M
Mike Smith
Guest
A quick and easy soil mix would require:
5 parts soil. Normal commercial potting soil should be fine.
5 parts perlite. This enhances aeration of the soil-mix, helps prevent over-watering by increasing drainage and reduces soil compaction. Perlite can be replaced with coarse vermiculite or crushed expanded clay balls (mica, leca, geolite).
Optional:
2 parts composted organic matter. This can be normal household compost. If you can find composted worm castings, seaweed or composted manures (chicken, horse) they can also be used for extra kick. Non-composted manures make the soil-mix too 'hot' for the plants and should be avoided.
Original recipe - as it was given to me
1 Bale sunshine mix #2 or promix
2 L Bone Meal - phosphorus source
1L Blood Meal - nitrogen source
1 1/3 cups Epsom salts - magnesium source
3-4 cups dolmite lime -calcium source & pH buffering
1 tsp fritted trace elements
1/2 - 1 bag chicken manure (steer, mushroom, etc) - nitrogen & trace elements
- Mix thoroughly, moisten, and let sit 1-2 weeks before use.
Revised recipe - after several failures due to bad manure sources, I now use the following recipe. Results have been excellent and the clones seem to take off right away instead of having a slow growing settling in period.
1 Bale sunshine mix #2 or promix (3.8 cu ft)
8 cups Bone Meal - phosphorus source
4 cups Blood Meal - nitrogen source
1 1/3 cups Epsom salts - magnesium source
3-4 cups dolmite lime -calcium source & pH buffering
1 tsp fritted trace elements
4 cups kelp meal.
9kg (25 lbs) bag pure worm castings
- Mix thoroughly, moisten, and let sit 1-2 weeks before use.
Substitutions - The original recipe was a success, but I simply needed to experiment. In addition, sometimes not all ingredients were always available. Therefore, here are some possible additions and/or substitutions. Descriptions to follow
Blood & Bone Meal - when trying to cut costs
Kelp Meal - contains over 62 trace minerals. Good supplement for manure or for reducing the manure content to speed up availability of soil.
Worm castings - excellent source of micro nutrients
Bat guano - excellent for top dressing a week into flowering
Seabird guano
Bugs
On a couple of occasions, I've ended up with fungus gnats with this soil mix. They are more of an irritation than anything but may harm weak or young plants. Some have said that putting a layer of sand on top of the soil in the pots stops the gnats from reproducing. Others can get rid of them by doing a soil drench with diazinon or malathion.
Personally, I prefer to simply introduce fungus gnat predators (Hypoaspis miles). Once established, they not only control fungus gnats, but also thrips and mites. When there is no insect food available, they survive on dead plant material, so remain even after pests are gone to prevent future infestations. Actually, since they have been introduced, I've had no pest problems in over a year and I don't filter my intake. I got mine from Westgro (1-800-663-2552) and they have sales offices in Delta, Victoria, and Kelowna.
Update: they did nothing to prevent a mite infestation in summer of '89 and were destroyed in the mite war. They will be re-introduced after mite war is finally over.
Recycling Soil
Used soil - Reusing soil has a few downsides such as it makes it easier for diseases, viruses, and pathogens from entering your garden. Also peat based soils break down and become acidic. If you fertilize with chemicals you'll end up with salt buildups that will slow growth. Unless you like to take chances, have a good eye, and a good horticultural understanding, you may be better off with staying with fresh new soils. That said;
I grow strictly organic and I've always reused my soil. I don't sterilize the soil between plantings as my soil is full of microbes and predatory bugs that keep the bad bugs under control. After each crop, I chop up the soil and root balls with the leaves, stalks, etc and let compost for about 3 months. I then mix it up and add about 2 - 3 cups of lime for every 50 gallons composted soil. I also add about 1/2 cup epsom salts, 2 liters bone meal, 1 liter blood meal, 1 liter kelp meal, 1 tsp trace elements, and enough perlite to regain the porosity of the original soil. I used to add a bag of manure, but I was getting fertilizer burn and so have stopped now. As I've been fine tuning this, the plants just keep getting healthier and I haven't had any real pest problems for quite a while.
I know this is a controversial approach and maybe even risky, but it allows me to keep my garden pretty much self contained. I don't attract attention by buying bales of soil every 3 - 4 months year around, or in the disposal of leaves and soil after each crop. It's definitely not for those who want sterile crops and those that use pesticides and chemical ferts. I believe in working with nature, not against it.
Update: After several generations, a nutrient imbalance developed which was only solved by leaching the soil thoroughly. My hunch is that one of the micro nutrients was building to toxic levels. I guess farmers don't get this problem because they have the winter rains to leach excess nutrients from their fields.
· Info from Others:
40% composted soil
30% worm castings
20% perlite
10% dolomite, guanos, goodies, etc.. i've also heard good things about "uncle
malcolm" brand soil from peaceful valley is good....
if you're mixing organics with chem ferts, the plant will use up what the chem
ferts feed it first, then partaking afterwards in the organic nutes. the beauty of
organics is it's almost impossible to burn your plants, and the taste is superior to
chem. grown plants.
i use pure blend 1 - 0.5 -1 for veg and fox farm big bloom 0.8 - 3.0 - 1 for
flowering. they're expensive but the plants really like it. sometimes i'll make a tea
out of worm castings & guano. peace
9 gallons peat moss
3 gallons vermiculite
6 gallons perlite
1 pound blood meal
1 pound bone meal
1 pond green sand
1 pound lime or dolomite lime
1 pound rock phosphate
Pinch of boron (borax is an inexpensive source)
Blend these ingredients in a small cement mixer or in a large barrel with a tight fitting lid that will let you
roll it around to mix the contents. If you have to stir the ingredients in an open container, moisten them
SLIGHTLY with water to avoid breathing in clouds of dust as you work.
Do not use more than a pinch of boron. It encourages root growth, but its levels can quickly go from
helpful to harmful in the soil. Once you get the soil all mixed you can add some manure tea (see recipe
below). The lime in this mix helps to neutralize the acidity of the manure tea.
Manure Tea
10 to 15 gallons manure (combine horse, chicken, and cow manure to get a nice balance of nutrients.
5 gallon bucket of chickweed and/or stinging nettles.
Water to fill 55 gallon drum (you'll need a well ventilated area to pull this off!!)
