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Post your Organic Soil Mix

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Post your Organic Soil Mix

justiceman 1,083 Replies 446,831 Views
Page 15 of 55 · Replies 281–300 of 1,084
#282
Seamaiden said:
I bet that pond slime is incredibly biologically active, too, not just chock full of nutrients, but critters eating and shitting those nutrients. Mmm... nutrientpoo.
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haha. yeah it really works amazing like eh + hes plants are ?what about,15,ft.min. and it must be active cos all the straw gets eaten away:-)
 
#284
H
Seamaiden said:
I bet that pond slime is incredibly biologically active, too, not just chock full of nutrients, but critters eating and shitting those nutrients. Mmm... nutrientpoo.
Click to expand...
hey seamaiden:-)
when i add my 5% carbon + my usuall 10,15,litres of ewc,do i need to bring my soil p.h back into range?. idk ive got lime but it takes?like yrs to break down + stabilize the p.h ive read?is that true. what happens if u added to much lime would the p.h just keep rising ?or does it only ever level it to 7?lol sorry i just dont know 1,other person who may know.if lime takes sooo long to work how come it works in? 3,months in subbs super soil.+ will caps bennies ,break, down the lime faster?:-). can u make a week tea with lime in.just a lil with bennies to break it down + water it in if your vegging in big pots for a long time?.. sorry again for all the mad q,s.ive got pumice:-).aswell.ta if u know ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS SEA:-)
peace
s-
 
#285
also couldnt i use a mix of ? hazel,wall,pine,pecan,brazill etc shells?. do i just smash em with a hammer?+get ?bits like hydro ball size!lol.i dont use whole half shells do i,?do i have to do anything to prepare my nut shells?.+ do they just loosen my soil or?is there nute value woith the lignin etc.ta sea.
s-
 
#286
I haven't used the nut shells, but I would think that they'd work better if they were in smaller bits. I say why not any nut (hull/shell)? Brazil nuts are AWFULLY hard, though, you might have a difficult time with them. But, if making biochar with them, char them first, then break them up.

Oh! That reminds me, I was just reading about a UK outfit that sells biochar. Wish I could easily find someone like that out here. Let me find the name of the outfit for you, spacebomb.

Here we go, outfit's in Bristol, England, called Carbon Gold, Ltd. Let's see if I can find a website!
http://www.carbongold.com/
Now, this is what's got me super-envious--they sell biochar kilns so you can make your own char.
 
#287
O
Seamaiden said:
I haven't used the nut shells, but I would think that they'd work better if they were in smaller bits. I say why not any nut (hull/shell)? Brazil nuts are AWFULLY hard, though, you might have a difficult time with them. But, if making biochar with them, char them first, then break them up.

Oh! That reminds me, I was just reading about a UK outfit that sells biochar. Wish I could easily find someone like that out here. Let me find the name of the outfit for you, spacebomb.

Here we go, outfit's in Bristol, England, called Carbon Gold, Ltd. Let's see if I can find a website!
http://www.carbongold.com/
Now, this is what's got me super-envious--they sell biochar kilns so you can make your own char.
Click to expand...
oh wow
:-)cheers sea.thats very cool.
peace
,:(s-
 
#288
ha thats cool im getting 1,kg of the concentrate ,+ 20,l biochar compost + seedling soil:-) all for 15£. thanks soo much for that sea looks like im rocking the bio char from now on with nut shells ,instead of perlite + caps bennies.ha ta sea now that was amazing.my letters going of tomorrow .i want it before i run these blue chem,s + blowfish.
peace seamaiden:-)
peace
space
 
#289
aahh im getting the growers world pack is it! only 50£ for all their seed soil ,fert pellets and 2,and a half ,five kg of biochar + a 250,g free tub to ,give to a freind:-),lol .shame i dont know u:-) so this will airate + increase my yeilds ?.thanks again sea + i dont think ive the space in my bedroom for a kiln:-)ill just buy it.its really cheap.ive got a 25,kg sak of pumice aswell.
Seamaiden said:
I haven't used the nut shells, but I would think that they'd work better if they were in smaller bits. I say why not any nut (hull/shell)? Brazil nuts are AWFULLY hard, though, you might have a difficult time with them. But, if making biochar with them, char them first, then break them up.

