The Ranch

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RanchoDeluxe

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JMcG said:
@RanchoDeluxe No worries, glad your back!
I can get either of the Malibu or the Ole's. I like the Ole's mainly because of its 2-3 year cook time, it should be thriving at that point! Malibu is 1-2 years I think.
Any input on fish vs cow based composts?
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I would say mix the two. Diversity is a good thing. I have limited experience with both products. I just picked Malibu the other day when given the choice simply because Oly was frozen and Malibu wasn't!
 
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RanchoDeluxe

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Farmer P said:
I don't have a worm bin but I would like to start one. I just dug a couple shallow little holes and dumped them in to my 8 x 8 foot outdoor no till I started last year. I got rid of my chickens and am using the coop for an outdoor area. The soil was already pretty rich from the chickens living in there for years. Now I just add a layer of homemade compost now and then. I'm still a nube and learning. This spring I'll start getting some plants going in there. Right now I'm growing in a homemade cabinet 33in x 45in x 8 ft. tall in coco. The outdoor plants did pretty well last year without much added. Just a little fish emulsion a couple times and some Dr. earth golden bloom once in flower. Probably didn't even need that stuff.
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I would get the chair and stepping stones out of there asap. No reason to compact the soil. No bueno.
Throw down a thick layer of straw 6-12". Or throw down a cover crop and then cover it with a thick layer of straw once it grows up. Just my 2 cents.
 
Farmer P

Farmer P

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RanchoDeluxe said:
I would get the chair and stepping stones out of there asap. No reason to compact the soil. No bueno.
Throw down a thick layer of straw 6-12". Or throw down a cover crop and then cover it with a thick layer of straw once it grows up. Just my 2 cents.
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Thanks RD. Will do on the straw. I have a lot just sitting out back I can use. But the stepping stones are kind of necc. so that I can get in there and work. The ground on either side of them where I grow is not compacted at all as I never even step in there. I'll compromise and try to find some smaller and lighter ones. Where I live it's on the edge of a desert, pretty hot and dry usually. What kind of cover crops would you recommend?
 
JMcG

JMcG

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RanchoDeluxe said:
I would say mix the two. Diversity is a good thing. I have limited experience with both products. I just picked Malibu the other day when given the choice simply because Oly was frozen and Malibu wasn't!
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Hmmm.....?
Mixing them sounds like an excellent idea, I like the sound of diversity.
If I stick with the mineral mix I mentioned would the addition of the Volcanite Pumice as aeration ( premium Biochar ) that I showed the pic of be overdoing it? Can it / would it overload the CEC?
 
Organikz

Organikz

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Okay u son of a gun...snagged 2x5.5 gallons packed with granite dust! $8....go to your local landscape Stone supplier and ask if they sell 5 gallon buckets full. I don't like asking for anything for free
 
brazel

brazel

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JMcG said:
Great idea!
Granite slab yard too maybe? Lots of slurry coming out of those saws.
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Yeah, I mean look at your plants... they totally need it:/


That's my smart ass comment cause its funny


Edit.. Whoops that was meant for @Organikz
 
brazel

brazel

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@RanchoDeluxe after digging in my worm bin I decided the worm population is good just slow moving cause cold. I removed the heat mat but also the heat mat only heated up like the top 1/2". Although my old worm farm castings look more traditional I believe these castings are better.

What do worms do when it's raining, they leave, dry they die, wet they die, they breathe through their skin, moist is ideal, if you have moist and you add veggies fruits well that's mostly water. So why not swap those for amendments and in return you get better ewc! Try it!
20180116 130614
 
R

RanchoDeluxe

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Farmer P said:
Thanks RD. Will do on the straw. I have a lot just sitting out back I can use. But the stepping stones are kind of necc. so that I can get in there and work. The ground on either side of them where I grow is not compacted at all as I never even step in there. I'll compromise and try to find some smaller and lighter ones. Where I live it's on the edge of a desert, pretty hot and dry usually. What kind of cover crops would you recommend?
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I'd just Google Southwest or desert cover crops. Maybe call your local county extension office too.
 
R

RanchoDeluxe

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63
JMcG said:
Hmmm.....?
Mixing them sounds like an excellent idea, I like the sound of diversity.
If I stick with the mineral mix I mentioned would the addition of the Volcanite Pumice as aeration ( premium Biochar ) that I showed the pic of be overdoing it? Can it / would it overload the CEC?
Click to expand...
Asking if you can overload the CEC is like asking if you can have too much money in the bank.
It literally is the bank for many nutrients, among many other things. Understanding the basic concept of CEC and soil solution will help tremendously.
Many guys use biochar at 10% as aeration. I've never tried it. I'll topdress some into my beds later and get 1-2% in there.
Looks like we live in the same neck of the woods. The owner of PN is a dick. He's charging locals more than the price online for most of his product line these days.
 
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RanchoDeluxe

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JMcG said:
Sweet. Did some research on the ol’ MBP, sounds legit and a good replacement for the crustacean meal. I will make the swap!
Thanks!
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I honestly think it's a big ole bunch of horseshit!

Peat moss
Compost
Lava rock
Neem
Kelp
Crab
Oyster
Glacial rock dust (grab basalt at PN now)

This incredibly simple list is all you need. I've used it for years. Crustacean meal is a liming agent. MBP is not. To do otherwise will rely heavily on the compost source to buffer pH. I'm not jiving with this at all. MBP is one of the lil tricks we use until the soil has had some runs and is rocking. Nothing more... nothing less.

