Mikedin’s Living Soil Adventure and Living Soil discussion topic

[Mikedin]

A nice thing about living soil is you can be as hands on or hands off as you want to be and still get great results. I took a 10 day vacation in the middle of flower and didn’t need anyone to water for me. I use a drip irrigation that is gravity fed. Ecowitt moisture meters and blumat drippers for the win. I only feed once a week. So could technically not open the tent a week at a time.

Love my ecowitts I can check those anytime, if I see it’s good I don’t even open the tent, plus I really got used to the moisture curves and would know how many days I would get between eating s just by what the moisture level was in the bottom of the bag, depending on where it’s at it can be anywhere from a week down to 48 hours is what I found was the minimum between watering once I’m deep into flower past week 5

I think blumat drippers are the next upgrade maybe spring or something when I’m ready to do it lol

 

[Mikedin]

Wouldn’t all the worm poop and composting plant matter keep your microbe population happy? I raised worms for a couple years when I was growing indoor so I could brew some tea that was it, worm castings and molasses and bubble for a couple days.

Yes I also cover crop, those roots and feeder roots you leave behind are just more work food, I amended the shit out of these bags they are at 100% full amend rates for all amendments they’ll get 5-8 weeks of just consistent moisture then around week 5 of that wait I’ll replant cover crop, by the time I plant it’ll be a few inches tall probably, then I chop it right at flip and cover it and amend again for flower

 

[Week4Bytch]

Drying back compost. Cringe right? Anyone here drys back compost to kill off fungus gnats eggs? I saw a youtuber doing this with "claimed" success and has a decent grow to show for it. I just have my reservations about drying back compost, kinda defeats the general purpose of it.

 

[RGWD0202]

Drying back compost. Cringe right? Anyone here drys back compost to kill off fungus gnats eggs? I saw a youtuber doing this with "claimed" success and has a decent grow to show for it. I just have my reservations about drying back compost, kinda defeats the general purpose of it.

Where is the compost coming from?

Fungus gnats are not too much of an issue just an annoyance more than anything. As long as they don’t get out of control you should be ok.

 

[Natep]

Drying back compost. Cringe right? Anyone here drys back compost to kill off fungus gnats eggs? I saw a youtuber doing this with "claimed" success and has a decent grow to show for it. I just have my reservations about drying back compost, kinda defeats the general purpose of it.

Use mosquito bits and beneficial nematodes

 

[Week4Bytch]

Use mosquito bits and beneficial nematodes

All 101 stuff, I'm just wondering about his use of the dry back, seems to defeat the purpose of compost, don't you think?

 

[Week4Bytch]

Where is the compost coming from?

Fungus gnats are not too much of an issue just an annoyance more than anything. As long as they don’t get out of control you should be ok.

Agreed, but I'm questioning his dry back methods.. seems counterintuitive.

 

[Mikedin]

I believe I remember a discussion about removing lowers, under the nets yes, but I never strip the stalks or I’d miss out On this goodness

 

[Mikedin]

Drying back compost. Cringe right? Anyone here drys back compost to kill off fungus gnats eggs? I saw a youtuber doing this with "claimed" success and has a decent grow to show for it. I just have my reservations about drying back compost, kinda defeats the general purpose of it.

I use my mosquito bits (bti) in my feed water, haven’t had gnats in years in the tents

3x 5 gallon jugs I use 1 a day to 1.5 a day to every 2 days, once I water I fill and rotate them I keep a half cup of mosquito bits in the bottom and never empty the bits out and leave about 1/2 gallon (full gallon if filling the sprayer so I don’t get any hits in the sprayer and clog the nozzle) just it’ll them off each time I use em and let em sit, I change out the bits once every 6-7 months and put in new have had the same bag for years now

Everything gets it down to the seedlings every watering

 

[Week4Bytch]

I believe I remember a discussion about removing lowers, under the nets yes, but I never strip the stalks or I’d miss out On this goodness

Fuck...if my lowers looked like that... Shwing!!

 

[Mikedin]

Same post from the trainwreck

Tomato plants all Florida weaved, vertical trellised and clipped 2-3 clips per plant, it’s fuckin on!