Oh! That reminds me, I was just reading about a UK outfit that sells biochar. Wish I could easily find someone like that out here. Let me find the name of the outfit for you, spacebomb.

Here we go, outfit's in Bristol, England, called Carbon Gold, Ltd. Let's see if I can find a website!
http://www.carbongold.com/
Now, this is what's got me super-envious--they sell biochar kilns so you can make your own char.
Click to expand...
 
#291
spacebomb said:
aahh im getting the growers world pack is it! only 50£ for all their seed soil ,fert pellets and 2,and a half ,five kg of biochar + a 250,g free tub to ,give to a freind:),lol .shame i dont know u:) so this will airate + increase my yeilds ?.thanks again sea + i dont think ive the space in my bedroom for a kiln:)ill just buy it.its really cheap.ive got a 25,kg sak of pumice aswell.
Click to expand...
Nice! I can't say how envious I am, can't figure out why we don't already have something like this out here.
 
#292
yeah i know,?its usually otherway round eh:-) i wonder if i have to cut the coco,compost gear? i dont wanna switch to coco! but even the ferteliser pellets sound cool.,+ that ,soil improver, ? that must be the char? idk. whitc of the products would u use?indoors.lol.
Seamaiden said:
Nice! I can't say how envious I am, can't figure out why we don't already have something like this out here.
Click to expand...
 
#293
All of them! I'd be trying pretty much everything out, one way or another. You don't have to use coco if you don't want to. I only perused, didn't really go in depth into anything except the kilns.
 
#294
yeah im gonna try them like so. its coco rtho.it says. even the otherstuff should .will add the extra organic matter to my soil so its all good.its cheap so ill try it all out.
Seamaiden said:
All of them! I'd be trying pretty much everything out, one way or another. You don't have to use coco if you don't want to. I only perused, didn't really go in depth into anything except the kilns.
Click to expand...
 
#295
New to this forum... IC has been my home since '06, but, dabbling my way around. I love organic soil. Figured I'd post my mix as of late. I've evolved away from blood/blood as well as lime. My last run was basically just-add-water, with excellent results. Going to start recycling now, as the amount of soil that I dump into my flower/garden beds is ridic. Long story as to why I've barely dipped into recycling until my plans to now. Anywho, this makes about 115 gallons, which gets dispersed amongst 26 #5 Smarties at ~4gal each, while leaving room for topdressing.

7.5 cup measurements = 1tbsp/gal
15 cup measurements = 2 tbsp/gal

2 bales ProMix HP
30 gallons EWC
30 gallons perlite
7.5 cups oyster shell
7.5 cups Excelerite (new addition, anybody heard of it?) *see below
7.5 cups kelp meal
7.5 cups azomite
7.5 cups diatomaceous earth (silica source - and it seems to work as a good supplement, if not direct replacement of using ProTekt. Just my experience...
15 cups crab meal
15 cups neem cake
15 cups fish bone meal
Then I throw in a lb of Oregonism for good measure.
Wet down with bio-catalyst (LK, etc) and sits in garabe cans for a month.

*Excelerite is sold as a "microbe multiplier, remineralizer, and pH stabilizer. " My theory is that with this product (quite cheap, and a local product of sorts) - along with oyster shell will directly replace lime, although my current garden is the first completely void of lime. I've used Excelerite plenty, but just now dropping the lime in exchange for a higher dose. So far so good.

With this "regimen" I don't know why everybody doesn't grow in organic soil. Yield is always good, and quality is lovely.

With all that being said; I'm looking forward to recycling. Any input on what anybody would reamend into above mix while recycling is welcome! As well as any adjustments pertaining to recycling. As far as -not- recycling, it works beautifully, I know that much.

Glad to join you organic heads here at the farmer :)
 
#296
Myco said:
I've evolved away from blood/blood as well as lime.

7.5 cup measurements = 1tbsp/gal
15 cup measurements = 2 tbsp/gal

15 cups crab meal
15 cups neem cake
15 cups fish bone meal
Click to expand...

Thanks for the soil report.
Do you think of the crab and fish bone as replacements for blood and bone meal?
Please explain your equivalency equations. It's just not coming into focus for me.

My problem is that my simple super soil is working so well for me that I am hesitant to mess with it.
My latest experiment was to replace locally sourced peat with Pro Mix HP.
Seems a transparent substitution, but easier to work mechanically and better permeability throughout the grow.

