I'm hoping to revive this thread somewhat...
I've read through 16 pages of this thread and have found everything to be some of the most important information i've come across on the net. I'm not the most experienced gardener but after reading Sepp Holzer and Masanobu Fukuoka, along with a general understanding of botany, I'd like to think that i've past the peak of the bell curve. Ive been growing corn beans and squash for 5 years on the same hardpacked 100% sand with maybe the first 3 inches as loam and every year gets better. Peas, potatoes, sunflower, hot peppers, kale, and tomatoes, which i will see how my year goes after adding an abundance of calcium to the tomato soil in attempt to stop the blight. I do no till, no fertilizer, I simply add weeds and leaves into a compost pile and spread it out every spring.
I also have an indoor plant collection, all comprising of nearly 150 medicinal and edible plants. Avacados, bananas, pineapple, cinnamon, vanilla, almond, and so much more. all in a southfacing window in the state of connecticut. it can be done. if it werent for the mites AND scales that bypassed my detection after bringing a coconut plant in from outdoors at the end of summer I would have a 3 year old coconut plant.
anyways, i have a worm bin that i put all of my leaf cutting into, I have been using that as a source for compost tea and to topdress my plants on occaison.
I also use RODI water to start at 7.2 ph and 0 ppm.
The soil i use is 1 parts bumper crop 1 parts bio char, about 6 gallons of soil per 7 gallon pot, growing companion plants such as all the different types of clover, adding worms and finding centipedes running around.
here's what's in bumper crop:
pisolithus tinctorius
rhizopogon roseolus
rhizopogon subscaerelescens
rhizopogon villosulus
rhizopogon vulgaris
scleroderma cepa
scleroderma citrinni
glomus intraradices
worm castings, lobster and crab shells, kelp meal, dehydrated poultry manure, SPM, composted cow manure, aged bark, and dolomitic lime.
Here are some problems I am having.
1. obvious nitrogen deficiency, party from the fact that it is new living soil and partly from the possibility that the biochar is soaking up nutrients.
2. obvious calcium magnesium deficiencies. I have purchased a 10lb bag of oyster shells and adjusted my soil composition for a few buckets to 3parts bumper crop 3 parts bio char 1 parts oyster powder, and 90% less deficiencies thus far.
that being said, I'd like to find a system that has me brewing AACT's, and SST's from something that i could get done if i were to be off the grid.
i'm also a huge fan of foliar sprays, after using
Bloom Khaos kelp foliar feeding i saw an immediate difference.
Here are my options:
using the corn seeds that i grow for my SST
growing aloe as an additive to my teas.
baking egg shells and grinding them into a powder to be put in the compost bins.
boiling egg shells and using the water as a calcium feed.
im not sure about the cytokinnin and auxin properties of stinging nettle but i think it can be used in place of kelp extract.
I'd like to get all of the knowledgeable people in this thread to help me fill in the pieces.