Role of surfacants in soil...i.e. dr. bronners liquid soap

[GanjaGardener]

I am happy that my modest gift could be of assistance to you. This is but one of several paths to the road of enlightenment that we all seek, consciously or otherwise, I presume.

I've grown and used aloe medicinally for 35 years, have been using it off and in horticulture for about 15, once had a large aloe/close relative collection but now care for only about 25 species and am proud to say that we (aloe and I) are still learning new things about each other during our flight through time together.

 

[GanjaGardener]

The purest form you can obtain is the original gel, but Aloe is also available in powdered or liquid forms.
So maybe aloe isn't so good.

I read your post a couple of times, was following you up until the "So maybe aloe isn't so good" part. Did you mean that 'maybe processed aloe isn't so good? As surfactant? As a biochemical aid in processes? Could you expand/clarify?

 

[Toker Ace]

Aloe Vera gel is a mix of antibiotic, astringent, and coagulating agents, all of which combine to make one of the most powerful natural healing agents known to man.

This part is what I was reading and might kill some of the micro herd but it sounds like you know different.
I cut and pasted this article

Pure Aloe Vera gel is best if it is obtained directly from the plant. You will find the highest quality aloe in the inner layer of the leaves on aloe plants. Aloe Vera is a great natural treatment solution for small cuts, mild burns, and can also help with skin irritations. Aloe Vera gel is a mix of antibiotic, astringent, and coagulating agents, all of which combine to make one of the most powerful natural healing agents known to man. However, Aloe is not only used as a remedy. It is processed in many different ways, as it can be used for food, medicine, beverages, and cosmetics. But Aloe is most powerful in its pure form. The purest form you can obtain is the original gel, but Aloe is also available in powdered or liquid forms.

Have you used it in a hydroponic situation?
I'm going to try it on some worms and see what they do.

 

[GanjaGardener]

This part is what I was reading and might kill some of the micro herd but it sounds like you know different.
I cut and pasted this article

Have you used it in a hydroponic situation?
I'm going to try it on some worms and see what they do.

Did you catch my quote up above? My feeling is that the benefits of aloe outweigh any deleterious effect that it may or may not have on the herd. However, until the microherd, the antibiotic/fungal properties of aloe and their interactions are quantified, your guess is as good as mine. I use it as well as yucca extract, (<-will be doing a thread on) and Ivory (w/o et al)- one works better w/ neem one day, another w/ colloidal silica on another. Diversity is a good thing when everything isn't nailed down, right bro? As for astringent, we add nutes, addies and pH adjusters to our soil that are more astringent than aloe. Sulfur shares some of the properties mentioned in the quote you cited and it is vital for plant life.

Never grown straight up hydroponically. red worms show up in my pots at home and at work and seem oblivious to the 3 sfcts that I mentioned above.

Peace all.

Hangin' 10 on the drift :character0180:

Exploring gr micro-climates :character0053:

 

[Toker Ace]

You were right I did miss the "no deleterious effects" part. I would expect that concentration is the big factor. Too much of a good thing and all. I don't have any fresh Aloe so I'm calling some neighbors. I want to try it full strength on some worms and see what they do.

 

[mal]

I'm Eyeballing My Plant

I feel a trimming is in order for my aloe plant, is their any part that is better to remove. Maybe the older or damaged/dead tip kind of branches/leaves/stalks


mal

 

[GanjaGardener]

I feel a trimming is in order for my aloe plant, is their any part that is better to remove. Maybe the older or damaged/dead tip kind of branches/leaves/stalks


mal

I remove lower leaves first. They're the oldest and most prone to disease. Sometimes they will wiggle free, more often they need to be cut- close to their base w/o damaging adjoining leaves or "blades". Once they callous over, (1-3 days depending upon humidity), the plant is safe and has some more breathing room. Tips are a matter of aesthetics. If I don't like the look, I usually take the whole leaf unless I'm working w/ a finicky strain. I never touch the central "rosette" area of the plant.

Do you have a pic, mal?

The leaves will root although it takes some patience and some doing. Some species are more stubborn than others. Pups are faster and a more common way to propagate but not every species readily gives them up. I have a couple of aloe that are over 20 years old and they haven't produced any prodigy yet. I've crossed a few, (more like pollen chucked), but have yet to come up w/ anything worthwhile. ie reverts to dominant parent.

Hmm.... just got an idea. gonna puree me up some worms in a blender tonight and add 'em into my snake oil ACT brew. been throwin all kinds of shit in there for the past month or two so what's one more ingredient? :rofl

It's all good and if it isn't, just blow it off.

Peace and Giggles

GG

 

[BIGSEED]

awesome info GG Sometimes ill grab a piece of aloe at the farmers market and squeeze it into my tea, never grown it before but now i want to.

 

[GanjaGardener]

Thx BIGSEED.

This agave got a pre-winter prune and gave me the pulp for an extraction that I did the other night. Worked as well as any other surfactants I've used. Took a bunch of pics to document the procedure- will post up in a thread when I get some time to put it together. Agave is a yucca relative and this one is endemic to the SW US/Mexican Chihuahuan desert. More later.

 

[Samoan]

Mahalo for sharing your knowledge.

I just brewed an aact and would like to use it as a foliar, I want to add in a surfactant to make it more available for the plant.

I used Mendocino honey molasses derived from molasses and seaweed and I notice it has 0.5% yucca extract in it.

All I have as a surfactant now dr. Bronners unscented baby pure Castile soap. -from what I read on this thread it seems that it shouldn't be an antibacterial to the micro herd?

Definitely going to start cultivating Aloe!

I would like to find out how I can get a good form of yucca here on Oahu.
I read there are 40-50 different species of yucca, is there one species that is particularly used as a surfactant? If it is possible I would do anything to cultivate this plant here!

I can see why anyone would rather use yucca, or aloe, over Castile soap as a solid drench and a foliar.-sounds more effective and more beneficial!

 

[Samoan]

Aloe
View attachment 178157

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View attachment 178160

Yucca Example
View attachment 178159
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Will be processing this eve.

Wow! So you basically just squeeze your aloe directly into your aact?
Do you cultivate the Yucca? How do you extract ? I'm wondering if I can grow that here on Oahu, I wonder if it is allowed by the state dept. of Ag