Post your Organic Soil Mix

[oregonized]

1st pic: Vesicular andesite, looks like BB's beat the shit out of it, but normally it caused by gas bubbles similar to pumice. Less silica content than pumice...
2nd Pic: Inside andesite, vesicles penetrate inside, this how it was cooked into shape. [Also little nodules of pure quartz, sulfur minerals, maybe gold, etc. etc.
3rd Pic:
True basalt black as night low silica content.
4th pic: Granite with something, not a pure granite, I think, but this is a terrible example say something like pink or salmon colored granite....
5th pic: Clay's formed under similar process but mix in water and they break apart quite easily
Last pic: more vesicular andesite but w/out nodules inside, purer silica/Al combo probably.

Last Last pic is a Rock diagram of chemical constituents. Sorry for the horrible quality, if you have a bigger screen it might be worthwhile to peruse.










I don't have a lot of dirt, so this is easier by hand for now, but for larger you many need an Actual rock crusher....:)

Crush up, Screen into 1/4"-1/8", separate bigger back into crush pile and filter the rock dust out of the bag into 200 micron filter. I used 100, because it was all I had or maybe it was 170m?

 

[oregonized]

I thought gypsum didn't shift pH. I see you've learned about malt. ;)

When you say home-made rock dust, I'd like to know more about what you did.

One last post, gotta get em out!

Yes, the barley malt tip is from the Devil, but even they can be right too sometimes....I have a local brewshop with three kinds, so I bought a pound each of the light and dark.

Here is the mineral analysis I found from Briess, who make a common generic malt that is copied, very similar to Blackstrap Molass.

http://www.diamalt.co.uk/nutritional.htm

Maiden, have you ever messed around with Sucanat? I bought some the other day thinking it was something special, lol. Might just go into my drinking tea....

 

[Seamaiden]

The Devil got his barley idea from me, not that he'd ever admit it. ;) I've only messed a little bit with Sucanat, saw no real reason to go that expensive route when panocha can be found for so much cheaper. Still love my malted barley extract. I've stopped wasting money on liquid molasses and am getting dry in bulk now.

 

[oregonized]

...panocha huh?

Looking that up....thanks Maiden!

 

[Seamaiden]

Simply, Hispanic sugar cones. Usually relatively unrefined product.

 

[fishwhistle]

I thought panocha was spanish for pussy,i guess sugar cone is not far off,lol.

 

[Seamaiden]

I thought panocha was spanish for pussy,i guess sugar cone is not far off,lol.

In some places, it is. That's why I like calling it panocha, just like it's marked on the package. :D

 

[caveman4.20]

Y
eah ,,green sand takes 5.bloody years to even START break down eh:)lol.maybee caps bennies will reduce it to?mmmm? 4 yrs:)lol

what can take the place of green sand or did we decide green sand was ok? I hope this thread last forever

 

[spacebomb]

i dont know what could take its place caveman bro.lol.sorry.seamaiden mighy point you in the right way tho?idk

what can take the place of green sand or did we decide green sand was ok? I hope this thread last forever

 

[spacebomb]

oh!HAHA,BIO CHAR?why not!sea put me on that and ive never stopped using it.i even use the carbon out of my old filters .its good for the bennies to ,breed in, i.e multiply.

what can take the place of green sand or did we decide green sand was ok? I hope this thread last forever

 

[spacebomb]

not to mention ALL THAT EXTRA CARBON :-)all good man.if i had out door beds all my ols filters would get mixed in to up the carbon content then biochat.

 

[caveman4.20]

Thanks space good-looking out

 

[caveman4.20]

not to mention ALL THAT EXTRA CARBON :)all good man.if i had out door beds all my ols filters would get mixed in to up the carbon content then biochat.

What's the carbon do to ph

 

[Dunge]

I think of biochar in much the same way as I think of perlite.
It takes up space, provides micro habitat that microbes like, and allows for good water drainage/retention.
As to direct nutrient contribution, it's inert.
Roots like it, so I like it.

 

[oregonized]

If you take hardwood pieces to ash instead of bio-char, you can have a source of K. Although it will need to be re-applied for the ground, maybe not in small [>2 gallon] pots....
And bio-char won't replace the mineral aspects of green-sand but it can replace the physical aspect like drainage, etc. The best way I have heard char described is, "Condo's for microlife".

Glacial rock dust is a green sand alternative.
or.....Find a riverbank and scree some sand, about the same. [But you would need a ph Pen at the very least for this or read up on local geology....]

 

[caveman4.20]

If you take hardwood pieces to ash instead of bio-char, you can have a source of K. Although it will need to be re-applied for the ground, maybe not in small [>2 gallon] pots....
And bio-char won't replace the mineral aspects of green-sand but it can replace the physical aspect like drainage, etc. The best way I have heard char described is, "Condo's for microlife".

Glacial rock dust is a green sand alternative.
or.....Find a riverbank and scree some sand, about the same. [But you would need a ph Pen at the very least for this or read up on local geology....]

How about soft rock phosphate ?

 

[oregonized]

How about soft rock phosphate ?

As far as? a greensand alternative? or finding it?

 

[caveman4.20]

Greensand replacement

 

[oregonized]

Greensand replacement

I would say you would be better off with something like Diatomaceous earth. SRP is high in P 20% +- and Ca 15%, so even as a physical replacement its not that ideal either because of the calcium. Does have plenty of micronutrients though. Good bone meal/ bat poo alternative...

Even though dia earth is lower in K, than greensand, much of greensand's K is unavailable anyway.

 

[oregonized]

Kelp meal is another greensand alternative but gets spendy, which sucks.

or you can be crazy retarded like me and make your own Nettle Meal. It doesn't hurt that much anymore to get stung, sometimes I lean my bad back against em bare....quite a relief....