Dump manure(s) in the bottom of the drum. Add chickweed and/or nettles, both of which are rich in
trace elements, then fill drum with water.
Once a week stir the "tea" and add water to replace any that has evaporated. You'll need a brewing time
of at least 3 weeks before using this tea in the potting soil mix.
add blood meal, steamed bone meal, and rock phosphate at the rate of 1 cup per cubic foot of
potting soil. I add fine dolomite lime at the rate of about 1 1/2 cups per cubic foot. I add kelp meal at
about 2/3 cup per cubic foot. I also like to add plenty of coarse vermiculite. I use plain potting soil to
germinate in and transplant into this mix after about two weeks. Once transplanted and established, I
only give my plants plain water for the duration of the cropping period without suffering any nutrient
shortage.
6 parts potting soil
2 parts perlite
1 part vermiculite
1 part chicken manure
1 small handfull lime
that is the basic organic mix. plants are watered daily... every third watering use fish emulsion 5-1-1
at 1 tbsp. per gallon. continue this until the second week of the flowering cycle when stretching
stops. then mix fish emulsion 5-1-1 with alaska more bloom 0-10-10 at a ratio of 1 teaspoon 5-1-1 to
two teaspoons 0-10-10. this will give you a 5-21-21 ratio. use this every third watering until the last
week and a half of flowering... for the last week and a half use plain water. right at the beginning of
the flower period (sometimes) add a small amount of lime to your water for one watering to counter
any acids that may have built up during the vegetative phase. also sometimes i used to substitute the
5-21-21 mix with chemical 10-60-10 (schultzes super bloom) at 1/2 teaspoon per gallon for two
waterings at about week 4-5 of flowering. if there is any yellowing before say week 5 1/2 simply use
more 5-1-1 and less 0-10-10. this method resulted in hightimes centerfold plants.... very vigorous. in
three gallon grow bags NL#5 vege'd for 30 days yield 1 1/2 ozs. of smooth sweet potent smoke.
some strains did closer to two ounces per plant. 2x250w MH. 1 plant per 1 1/2 feet sq.
bottom line is you really don't need exotic ingredients to grow killer weed. i'm sure that wormcastings
etc. will do the trick for you... but don't feel bad if they're not available in your area... or are beyond
your budget. this simple mostly organic set-up will give you EXCELLENT results with common,
easily obtained cheap ingredients.
The cation exchange capacity of the soil
When small quantities of inorganic salts, such as the soluble mineral matter of soil and commercial fertilizers, are added to water they dissociate into electrically charged units called ions. The positively charged ions (cations) such as hydrogen (H+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca++) magnesium (Mg++), ammonium (NH4+), iron (Fe++), manganese (Mn++), and zinc (Zn++) are absorbed mostly on the negatively charged surfaces of the soil colloids (microscopic clay and humus particles) and exist only in small quantities in the soil solution. Thus, the humus-clay colloids serve as a storehouse for certain essential ions (cations). The negatively charged ions (anions), such as nitrates (N03-) phosphates (HPO4--), sulfates (SO4--), and chlorides (Cl-), are found almost exclusively in the soil solution and can therefore be leached away easily with overwatering. The roots and root hairs are in intimate contact with the soil colloidal surfaces, which are bathed in the soil solution, and therefore nutrient uptake can take place either from the soil solution or directly from the colloidal surfaces (cation exchange). The soil solution is the most important source of nutrients, but since it is very dilute its nutrients are easily depleted and must be replenished from soil particles. The solid phase of the soil, acting as a reservoir of nutrients, slowly releases them into the soil solution by the solubilization of soil minerals and organics, by the solution of soluble salts, and by cation exchange. A more dramatic increase in the nutrient content of the soil solution takes place with the addition of commercial fertilizers. As plants absorb nutrients (ions) they exchange them for other ions. For example, for the uptake of one potassium (K+) ion or one ammonium (NH4+) ion, one hydrogen (H+) ion is released into the soil solution or directly into the soil colloids by the process of cation exchange. Similarly, for the uptake of one calcium (Ca++) or one magnesium (Mg++) ion, two hydrogen (H+) ions are released by the root. Thus, as the plant absorbs these essential cations, the soil solution and the colloidal particles contain more and more hydrogen (H+) ions, which explains why the removal of cations (ammonium (NH4+) nitrogen is a good example) by crops tends to make soils acidic, i.e., having a low pH. Also, as the plant (absorbs essential anions such as nitrates (NO3-) and phosphates (HPO4-), the soil solution is enriched with more and more hydroxyl groups (OH-) and bicarbonates (HCO3-), which explains why the removal of anions (nitrate (NO3-) nitrogen is a good example) by crops tends to make soils alkaline, i.e., having a high pH.
TOPIC - IMGC, Mirage, Sugar&acid mix(nestaa juice)
*Very simple mix that will blow You away if you strive for optimum flavor in your
buds. Most Brewery shops have powdered citric acid, then you need the raw,
unprocessed cane sugar(the brown rock sugar that still contains molassis). Mix 1 dry
ounce of each into 500ml's of warm h2o and mix well. I add 5ml's per gallon of res.
every res. change. It drops PH considerably the 1st day or 2 then stabilizes. Citric
acid is a good ph down, but it doesnt last as long as phos. acid. I feed it to them
always and switch to a clearing solution the last 7-10 days of flower. I have never
had buds so tastey and "odoriforous", I'm sold big!
LUMIE I'd be happy to help pay for that bottle of Avid Bro! I'd like some in the
chamber, locked and loaded, ready for the bastards to show there ugly heads again.
How's that reefer tea coming? I wonder if breaking it down w/ aerobic bugs would be
the best way to extract the goods? My wheels are turning big, Talk w/ ya soon I
hope.
TOPIC - NL, casting ratio
DATE - 04:37:265/06/99
FROM - ~shabang~
Hey man, I've gotten the mix down to the height of simplicity.