Yep few drinks and I made the decision A&B x Okie #2 is officially outdoor, details in video!


Mix was wild as fuck

Diddnt check shit it’s what I call the fuck it blend she’s gettin everything and the kitchen sink

About 5 gallons promix BX
1/2 gallon earthworm catings
About 16TBS Gaia Green 4-4-4
1 gallon rice hulls
Build a soil amendments
1.5 cups craft Blend
1 cup Gnarly Barley
1tsp Big 61 cup kashi blend

Watered in heavy 2 gallons water 3tbs Alaska fish fertilizer 5-1-1

Already plans for a ridiculously large 5x5 scrog trellis

 

[BearWater]

Same post from the trainwreck

Tomato plants all Florida weaved, vertical trellised and clipped 2-3 clips per plant, it’s fuckin on!

Yep few drinks and I made the decision A&B x Okie #2 is officially outdoor, details in video!


Mix was wild as fuck

Diddnt check shit it’s what I call the fuck it blend she’s gettin everything and the kitchen sink

About 5 gallons promix BX
1/2 gallon earthworm catings
About 16TBS Gaia Green 4-4-4
1 gallon rice hulls
Build a soil amendments
1.5 cups craft Blend
1 cup Gnarly Barley
1tsp Big 61 cup kashi blend

Watered in heavy 2 gallons water 3tbs Alaska fish fertilizer 5-1-1

Already plans for a ridiculously large 5x5 scrog trellis

Amazing work! Looks awesome Mike. Im going to trellis my tomatoes and plan on coping your vertical setup! Major inspiration here : )
Not sure if you know how excited i am for your 5gal open bottom bucket experiment plant! thats so cool dude! happy Father’s Day!

 

[Mikedin]

Amazing work! Looks awesome Mike. Im going to trellis my tomatoes and plan on coping your vertical setup! Major inspiration here : )
Not sure if you know how excited i am for your 5gal open bottom bucket experiment plant! thats so cool dude! happy Father’s Day!

Thanks brother! I can’t take the credit for the open bottom bucket, stole the idea from my neighbor, he’s got a Frostette #6 and kahuna 3 mothers in his lol, neighborhood gunna smell wild as fuck this fall

The mix I used is a combo of my old style runs and my new style living soil, she’s a test, and I plan to push her organically, teas, amendments etc etc see what she can do

I like the stability of the Florida weave combined with vertical trellises especially if you live in a windy area it’ll save your plants hands down mine went though 80mph wind last year when they were stretched 7’+ tall I diddnt lose a plant

 

[BearWater]

The mix I used is a combo of my old style runs and my new style living soil, she’s a test, and I plan to push her organically, teas, amendments etc etc see what she can do

Love it! I’ll bet it blows up!

I’m late to the party with the trellising. Got a few cages around the maters but they’ve outgrown those already and are fruiting heavily!

 

[Week4Bytch]

At least Build A Soil was able to give me an answer...

Good morning,

Thank you for reaching out.

Drying back compost can help reduce or interrupt the life cycle of fungus gnats by creating a less hospitable environment for eggs and larvae, which tend to thrive in consistently moist, anaerobic zones. So yes, some growers use it as a tactical move, especially when compost is stored before use or during outbreaks.

That said, you're absolutely right to ask whether this contradicts the purpose of compost. Compost is all about life — microbial activity, fungal networks, humification, the whole party! Drying it out too much for too long can stall or even kill off some of that microbial activity, depending on how dry things get.

So the key is balance. If you're temporarily drying compost to knock back a pest issue, it can be a helpful short-term strategy. But if compost is dried back and stored bone-dry long-term, you’ll definitely want to rehydrate it and maybe give it a little microbial “snack” — like Rootwise or a mild compost tea — to wake everything back up before use.

We truly appreciate you and thank you for choosing B
uildASoil.

 

[Mikedin]

At least Build A Soil was able to give me an answer...

Good morning,

Thank you for reaching out.

