SoilGirl's Indoor Organic Soil Medical Grow Journal - Mars II 1600 & Other LEDs

[Green Dreamz]

Happy Daze SG.....great update......as far as your Ghost OG.....couldnt you LST or Supercrop her.....from the looks of it that is how i would handle it...imho......as far as the aloe plant in pink.....it looks like an upside down octopus that got his head stuck in the dirt....oh i crack myself up sometimes...anyway have an awesome day

 

[SoilGirl]

Late to the show as usual.

Everything seems to be going well SoilGirl. Keep up the good work.

I'm interested to see how your 'Blue Blood' comes out as I've got some vegging at the moment for a PTSD sufferer.

I'm going organic on my next grow and I'm currently using compost teas to feed my NLxBB which are being Fluxed as you've seen.

I couldn't read the whole thread as it's too long now, but what have you got growing in the pots with your girls?

Hi Medfarmer thanks so much for coming by! - no worries about catching up, I'm sure you'll be able to learn plenty with us as we go on. If you're making the switch to organics - I hope you've considered an LOS approach! - or perhaps if you want to be a teeny bit lazier a PeeJay type super soil - or even what I'm trying for most of my flowering plants right now, a mix somewhere in between the two. I've learned TONS in the last few months about organics. So much info. I'd love to help you make the switch one way or another if you'd like - but I'm sure you're very knowledgable about it all by now.

Blue Blood is suddenly getting interesting but I have no idea when I'm going to flower it still... I might just keep it as a mother.

and oh that's a top cover/living mulch mix from buildasoil here's what they say about mine:

Stimulate Soil Biological Activity

Cycle Nutrients More Effectively

Create a No-Till Living Organic Soil utilizing all Natural Non-GMO cover crop seeds.

Finally we have found a cover crop blend that we can put our name behind.

Order your cover crop seeds today and create a living mulch tomorrow.

Oats - Rockford
Flax - Brown
Clover - Yellow Sweet
Clover - Duch
Clover - Medium Red
Clover - Crimson
Lentils - Indainhead
Safflower
Hairy Vetch
Vetch - Common
Rape - Dwarf Essex
Buckwheat - Mancan
Pea - Forage

Happy Daze SG.....great update......as far as your Ghost OG.....couldnt you LST or Supercrop her.....from the looks of it that is how i would handle it...imho......as far as the aloe plant in pink.....it looks like an upside down octopus that got his head stuck in the dirt....oh i crack myself up sometimes...anyway have an awesome day

I think the pink aloe is a trip every time I go in there GD - now I'm going to have to sing "I'd like to be under the sea, in an octopus' garden in the shade - he'll let us in oooh knows where we've been, in an octopus' garden in the shade" when I go in there I'm sure my plants will like it

Thanks for coming by GD! - as far as supercropping, I think I'm just going to leave Ghost OG be actually, though I've done a little bending. I mis-measured the other night, instead of 13 inches away from the Mars II already, its about 15 in a few spots, which is enough difference to me to alleviate the worry haha. Plus today, GOG is really showing her flowers - like over night she's catching up to CK#1! How cool

ANYWHO -

A Quick Ghost OG Flux Update! (Day 31 Veg)

Stripped, topped, and tied down tighter today. Seeing how stretchy this one's mama is being - I really want to get some better node spacing and quite a framework built up for her. Amazing strain I can tell though, the leaves are always pine resiny, her mom's early buds smell the same but with a sweet floral side; good genetics no doubt, something I'm dying to try.

That's it for today

 

[Teddy Edwards]

Kali mera, SG.

That flux is extraordinary. Must try it next time. But I don't think I could ever bring myself to deliberately break the main stem as BAR has done. I'm too much of a weed wimp.

I absolutely love the way you take every opportunity to spread the LOS word with solid gold information. I'm off to check out that cover crop link.

 

[Gfcollective]

That's it for today

Future plant of the month I can see it!

I&I

 

[Teddy Edwards]

Many congratulations on your MOTM nomination. So richly deserved.

 

[MedFarmer]

Thanks for the info SoilGirl.

I checked out the ground cover but unfortunately they don't ship abroad. I'm in England so do not have access to a lot of the products that members use and which seem popular now. I have however took my own approach to LOS with my own mix as follows.

10 litres compost
5 litres coir
2.5 litres perlite
1 litres rock dust
500 millilitres alfalfa
100 millilitres mycorrhiza
50 millilitres garden lime
80 grams kelp meal
40 grams fish, blood & bone

I have no science to back me up with this but knowledge. It's been cooking now for 2 months and I plan to start using it very soon. Time will tell.

