting like a chef....mixing this, trying that....all the while sticking to principles that are proven.

Now, let's talk about layers of soil:

1. Everything leaches out of the pot at varying rates.
2. roots grow down, out, in and around.....

So, should these "layers" be oriented vertically for roots to grow out, or should they be horizontally stacked like plates for the roots to grow down?

How can we stop one layer from mixing with the layer below?

My scientific side knows that we can have 2 distinct layers.....a top layer and a bottom layer and the top layer always mixes with the bottom, but rarely the other way around, unless you bottom feed and rely on wicking action, but even that will not take what's on the bottom layer and switch it to the top.

So, if you want layers, you get to choose 2. That's the chemist/soil scientist talking and he's right.

The chef/grower understands all of the above and experiments with little things here and there in order to:

......produce flowers that:

1. do fantastic things to our consciousness
2. taste great
3. are perfectly healthy to consume in every way

Violate the science and you have problems....period. But the science of growing has many ingredients to choose from....and it's the chef/grower's job to mix, match, tweak and try different things that scientifically sound in order to get the best results.

Weed growers are great chefs.....but many are ignorant of science. Egghead academics are often great scientists.....but lack the panache and style to do special things with their produce.

So.....I employ a lab to keep me on the straight and narrow with regard to science.....but when it comes to growing, I function as a chef, not a scientist.

Dang....I wrote this with 4 interruptions, I hope it makes sense.

Perfectly said doc. I Thank you for the info bomb and they are always welcome anytime here.

I have never done any layering but I may try to in the future. I have so many things going on and I dont want to move too fast. Just trying to soak it all in. No need to worry though I lost the combo meter so now i must rely on the way the plant looks and it is really enjoyable when I dont ph anything and not worry about how strong my feed is. simple really just making small tweaks incrementally has lead me to this point. I am happy, but I think with the science side of the kit and the chef inside of me I may very well be more than just happy. Hopefully. lol
Pm incoming sometime this week. Will be going north soon

 

[Curso]

Lucky bastards...

 

[Graytail]

I think with the science side of the kit and the chef inside of me I may very well be more than just happy.

You have a chef inside you, too? Interesting. I was operating a lunch cafe until a couple months ago, and I thought it was intriguing that Curso is a chef. Although I suppose cheffery and loadiness sorta go hand in hand ....

 

[Vegas flower]

You have a chef inside you, too? Interesting. I was operating a lunch cafe until a couple months ago, and I thought it was intriguing that Curso is a chef. Although I suppose cheffery and loadiness sorta go hand in hand ....

What about fat and hungry but cooks, and loadiness?

 

[shottafire]

I am on my iPad. Sorry for the short post. My charger for my lappie broke somehow. No computer means no pics or vids.

I am the cook in my household my wife is ok but I had to teach her everything she knows. I am a force in the kitchen with seafood. Spent a couple of summers as a deckhand on a charter boat in cabo and learned form there head chef of the operation there. Best fishing ever. At least it was for me. I need to bust out the magical butter machine this week and make some goodies.

Peace everyone

 

[B A R]

Ahh Shoot Shot, I seafood!

 

[NorCaliwood]

Hey Dude been awhile since I drove thru. I'm so far behind I won't even try to catch up, but going back to your present garden. They are looking great. I hope you got a handle on that pm issue. That shit blows that and err I won't say but the other problem, which I'm battling with a lot. It's really hard when you run a perpetual grow. Wow I'm going to have a empty flower room after a 12 month run. deep clean time in there. Cool to hear ya using the microbe trip. You know when I started growing all we ever used was organics. I still use them on my all mine cept the last 5 weeks I pump mine up abit and I know the salts got to be killings most all I started, but they always are happier in organics it seems. Tastes better I feel.
That was a good read Doc said acouple pages back.
I wish ya luck with the harvest and Keepem Green

 

[Curso]

You have a chef inside you, too? Interesting. I was operating a lunch cafe until a couple months ago, and I thought it was intriguing that Curso is a chef. Although I suppose cheffery and loadiness sorta go hand in hand ....

The stress of service is something we've had to deal with our whole careers. Also the reason that many chefs stay loaded...

 

[jon705]

Here is a few pics to get a better idea of the frost these are putting on.


For your viewing pleasure

damm bro! dem some frosty bitches! looking great my friend some well deserved reps are on the way

 

[shottafire]

Thanks Jon means a lot coming from you. I am super anxious to get some led in my room too supplement with and eventually make the switch to led altogether. Just rounding up the means to get a bulk order of them, and watching your progress with the new test. Simply great work you do with everything it seems. I have a soggy foundation too and my basement needs waterproofing floods sometimes with heavy rains.