Put on a good dust mask. Take 1 bag of fine dry castings, 25 pounds.
mix with 1 bag, 8 dry quarts, Scott's perlite
and 1 bag, 8 dry quarts, Scott's vermiculite
add in a liter to a liter and a half of dolomitic or agri lime
and two to three liters of hydrated polymer crystals
Water and plant.
shabang (no more tildes, sorry), i've gradually changed my media too; no castings in
my cloning mix, for better nutrient control and lower N levels. i now use a packaged
"seed starting" mix (gen'ly just milled verm and peat) + perlite, watering and misting
with a very mild fish emulsion(s)/ molasses/ EJcatalyst/ superthrive solution.
i still use plenty of castings in my grow/flower pots, but <50%. base of
pro-mix+castings, add organics and minerals. seems like where you've gone for less
ingredients, i've gone for more. my dry mix has pro-mix, castings, perl & verm,
pelletized fish, bat guanos, PSG, chicken manure, trace minerals, kelp, etc, plus the
watered-in component, which includes numerous additional ferts and supplements
(not using the mycorhizae, though). i've simplified my procedures but gone toward
"diversity" in my mix. the caveat is, ideally this mix needs time to activate, though it
works well enough "fresh". castings have the advantage of being already activated,
which is why i keep them in there...
did you see my description of the new Alaska product below? no mention of chlorine
anywhere on the label ;-) plus humic acids from leonardite ore, woohoo. the kelp is
the usual ascophylum nodosum.
Re: Home-Made Organic Liquid Recipe?
I add a few ingredients to my soil in a solution that is comparable to EJ Catalyst.
Two weeks before transplanting seedlings into larger pots I mix the soil and add
(per gallon of water) 1 tsp Molasses, 1 tsp Lipton Iced tea mix(main ingredients:
sugar, citric acid), 1 tsp brewers yeast, 1 tsp fulvic acid, 1/4 tsp humic
acid(Gumate), and 1 tbsp liquid seaweed. This concoction will give life to your
zillions of thriving soil microbes which will help break down your other soil
amendments and/or watered on guano teas. The nutrients in the teas may not
break down evenly, but that is the beauty of using organics... the plant uses the
nutes as they are broken down. I would never use Milorganite on anything other
than ornamental plants, but that is me. I swear by PSG for veg, and Budswel for
flowering. I use many different guanos but those are the best(IMO)! BTW, worm
casts don't have that much Nitrogen, at least not enough to use them alone for a
high metabolism plant like cannabis. For Potassium I use Kelp meal(1-0-2), liquid
seaweed(0-0-1) and Greensand(0-0-.1) I don't know how much of the greensand
gets broken down by the time the plants are flowering, probably not much, but I
use it anyway. Also, the guano's have a bit of P in them also, but not enough to
use them by themselves, IMO. It seems that different ingredients break down
more rapidly at different PH's, that is why I like to use a bit of peat moss fortified
with dolomite lime, so that the medium doesn't have an equal ph throughout... I
think it is varied between 5.8- 7.0 throughout the mix, and becomes a little more
acidic towards the end of the grow, Phosphorus is more readily available when the
medium becomes a bit acidic... this is good considering the plant needs the most
phosphorus when it packs on its flowers at the end of it's life. That's been my
observation thus far. Any questions or comments are welcome.
Basic Soilmix:
1 quart perlite (keeps the mix light and helps drainage, does not break down.)
1 quart vermerculite (same as above)
2 quarts wormcastings 1-0-0 (slow release nitrogen, a ton of micronutrients)
1 quart potting soil (regular $2.50 a bag is ok, should be almost black in color,
smell
like dirt, not rotten. a little sand and verm. or perlite is ok.)
1/4 cup bat guano 10-3-1 (quick release nitrogen and more micros)
1/2 cup horticulture lime or agriculture lime (for PH and also contains calcium)
During flowering, add 1 teaspoon epson salt(magnesium) per gallon of
water.Combined with the pour in ferts posted earlier, this would make an excellent
mix. ~s uses 1/3 perlite, verm, wormcastings. Keeping it simple. It’s really up to
you and what’s available. Don’t freak when you see the low NPK ratios. The
organic ferts have plenty of power. 300 to 400 ppm per watering is max. Any more
is overkill.
In addition to the above mix, mine contains:
1/2 cup greensand 0-0-1 (soil conditioner, makes things happen that aid in
nutrient uptake)
1/2 cup alphalfa meal 7-2-5 General purpose organic fert(rabbit food)
1/2 cup horticulture mulch (slightly acidic, breaks down and becomes food)
The breakdown process is criticle to organic growing. There is a whole other world
under the surface. Microorganisms break down organic matter into the basic
elements. Opinions differ about how long it takes to get the process started but
IMO about a month of being watered and breakdown will be in high gear. Using
third
generation soil and its tweekin’. You can and should reuse the soil. Add more of
the powder ferts and your back in ‘binness. If your soil is alive with micros PH will
not be
a problem.
Watering: In my grow the plants need water about every third day. I don’t water
so much that water comes out of the drain holes. I think its wasteful and
unnessasary.
They get plenty of water though...all they can use.
Misting: Everyday,with 6.0 water. I add 1/4 teaspoon of orange oil to a pint of
water and the plants love it. The buds get bigger and tighter. Definitely a
worthwhile
procedure. Plain 6.0 water is OK too. Kinda’ dry where I live.(humidity wise)
It may be a misconception that soil is less hassle than hydro. I guess it’s what
you get used to. I know hydro rocks, but organics are Powerful.
Power to grow Gigantic with organics!!!
later,
tim
Re: MrSoul's organic soils & teas
1. My soil mix is (by volume) 50% worm castings, 25% Pro-Mix, and 25% perlite. Simple as that.
2. I feed with tea at EVERY watering of my plants & since they're flowered in 2-gallon containers -that's usually every day!
3. The teas I use are made by soaking a "tea bag" (got mine at Worm's Way) in a 5-gallon bucket of pH = 6.2 water.
Agitate and manipulate the bag a LOT to release as much of the "goodies" as possible - the water looks like it came from a mud puddle when you've got it right. I do one thing I've never heard other growers mention doing - I measure the ppm of my tea. Here are the contents of the tea bag, depending on growth stage: Vegetative => 1/2 cup each of PSG & worm castings. I also add a 1/2 cup of Maxi-Crop liquid seaweed, plus two Tablespoons of Alaska fish emulsion to the water.