 

[SoilGirl]

Kali mera, SG.

That flux is extraordinary. Must try it next time. But I don't think I could ever bring myself to deliberately break the main stem as BAR has done. I'm too much of a weed wimp.

I absolutely love the way you take every opportunity to spread the LOS word with solid gold information. I'm off to check out that cover crop link.

Many congratulations on your MOTM nomination. So richly deserved.

Hahahaha Mr. Teddy, as soon as you try a flux you'll warm up to the whole plant abuse thing. (If you're like me it won't be a matter of choice, you'll just break lots of branches and watch things turn out great anyways ) - and thanks so much! I really think I've found the diamond in the rough of growing approaches (well I didn't FIND it, I found someone who found someone who did - but this is how these things work!! - just continuing the circle of info! ) - and thanks!! Congrats on your well deserved nomination too!! This month its going to be a race for sure!!

Future plant of the month I can see it!

I&I

hahahaha I wouldn't go that far right now, but, I'm gonna do my best and maybe just maybe you could be right! Thanks Gfc!

Thanks for the info SoilGirl.

I checked out the ground cover but unfortunately they don't ship abroad. I'm in England so do not have access to a lot of the products that members use and which seem popular now. I have however took my own approach to LOS with my own mix as follows.

10 litres compost
5 litres coir
2.5 litres perlite
1 litres rock dust
500 millilitres alfalfa
100 millilitres mycorrhiza
50 millilitres garden lime
80 grams kelp meal
40 grams fish, blood & bone

I have no science to back me up with this but knowledge. It's been cooking now for 2 months and I plan to start using it very soon. Time will tell.

Hi Medfarmer!! Sounds like you've worked out quite the mix, awesome! I love the initiative. - I'd probably go with a little more aeration (and I'd try not to use perlite, though I do, its only because I have soo freaking much of it, and I don't have pumice or lava rock or barley/rice hulls), and I'd look into starting a worm bin asap and feeding those compost along with a good organic bedding, and then I'd look into some crustacean/crab meal and some high quality neem cake to add to your mix/top dress with... just some suggestions worth pondering for sure, though I think you're off to a great start! I just think if you brought those things into the mix you'd be an organic force of nature (by the way, I just googled it, looks like Travena carries neem cake in the UK since none of the sites I use ship there... crab/crustacean meal should be a much easier find haha - I've also heard of people using insect frass for the chitin)

As for a top cover just because you can't get buildasoil's mix doesn't make top cover unviable for you! Find some clover or mustard seeds, or any of the seeds I listed, or even something else local as long as it 1: is myco compatible and 2: adds back to the soil... I'm sure there are many top cover seeds available in the UK! If you absolutely can't/wont use living mulch, at least mulch haha, and keep your soil moist after harvest. Don't let it dry up and die ever!!! You'll thank me later!!

Wow! 2 months of cooking! Awesome work there, I bet there's quite an active micro community already! I'm definitely going to watch when you start using that soil so glad to see you trying out organics, everyone should give it a shot.

 

[MedFarmer]

Thanks for the great info SoilGirl.

I had already decided on a worm farm for my garden. Tick
I've got coir which I could use for the worm bedding. Tick
I have e-mailed Travena about their neem cake as the site doesn't let you buy it. Tick
I will get some clover & mustard seeds for ground cover. Tick
I do have Ecothrive Charge which is organically reared beetle frass with an NPK ratio of 3-2-3. Would this do in place of the crab meal?

I have 2 90 litre tubs of this soil cooking. As mentioned, one is 2 months old and the second is one month old. They are kept moist and have shown signs of good activity with the white fluffy fungus on the top.

Is Neem Leaves Powder the same as neem cake? If so, would I use it to mix into the soil or top dress?

I really appreciate the advice as I've only mainly grown hydroponically.

 

[SoilGirl]

Yeah I think that would definitely work in a pinch MedFarmer! Just read about it, sounds like really great stuff, I'm a bit jealous hahah. I think crab meal would still be great to add eventually though, its also a great fertilizer, and should provide chitin to break down on more of a time release schedule, imo. The two together would be quite the mix! The ecothrive charge site says it contains "chitin derivatives" so... chitinases. It doesn't mention a source of chitin though, just that it's been broken down in the beetle poo haha. Here's the link to that if you're interested. Ecothrive Charge

 

[Green Dreamz]

Happy ShatterDaze SG....i hope all is well in your world with you and your father

 

[MedFarmer]

Yeah I think that would definitely work in a pinch MedFarmer! Just read about it, sounds like really great stuff, I'm a bit jealous hahah. I think crab meal would still be great to add eventually though, its also a great fertilizer, and should provide chitin to break down on more of a time release schedule, imo. The two together would be quite the mix! The ecothrive charge site says it contains "chitin derivatives" so... chitinases. It doesn't mention a source of chitin though, just that it's been broken down in the beetle poo haha. Here's the link to that if you're interested. Ecothrive Charge

That's the site I get my Ecothrive Charge from lol. I will track down the crab meal too then.

