The Gee Spot - You Finally Found It

[Carmen Ray]

That's pretty much how the article described the process. Just soak it, no bubblers required.

If you don't think it will do any harm, I would love to see you try it. Having a good phosphorus/potassium rescue tool that is that simple would be awesome.

I bet you could make a batch and freeze it to have handy if you needed it.

Consider it done

 

[Gee64]

That's the basics behind the Jadam stuff.

Pretty much I guess hey? The article didn't talk about fermenting at all, just a soak to get the good stuff out, but yeah, it is similar isn't it. Have you tried the banana peel thing yet?

 

[Gee64]

Consider it done

Sweet! Will you chronicle it in your journal?

 

[Carmen Ray]

Sweet! Will you chronicle it in your journal?

I shall

 

[Gee64]

I shall

Awesome! It got me curious. I would love to see it in action. Thank You

 

[Azimuth]

Pretty much I guess hey? The article didn't talk about fermenting at all, just a soak to get the good stuff out, but yeah, it is similar isn't it. Have you tried the banana peel thing yet?

Yes, that's one of my concoctions. The only difference is I add some microbes in the mix to enhance the breakdown. I use worm castings which, in my experiments, worked better than LAB and even the more standard suggestion of leaf mold soil. Plus it's super easy to access for me since I make the castings routinely.

I think the fermenting step helps make it shelf stable as well as enhancing the breakdown of the material. I've had some of my stuff now for years.

I have both a veg and flower "Swamp Juice" as I call them which is a mixture of various extracts I have on the shelf. Bananas are good in flower as are pumpkins, but I also do a fruit and flower mix which is exactly what it sounds like, fruits like apple, blueberry, banana, cranberry, etc., really most anything will work. Same with flowers.

I'm planting a lot more flowers in the yard for this exact reason. Big showy ones like daylily and peony for example because that's what I want to produce in my other plants, big showy flowers.

 

[Carmen Ray]

Yes, that's one of my concoctions. The only difference is I add some microbes in the mix to enhance the breakdown. I use worm castings which, in my experiments, worked better than LAB and even the more standard suggestion of leaf mold soil. Plus it's super easy to access for me since I make the castings routinely.

I think the fermenting step helps make it shelf stable as well as enhancing the breakdown of the material. I've had some of my stuff now for years.

I have both a veg and flower "Swamp Juice" as I call them which is a mixture of various extracts I have on the shelf. Bananas are good in flower as are pumpkins, but I also do a fruit and flower mix which is exactly what it sounds like, fruits like apple, blueberry, banana, cranberry, etc., really most anything will work. Same with flowers.

I'm planting a lot more flowers in the yard for this exact reason. Big showy ones like daylily and peony for example because that's what I want to produce in my other plants, big showy flowers.

Okay. I am going to make a small batch, using the peels of three bananas. I'll cover the chopped peel with water. How much EWC would you put in the mix. It will probably be about a liter?

 

[Azimuth]

Okay. I am going to make a small batch, using the peels of three bananas. I'll cover the chopped peel with water. How much EWC would you put in the mix. It will probably be about a liter?

Doesn't take much. I use maybe like a teaspoon. If you close the jar make sure to burp it periodically to let the gasses out (every few days to a week or so), but it's fine to keep it closed in between.

Closed also helps keep the stink smells in.

And a word of warning. Some of this stuff literally smells like something died, especially
stuff like comfrey with a high nitrogen content. Plants love it though. Just be forewarned.

 

[Gee64]

Yes, that's one of my concoctions. The only difference is I add some microbes in the mix to enhance the breakdown. I use worm castings which, in my experiments, worked better than LAB and even the more standard suggestion of leaf mold soil. Plus it's super easy to access for me since I make the castings routinely.

I think the fermenting step helps make it shelf stable as well as enhancing the breakdown of the material. I've had some of my stuff now for years.

I have both a veg and flower "Swamp Juice" as I call them which is a mixture of various extracts I have on the shelf. Bananas are good in flower as are pumpkins, but I also do a fruit and flower mix which is exactly what it sounds like, fruits like apple, blueberry, banana, cranberry, etc., really most anything will work. Same with flowers.