(I shoot for a ppm = 1000) Flowering (weeks 0-4)=> 1/2 cup each of PSG & High Phosphorus bat guano. I also add a 1/2 cup of Maxi-Crop to the water. (ppm 1250 - 1500 ) Flowering (weeks 4-7)=> 1/2 cup each High Phosphorus bat guano and worm castings. (shifting ppm from 1500 -> 1000)
During the final week of flowering, many folks choose to use plain, pH-adjusted water for "clearing" but I don't. I haven't noticed any difference between when I have & when I haven't "cleared". This seems reasonable when growing organically - why clear? Clear WHAT? They're living in the medium in which they've evolved for millions of years! A few other hints: SOAK the pots thoroughly when watering, then allow them to become "light" when lifted before watering again...the plants LOVE a short drying out period. The amount of time it takes for the plants to dry out is constantly getting SHORTER as
they grow...be AWARE! Water BY HAND! At least get an accurate feel for how much the average plant needs by hand-watering before setting up a drip system or whatever. Transplant you clones into the container you plan to flower them in & veg them until their roots systems are FULLY established before flowering them - this will MINIMIZE stretching...check this out for yourself, it works!
Results From a Facinating Experiment Just In !!!! I just preformed a little experiment to see what organic nutrients grow the tastiest,best looking ,smelling ect... The experiment in volved a few popular strains like Shiva Skunk, Big Bud, White Widow and skunk#1*Hash plant. The organic components that I experimented with were all used the same during the flowering cycle. I tested high P bat&sea bird guano, bone meal, composted steer manure, rock phosphate and high P fish emulsion. Each plant was placed into a three gallon container from a one gallon pot upon forced flowering. Every pot is mixed with commercial " Super Soil " perlite, peat moss and oyster shell. Then the individual special ingrediants were blended in the mix and the plants were planted., I did three of each blend, of each varaiety. The results varaied widely. The guano's produced very nice sticky huge buds but there was a little lacking in the smell dept. The best of the guanos was the Shiva Skunk. All the guanos had a similar base taste thats kind of bland but not that bad. The bone meal did very well. The buds were smellier than the guano and had a slighter earthier taste. The best one was Widow. The resin content hasn't changed much between the same species with different mixes. Next was the rock phosphate, it produed the biggest buds, with the fewest amount leaves and the plants smelled the strongest yet. The Big Bud was the best performer with rock phosphate. The Fish Emulsion pellets preformed the worst out of all my mixes. All varaieties looked and smelled fine but they all had a fishy base taste. I once dropped a dead gold fish into a pot with a flowering plant, the buds tasted like striaght fish! The last of my mixes was Composted Steer Manure and it turned out to be the best. The plants were a little leafy but they had nice buds and smelled out of this world. Every strain smelled better under manure, the Shiva had that grape orange smell going on, the Widow had the sweetest skunkiest smell, Big Bud reeked of mangoes, and the SK#1*Hash plant reminded me of pelling on orange. The best part about manure, I had yet to find out until I cured my weed. WOW, even the best weed in
Amsterdam couldnt compare with this tasty stuff. The flavor of the weed would explode in your mouth with every hit . The smell of second hand smoke if so overpowering, it makes you got to have some if your not smoking it already. Does anybody else out there swear by manure for taste like I do? Please feel free to respond with your opinions on what makes weed taste great!
Wood Fiber Pots to Pluto the peat pots are actually 4(four) inch, and the type of pots are the ones that look kinda like paper mache'. Some of the pots have 1/4 inch thickness to an inch thick. I would say that the use of up to 3(three) gallon pots, but last time I used those rectangular strawberry baskets( 8"x5"x1 3/4" ), actually a baby carrot basket lined with black weed fabric laminate to hold moisture was used in the mighty mite/mango/humboldt(male)cross with purple skunk or shaman(female). by the way try Home Harvest.com and you can get up to 15(fifteen) gallon size wood fiber pots. Everything I've seen grow in these pots do very good.
Re: Wood Fiber Pots to Pluto
Oh yeah, forgot to say about the fertilizer and medium.
Basically I use 40% worm castings, 5% greensand, 30% perlite
and vermiculite mix 1% azomite aka bentonite clay the rest
is either pure sphagnum moss or a wood/peat/sphagnum mix.
For fertilizer, I like working with energy savers unlmtd or
ESU bloomjuice, brewed peru sbg and fossilized sbg and I'm
trying the hummus powders by Gardener Supply in Vermont
the booster and the seedling start. I just started using
prehistoric compost. But most of the watering I do is mostly
subirrigation, wick, or flood and evaporate. I have an
mychorizae fert mix that caused some stunting of some of the
plants which is my fault for learning to use this stuff.
I'm gonna try the straight mychorizae in the liquid form
next time, because this fungus is mainly used outdoors.
I would have to say that those days a few years ago toying
with that...Phototron piqued my miniature plant love and
that guy who sold them included mychorizae fugus cultures.
Then, at that time I had a pure strain from Belize. Awsome!
I had a full tree of about 5 or 6 inches tall and as many
as 10 heads on it and a full tree shape and hard stems and
that wood bottom. I lost the whole entire strain experimenting
with a spray of teas and guanos I brewed. I'm still crying
now as I type this. (wipe, wipe)
Jeez! Why/where have you been lurking! You have some great info to share! Your experiences with the mychorizae fungus are very interesting... being an old shroom cultivator I can relate.Now I know what kind of pots you mean - the local nurserys toss em away, and I've recovered ones that were outdoors for 2 years and still good, though never used em. Whats the deal with your "magic rod"? What is the "scientific" principle behind it and does it really work? Sounds to me you ( like I ) prefer the organic soil route. I use a modified Cali Super soil. I don't care for Peat Moss ( Sorry Canada!) so
I use Earthgro 1881 composted cow manure,50 lbs. as the base. I don't know where they bag this stuff, but it is CHOCK FULL of crumbly Mica Schist.(read trace element rich), and 25 lbs. EGrow potting soil. Next goes in 30% Pearlite, 5lbs Bone Meal, 5 lbs. pure Kelp, 2lbs.Sulfate Potash Magnesia, 3lbs. Blood meal, 3 lbs. Cotton Seed Meal, 2lb. hand-ground pumice (Lava Rock),Dolomite Lime to neutral, rainwater. This is composted for a month, then Red Earthworms added so the whole thing ends up being Castings! Nothing else really needed - the NL took to it like a NFL star to steroids!They were rootbound in a 10" pot under Flouros in a month! Tears, tears over your lost strain. I cry over a Morrocan strain that was Ashphalt Black; 3 tokes and you were exploring Alpha Centuri; seeds were perfectly round. Such is life........
http://www.onlinepot.org/grow/goodsoil.htm
5 parts soil. Normal commercial potting soil should be fine.
