Can you help me build a simple orgainc soil grow?

[curlygirl420]

Hello Everyone, I've been lurking for a while and have learned a ton. I'm getting ready to start a new seed (Blue Mystic) and I'd like some ideas on how to best use the supplies I have on hand. I'd like to try to use just these supplies because I'm trying to keep cost to a bare minimum right now. But, I could buy something if it's not too expensive and there's a good enough reason. I don't have time to let the soil cook. I'm just trying to do a small, organic, inexpensive grow. Looking forward to your comments

Supplies on Hand:
Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Soil (Canadian Sphagnum peat moss, bark, compost, perlite or pumice or cinders, earthworm castings, and organic fertilizer). It's .05/0/0

Earth Worm Castings

A Blend of Vericompost/Biochar

A very small sample bag of mycorrhizae great white

Insect Frass 2-2-2

Tomato Tone 3-4-6

Unsulfured Molassas

Sample Bottle of Full On by Grow Switch

I have a two gallon smart pot and will plant directly in this pot.

Last time I used insect frass and the vermi/biochar to amend the soil, then top dressed with tomato tone a few weeks later. Should I just do that again or is there a better way based on the above constraints?

 

[Fuggzy]

I am familiar with black cow, but not their potting soil. The general mix sounds okay, I would get more perlite, or pumice though. I would just guess there is not enough aeration. Although the biochar can help with that too.

If you have enough worm castings, go heavy handed in the potting soil. The Vericompost is basically more castings which is nice. I would go for 25-30% EWC.

The biochar should be inoculated. I know you said it is mixed, but do you know if the goodies in the Vcompost have soaked in to the char? Fresh/plain biochar will actually rob your soil, instead of providing a slow release.

Insect frass is good, but be careful with it. I have read about lots of people getting bug problems from it. It is a good source of chitin (pronounced “Kite-in”). This is another reason people use shell fish. It helps add to the "armor" of the plant. Just keep an eye out when you use it.

I going to take a guess you know how to make a EWC tea being you have the US molasses. If you are concerned the microbes are not active enough, feed with a tea every time, it won't harm the soil/plant.

Read about making FPJ/FPE Fermented plant juice, or extracts. I make them out of my weeds, and it only cost me a bag of brown sugar every now and then.

I've never used tomato tone, but if you have and like it, go for it. Any organics is better than some chemicals.

I also have not used full on. The site looks good. Seems to have a lot going on in it.

I also just read...

Last time I used insect frass and the vermi/biochar to amend the soil, then top dressed with tomato tone a few weeks later. Should I just do that again or is there a better way based on the above constraints?

So if you already knew all ^^that^^... Sorry. If it worked before, I say go for it. The added full on should be a bonus. Read up on the fermented extracts, its free ferts.

Take care.

 

[Nan]

Hello, CurlyGirl420... If you can get a bag of powdered gypsum from the hardware or gardening store, or WallyWorld, it's well worth it and will last you 5+ years. It's like millions of tiny shovels loosening your mix, plus gives the balanced phosphorus for great root growth. I use a pinch when planting seed, then about a tablespoon when transplanting & the roots just go crazy. A bonus is that you won't end up in cal/mag deficiencies... This is also the stuff that eliminates "blossom end rot" on tomatoes & squash... ;p

If you have access to free horse crap (outdoor, not from a barn), you can fill a bucket 1/2 way, then fill with water. Drop in some of those larger chunks of charcoal. The microbes in the horse manure will colonize the pores in the charcoal & from there colonize your soil.

Excellent plants for your compost pile and plant teas (also free) are:

dandelion
plantain
potato greens
millions more...

Seaweed (well-soaked & washed free of salt) is also an excellent soil amendment, complete with 81 minerals...

 

[Dazed]

Would be worth checking out @pop22 and his threads, he is always working on making simple soil mixes and his results are amazing.

 

[Nan]

I so envy you guys who have access to bagged products. Here, we had only sand, with about 1" or less of "topsoil" in the forest.
First project = compost bin! Now we have 5 raised beds 18" deep on stilts full of wonderful soil. Lucky me, neighbors' cows & horses visit often & leave their deposits free for the carrying. Plenty of sea lettuce on one of the beaches. Charcoal from our firepit. Egg shells & mussel shells, esp. baby ones, for grinding up with a couple bricks. Well composted pine sawdust. Pine needles for mulch. You can imagine how delighted I was to find powdered gypsum in 1kg bags.

Would be so nice to be able to use leaves in my compost, but they're from eucalyptus & acacia & resiny... The bark can be used for tanning leather, but I think not in my soil mix...

 

[curlygirl420]

Wow! Thanks for all the love and ideas. Looks like I have more reading to do. Love it! The tomato tone has calcium, but I can't verify the magnesium content. Wondering if I should use a little epsom salt. Any thoughts?