As for refurbishing used root balls- I just ran a blend that used spent soil as my replacement for the peat or Pro Mix and then made additions at 1/3 the original formula.
This worked well.
The problem with super soil is that the microbes negotiate with the plant for nutrients. This seems to mask / accommodate vast imbalances in the soil. So while the plants seem prefect, I can't figure out what might be more perfect.

Most perfect is what I want.
 
#297
Dunge said:
Thanks for the soil report.
Do you think of the crab and fish bone as replacements for blood and bone meal?
Please explain your equivalency equations. It's just not coming into focus for me.

My problem is that my simple super soil is working so well for me that I am hesitant to mess with it.
My latest experiment was to replace locally sourced peat with Pro Mix HP.
Seems a transparent substitution, but easier to work mechanically and better permeability throughout the grow.

As for refurbishing used root balls- I just ran a blend that used spent soil as my replacement for the peat or Pro Mix and then made additions at 1/3 the original formula.
This worked well.
The problem with super soil is that the microbes negotiate with the plant for nutrients. This seems to mask / accommodate vast imbalances in the soil. So while the plants seem prefect, I can't figure out what might be more perfect.

Most perfect is what I want.
Click to expand...
I think what you are not seeing is the neem cake, which is a great source of slow release nitrogen. As well as - Crab meal is 4-3-0. Fish bone is 3-18-0. How much of that 18% is immediately available, I am not sure of. But bone meal's 0-10-0, breaks down at a slower rate, from what I understand. I was also skeptical at first pulling bone and blood, but after seeing others' results, I was convinced. Also to mention, the anti-pest/pathogen properties of neem/crab are a big motivation, and adding these to a mix with bone and blood could be overkill. Also to mention, the concept of blood meal grosses me out, and I'd trade the stentch of neem cake/crab/fish bone any day ;)

As far as re-amending, do you think that adding 1/3 of each ingredient is necessary? I'm not doubting you, I've just seen folks mention that this could be a tad overkill. A common practice seems to be adding a bit of alfalfa to break down the goods further, and replenishing some EWC. The idea of this is that a lot of the goods are just beginning to fully break down by the time your first run with the mix is done.
I was also considering adding green sand being as that I'm going to start recycling, even though green sand takes forever and a day to break down - it could be a good K source on the long term. But, I also prefer simple, yet effective, and don't want to go tossing in more than I need to.

With all that being said - Also been reading up on the use of comfrey, barley, nettles etc. Seems to be common practice for some folks recycling and growing no-till style. The world of organic soil is absolutely fascinating...
 
#298
Myco said:
I think what you are not seeing is the neem cake, which is a great source of slow release nitrogen. As well as - Crab meal is 4-3-0. Fish bone is 3-18-0. How much of that 18% is immediately available, I am not sure of. But bone meal's 0-10-0, breaks down at a slower rate, from what I understand. I was also skeptical at first pulling bone and blood, but after seeing others' results, I was convinced. Also to mention, the anti-pest/pathogen properties of neem/crab are a big motivation, and adding these to a mix with bone and blood could be overkill. Also to mention, the concept of blood meal grosses me out, and I'd trade the stentch of neem cake/crab/fish bone any day ;)

As far as re-amending, do you think that adding 1/3 of each ingredient is necessary? I'm not doubting you, I've just seen folks mention that this could be a tad overkill. A common practice seems to be adding a bit of alfalfa to break down the goods further, and replenishing some EWC. The idea of this is that a lot of the goods are just beginning to fully break down by the time your first run with the mix is done.
I was also considering adding green sand being as that I'm going to start recycling, even though green sand takes forever and a day to break down - it could be a good K source on the long term. But, I also prefer simple, yet effective, and don't want to go tossing in more than I need to.

With all that being said - Also been reading up on the use of comfrey, barley, nettles etc. Seems to be common practice for some folks recycling and growing no-till style. The world of organic soil is absolutely fascinating...
Click to expand...

just cooked up a nice batch of comfrey. had about a gallon good water, about 6 cups of cut up comfrey. put comfrey in water, put lid on loosely,, 3rd day it had quit bubbling and called it good. very pugent at this point but not femented. will foilar spray veg plants soon and watch them blow the heck up.
 
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