5 parts perlite. This enhances aeration of the soil-mix, helps prevent over-watering by increasing drainage and reduces soil compaction. Perlite can be replaced with coarse vermiculite or crushed expanded clay balls (mica, leca, geolite).
Optional:
2 parts composted organic matter. This can be normal household compost. If you can find composted worm castings, seaweed or composted manures (chicken, horse) they can also be used for extra kick. Non-composted manures make the soil-mix too 'hot' for the plants and should be avoided.
Original recipe - as it was given to me
1 Bale sunshine mix #2 or promix
2 L Bone Meal - phosphorus source
1L Blood Meal - nitrogen source
1 1/3 cups Epsom salts - magnesium source
3-4 cups dolmite lime -calcium source & pH buffering
1 tsp fritted trace elements
1/2 - 1 bag chicken manure (steer, mushroom, etc) - nitrogen & trace elements
- Mix thoroughly, moisten, and let sit 1-2 weeks before use.
Revised recipe - after several failures due to bad manure sources, I now use the following recipe. Results have been excellent and the clones seem to take off right away instead of having a slow growing settling in period.
1 Bale sunshine mix #2 or promix (3.8 cu ft)
8 cups Bone Meal - phosphorus source
4 cups Blood Meal - nitrogen source
1 1/3 cups Epsom salts - magnesium source
3-4 cups dolmite lime -calcium source & pH buffering
1 tsp fritted trace elements
4 cups kelp meal.
9kg (25 lbs) bag pure worm castings
- Mix thoroughly, moisten, and let sit 1-2 weeks before use.
Substitutions - The original recipe was a success, but I simply needed to experiment. In addition, sometimes not all ingredients were always available. Therefore, here are some possible additions and/or substitutions. Descriptions to follow
Blood & Bone Meal - when trying to cut costs
Kelp Meal - contains over 62 trace minerals. Good supplement for manure or for reducing the manure content to speed up availability of soil.
Worm castings - excellent source of micro nutrients
Bat guano - excellent for top dressing a week into flowering
Seabird guano
Bugs
On a couple of occasions, I've ended up with fungus gnats with this soil mix. They are more of an irritation than anything but may harm weak or young plants. Some have said that putting a layer of sand on top of the soil in the pots stops the gnats from reproducing. Others can get rid of them by doing a soil drench with diazinon or malathion.
Personally, I prefer to simply introduce fungus gnat predators (Hypoaspis miles). Once established, they not only control fungus gnats, but also thrips and mites. When there is no insect food available, they survive on dead plant material, so remain even after pests are gone to prevent future infestations. Actually, since they have been introduced, I've had no pest problems in over a year and I don't filter my intake. I got mine from Westgro (1-800-663-2552) and they have sales offices in Delta, Victoria, and Kelowna.
Update: they did nothing to prevent a mite infestation in summer of '89 and were destroyed in the mite war. They will be re-introduced after mite war is finally over.
Recycling Soil
Used soil - Reusing soil has a few downsides such as it makes it easier for diseases, viruses, and pathogens from entering your garden. Also peat based soils break down and become acidic. If you fertilize with chemicals you'll end up with salt buildups that will slow growth. Unless you like to take chances, have a good eye, and a good horticultural understanding, you may be better off with staying with fresh new soils. That said;
I grow strictly organic and I've always reused my soil. I don't sterilize the soil between plantings as my soil is full of microbes and predatory bugs that keep the bad bugs under control. After each crop, I chop up the soil and root balls with the leaves, stalks, etc and let compost for about 3 months. I then mix it up and add about 2 - 3 cups of lime for every 50 gallons composted soil. I also add about 1/2 cup epsom salts, 2 liters bone meal, 1 liter blood meal, 1 liter kelp meal, 1 tsp trace elements, and enough perlite to regain the porosity of the original soil. I used to add a bag of manure, but I was getting fertilizer burn and so have stopped now. As I've been fine tuning this, the plants just keep getting healthier and I haven't had any real pest problems for quite a while.
I know this is a controversial approach and maybe even risky, but it allows me to keep my garden pretty much self contained. I don't attract attention by buying bales of soil every 3 - 4 months year around, or in the disposal of leaves and soil after each crop. It's definitely not for those who want sterile crops and those that use pesticides and chemical ferts. I believe in working with nature, not against it.
Update: After several generations, a nutrient imbalance developed which was only solved by leaching the soil thoroughly. My hunch is that one of the micro nutrients was building to toxic levels. I guess farmers don't get this problem because they have the winter rains to leach excess nutrients from their fields.
· Info from Others:
40% composted soil
30% worm castings
20% perlite
10% dolomite, guanos, goodies, etc.. i've also heard good things about "uncle
malcolm" brand soil from peaceful valley is good....
if you're mixing organics with chem ferts, the plant will use up what the chem
ferts feed it first, then partaking afterwards in the organic nutes. the beauty of
organics is it's almost impossible to burn your plants, and the taste is superior to
chem. grown plants.
i use pure blend 1 - 0.5 -1 for veg and fox farm big bloom 0.8 - 3.0 - 1 for
flowering. they're expensive but the plants really like it. sometimes i'll make a tea
out of worm castings & guano. peace
9 gallons peat moss
3 gallons vermiculite
6 gallons perlite
1 pound blood meal
1 pound bone meal
1 pond green sand
1 pound lime or dolomite lime
1 pound rock phosphate
Pinch of boron (borax is an inexpensive source)
Blend these ingredients in a small cement mixer or in a large barrel with a tight fitting lid that will let you
roll it around to mix the contents. If you have to stir the ingredients in an open container, moisten them
SLIGHTLY with water to avoid breathing in clouds of dust as you work.
Do not use more than a pinch of boron. It encourages root growth, but its levels can quickly go from
helpful to harmful in the soil. Once you get the soil all mixed you can add some manure tea (see recipe
below). The lime in this mix helps to neutralize the acidity of the manure tea.
Manure Tea
10 to 15 gallons manure (combine horse, chicken, and cow manure to get a nice balance of nutrients.
5 gallon bucket of chickweed and/or stinging nettles.
Water to fill 55 gallon drum (you'll need a well ventilated area to pull this off!!)
Dump manure(s) in the bottom of the drum. Add chickweed and/or nettles, both of which are rich in
trace elements, then fill drum with water.