What about the Neem Leaves Powder?

Sorry for hijacking your thread. I will post pm's if you prefer. You're a great help

 

[SweetSue]

Thanks for the great info SoilGirl.

I had already decided on a worm farm for my garden. Tick
I've got coir which I could use for the worm bedding. Tick
I have e-mailed Travena about their neem cake as the site doesn't let you buy it. Tick
I will get some clover & mustard seeds for ground cover. Tick
I do have Ecothrive Charge which is organically reared beetle frass with an NPK ratio of 3-2-3. Would this do in place of the crab meal?

I have 2 90 litre tubs of this soil cooking. As mentioned, one is 2 months old and the second is one month old. They are kept moist and have shown signs of good activity with the white fluffy fungus on the top.

Is Neem Leaves Powder the same as neem cake? If so, would I use it to mix into the soil or top dress?

I really appreciate the advice as I've only mainly grown hydroponically.

I'm sure SoilGirl won't mind me jumping in here. Neem meal is actually neem seed meal, so I would think that it would be more potent than leaf meal, although the neem plant is so beneficial all components are useful. If leaf meal is all you can source I'd use it.

Chitin is the main component of the cell walls of fungi. The addition of chitin is to promote an upward progression of fungi populations. The fungi that come to my mind here are the myco, the stewards of the soil community. Crustacean exoskeletons are the best source for chitin. Do you have access to a restaurant that serves crabs or lobster? You should be able to convince them to share some of their waste with you. Take it home, soak it to remove any salts, dry it out and pulverize. Voila! Homemade chitin supply. Any additional chitin you can add to the soil mix will be appreciated by the micro herd, but for the best bang for the buck, I would try to source it from crustaceans. Do add some of the beetle frass as well. Diversity is a good thing.

Congrats on having living soil cooking. I got so excited to open mine and see that lovely white fuzz.

 

[MedFarmer]

I'm sure SoilGirl won't mind me jumping in here. Neem meal is actually neem seed meal, so I would think that it would be more potent than leaf meal, although the neem plant is so beneficial all components are useful. If leaf meal is all you can source I'd use it.

Chitin is the main component of the cell walls of fungi. The addition of chitin is to promote an upward progression of fungi populations. The fungi that come to my mind here are the myco, the stewards of the soil community. Crustacean exoskeletons are the best source for chitin. Do you have access to a restaurant that serves crabs or lobster? You should be able to convince them to share some of their waste with you. Take it home, soak it to remove any salts, dry it out and pulverize. Voila! Homemade chitin supply. Any additional chitin you can add to the soil mix will be appreciated by the micro herd, but for the best bang for the buck, I would try to source it from crustaceans. Do add some of the beetle frass as well. Diversity is a good thing.

Congrats on having living soil cooking. I got so excited to open mine and see that lovely white fuzz.

Thank you Sweetsue.

I've just found some proper neem fertilizer from 'Greenit' which solves that problem. I've just got to get on the crabby one now. I will also use the frass as suggested too.

I'm quite excited by this soil that I'm putting together. It's worlds away from hydroponics which just relies on nutrients.

 

[SoilGirl]

Happy ShatterDaze SG....i hope all is well in your world with you and your father

Thanks GD, you too!! Actually... things with him are better than they've been for years... he's still not drinking, I'm still pinching myself. Today we watched both the first hobbit movies together hahaha.... it's like he's a different person. And he swears by his CBD juice now LOL - to think a month ago exactly, he might have called CBD and Medical Cannabis in general voodoo medicine.

I honestly don't know if the CBD juice is the main factor, no doubt he's better, but since he quit drinking at the same time there's no way to say that the CBD juice definitely is the catalyst for his improvement. Either way, he's convinced now, and I take that seriously, even without juicing bud with the leaves he seems to be a lot more mentally...there.

In the end, he switched from regular alcohol use to regular cannabis use, and its HUGELY improved his physical and mental health. That should be taken seriously. Alcohol is legal.......... cannabis isn't? ridiculous..

