Biochar

[KIS]

It's pretty wintry here, but I'm getty antsy to get my soil out and wake it up.
Also, I fully intend to come by your store when we are in the area next fall!

Yeah, stop by and say "hi." We are getting excited for warmer weather too. Just did a seed exchange (vegetables) last weekend which was fun and are already starting some plants in the greenhouse.

 

[lunarman]

@Dudeski @Pops @KIS @hecno @Jraven @Rev. Green Genes @Eyes on Fire

Question I have. I didn't read every post in this thread because its long and my time is limited. But will read it later. But I ready enough that it got me thinking I might be missing something in my mix. I have about 5% each of biochar and worm castings amended in my base substrate of HP Promix and coco. The local farmer who makes the biochar told me to add the worm castings because it works together with the biochar. I'm also adding mycorrhizae when roots are exposed for transplant. And my base nutes are AN Sensi Bloom A+B. And I do add a nitrozyme kelp additive as well. My question is, am I missing something to feed all the organisms like cereal I saw mentioned. It would be a real waste to have 90% of the parts but miss out on the real benefits. Thanks.

 

[Rev. Green Genes]

I know that bacterial counts in arctic soils is surprisingly low, but virus and viroids are surprisingly high. In southern soils there is more of a balance. Virus tends to be fine in extreme temps. Both bacteria and Fungi are more species dependent on tolerances. Psilocibins will grow in FL and GA but not TN or SC. I get Morels here, but not in Florida. In TN I have not seen any mycos overwintering although I inoculated most of my perennials, I blame the freezes we get. I need to look some of this up. If there are more temperature hardy mycos available that would be great. Around here the woodsy mycos survive, but not in field conditions.

 

[Rev. Green Genes]

and in case any readers didn't know, some virus are beneficial. They are mobile replicating machines. Inserting DNA into their hosts. Some are lytic, meaning they destroy their host as the babies eat their way out, parasite style. Lysogenic replicators require a trigger to hatch, and can allow several generations of host to go by before they hatch. Those type are often beneficial.

 

[lunarman]

Bump!

 

[Dudeski]

@Dudeski @Pops @KIS @hecno @Jraven @Rev. Green Genes @Eyes on Fire

Question I have. I didn't read every post in this thread because its long and my time is limited. But will read it later. But I ready enough that it got me thinking I might be missing something in my mix. I have about 5% each of biochar and worm castings amended in my base substrate of HP Promix and coco. The local farmer who makes the biochar told me to add the worm castings because it works together with the biochar. I'm also adding mycorrhizae when roots are exposed for transplant. And my base nutes are AN Sensi Bloom A+B. And I do add a nitrozyme kelp additive as well. My question is, am I missing something to feed all the organisms like cereal I saw mentioned. It would be a real waste to have 90% of the parts but miss out on the real benefits. Thanks.

Most anything organic feeds the life in the soil but provides it different NPk. Alfalfa, kelp, and malted barley. if you used enough of these you don't need the bottles. The bottles tend to make the plant roots lazy, only feeding from the nute water and not the soil.
I am still learning but I hope that made sense

 

[hecno]

Barley flour , Molasses , Liquid seaweed , Teas of different types , These are some of the things I add to my soil when I am maintaining it for future use .

 

[lunarman]

@hecno @Dudeski
Would worm castings which I believe is classified as a compost work? And I'm already including liquid kelp and worm castings with the biochar so hoping my amendments are 100% in synergy and working together and not lacking in any way. I also use synthetic salt nutes in my reservoir feeding.

 

[hecno]

Unsure what you mean by synthetic salt nutes but if it is not organic you will harm the microbes you are trying to create .

 

[lunarman]

Unsure what you mean by synthetic salt nutes but if it is not organic you will harm the microbes you are trying to create .

Oh shoot. That sucks. I am using Advanced Nutrients Sensi nutes. Right now my substrate is HP Promix (peat base) with coco and perlite amended. And mycos, worm castings, biochar. So the nutes I'm using would harm but not kill the microbes and fungi?

I have access to a lab optical microscope which I used to look at trichomes. I believe it goes up to 60X's magnification. Is there a way to look my growing medium (and possibly pull part of the root from the pot) with a microscope and see microbes and tell how they are doing like I can do with trichomes?