gomicao
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I like your mix
Reminds me of Mountain organic's mix, 1/3 compost+castings, 1/3 base, 1/3 aeration.
It is the alkalinity in the water that tells us if we need to neutralize acid. If the source water is too alkaline (hard water) the calcium and mimerals will build up over time raising medium ph and eventually blocking roots.
In organic soil, wouldn't those things get broken down quite easily by the microlife? I have not yet read anyone mentioning this in regards to the whole "if you're in organic soil PH doesn't matter" side of things. Does lowering the PH to something like 6.5+/- dissolve or break those down in a way that they don't stay in the soil? Keep in mind unless some freak problem comes along I won't be using any bottled nutrients to feed my plants directly, everything they take up will be delivered to them through the life in the soil, what it consumes and makes available to the roots. Sorry if I am explaining what you already know, just wanting to clarify because there are so many ways to skin the organic horse so to speak.
When looking at no till growers who don't PH their water, they seem to say the soil just gets better and better. What bothers me when people say PH doesn't matter with a good organic soil is when they say "I have never bothered to check mine and my plants are fine." Like.... ok but if your tap water's PH is around 7 or 6 already that might be why you never really had any problems not checking it. Or if it is really high, but what they always add to watering brings it way closer to classic ranges it doesn't prove much other than "some people can get away with it". Ultimately the only way for me to be satisfied would probably be a side by side grow of some clones in the same soil over a period of a year, one being watered with consistently high around 8+ or consistently low around 5- and see if that effects the plants and what soil tests say after every run.
I would be way more confident if people everywhere saying PH isn't affecting them actually tested their water a couple times a year and returned results as high as mine, and it still wasn't hurting anything. Supposedly the oyster shell flower (or was it dolomite lime?) is supposed to be a great PH buffer if my memory serves so that might be the answer. Perhaps when reamended with such after harvest it helps reset everything as it needs to be. Of course lots of organic soil growers also use bottled organic nutrients or various mixes of aerated teas which almost certainly cause their watering/feeding PH to drift every which way depending on what they are using... so I guess if that's not an issue then so be it. Plants seem to have better affinity for certain nutrients based on a drift of PH anyway so I assume that just opens up more of the buffet for them, depending on where its at.
If you have a good functioning soil and healthy plant ph wont matter because the bacteria will break the food down and symbiotically feed the plant while the plant feeds the bacteria carbs.
Ph for solubility is to keep nute mixtures in a state the plant can uptake all of the elements in the fertilizer.
Alkalinity is how much calcium is in the source water and if its high it is like pouring a little bit of lime in the the soil each watering. Eventually it will build up and cause problems. And yes acid can neutralize this. Or better to mix down to about 150 ppm with filtered ro water.
I dont grow full organically. I know some growers have great result and most do not. Slow uptake is not reliable for a short flowering annual plant in my opinion. I grow indoors. Outside i would consider ammended soil grows. Inside i want control.
Also i suggest everyone read books written by educated professionals for any task. I never listen to threads and forums without knowing the members background and education. And i always research any info given unless i fully trust the source.
Most of the “successful” no till threads never get to harvest. But supposedly their soil gets better every time. Where are the grows with the great results?
And i would keep some fertilizer on hand even if dry organic and needs to be watered in. It takes many rounds to get the soil mix right for a strain.
Nothing wrong with fertilizing plants before a deficiency ruins the crop.
Yes indeed, I currently have some alfalfa meal, some fish hydrolysate, and molasses. I plan to get some kelp meal as well, along with potentially another bag of worm castings, so I cam make compost teas with the addition of the kelp or alfalfa. Some fish bone meal might be useful for flower. I would just use these ever few weeks or something (I have no figured that part out yet). It sounds like it is hard to "burn a plant" with teas and microbes since as you describe the action is in the rhizosphere/microorganisms.
