How Do Your Ammended Soils Stand Up To An 8 Week Veg And 8 Week Flower

[bankcee]

give or take a bit.. of course.. but my soil always seems to run out of juice around 2 or 3 weeks in to bloom if not earlier.. would heavier ammending help this issue im running into? I thought that, but then the girls might get burned, right?

any of your soils breeze through these time frames?

I'm trying to figure out slow release and quick release organic ammendments to help in this that way when all my quick release N is out start of bloom by that time my slow release N is kicking in..

correct me if I'm wrong. also how often should aact be applied? nute teas? foliars? top dresses? with living soil are these always necessary?

 

[Underthesun]

I'm not an expert by any means and can't really get into the science behind things like lots of smart guys on here but I've got some basic info. Heavier amending up front won't help long term, it will burn your plants, all depending on what you are amending with. You'll probably want to top dress during your grow and depending on what you use, that will determine how much and often. I like using worm casting, I have it on hand since I have worm bins, it is slow release and won't burn any plants. Its also great to mix with dry amendments like kelp. Kelp is great for a flowering top dress. All the microbes will start eating that stuff up and you'll see reseults in a week or so. Alphalpha meal may be something to look into for a mid-veg top dress before flowering to keep a little N in the soil through flowering. Bottled nutes work for lots of growers on here too, but I don't have much good info for you on that. If you are using AACT, dry nutes may be your best option.

You can't use too much AACT, but you may be doing more work than you need to if you are brewing it up for every watering. I try to use it every other watering, molasses is cheap and I have castings. I also folair spary with my AACT during veg. I would just try a few things a little at a time and see what works for you. Different strains and soil volume will also play a roll.

 

[bankcee]

I had always thought ewc were quick release. good to top dress when you need some fast N..? and anyone here think cotton seed meal will be any better than alfalfa.

 

[Underthesun]

I had always thought ewc were quick release. good to top dress when you need some fast N..? and anyone here think cotton seed meal will be any better than alfalfa.

Compost teas made with casting act quickly making more nutrients available almost immediatley. Castings topped dressed or mixed in with the soil will benefit your plants in a nice easy manner of a period of time, but starting right away. Pretty much the best stuff, I like it a lot.

 

[Underthesun]

I'm open for your input, always looking to learn. I would agree that teas aren't 'needed' but I do believe they help. I will try to explain my thought process. And I guess I'm not really trying to balance my soil with teas but rather making more nutrients and mineral available to the plants with teas.

I have a soil that I put together with what I believe to include all the needed nutrients and minerals to grow top quality cannabis. And it should grow pretty nice bud with just watering. But, with teas I believe I'm creating a super charged soil that has even better results, a soil that may not be very easy to replicate in nature. I'm taking EWC that I have created with lots of variety of fruits, vegetables and bedding that hold thousands of microganisms that come from this plant waste that wouldn't be found in my soil. Variety is key. A banana will have different microbes than an apple. I then take this compost that has all these thousands of microbes, feed them, give them air and the multiply over and over again. I put this in my soil, adding so many more different microbes to the already good soil, making it even better. More microbes, more variety, more better. Sure, the compost you originally make your soil with will be full of microbes, but some will die off and others will thrive. With teas you keep reintroducing the variety that may have died off. Plus the microbes that die just end up being extra nutrients for the plant too. Or I'm just wasting my time and I would like to hear why.

 

[sixstring]

People go about this all wrong by making hot soils or amending when in fact if they used the scientific approach 2 - 1 ratio Carbon to Nitrogen there living soil will survive all year long ..
And as plant is growing micro's feeding and making food for the plant in a symbiotic relation ship that is how its done or how i do it and water only from start to finish no teas not ferts Rain waterView attachment 601260 View attachment 601261

@Dr Fever ?

 

[bankcee]

but why do you need to make a tea to begin with ??? i mean if your soil is well balanced it would never need the tea to begin with

I'm open to your knowledge as well. I'm here to learn fellas.. that's all I wanna do.

 

[keiksweat]

I thought by making ewc tea.your multiplie the beneficials and make it all more available to the roots immediately.that's why you notice the girls praying to the light after tea feeds.im all for em.love teas,and tea foliar spray.

 

[Seamaiden]

Depending on your location, rainwater can add up to 100ppm NO3. ;)

 

[Dunge]

For years I have been taking three gallon super soil grows to completion with tea and water only.
https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/threads/six-super-soil-variants-run-side-by-side.63549/
I like it mostly because it works so well. With the use of rain water, I only worry about pests as the plants seem to take care of themselves.