Drying back compost can help reduce or interrupt the life cycle of fungus gnats by creating a less hospitable environment for eggs and larvae, which tend to thrive in consistently moist, anaerobic zones. So yes, some growers use it as a tactical move, especially when compost is stored before use or during outbreaks.

That said, you're absolutely right to ask whether this contradicts the purpose of compost. Compost is all about life — microbial activity, fungal networks, humification, the whole party! Drying it out too much for too long can stall or even kill off some of that microbial activity, depending on how dry things get.

So the key is balance. If you're temporarily drying compost to knock back a pest issue, it can be a helpful short-term strategy. But if compost is dried back and stored bone-dry long-term, you’ll definitely want to rehydrate it and maybe give it a little microbial “snack” — like Rootwise or a mild compost tea — to wake everything back up before use.

We truly appreciate you and thank you for choosing B
uildASoil.

Anytime I’ve asked them a question I’ve gotten a great response, good folks for sure!

Love it! I’ll bet it blows up!

I’m late to the party with the trellising. Got a few cages around the maters but they’ve outgrown those already and are fruiting heavily!

I gotta show some pics of the garden today after I water, I made the 10 gallons of EWC tea, im gunna go out now and add a few more goodies to it then let it sit in the sun a few hours before watering it in

Few pics,
Year cured Frostette smoked like a dream
10 gallons concentrated EEC tea adding Alaska fish fertilizer and kelp will dilute it by half at watering

Glass pipe soaking in ISO to clean out
Kahuna 2 in the 3x3 killin it!

 

[Week4Bytch]

Is Frosttete a cut from Trustfall? Or a pheno hunt of his?

 

[BearWater]

Anytime I’ve asked them a question I’ve gotten a great response, good folks for sure!

I gotta show some pics of the garden today after I water, I made the 10 gallons of EWC tea, im gunna go out now and add a few more goodies to it then let it sit in the sun a few hours before watering it in

Few pics,
Year cured Frostette smoked like a dream
10 gallons concentrated EEC tea adding Alaska fish fertilizer and kelp will dilute it by half at watering

Glass pipe soaking in ISO to clean out
Kahuna 2 in the 3x3 killin it!

Dude im going to brew a recharge tea for the next watering along with a top dress of Gaia 444 : ) this rounds pretty minimal in the amendment game so im using what i have : ) if its worth it at the end of the season ill absolutely invest in build a soil for next years soil.

You responded to Bytch about emails from Jeremy! Whether it was him or his crew, they got back to me with some really dumb questions i asked with grace and knowledge! If i had the funds i would buy their entire line!

 

[Mikedin]

Is Frosttete a cut from Trustfall? Or a pheno hunt of his?

It’s a Pheno hunt if his, when I have the name Frostette when he was looking for a name it was still just Grape Creme Cake x Okie he had a pic of a top cola, I said that shit looks like frosty the snowman so I was gunna just say frosty, but said nah she’s a female so I said Frostette, and a week later I had the first pack labeled Frostette in my mailbox these all came from that origional batch of 10 seeds still have one seed left.

He also sent me Gary Payton x Okie which I crossed with my 2012 cement shoes, that created what I call Copious, and what what @Captspaulding calls Bricktop, only had a few seeds but got a few to him he said it had a cinnamon / kiwi, it does too major cinnamon haha

Wild ass plant still got A few more seeds I’ll pop one when I wanna cross something With it or reverse her and fully seed her up

Gary Payton was like a black purple bout similar to kahuna 3 was at chop

 

[Halloweed]

Dude im going to brew a recharge tea for the next watering along with a top dress of Gaia 444 : ) this rounds pretty minimal in the amendment game so im using what i have : ) if its worth it at the end of the season ill absolutely invest in build a soil for next years soil.

You responded to Bytch about emails from Jeremy! Whether it was him or his crew, they got back to me with some really dumb questions i asked with grace and knowledge! If i had the funds i would buy their entire line!

So far I'm happy with buildasoil. The 3.0 might be too hot for what I'm growing. I think from nitrogen tox.

They have a bunch of good stuff but as you said, I don't have the money for all of it lol.