I am certainly someone who won't take someone's word for something without more research. My experiences in mushroom (legal edibles) cultivation proved to show how much old, bad, and just plain wrong information is out there, with people actively promoting it, if even for a short time before they find it causes them problems and move on, or a "well known community member" who is generally to be trusted calls them on it. A worst case scenario for me would be a deficiency that needs correcting "yesterday". In which case I could end up utilizing some form of organic instantly available nutrients. There are certainly some good sounding options out there for such a tool in the tool chest. Each strain being as different as it is, will certainly want different things, but I am hoping after a few grows that I will start to understand when certain amendments will be needed so I can add them a week or so before my expected need.
Yeah thats the trick. Keep in mind once you see a deficiency it is already advanced for weeks. And no organic amendments will be available even by next week.
Except mild amounts of micronutrients in seaweed extract (powder would take longer) and the processed fish Hydrosolate is not really true organics like you say. But that kind of fertilizer would be quicker but again weak compared to other fertilizers.
I run as many as 12 different seed plants at a time and in different stages. I keep individual gallon containers to mix feed for each plants needs for best results. And thats difficult to know what they all need. We are just practicing. Practicing growing.
Yeah it certainly is a steep curve to learn on I will admit. I am pretty new so anticipating a problem early on might be a bit beyond my scope. Hopefully the lessons the plants give me won't be too harsh... I sure will find out though. Practice is where I am at. New space and environment, so even that alone and figuring out how that wants to play ball with things is its own challenge. With luck I will keep the soil happy and full of what it needs and the plants will honor me as a result.
Would getting a fish and sticking in a food processor and using whatever resulting slurry came of that in a tea be considered more in line with true organics? Or would that be more in line with "Feeding the plant" vs the soil and hence why it wouldn't really be a true organic living soil grow?
you want your micro herd to stay active and well,walk out to the woods,find a tree that been laying there many years,lift that foot and stomp on the tree,when the foot goes threw the tree,reach in there and pick up a handful of that black stuff look like coffe grinds,place in a bag and take home put it in your pots,there are more microbes in 1 teaspoon than you can count in your life times.
there is also indegeniuse microbe organisim you can collect just from making a wood box,with a screen over it,place some steam rice in the box and find a place were there is abundunce mushrooms of difrent variety,leave that box there for about a week,when you come back there will be growth on the rice were the spores blowing around in the air have collected on your rice,that is the start to IMO'S,if you truely wont a microbe herd this is how you do it,nothing else is needed.
look into KNF farming mate,as far as keeping what you have going during the winter,just as long as you have a small amount of moisture in the soil and a bit of mulch over the soil,worms and microbes will thrive.
hell best way to make soil for that matter is to take a pile of leaves wet it down,throw a little card board in with it,throw a piece of carpet over it forget about it for about 4 months,when you come back there will be some of the prettiest soil your eye will bounce from your head hahahh,you can take that soil\compost and put in your pots and roll.
but hey there are 4 steps to making IMO'S,step 5 is when you can take about half handful and sprinkle on your garden and watch magic
oh i see,well if your wanting to save money the KNF is the way to go,once you make all the feeds yourself,they last for years,there is a feed schedule also.
but by no means using the coots recipe are you gonna save money mate,you will see,anyway i didnt read any thing about a tent in your thread but i am a stoner.\what i thought is you were looking to build a soil and keep microbes alive while your not growing in it or winter,my mistake.
even though you could make a pile of soil and let sit to your ready to fill bag or pots,the microbes are still there again my mistake.
moving on sorry for the mishap
I have been using carbonated water to lower the ph of my tap water. This is a safe way to do it, but it can be expensive unless you have a soda stream or beer carbonation system.
My tap water is 7.8 ph and has 80 ppm of CaCO3. I am trying to raise the CaCO3 to 120 ppm.
i use that alasken morbloom from home depot,0-10-10 like 8 bucks for a bottle if i remember right,not growing right now so hadnt bought any,anyway the 0-10 -10 has 2 benifits,it lowers high ph water and feeds the plant too.I have been using carbonated water to lower the ph of my tap water. This is a safe way to do it, but it can be expensive unless you have a soda stream or beer carbonation system.
My tap water is 7.8 ph and has 80 ppm of CaCO3. I am trying to raise the CaCO3 to 120 ppm.
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