Once a week stir the "tea" and add water to replace any that has evaporated. You'll need a brewing time
of at least 3 weeks before using this tea in the potting soil mix.
add blood meal, steamed bone meal, and rock phosphate at the rate of 1 cup per cubic foot of
potting soil. I add fine dolomite lime at the rate of about 1 1/2 cups per cubic foot. I add kelp meal at
about 2/3 cup per cubic foot. I also like to add plenty of coarse vermiculite. I use plain potting soil to
germinate in and transplant into this mix after about two weeks. Once transplanted and established, I
only give my plants plain water for the duration of the cropping period without suffering any nutrient
shortage.
6 parts potting soil
2 parts perlite
1 part vermiculite
1 part chicken manure
1 small handfull lime
that is the basic organic mix. plants are watered daily... every third watering use fish emulsion 5-1-1
at 1 tbsp. per gallon. continue this until the second week of the flowering cycle when stretching
stops. then mix fish emulsion 5-1-1 with alaska more bloom 0-10-10 at a ratio of 1 teaspoon 5-1-1 to
two teaspoons 0-10-10. this will give you a 5-21-21 ratio. use this every third watering until the last
week and a half of flowering... for the last week and a half use plain water. right at the beginning of
the flower period (sometimes) add a small amount of lime to your water for one watering to counter
any acids that may have built up during the vegetative phase. also sometimes i used to substitute the
5-21-21 mix with chemical 10-60-10 (schultzes super bloom) at 1/2 teaspoon per gallon for two
waterings at about week 4-5 of flowering. if there is any yellowing before say week 5 1/2 simply use
more 5-1-1 and less 0-10-10. this method resulted in hightimes centerfold plants.... very vigorous. in
three gallon grow bags NL#5 vege'd for 30 days yield 1 1/2 ozs. of smooth sweet potent smoke.
some strains did closer to two ounces per plant. 2x250w MH. 1 plant per 1 1/2 feet sq.
bottom line is you really don't need exotic ingredients to grow killer weed. i'm sure that wormcastings
etc. will do the trick for you... but don't feel bad if they're not available in your area... or are beyond
your budget. this simple mostly organic set-up will give you EXCELLENT results with common,
easily obtained cheap ingredients.
The cation exchange capacity of the soil
When small quantities of inorganic salts, such as the soluble mineral matter of soil and commercial fertilizers, are added to water they dissociate into electrically charged units called ions. The positively charged ions (cations) such as hydrogen (H+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca++) magnesium (Mg++), ammonium (NH4+), iron (Fe++), manganese (Mn++), and zinc (Zn++) are absorbed mostly on the negatively charged surfaces of the soil colloids (microscopic clay and humus particles) and exist only in small quantities in the soil solution. Thus, the humus-clay colloids serve as a storehouse for certain essential ions (cations). The negatively charged ions (anions), such as nitrates (N03-) phosphates (HPO4--), sulfates (SO4--), and chlorides (Cl-), are found almost exclusively in the soil solution and can therefore be leached away easily with overwatering. The roots and root hairs are in intimate contact with the soil colloidal surfaces, which are bathed in the soil solution, and therefore nutrient uptake can take place either from the soil solution or directly from the colloidal surfaces (cation exchange). The soil solution is the most important source of nutrients, but since it is very dilute its nutrients are easily depleted and must be replenished from soil particles. The solid phase of the soil, acting as a reservoir of nutrients, slowly releases them into the soil solution by the solubilization of soil minerals and organics, by the solution of soluble salts, and by cation exchange. A more dramatic increase in the nutrient content of the soil solution takes place with the addition of commercial fertilizers. As plants absorb nutrients (ions) they exchange them for other ions. For example, for the uptake of one potassium (K+) ion or one ammonium (NH4+) ion, one hydrogen (H+) ion is released into the soil solution or directly into the soil colloids by the process of cation exchange. Similarly, for the uptake of one calcium (Ca++) or one magnesium (Mg++) ion, two hydrogen (H+) ions are released by the root. Thus, as the plant absorbs these essential cations, the soil solution and the colloidal particles contain more and more hydrogen (H+) ions, which explains why the removal of cations (ammonium (NH4+) nitrogen is a good example) by crops tends to make soils acidic, i.e., having a low pH. Also, as the plant (absorbs essential anions such as nitrates (NO3-) and phosphates (HPO4-), the soil solution is enriched with more and more hydroxyl groups (OH-) and bicarbonates (HCO3-), which explains why the removal of anions (nitrate (NO3-) nitrogen is a good example) by crops tends to make soils alkaline, i.e., having a high pH.
TOPIC - IMGC, Mirage, Sugar&acid mix(nestaa juice)
*Very simple mix that will blow You away if you strive for optimum flavor in your
buds. Most Brewery shops have powdered citric acid, then you need the raw,
unprocessed cane sugar(the brown rock sugar that still contains molassis). Mix 1 dry
ounce of each into 500ml's of warm h2o and mix well. I add 5ml's per gallon of res.
every res. change. It drops PH considerably the 1st day or 2 then stabilizes. Citric
acid is a good ph down, but it doesnt last as long as phos. acid. I feed it to them
always and switch to a clearing solution the last 7-10 days of flower. I have never
had buds so tastey and "odoriforous", I'm sold big!
LUMIE I'd be happy to help pay for that bottle of Avid Bro! I'd like some in the
chamber, locked and loaded, ready for the bastards to show there ugly heads again.
How's that reefer tea coming? I wonder if breaking it down w/ aerobic bugs would be
the best way to extract the goods? My wheels are turning big, Talk w/ ya soon I
hope.
TOPIC - NL, casting ratio
DATE - 04:37:265/06/99
FROM - ~shabang~
Hey man, I've gotten the mix down to the height of simplicity.
