Compost/living soil from nature??

[DTOM420]

Forest floor soil can run a little on the acidic side and you need to make sure you don't bring in any pests, but rumor has it that mother nature was growing canna in it back in the day with a lot of success.

How do you make sure not to bring in pests?

 

[hecno]

I have never had a problem with pests to date . All the forest soil I have tested , has a ph of 7 . but this is in my area .

 

[DTOM420]

I have never had a problem with pests to date . All the forest soil I have tested , has a ph of 7 . but this is in my area .

I’ll stick my Accurate 8 pH probe in the pile and see what I come up with. I’ll report back.

 

[DTOM420]

Purty close!

 

[Green Goblin]

Thanks GG! I’ve never used them but I keep hearing their name here; so I’ll send them a sample. Which tests should I have them run....just a basic macro & micro content?

I just went and grabbed 110 gallons of it this afternoon! Lol

Yeah man the standard soil test is pretty solid...

pH ( Just realized you already took a reading for this )
Organic Matter
Total Exchange Capacity
Sulfur

Phosphorous
Calcium
Magnesium
Potassium
Sodium
Boron
Iron
Manganese
Copper
Zinc
Aluminum
% Base Saturation Ca, Mg, K, Na


I'm sure the soil is full of plenty of microbial activity,especially an undisturbed non polluted area such as what you have there from what I can see..It is a living soil absolutely.. You can add some inoculants though such as compost & castings because as we know diversity is key when it comes to the soil food web..A lot of things you can do here but me personally I'd start with that test ( instead of a shot in the dark ) as soil can vary from area to area obviously,then you can adjust inputs based on the soil report to make it well suitable for a canna plant's needs..some aeration and all that good stuff.

Eyes on Fire could give you some valuable insight..I didn't @ Eyes because I now he's busy at the moment so I didn't want to put him on the spot but you could hit him up if you need to..Very knowledgeable

@hecno knows his stuff when it comes to using resources from the land.

 

[DTOM420]

Yeah man the standard soil test is pretty solid...

pH ( Just realized you already took a reading for this )
Organic Matter
Total Exchange Capacity
Sulfur

Phosphorous
Calcium
Magnesium
Potassium
Sodium
Boron
Iron
Manganese
Copper
Zinc
Aluminum
% Base Saturation Ca, Mg, K, Na


I'm sure the soil is full of plenty of microbial activity,especially an undisturbed non polluted area such as what you have there from what I can see..It is a living soil absolutely.. You can add some inoculants though such as compost & castings because as we know diversity is key when it comes to the soil food web..A lot of things you can do here but me personally I'd start with that test ( instead of a shot in the dark ) as soil can vary from area to area obviously,then you can adjust inputs based on the soil report to make it well suitable for a canna plant's needs..some aeration and all that good stuff.

Eyes on Fire could give you some valuable insight..I didn't @ Eyes because I now he's busy at the moment so I didn't want to put him on the spot but you could hit him up if you need to..Very knowledgeable

@hecno knows his stuff when it comes to using resources from the land.

Thanks again GG! I’ll send off a test soon. Then I’ll be asking for advice. In the mean time, I think I’ll plant some red clover on the pile as I add to it and I’m going to keep it moist. That ought to help it stay alive and it’ll certainly add some N. I’m sure Eyes will be along at some point, when he’s got a little more free time. I’m going to be busy gathering this garden goodness!

 

[hecno]

The ph level is fine for a number of reasons , So now you have a starting point , ph your feeds to 6.5 and all is good , but don't forget to feed the soil along the way .

 

[hecno]

@Green Goblin I think I have proved you do not need tests ect , but understanding , growing cannabis is a skill not text book .

 

[Green Goblin]

@Green Goblin I think I have proved you do not need tests ect , but understanding , growing cannabis is a skill not text book .

I know how you get down Hec

 

[DTOM420]

I know how you BOTH get down lol! But I’m a long way from that. I may not be able to afford a test but if I can, I will - just because I’m so far from yall’s level that knowing what’s not in there would be a good idea. I know why I shouldn’t need one, according to the philosophy; but I still lack enough faith in my own ability. Haha!