 

[Underthesun]

Cool, plants look healthy @KillingTime. I only use rain water also, and make my teas with rain water...or mountain stream water if it's a dry spell. I'm still confused as to why you think teas will somehow have an ill effect on the grow. At first I though you were just saying you don't need teas, but in your last post it sounds like you may even think they hinder your growth? Why?

Good fatbiking around my parts, fun stuff. Ride all winter now! Looks like you enjoy the same.

 

[xavier7995]

This is pretty helpful, wasn't the link I was thinking of but looks to be similar info, the one I originally looked at was more of a table with many more amendments listed.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/natural-soil-amendments-zmaz88ndzgoe.aspx?PageId=3


I just tried to pick a fast, medium, and slow element for each of the major nutrient values, with the goal being a water only soil (planning to pk boost with DEM or something), I am trying to avoid brewing up teas if possible since I just don't have a good space to do it in...though have been looking at the fermented stuff the KNF style people use, hoping to find a good organic pk boosting "thing" as I am not quite sure what I am looking for yet.

 

[bankcee]

So my base mix is 1/3 sphagnum peat 1/3 perlite and 1/3 ewc/compost/humus

A few things for my base.. would I see a hug difference in starting a worm bin? also how easy or difficult is maintaining a worm bin?
usually I add either or. casting or humus or compost.. whatever I have on hand though regardless what goes into the base atm I tend to always top dress ewc later on anyways. would something like 50/50 ewc to compost be better? diversity right?

also I'm sick of perlite I feel like once it float to the top it's a waste and isn't allowing much oxygen to my roots.. what else would you recommend? any suggestions on a better base please let me know.. and why of course.. Tia

 

[bankcee]

Now for my ammendments.

I do a mixture of the lot of my ammendments and do 2-3 cups of this mix per cubic foot. how beneficial is this route vs using each separately per cubic foot?

I use fish bone meal kelp meal alfalfa meal neem seed meal crab meal azomite and espoma plant tone and garden lime..

I add 2 cups of fish bone 2 cups kelp and then 1 cup of alfalfa neem crab and plant tone and garden lime, and 4 cups per cubic foot of azomite.

what substitutes would you use, as far as ratios different ammendments in place of other or even additional ammendments.. people say KISS and that's what I do with this mix but I feel it may be lacking seeing as I always run into a def early in bloom.

 

[Underthesun]

So my base mix is 1/3 sphagnum peat 1/3 perlite and 1/3 ewc/compost/humus

A few things for my base.. would I see a hug difference in starting a worm bin? also how easy or difficult is maintaining a worm bin?
usually I add either or. casting or humus or compost.. whatever I have on hand though regardless what goes into the base atm I tend to always top dress ewc later on anyways. would something like 50/50 ewc to compost be better? diversity right?

also I'm sick of perlite I feel like once it float to the top it's a waste and isn't allowing much oxygen to my roots.. what else would you recommend? any suggestions on a better base please let me know.. and why of course.. Tia

Worm bins are great. Not hard to do if you follow a few simple rules. The quality of home made casting can't be found in a store.

If you don't like perlite check out pumice and/or rice hulls.

 

[bankcee]

Worm bins are great. Not hard to do if you follow a few simple rules. The quality of home made casting can't be found in a store.

If you don't like perlite check out pumice and/or rice hulls.

I've heard of both of them in place of perlite.. but which are better? I've read rice hulls completely disintegrate is that true?

 

[Underthesun]

I've heard of both of them in place of perlite.. but which are better? I've read rice hulls completely disintegrate is that true?

Can't say which is better. I use perlite, rice hulls, and pumice. I've heard rice hulls compost after a few years. Rice hulls are super cheap at aggriculture stores, I have 't found a cheap,source for pumice yet..but it lasts a long time, maybe even your whole life.

 

[Seamaiden]

I've heard of both of them in place of perlite.. but which are better? I've read rice hulls completely disintegrate is that true?

It takes a couple of years, as much as three, IME. If you buy them as animal bedding (think: horse stalls) then you'll pay a fraction what you're paying for perlite.

 

[xavier7995]

I plan to use rice hulls, just heard many folks that seem to understand soil mixes say they are the best option. In a few years when they break down I can just remix or perhaps that will be a good time to reevaluate my soil.

 

[Seamaiden]

I feel they are for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is cost when compared to perlite. They're also renewable and therefore sustainable as an agricultural byproduct. The fact they don't float like perlite is a bonus.