Also, can someone help me understand something about insect frass tea? The label says it's 2-2-2 out of the bag. Wondering if this holds steady for all applications. Meaning if I use it to make tea is the tea then 2-3-2 also?

 

[lilm00re14]

I use Azomite Minerals in my organic soil. Works wonders

 

[Fuggzy]

Hi again Curly. The tomato tone has some nice stuff in it. If you want to use epsom salt, it will work for magnesium. A mixture of 1-2 table spoons to a gallon of water at least once a month should be fine. You can use this as often as you would like, but I would just try and use what you need. I would start at 1 Tbsp but have read about people using up to 2 per gallon on a soil drench. If you want to do a foliage spray, just cut the amount of epsom in 1/2, or even a 1/4. Autos are new to me, so I'm not sure how your garden may fair. Just use caution. If you use this, got to the pharmacy. Don't get the "garden epsom" it is the EXACT same thing. (magnesium sulphate) The Rx will cost about $5 for 5 lbs. Here is a decent read on epsom salt in the garden.
http://www.saltworks.us/gardening-with-epsom-salt.asp

Another route would be using dolomite lime. IT NEEDS TO BE PULVERIZED! Sorry, that part is important. This needs to be able to break down in to the soil, and is not water soluble like the epsom. If you get it in any size larger than pulverized, it will not break down fast enough. Even at this size, it will not all break down for a while, well after a single grow. There are a few ways you will find this listed, and may be confusing. There is agricultural lime, and dolomite lime. I think garden lime is just a marketing term, and is either one or the other. This quote is in regards to the differences.

"The primary difference between the two materials is that, in addition to containing calcium carbonate, dolomitic lime also contains a mixture of magnesium carbonate. Typically, the mineral is comprised of approximately 50% calcium carbonate and 40% magnesium carbonate with the remainder being other materials."

The main reason most growers use lime is as a ph buffer, as it has a PH of 7. The best thing if you use this is to let the soil "cook". Mainly with the idea of letting the DL break down and feed the soil. This is cheap also. I paid $6 for 50lbs, but it is from a local source. Will last me longer than my garden will.

I've never used frass myself. From what I understand the best uses are... Feed it to your worms, mix it in the soil, or top dress. In that order. I've never read about making a tea out of it. Does it mix in water, and suspend in it? Does it just go with the flow of the water? (rise with bubbles, but fall right back to the bottom like rocks) If it is able to mix and suspend I would try using it as a foliage spray. Maybe after you learn a bit about FPJ making, add some to it at feeding time.

I also agree with NAN about the gypsum, It is a great thing to condition the soil. Another cheap item that goes a long way.

 

[Fuggzy]

I so envy you guys who have access to bagged products. Here, we had only sand, with about 1" or less of "topsoil" in the forest.
First project = compost bin! Now we have 5 raised beds 18" deep on stilts full of wonderful soil. Lucky me, neighbors' cows & horses visit often & leave their deposits free for the carrying. Plenty of sea lettuce on one of the beaches. Charcoal from our firepit. Egg shells & mussel shells, esp. baby ones, for grinding up with a couple bricks. Well composted pine sawdust. Pine needles for mulch. You can imagine how delighted I was to find powdered gypsum in 1kg bags.

Would be so nice to be able to use leaves in my compost, but they're from eucalyptus & acacia & resiny... The bark can be used for tanning leather, but I think not in my soil mix...

It just goes to show how green the grass really is... In my opinion everything you listed is how I think we should garden. I try to use the least amount of bagged product as I can. I admit I buy what I can't make, but the natural way is what get me going.

 

[curlygirl420]

I so envy you guys who have access to bagged products. Here, we had only sand, with about 1" or less of "topsoil" in the forest.
First project = compost bin! Now we have 5 raised beds 18" deep on stilts full of wonderful soil. Lucky me, neighbors' cows & horses visit often & leave their deposits free for the carrying. Plenty of sea lettuce on one of the beaches. Charcoal from our firepit. Egg shells & mussel shells, esp. baby ones, for grinding up with a couple bricks. Well composted pine sawdust. Pine needles for mulch. You can imagine how delighted I was to find powdered gypsum in 1kg bags.

Would be so nice to be able to use leaves in my compost, but they're from eucalyptus & acacia & resiny... The bark can be used for tanning leather, but I think not in my soil mix...

Hi Nan! Nice to meet you! Some day maybe I will know enough and plan ahead enough to do some more natural growing, but at the moment I'm trying to see if I can actually grow one of these lovely plants! Haha! Yes, you are right I am glad to have access to these bagged supplies for now! Funny enough, most of the supplies I'm using now I received as free samples. I just batted my curly girl lashes at the man at the nursery store! Peace.