I'm planting a lot more flowers in the yard for this exact reason. Big showy ones like daylily and peony for example because that's what I want to produce in my other plants, big showy flowers.

Do you think it would have enough oompff to overcome a deficit, or is it more of a scheduled maintenance thing?

 

[Azimuth]

I use it more for the latter but it's hard to tell with all of the various experiments I've got going. I seem to be zeroing in on my soil mix so hopefully I'll have fewer variables at play going forward.

 

[Carmen Ray]

I use it more for the latter but it's hard to tell with all of the various experiments I've got going. I seem to be zeroing in on my soil mix so hopefully I'll have fewer variables at play going forward.

Azi, I don't remember how to dilute the banana peel tea. What strength would you use it at more or less?

 

[Carmen Ray]

Azi, I don't remember how to dilute the banana peel tea. What strength would you use it at more or less?

Its 1 part banana peel tea to 10 parts water for a tentative start, or 1 part bpt to 5 parts water for a stronger start, but that's just a guide, as one doesn't know how strong the starting batch is. I will go with1:5 and take it from there... courtesy of Chat Bot.

 

[Absorber]

Its 1 part banana peel tea to 10 parts water for a tentative start, or 1 part bpt to 5 parts water for a stronger start, but that's just a guide, as one doesn't know how strong the starting batch is. I will go with1:5 and take it from there... courtesy of Chat Bot.

You and the ChatBot if I didn't know any better

 

[Carmen Ray]

You and the ChatBot if I didn't know any better

Me too, it's so agreeable lol. No drama.

 

[Azimuth]

Azi, I don't remember how to dilute the banana peel tea. What strength would you use it at more or less?

Most of the Jadam stuff is 1:20 at least and get stronger with age. I usually go 1:30 or 1:60 so 2 or 1 tablespoons per liter. If it's too strong you'll burn your plants so just be sure to watch for any negative reaction.

 

[Gee64]

Durban Poison - Day 39.

Note the attention seeking colas hiding behind the stellar high grade tip burn.

I also harvested 4.5 gallons of fresh EWC on Tuesday. Every 2nd Tuesday is EWC harvest day.

 

[Azimuth]

I also harvested 4.5 gallons of fresh EWC on Tuesday. Every 2nd Tuesday is EWC harvest day

That's a lot of castings every two weeks. What are your inputs to get that output?

 

[Gee64]

That's a lot of castings every two weeks. What are your inputs to get that output?

I add a layer of used soil, a layer of mineral dust (all the same minerals in my soil mix in the same ratios), a layer of food scraps and various meals, then alternate used soil and meals/scraps until the tray is full. That's usually 4 large stuffed ziplock bags of meal/scraps.

Every now and then I toss in a layer of coco. Most of my other carbon is weed stalks and root balls.

Then I add a final layer of used dirt, another mineral layer, and let it sit for 1 week.

Next Tuesday I add another layer of meals/scraps and another layer of used soil to top the tray up again.

Then after being on top for 2 weeks, the bottom tray gets removed, the other three drop down a notch, and after the tray is harvested it gets refilled and placed on top.

Eight weeks later the tray comes out the bottom fully composted other than the odd large chunk of stem or a piece of avocado peel.

It gives me 20-ish gallons of EWC every 10 weeks, but I only need 12 gallons plus topdressing for 10 week flower pot, so it slowly grows a few gallons every 2nd Tuesday.

Then summer comes and I have extra pots for outdoors, and all my excess gets used up and I start collecting again for next year.

 

[Gee64]

Day 9.

Bottom left is LC-18, right is Wild Lady. Top left is Iklwa, and right is RVDV.

LC-18. So tiny.

Iklwa. This gal is a tough robust looking seedling. She raised up to pray almost immediately and has been ever since.

RVDV. She's got really nice symmetry.

Wild Lady. She is definitely the biggest, tallest, and most developed. She doesn't even look like she's trying. Her leaves are long and droopy and she's almost slouching but she is growing fast.

 

[Gidorah]

Your little ladies are looking exquisite! Nothing changed much on my end. Added another cup of water yesterday to all the reservoirs, its been 2 days. In another 2 days, will add one more cup then 2 days after that, will fill the reservoir up and my first application of Geoflora. Happy Friday, enjoy!