Here's a good CEC explanation.
http://www.soilquality.org.au/factsheets/cation-exchange-capacity
 
R

RanchoDeluxe

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brazel said:
@RanchoDeluxe after digging in my worm bin I decided the worm population is good just slow moving cause cold. I removed the heat mat but also the heat mat only heated up like the top 1/2". Although my old worm farm castings look more traditional I believe these castings are better.

What do worms do when it's raining, they leave, dry they die, wet they die, they breathe through their skin, moist is ideal, if you have moist and you add veggies fruits well that's mostly water. So why not swap those for amendments and in return you get better ewc! Try it!
View attachment 771584
Click to expand...
I have worms outdoors in a shed that have seen -15F this year w a 125 lamp under the bin. Posted a pic already.

The Red wiggler is known as a composting or manure worm. For some reason it does well in manure and compost! When I first started I would feed my bin alot of veggie scraps and would wonder why it took so long to get some vermicompost. 99% of what goes into my worm bins is simply compost.
 
JMcG

JMcG

517
93
RanchoDeluxe said:
I honestly think it's a big ole bunch of horseshit!

Peat moss
Compost
Lava rock
Neem
Kelp
Crab
Oyster
Glacial rock dust (grab basalt at PN now)

This incredibly simple list is all you need. I've used it for years. Crustacean meal is a liming agent. MBP is not. To do otherwise will rely heavily on the compost source to buffer pH. I'm not jiving with this at all. MBP is one of the lil tricks we use until the soil has had some runs and is rocking. Nothing more... nothing less.

Here's a good CEC explanation.
http://www.soilquality.org.au/factsheets/cation-exchange-capacity
Click to expand...

Huh. Well that makes sense, I didn't think about the ph buffering aspect of the crustacean meal. I heard that MBP really gets the microbial life kick started quickly. Would it be suitable more as a top dress early on?
Good read on CEC btw...
 
JMcG

JMcG

517
93
RanchoDeluxe said:
Asking if you can overload the CEC is like asking if you can have too much money in the bank.
It literally is the bank for many nutrients, among many other things. Understanding the basic concept of CEC and soil solution will help tremendously.
Many guys use biochar at 10% as aeration. I've never tried it. I'll topdress some into my beds later and get 1-2% in there.
Looks like we live in the same neck of the woods. The owner of PN is a dick. He's charging locals more than the price online for most of his product line these days.
Click to expand...
Cool. We'll see about the bio char, the list is growing and my wallet is sweating a bit!
Bummer to hear about PNs owner putting the screws to locals. Where I ( we?) live I have gotten used to paying a premium for most everything. One of the downfalls to mountain life I guess, and one I'm willing to put up with.
The more I read into KIS Organics the more I like their style.
 
R

RanchoDeluxe

105
63
JMcG said:
Huh. Well that makes sense, I didn't think about the ph buffering aspect of the crustacean meal. I heard that MBP really gets the microbial life kick started quickly. Would it be suitable more as a top dress early on?
Good read on CEC btw...
Click to expand...
I'm old school man. I have never even used MBP. I sprout my own barley and use it as a tea and topdress. Far cheaper and even better IMO. MBP is for the masses that only want convenience. Fresh is best.
JMcG said:
Cool. We'll see about the bio char, the list is growing and my wallet is sweating a bit!
Bummer to hear about PNs owner putting the screws to locals. Where I ( we?) live I have gotten used to paying a premium for most everything. One of the downfalls to mountain life I guess, and one I'm willing to put up with.
The more I read into KIS Organics the more I like their style.
Click to expand...
I live just a few miles from PN. I'm guessing you moved to Montucky fairly recently? I only say this because no one around here gives a driving distance by the hour...it's always in miles.
This is No-till. Your wallet shouldn't sweat at all. The list of soil ingredients I gave you is all you need to get started. It will save you a ton of money at the end of the day. Your patients will be very happy and you won't end up losing them to a guy like me!
RD
 
R

RanchoDeluxe

105
63
JMcG said:
Cool. We'll see about the bio char, the list is growing and my wallet is sweating a bit!
Bummer to hear about PNs owner putting the screws to locals. Where I ( we?) live I have gotten used to paying a premium for most everything. One of the downfalls to mountain life I guess, and one I'm willing to put up with.
The more I read into KIS Organics the more I like their style.
Click to expand...
And yeah, Tad is a good dude. Not exactly sure what you mean by his style?
 
JMcG

JMcG

517
93
RanchoDeluxe said:
I'm old school man. I have never even used MBP. I sprout my own barley and use it as a tea and topdress. Far cheaper and even better IMO. MBP is for the masses that only want convenience. Fresh is best.

I live just a few miles from PN. I'm guessing you moved to Montucky fairly recently? I only say this because no one around here gives a driving distance by the hour...it's always in miles.
This is No-till. Your wallet shouldn't sweat at all. The list of soil ingredients I gave you is all you need to get started. It will save you a ton of money at the end of the day. Your patients will be very happy and you won't end up losing them to a guy like me!
RD
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Ha! Yeah, sorry. I've got a bad case of information overload going right now. Some of the good things I heard about MBP was related to vermiculture, and I have been reading about sprouted seed teas, which sound interesting... Just a lot to soak up! ( for me):)
But yes, your list of ingredients is pretty much what I have listed a page back.
Where I end up sourcing all of this is still up in the air. PN has the compost I want in stock , maybe the CSPM too. My local shop actually some of those inputs in bulk. I might throw some love towards Tad too. His mineral mix sounds sweet, and I am in Seattle pretty often.
 
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