Put on a good dust mask. Take 1 bag of fine dry castings, 25 pounds.
mix with 1 bag, 8 dry quarts, Scott's perlite
and 1 bag, 8 dry quarts, Scott's vermiculite
add in a liter to a liter and a half of dolomitic or agri lime
and two to three liters of hydrated polymer crystals
Water and plant.
shabang (no more tildes, sorry), i've gradually changed my media too; no castings in
my cloning mix, for better nutrient control and lower N levels. i now use a packaged
"seed starting" mix (gen'ly just milled verm and peat) + perlite, watering and misting
with a very mild fish emulsion(s)/ molasses/ EJcatalyst/ superthrive solution.
i still use plenty of castings in my grow/flower pots, but <50%. base of
pro-mix+castings, add organics and minerals. seems like where you've gone for less
ingredients, i've gone for more. my dry mix has pro-mix, castings, perl & verm,
pelletized fish, bat guanos, PSG, chicken manure, trace minerals, kelp, etc, plus the
watered-in component, which includes numerous additional ferts and supplements
(not using the mycorhizae, though). i've simplified my procedures but gone toward
"diversity" in my mix. the caveat is, ideally this mix needs time to activate, though it
works well enough "fresh". castings have the advantage of being already activated,
which is why i keep them in there...
did you see my description of the new Alaska product below? no mention of chlorine
anywhere on the label ;-) plus humic acids from leonardite ore, woohoo. the kelp is
the usual ascophylum nodosum.
Re: Home-Made Organic Liquid Recipe?
I add a few ingredients to my soil in a solution that is comparable to EJ Catalyst.
Two weeks before transplanting seedlings into larger pots I mix the soil and add
(per gallon of water) 1 tsp Molasses, 1 tsp Lipton Iced tea mix(main ingredients:
sugar, citric acid), 1 tsp brewers yeast, 1 tsp fulvic acid, 1/4 tsp humic
acid(Gumate), and 1 tbsp liquid seaweed. This concoction will give life to your
zillions of thriving soil microbes which will help break down your other soil
amendments and/or watered on guano teas. The nutrients in the teas may not
break down evenly, but that is the beauty of using organics... the plant uses the
nutes as they are broken down. I would never use Milorganite on anything other
than ornamental plants, but that is me. I swear by PSG for veg, and Budswel for
flowering. I use many different guanos but those are the best(IMO)! BTW, worm
casts don't have that much Nitrogen, at least not enough to use them alone for a
high metabolism plant like cannabis. For Potassium I use Kelp meal(1-0-2), liquid
seaweed(0-0-1) and Greensand(0-0-.1) I don't know how much of the greensand
gets broken down by the time the plants are flowering, probably not much, but I
use it anyway. Also, the guano's have a bit of P in them also, but not enough to
use them by themselves, IMO. It seems that different ingredients break down
more rapidly at different PH's, that is why I like to use a bit of peat moss fortified
with dolomite lime, so that the medium doesn't have an equal ph throughout... I
think it is varied between 5.8- 7.0 throughout the mix, and becomes a little more
acidic towards the end of the grow, Phosphorus is more readily available when the
medium becomes a bit acidic... this is good considering the plant needs the most
phosphorus when it packs on its flowers at the end of it's life. That's been my
observation thus far. Any questions or comments are welcome.
Basic Soilmix:
1 quart perlite (keeps the mix light and helps drainage, does not break down.)
1 quart vermerculite (same as above)
2 quarts wormcastings 1-0-0 (slow release nitrogen, a ton of micronutrients)
1 quart potting soil (regular $2.50 a bag is ok, should be almost black in color,
smell
like dirt, not rotten. a little sand and verm. or perlite is ok.)
1/4 cup bat guano 10-3-1 (quick release nitrogen and more micros)
1/2 cup horticulture lime or agriculture lime (for PH and also contains calcium)
During flowering, add 1 teaspoon epson salt(magnesium) per gallon of
water.Combined with the pour in ferts posted earlier, this would make an excellent
mix. ~s uses 1/3 perlite, verm, wormcastings. Keeping it simple. It’s really up to
you and what’s available. Don’t freak when you see the low NPK ratios. The
organic ferts have plenty of power. 300 to 400 ppm per watering is max. Any more
is overkill.
In addition to the above mix, mine contains:
1/2 cup greensand 0-0-1 (soil conditioner, makes things happen that aid in
nutrient uptake)
1/2 cup alphalfa meal 7-2-5 General purpose organic fert(rabbit food)
1/2 cup horticulture mulch (slightly acidic, breaks down and becomes food)
The breakdown process is criticle to organic growing. There is a whole other world
under the surface. Microorganisms break down organic matter into the basic
elements. Opinions differ about how long it takes to get the process started but
IMO about a month of being watered and breakdown will be in high gear. Using
third
generation soil and its tweekin’. You can and should reuse the soil. Add more of
the powder ferts and your back in ‘binness. If your soil is alive with micros PH will
not be
a problem.
Watering: In my grow the plants need water about every third day. I don’t water
so much that water comes out of the drain holes. I think its wasteful and
unnessasary.
They get plenty of water though...all they can use.
Misting: Everyday,with 6.0 water. I add 1/4 teaspoon of orange oil to a pint of
water and the plants love it. The buds get bigger and tighter. Definitely a
worthwhile
procedure. Plain 6.0 water is OK too. Kinda’ dry where I live.(humidity wise)
It may be a misconception that soil is less hassle than hydro. I guess it’s what
you get used to. I know hydro rocks, but organics are Powerful.
Power to grow Gigantic with organics!!!
later,
tim
Re: MrSoul's organic soils & teas
1. My soil mix is (by volume) 50% worm castings, 25% Pro-Mix, and 25% perlite. Simple as that.
2. I feed with tea at EVERY watering of my plants & since they're flowered in 2-gallon containers -that's usually every day!
3. The teas I use are made by soaking a "tea bag" (got mine at Worm's Way) in a 5-gallon bucket of pH = 6.2 water.
Agitate and manipulate the bag a LOT to release as much of the "goodies" as possible - the water looks like it came from a mud puddle when you've got it right. I do one thing I've never heard other growers mention doing - I measure the ppm of my tea. Here are the contents of the tea bag, depending on growth stage: Vegetative => 1/2 cup each of PSG & worm castings. I also add a 1/2 cup of Maxi-Crop liquid seaweed, plus two Tablespoons of Alaska fish emulsion to the water.
