Poor mans organics .

[hecno]

I thought I would start a new thread on how to make things at very little cost and is dead easy to
make
I want to make it a open thread so all you can have some input on how you make low cost soil inputs
I have a number of things going on , but today I am back to microbes . This is what I made today , I believe it is better than when I first did it as the microbes end up throughout the soil instead of only on the top . We will find out in 3 or 4 days . Contents - worm castings - Curly grub poop - oats ground in coffee grinder -- unsulfured molasses [ 1/500 ] weak . -- spray bottle -- That's it -- Cost to make 20 cents -- you know what everything is apart from the curly grub poop
Curly grub poop .
Curl grubs are the larvae of different species of beetle including the African Black Beetle, the blackheaded pasture cockchafer, Christmas beetles and Scarab beetles. The larvae feed on dead plant material and the live roots or stems of a broad range of plants including lawns.
Yes I hear you say - but they eat roots -- that they do -- but that is a good thing I recon as there would have to be different microbes and fungi in there poop than worm castings . I know the life cycle of them , so when I go to use it in pots I know there will be no grubs in the soil .

Ok so here is the mix I am using - It comes from the top layer of soil that has been under old banana plants cut down , I will chop more down to build it back up again , then I will always have some on hand .Also it is loaded with worm castings . I recon there is a least 80% castings and poop

.Here is the oats after the coffee grinder has down its job , I put it in a pepper shaker type thing that has a bit bigger holes to sprinkle it on , which I have mixed in the soil . How much , unsure . I put enough in of what I thought would enough .

Molasses I sprayed on the soil to have a even dampness . Now it is ready . Just a small batch to start off with . Now to put it in a dark place .

Picked this up the other day when I went to the local dump one of those thing you put computer things in,a bloke had it on the back of his trailer and was going to dump it , Hoy hang on mate , I'll have that . Has 3 ways to get in and I recon I can set it up and use it for what I am doing here .

There ya have it a low cost way for a soil input ---- Now I better explain something , I am new to organics and am about to do my first true organic grow with out bottle nutrients I noticed a big difference when I changed from chem to organic nutrients , now this is my next step .
I have said it time and time again , yield is not a concern I have , that will come later . For me there is no turning back . I have always believed in quality over quantity . So I will update when things start to happen .

 

[hello]

horse poo &straw useful?

 

[hecno]

@hello yes it is , When I have used it for compost I have a higher N to C ratio for a bit more heat to kill weed seeds , Horse dung is know to spread seeds .

 

[hecno]

Enzyme teas , Fish Hydrolysate - Ferment plant extract - and - [ SST ] -Alfalfa enzyme tea -- This is what I have been making so far , I am waiting on replacement seeds but I have my veggie garden going now the wet season is over so I have been using this stuff on them , One notable stand out was the SST
This is not a low cost one for me but well worth the cost , till I can order some bulk seeds I used seed packets from the garden nursery . I never got around to taking so photos of before and after but - Wow - I used it on some tomato and capsicum plants and within day days there was a very noticeable growth difference . I am very impressed with it . Now all the stuff you see in the photos was made at very little cost , the only real cost is your time . On thing I do recommend is spend some time on google and learn as much as you can . First up is my - Fish Hydrolysate -

Just over 7 and a 1/2 litres

Next a fermented flower tea

Next a group shot -- there is also a fermented growth tea which is made with banana shoots and one with weed shoots

New batch of Lacto

A little bit of molasses - The bottle stuff I am using up on my Garden plants , no point wasting it .

I also have 2 compost piles on the go for the soil and compost tea . I may end up with 3 -- Hang on a minute the bloody dogs are going off --
Ok I'm back . This time of year the bloody wild pigs are back and a hour or so before day break they head back to there day camps .
Right 3 compost piles . I am going for a fungi dominant one , a bacteria one , and a balanced one . I have the first one on the go and when the sun comes up will start the bacteria one . I have 3 phases to what I am doing - 1st soil - 2nd nutrients for soil and plant - 3rd plant - For you guys like me who are just starting out as you learn each of the first two phases we become closer to our end goal . And yes there will be stuff ups along the way . If any of you guys have a different way of doing it - Please - feel free to post here . I am only learning and still have a long way to go down this magical Path .

 

[epenguin]

The Organic Doctor is in the House.........................

 

[hecno]

Harvesting worms for your worm bin in the dry tropics in keeping with what you can do with very little money . So you need worms , now this relates to the dry tropics , but it may work in your climate zone too . Ever wonder where the little buggers go , I did , and was thinking under the roots of dirty great big trees where you can't get to sods . So what to do , Here is the answer . Make a environment so they don't bugger off . Da Da . Fist up I made a trial plot to make sure it works . and it works great . So far I have taken 4 cups of worms from it , but I am aiming for a lot more , so I am expanding and here is what I do . Wet the ground where you want them , which will pull them in from the drying soil . I'll start with the first trial plot . [ photo ] I used cardboard egg cartons [wet ]
with dry cardboard on top with a log to stop the cardboard moving .

Egg cartons soaked with Bat guano flour .

This one is chopped banana stems

Now to the expanded plot . First I laid down the egg cardboard .

Then I put the chopped banana stems down .

Next I covered with dry cardboard with a log on top , just to stop the cardboard moving .

Now being in the dry tropics is doe's not matter how wet the cardboard is , as the surrounding dry soil will pull the excess moisture out , Which in it's self brings more worms in . As far as food for them goes , I will only be feeding them banana stems and leaf litter from the forest floor . Plus as @pop22 mentioned nutrients which I will add to the soaked cardboard , but that is another story . The purpose of doing this is to get free worms and castings . :smoking:

.

 

[Eyes on Fire]

Excellent Bro,pure Excellence