My New project, thanks to all!

So I will be starting a brand new, large venture here in ~10 days. I will be finally stepping up my caregiver grow from all coco, synthetic to organic soil. I have been reading and reading all I can on indoor organic cultivation in containers, and with the knowledge I already have on outdoor organic gardening I feel this is the necessary step to align with my values and future endeavors. lumperdawgz, Jerrry, Chunk and many others I have to thank.... you may not know, but I read almost all that I see you post- and I cant always remember it all!!

So here is my plan and set up, I will be documenting with a grow journal and pics my entire build, grow and process-

8,000 Watt flower room, air coold lights, environmentally controlled with co2.

5x10, 1800 watt veg room, environmentally controlled, no c02

For soil I plan on using Lumperdawgz mix to the T! For 8,000 watts I will do 5- 7 gallon smart pots per lamp which I have figured to be at this ratio and final list-


MY BREAKDOWN for LDz soil mix
total gallons needed- soil, ammendments, etc = 200 gal=~ 26.8 cubic feet
50% Spaghum P.M. = 100 gal = ~13.36 cubic feet
25% earth worm compost/vermicompost (specifically 'Worm Power' brand vermicompst/castings) = 50 gal = 6.68 cubic feet.. whats do you all think of this ratio of 'worm power' in this mix?
25% Parboild Rice hulls (PBH) = 50 gal = 6.68 cubic feet
4.5 cups of CGC rock dust used per c.f.= ~120.6 cups total
~+.5 cups kelp meal per c.f. = ~18-20 cups total =
~+.5 cups neem meal per c.f = ~18-20 cups total
~+.5 cups crab meal per c.f = ~18-20 cups total
All Down to Earth brand... I also have a 5 lb bag of Karnja I am thinking of using half and half with the neem, at the least for diversity.

For my veg soil I plan (or think I should) use this mix-

"Mix 2x of Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss and 1x vermicompost. If you feel that it's a bit heavy then add some aeration amendment of your choice. Any are fine except I wouldn't recommend using Vermiculite.

Water this with a Kelp & Alfalfa meal tea with the following recipe:

1/2 cup Alfalfa meal
1/8 cup Kelp meal (not dry powdered seaweed extract but Kelp meal)

Add this to about 3 gallons of water and stir it every few hours or better yet is to stick an airstone into it to keep things bouncing around. Do this for about 24 hours and strain the plant material out and hydrate your mix. Both of these meals contain amino acids, enzymes, compounds and elements that facilitate root production and in conjunction with the vermicompost you will have a strong seedling." LD

NOW, the questions begin.... I have dont much research but am unsure of some things.

Edited by veener, 14 May 2012 - 05:01 AM.

I am unsure of how I should start seedlings in this method the best.... should I start seeds like I normally do in some rapid rooters then transplant into LDZ seedling mix? Then how long would I keep it in LDZ seedling mix before transplanting into the final soil mix, unless there is a seperate veg soil that I have missed but that doesnt match all the research and purpose of the 'super soil' LD uses.

So in a gist, how should I be vegging- how long do I keep seedlings in said seedling mix and also..... what are the teas that are being used by LD followers throughout the grow cycle.. I seem to find conflicting info on what ingredients to use at what points throughout the cycle- depending on when the posts were made and by whom.

ANY info will be greatly appreciated and I also will be posting ALL documentation of the grow on this site for others to learn from as well for others to help me along the way. I hope to pass on all knowledge I gain from this experience. This is a HUGE transistion in my growing methods and even more so my life.... but thats a whole other story.

I plant my just rooted clones directly into my soil mix and they love it. i dont make seperate soil mixes for different stages. Try it at least - you'll know right away. As long as your soil mix has cycled long enough you'll be just fine.

I seem to find conflicting info on what ingredients to use at what points throughout the cycle-

Whenever I make botanical (or otherwise) teas, they get used for all stages of plant growth. I dont make different teas for different stages. If I mix up a batch of comfrey or kelp meal tea, they all get it, from little rooted clones to flowering females.

To me, diverstity means alot. Make sure that everything your plant needs is in the soil mix. Your plan and the microbes know what the plant needs better than you or I. They take different things as they need it.

Since you need to wet your soil down after mixing it, why not make yourself an earthworm castings and molasses ACT and wet it with that to ensure an immediate microbe poulation. (EDIT - just saw your post on LD's kelp & alfalfa tea for this - good deal)

I'm still learning myself, and hope to be for a long time, but if I had to give advice it'd be to make sure that your microbes are plentiful and healthy. Soil ammendments/food come second. I'm learning that it doesnt take as much in the way of soil ammendments as Ive used in the past - a healthy microbe population is much, much more important. Compost & earthworm castings rule. Worm Power out of NY is huge and does it right. Those castings should serve you well.

As far as how long to veg, thats your call, but I like vegging for a few months myself. Putting big, strong and healthy plants into flower works much better for me than trying to do more smaller plants. Big fat healthy branches equal big fat healthy budz.

Try planting several into larger sized pots - 10 to 15 gallons. Veg them for 6 or 8 weeks. I drill holes im my pot rim, use soft yarn and tie my branches down. this makes for wide, low plants and an even canopy. I find they love the freedom in the larger root zone, and it also lets me do the no-till method the day I harvest. That same day that I take one down I dig out a one gallon sized hole in the middle of the pot, removing the main stalk and whatever leftover root is in that one gallon sized hole and plop a new vegging one gallon plant into the same hole - topdress with some ewc's and kelp meal and you're ready for another round in the same pot of soil. the microbe population and fungus is already established and in place - why disturb it? I'm ready to put plants number 6 right now into the same pots of soil as plant number 1 was in, and all is happy and healthy.

best of luck.

jerry.

Thanks Jerry, for the words of advice and encouragement. This is a huge step.... I cant wait to show off all the process from beginning to end!

How does the soil mix and ratios look to anyone? Any advice or tips on anything I could be overlooking?



Veen

from an instance I tried some, that karanja stuff looked so good i would eat it and that is my overly confident and uninformed position.

another thins i noticed a few weeks ago was the crustacean meal should be run through your worms first (and some kelp). that amount you listed (20 cups) would take a while for your regular old mart pot worm bin.

Edited by hope2toke, 15 May 2012 - 12:54 AM.

Lookin Good Veen

VOO

@hope2toke - as far as I have read many people successfully use crustacean meals in their soils and say that the chitin/calcium and other benefits are all quite readily available, am I missing something perhaps?

@VooDoom - thanks, bud. The whole thing has me excited yet nervous with the transition from soilless/hydro to ALL organic soil. I wonder how the yield and final product will actually end up...... but like I said- EXCITED!

Bump?