 

[BeemerBill]

Good morning weed shotta. Layering is something you have to be careful of and making sure you interface the layers with each other. Water transfer through the soil can be really hindered if the soils aren't mixed at the interface. Way back, 45 years ago, when I was in horticulture college we did an experiment of layering and found the water will go to the next layer and build up, or start filling the layer you are watering before going to the next. Now this was a very extreme as far as the layers being like a line drawn across the vessel, but that is what happens. It even happened with sand above to pea gravel below. Next we mixed a half an inch of media and the transfer was greatly improved. It's capillary action that needs to happen so the interface is critical. Just my thoughts on the subject.

 

[shottafire]

Good morning weed shotta. Layering is something you have to be careful of and making sure you interface the layers with each other. Water transfer through the soil can be really hindered if the soils aren't mixed at the interface. Way back, 45 years ago, when I was in horticulture college we did an experiment of layering and found the water will go to the next layer and build up, or start filling the layer you are watering before going to the next. Now this was a very extreme as far as the layers being like a line drawn across the vessel, but that is what happens. It even happened with sand above to pea gravel below. Next we mixed a half an inch of media and the transfer was greatly improved. It's capillary action that needs to happen so the interface is critical. Just my thoughts on the subject.

Great input beemerbill and thank you. I am wondering what it was they used as layers? I like the idea of adding something in the bottom of the pot like some good organic composted chicken manure and some rock powders. But for now I stay on the same road for a while longer.

 

[BeemerBill]

Great input beemerbill and thank you. I am wondering what it was they used as layers? I like the idea of adding something in the bottom of the pot like some good organic composted chicken manure and some rock powders. But for now I stay on the same road for a while longer.

If you are asking what we used for the layering, we used a lot of different mixes of soil, sand, pea gravel, broken pottery, and the list goes on. We probably did 15 or 20 different trials. I remember the professor was adamant about not putting gravel on the bottom of the pots. He said this stopped the natural flow of water and could water log the pot. I can still hear him. Learned a lot from him just wish I would have retained it all. Blend the interface and there won't be problems.

 

[Light Addict]

He he, loving the pics, thanks Jon for posting his wondrous garden again for us. Shotta hey buddy, funny how a simple daft question from a very high at the time me, can kick off such a discussion on the layering subject. lol.
So now with all the knowledge dropped by Doc and Beemer etc. it looks like I'd need to produce a paper pot system with hollow extensions leading outwards into the next layers. repeat that with every consecutive degradable paper dividing pot, all carefully positioned within each other and filled with each individual mix by hand! lol or I could stop talking daft crap when high!!!!!!!!
Sorry mate just stupid me and my ramblings.

 

[Light Addict]

Sod, just read that beemerbill and I've gone put a layer of stones at the bottom of both my soil and mu soil cocco mix pots. Doh!

 

[shottafire]

Not stupid at all Light addict. Whatever you do leave those stones put dont go digging on me now you hear.

 

[BeemerBill]

Sod, just read that beemerbill and I've gone put a layer of stones at the bottom of both my soil and mu soil cocco mix pots. Doh!

I wouldn't worry about the stones. It's not going to hurt your grow to where you will see any difference. I know a lot of people that still do as you do and have good results in whatever they are growing.

 

[Doc Bud]

Sod, just read that beemerbill and I've gone put a layer of stones at the bottom of both my soil and mu soil cocco mix pots. Doh!

I've mentioned this common error many times....people think that perlite, hydroton, stones....anything porous at the bottom of the pot will help it drain....etc.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Putting a porous layer at the bottom does nothing but cause trouble!

It makes the usable volume of soil smaller and it gives the roots a place to die. In the future, refrain from such practices!

Google "perched water table container gardening" to learn more.

 

[Vegas flower]

I've mentioned this common error many times....people think that perlite, hydroton, stones....anything porous at the bottom of the pot will help it drain....etc.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Putting a porous layer at the bottom does nothing but cause trouble!

It makes the usable volume of soil smaller and it gives the roots a place to die. In the future, refrain from such practices!

Google "perched water table container gardening" to learn more.

As usual Doc is 100% correct. Perched water tables are how we used to build golf course putting greens but science has proven the gravel layer at the bottom makes things worse as far as moving water through the soil profile. If water wont move neither will air or roots. The lack of movement can be the kiss of death in container growing, also putting greens.