(I shoot for a ppm = 1000) Flowering (weeks 0-4)=> 1/2 cup each of PSG & High Phosphorus bat guano. I also add a 1/2 cup of Maxi-Crop to the water. (ppm 1250 - 1500 ) Flowering (weeks 4-7)=> 1/2 cup each High Phosphorus bat guano and worm castings. (shifting ppm from 1500 -> 1000)
During the final week of flowering, many folks choose to use plain, pH-adjusted water for "clearing" but I don't. I haven't noticed any difference between when I have & when I haven't "cleared". This seems reasonable when growing organically - why clear? Clear WHAT? They're living in the medium in which they've evolved for millions of years! A few other hints: SOAK the pots thoroughly when watering, then allow them to become "light" when lifted before watering again...the plants LOVE a short drying out period. The amount of time it takes for the plants to dry out is constantly getting SHORTER as
they grow...be AWARE! Water BY HAND! At least get an accurate feel for how much the average plant needs by hand-watering before setting up a drip system or whatever. Transplant you clones into the container you plan to flower them in & veg them until their roots systems are FULLY established before flowering them - this will MINIMIZE stretching...check this out for yourself, it works!
Results From a Facinating Experiment Just In !!!! I just preformed a little experiment to see what organic nutrients grow the tastiest,best looking ,smelling ect... The experiment in volved a few popular strains like Shiva Skunk, Big Bud, White Widow and skunk#1*Hash plant. The organic components that I experimented with were all used the same during the flowering cycle. I tested high P bat&sea bird guano, bone meal, composted steer manure, rock phosphate and high P fish emulsion. Each plant was placed into a three gallon container from a one gallon pot upon forced flowering. Every pot is mixed with commercial " Super Soil " perlite, peat moss and oyster shell. Then the individual special ingrediants were blended in the mix and the plants were planted., I did three of each blend, of each varaiety. The results varaied widely. The guano's produced very nice sticky huge buds but there was a little lacking in the smell dept. The best of the guanos was the Shiva Skunk. All the guanos had a similar base taste thats kind of bland but not that bad. The bone meal did very well. The buds were smellier than the guano and had a slighter earthier taste. The best one was Widow. The resin content hasn't changed much between the same species with different mixes. Next was the rock phosphate, it produed the biggest buds, with the fewest amount leaves and the plants smelled the strongest yet. The Big Bud was the best performer with rock phosphate. The Fish Emulsion pellets preformed the worst out of all my mixes. All varaieties looked and smelled fine but they all had a fishy base taste. I once dropped a dead gold fish into a pot with a flowering plant, the buds tasted like striaght fish! The last of my mixes was Composted Steer Manure and it turned out to be the best. The plants were a little leafy but they had nice buds and smelled out of this world. Every strain smelled better under manure, the Shiva had that grape orange smell going on, the Widow had the sweetest skunkiest smell, Big Bud reeked of mangoes, and the SK#1*Hash plant reminded me of pelling on orange. The best part about manure, I had yet to find out until I cured my weed. WOW, even the best weed in
Amsterdam couldnt compare with this tasty stuff. The flavor of the weed would explode in your mouth with every hit . The smell of second hand smoke if so overpowering, it makes you got to have some if your not smoking it already. Does anybody else out there swear by manure for taste like I do? Please feel free to respond with your opinions on what makes weed taste great!
Wood Fiber Pots to Pluto the peat pots are actually 4(four) inch, and the type of pots are the ones that look kinda like paper mache'. Some of the pots have 1/4 inch thickness to an inch thick. I would say that the use of up to 3(three) gallon pots, but last time I used those rectangular strawberry baskets( 8"x5"x1 3/4" ), actually a baby carrot basket lined with black weed fabric laminate to hold moisture was used in the mighty mite/mango/humboldt(male)cross with purple skunk or shaman(female). by the way try Home Harvest.com and you can get up to 15(fifteen) gallon size wood fiber pots. Everything I've seen grow in these pots do very good.
Re: Wood Fiber Pots to Pluto
Oh yeah, forgot to say about the fertilizer and medium.
Basically I use 40% worm castings, 5% greensand, 30% perlite
and vermiculite mix 1% azomite aka bentonite clay the rest
is either pure sphagnum moss or a wood/peat/sphagnum mix.
For fertilizer, I like working with energy savers unlmtd or
ESU bloomjuice, brewed peru sbg and fossilized sbg and I'm
trying the hummus powders by Gardener Supply in Vermont
the booster and the seedling start. I just started using
prehistoric compost. But most of the watering I do is mostly
subirrigation, wick, or flood and evaporate. I have an
mychorizae fert mix that caused some stunting of some of the
plants which is my fault for learning to use this stuff.
I'm gonna try the straight mychorizae in the liquid form
next time, because this fungus is mainly used outdoors.
I would have to say that those days a few years ago toying
with that...Phototron piqued my miniature plant love and
that guy who sold them included mychorizae fugus cultures.
Then, at that time I had a pure strain from Belize. Awsome!
I had a full tree of about 5 or 6 inches tall and as many
as 10 heads on it and a full tree shape and hard stems and
that wood bottom. I lost the whole entire strain experimenting
with a spray of teas and guanos I brewed. I'm still crying
now as I type this. (wipe, wipe)
Jeez! Why/where have you been lurking! You have some great info to share! Your experiences with the mychorizae fungus are very interesting... being an old shroom cultivator I can relate.Now I know what kind of pots you mean - the local nurserys toss em away, and I've recovered ones that were outdoors for 2 years and still good, though never used em. Whats the deal with your "magic rod"? What is the "scientific" principle behind it and does it really work? Sounds to me you ( like I ) prefer the organic soil route. I use a modified Cali Super soil. I don't care for Peat Moss ( Sorry Canada!) so
I use Earthgro 1881 composted cow manure,50 lbs. as the base. I don't know where they bag this stuff, but it is CHOCK FULL of crumbly Mica Schist.(read trace element rich), and 25 lbs. EGrow potting soil. Next goes in 30% Pearlite, 5lbs Bone Meal, 5 lbs. pure Kelp, 2lbs.Sulfate Potash Magnesia, 3lbs. Blood meal, 3 lbs. Cotton Seed Meal, 2lb. hand-ground pumice (Lava Rock),Dolomite Lime to neutral, rainwater. This is composted for a month, then Red Earthworms added so the whole thing ends up being Castings! Nothing else really needed - the NL took to it like a NFL star to steroids!They were rootbound in a 10" pot under Flouros in a month! Tears, tears over your lost strain. I cry over a Morrocan strain that was Ashphalt Black; 3 tokes and you were exploring Alpha Centuri; seeds were perfectly round. Such is life........
http://www.onlinepot.org/grow/goodsoil.htm