That's the site I get my Ecothrive Charge from lol. I will track down the crab meal too then.

What about the Neem Leaves Powder?

Sorry for hijacking your thread. I will post pm's if you prefer. You're a great help

no hijacking MedFarmer sharing info is what I'm all about!

I'm sure SoilGirl won't mind me jumping in here. Neem meal is actually neem seed meal, so I would think that it would be more potent than leaf meal, although the neem plant is so beneficial all components are useful. If leaf meal is all you can source I'd use it.

Chitin is the main component of the cell walls of fungi. The addition of chitin is to promote an upward progression of fungi populations. The fungi that come to my mind here are the myco, the stewards of the soil community. Crustacean exoskeletons are the best source for chitin. Do you have access to a restaurant that serves crabs or lobster? You should be able to convince them to share some of their waste with you. Take it home, soak it to remove any salts, dry it out and pulverize. Voila! Homemade chitin supply. Any additional chitin you can add to the soil mix will be appreciated by the micro herd, but for the best bang for the buck, I would try to source it from crustaceans. Do add some of the beetle frass as well. Diversity is a good thing.

Congrats on having living soil cooking. I got so excited to open mine and see that lovely white fuzz.

Awesome share - I always learn things when you jump in thank you!!

Thank you Sweetsue.

I've just found some proper neem fertilizer from 'Greenit' which solves that problem. I've just got to get on the crabby one now. I will also use the frass as suggested too.

I'm quite excited by this soil that I'm putting together. It's worlds away from hydroponics which just relies on nutrients.

I'm excited for you as well! That's gonna be awesome soil MF! They really are so different. One way is all about diverse life caring for your plants and the other is all about man-made chemical mixes doing so.... makes the choice clear enough for me!

 

[SoilGirl]

Flowering Update!

Let's start with the 4 kushes that went into flowering first... and also got their flowering transition messed up on accident through one night around day 5-6.

Black Bubba Kush Weirdo Flux! (reborn 10-25-14, Flowering Day 23)

Budding is finally getting off to a nice start. Actually, lots of trichomes already! I'm surprised. And much better smelling than its past lives... that sour/sweet tang of bubba is definitely there. I'm wondering If I should defol more or not... seems to be doing pretty well though.

Corleone Kush #1 Flux! (Sprouted 10-08-14, Flowering Day 23)

Densest buds so far definitely, lots of trich production, and an awesome sweet sandalwood/incensy terpene profile. Just intriguing to me... And I think the density of the buds is directly because of how well fluxed this plant was compared to BBK or the others.

Ghost OG!(Sprouted 10-17-14, Flowering Day 23)

Tied for the most exciting smells/trichs with CK#1... but so different, now that pine resin profile that is predominant in the leaves is going away from the buds with the trich production, turning into a sweet kushy berry smell, but with the pine still underlying. this one's buds are 'snowballing' as me and my friends always called it haha. This is when things start to get very interesting

Corleone Kush #2 (Sprouted 10-15-14, Day 23 Flowering)

(haha side note: 3/4 of these kushes, except Ghost OG, all had a very slow early life - these results could easily be achieved cutting 2 weeks or more out of my time in better conditions) ....this one's the sloppy one. Very little defol or training, just kinda an experiment for me honestly. Smells like CK#1 but less enticing, it kinda has a little pine sol/lemon cleaning product sort of thing under its sandalwood. not bad, just not as good. If I get 2 dry zips off her then I'll be very proud haha, but that may very well be pushing it given the stingy defol.

OG Kush PR!(Sprouted 10-20-14, Day ... hey wait a second.. It's only on day 12 Flowering!)

LOL ... shouldn't do late night updates anymore, on my last update I said OG Kush PR was on day 19 flowering.... nope. It went into flower on the 5th. sorry for that... yeah, nothing extremely exciting, snowballing hasn't started. Though there's a lot more pistils than a week ago for sure.

Red Cherry Berry! (Sprouted 10-18-14, Flowering Day 8)

Looks so much healthier than it did 8 days ago otherwise, not much exciting here either.

Dinafem Diesel Cabdriver Clone!(Moved in to soil/finished cloning Christmas Day - Flowering Day 5)

I really like the way this one's growing despite the only 2 weeks out of the cloner then into flowering - and off to the side of my lights no less. Cool!

thanks for coming by everyone!

