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Old 11-27-2006, 03:09 PM
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-mu
me+cannabis=me
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: somewhere between here and here
Posts: 916
In the beginning it does seem very confusing, but it's not really, you just need to know your shit, literally.

Everything breaks down over time, and the nutrients are released over the course of that time. Some soil amendments will remain in the soil for months and years, like egg-shells. Other amendments will breakdown rapidly, or in many cases, are stuffed with readily available nutrition.

The best way to know when a particular nutrient is starting to deplete, is to watch your plants. They will soon tell you if you need to add magnesium, or whatever. But it's even easier than that...

The way soil functions is to hold a supply of nutrients in an "almost ready" state. When the plant needs something, it will tell the micro-herd what it requires, and they will respond with the exact blend. The secret to good soil, then, it to always keep it well stocked. It's very hard to over feed the soil if you stick within sensible limits.

What you are aiming for is a living machine of a soil, able to breakdown the raw particles into readily available nutrition at a moment's notice. This is the function of the micro-herd, a cute name encompassing the thousands of species of fungi, microorganisms, small insects and what-not that live and die in quality soil.

So the organic gardener pays attention to building a vibrant living soil, and keeps it well stocked with raw organic materials. Because so much is known about Canabis' nutritional requirements, the crafty soil grower can anticipate the plant's needs, and provide a range of medium-quick breakdown soil feeds, to ensure that the nutrition for each stage of the plant's life cycle is ready in advance, building the "back-bone" soil all the while.

So the nutrients will never be completely used up. You keep adding more in the form of compost, teas, the odd liming, various meals, seaweed, guanos and all the rest. If you go too far in either direction with something, the plants will let you know, displaying symptoms of deficiency or toxicity. If you make a habit of compost/wormcast/guano teas, you need less feeding, overall, and the soil will be healthier.

With a little experience, as you get to know your soil, and the various organic amendments available to you, keeping your soil in optimum health becomes a more natural process, and it won't be nearly so confusing.

Perhaps the attached document will be of some use to you.

-mu
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