Gosh... today I was playing with my big rottweiler Loki, and he knocked my feet right out from under me while we were running full blast and made me eat dirt, I bit my cheek so hard it wouldn't stop bleeding for 30 minutes, and now it hurts to smile or move my neck even a little, even drinking water hurts >.< I'm gonna go get very stoned and try to call it in early tonight... yowch. I'll be getting caught up on all my friends journals soon though, so sorry I've been getting behind.

 

[SweetSue]

Heal quickly SoilGirl. Sorry to hear you got hurt. Don't neglect to rinse with salt water to help healing.

The girls are doing magnificently. Your updates always make me wish I had a larger space.

 

[b.real]

beautiful and mesmerizing update. sorry about the fall you took. feel better.

 

[Teddy Edwards]

Good morning, Soil Girl. Beautiful to see those flowers and that Dinafem clone looks super. It's in full LOS, yes? I read many growers saying they they believe LED lights can increase trichome production. Of course, I've nothing to compare it to. Would you say your trichome production is any greater at this stage than your previous grows?


PS OUCH! Poor thing. Loki the mischief maker living up to his name.

 

[MedFarmer]

Get better soon SG.

As for defol, I would only defol where bud sites are covered or tuck the leaves.

Them ladies are looking good SG and I can't wait to get mine to that stage soon. I'm still vegging at the moment.


A big THANK YOU to SG for helping me sort some amendments for my soil . Sweetsue too.

 

[SoilGirl]

Heal quickly SoilGirl. Sorry to hear you got hurt. Don't neglect to rinse with salt water to help healing.

The girls are doing magnificently. Your updates always make me wish I had a larger space.

Aw thanks Sue. You're like my online mom LOL. because of you I remembered we still have some saline rinse from when my sister got her wisdom teeth pulled. it should help. OW. haha. That's been the word of my day so far hahaha. And thanks for the compliments, I really am impressed with my plants right now..

beautiful and mesmerizing update. sorry about the fall you took. feel better.

aw, thanks b.real! I'm working on it haha. I made a little herbal tea on top of Sue's motherly advice, and the buds and advil are also making my day much better. I'll be back at everything in no time. but today I'm just being lazy and enjoying it

Good morning, Soil Girl. Beautiful to see those flowers and that Dinafem clone looks super. It's in full LOS, yes? I read many growers saying they they believe LED lights can increase trichome production. Of course, I've nothing to compare it to. Would you say your trichome production is any greater at this stage than your previous grows?


PS OUCH! Poor thing. Loki the mischief maker living up to his name.

Oh yes, that's why I named him that hahaha... the little monster. He's been attached at my hip ever since then, laying on my feet this very moment, I think he knows he really hurt me that time - and despite the scientific consensus that dogs feel no remorse - I definitely think he feels bad haha..

As far as LED trichome production, definitely better than the other lights I used. It sure beat the trichome production under fluorescents in my grows. And then metal halides too, the MH seemed to foxtail my plants like crazy, even when temps were very well controlled. But none of those grows were journaled so this is just me giving my opinion lol. Outdoors is another ballgame entirely, resin production can be insane on a good year. Others not so much. Last summer wasn't my best. :\ so this resin production is definitely better than what I've seen recently outside.

-But this grow in particular, with the new Mars II 1600 LED, and LOS amendments now in use, as well as my well cooked PeeJay soil with leaf mold, I must say the trichomes are out of control, as well as the smells. I think the soil plays a big role, as well as the LED.

Get better soon SG.

As for defol, I would only defol where bud sites are covered or tuck the leaves.

Them ladies are looking good SG and I can't wait to get mine to that stage soon. I'm still vegging at the moment.


A big THANK YOU to SG for helping me sort some amendments for my soil . Sweetsue too.

Thanks MedFarmer!! That's what my instinct was.... but sometimes I doubt my instincts, then I mess up, so thanks for reinforcing that. I'm just gonna fold my leaves and stop the defol on my older flowering girls. And thanks so much for the compliments, and (I feel comfortable speaking for Sue in this) no problem at all! We love helping out! Sue's a better teacher than I am lol. - she's literally a teacher!! Come on! - But I'm doing my best to help teach as well.

Actually - right now my uncle saw pics of my grow, and is suddenly obsessed. he wants me to help set up an entire grow for him. And you know me, its gonna be all LOS/recycled LOS, and LED's. Another member who normally grows hydro also is PM'ing me for help setting up a LOS, and I think he's gonna do a journal eventually for the LOS when its ready. Not to mention people like you MedFarmer or Mr. Teddy who are making the transition and open to advice, or just something like helping Reg do an SST. It makes me so happy that I'm actually helping people grow in this amazing style.