neemresource and neemtreefarms are both US based. neemresource will ship international, but there are big charges, and they won't accept credit card. Neemtreefarms I don't believe will do international. I was helping a Brit find neem oil and we settled finally on this: http://mothernaturesgoodies.co.uk/en/neem-oil/1350-neem-oil-1-litre-5031626603332.html It's organic, cold-pressed, so it should be high-quality
Thank you GtG Thinking of getting comfrey pellets, seaweed extract and nettle juice. Too OTT or positives to their uses? Current soil mix; - Organic peat free compost - Vermiculite - lime - Rock of potash - Mashed Alfalfa - Sphagnum Moss (ethically sourced) - Mycorrhizal Fungi
Thanks Jerry; why kelp over Seaweed? What's the advantages? Sorry for loads of Q's, just trying to learn as much as I can. Appreciate all the help guys.
LD post: Here's my read on Seaweed extracts vs. Kelp meal - when Kelp is processed (converted) to a powder, PotassiumHydroxide is the caustic chemical used. Same chemical sometimes used for cremating human and animal remains leaving only the bones and a powder that contains the Elements (minerals or whatever term one chooses) - the other benefits are long gone. Think about it this way - almost all of the compounds are a molecular formula of Carbon, Hydrogen & Oxygen - same as THC so what would be the effect of taking a few pounds of fresh harvested medicine, tossing it into a tank and dumpingPotassium Hydroxide on it and collecting the powder for use as medicine or recreation? Probably very few people would want to give that one a shot and who could blame them? Were it not for these Primary & Secondary Metabolites in plants, then there would be no reason to choose Kelp over Alfalfa or for that matter, simply buy synthetic fertilizers - the ol' NPK and related myths. Having said that, the product you linked to is from Acadian Seaplants which is the same company that packs the Kelp meal you have on hand. The only other big manufacturer of powdered seaweed extract is the original one from Maxicrop. Both companies harvest from the same general area (North Atlantic) and there are some big differences in the actual processing (hot vs. cold extraction) making the Acadian product a better one, IMHO. It's also about 40% less expensive - price Maxicrop Powdered Seaweed Extract in the 10.75 oz. pack sometime. The KIS product is the best of the best when it comes to these powdered extracts. They have their place but it is not a situation where kelp meal and seaweed extract are interchangeable - they are not for all the reasons I tried to explain. HTH LD
Get that verm out of your mix or use very little of it. Its not an aeration amendment like perlite, pumice or hulls. Also don't get hung up on finding a certain type of hull, use whatever is local and cheap. Nettle juice? I wouldn't waste the money and I would just make my own after foraging. Hth HaGGarD
Thanks @[member="BulbaStoned"], I thought you needed some Verm though? I steered away from Perlite as I've heard the dust can be bad for your breathing?
vermiculite is more like peat, it holds lots of water. Perlite doesn't hold water it holds air. The dust can be easily overcome by wetting the Perlite right in the bag before mixing it in your soil. Twas Ever Thus!
Help! So although my initial leaves had an issue during my time I left it alone for a few days; still unsure if it was over watering, nute lockout or light burn, the new leaves are now suffering the same fate with slight brown tips. I also notice the leaves are very light in colour. Can anyone help? Any likely natural cures I can use? View attachment 137418 View attachment 137419 View attachment 137420 Any help no matter how small would be greatly appreciated!
You sure @[member="BulbaStoned"]? You're the third person to say this; I'm really paranoid its just not getting enough nutrients. I have it raised in my case which is showing 26-27C consistently
Several points - 1.Your "soil" mix has "almost" no nutrition, although a plant of that size wont need much at all, especially when theres compost in the mix. 2.How much of the "Rock of Potash" did you add? 3.After you mixed this soil,did you allow any time for the Alfalfa & Potash to break down and pH to buffer/stabilize? 4.I don't see any type of aeration... Points 2 & 3 concern me the most. j
Thanks @jerry111165; your points answered below: I added a sprnkling of Rock of Potash to the surface as was directed by the container. I planted straight away into the soil mix No - don't have any aeration at the moment; I know I need to add some perlite
Things like alfalfa need to "cycle" for at least 4 weeks before seeds and young plants can be planted in them..... and you definitely need to have aeration for the plant to get oxygen.... otherwise it "drowns" Someone else will be able to give you advice on what you should do better than I can.... but I imagine it might involve digging your plant up, shaking as much dirt as possible free from the rootball, and re-planting in a mix of just compost and perlite, with little or no amendments. Also... is that Sphagnum Peat Moss, or just Sphagnum Moss? There is a difference.....
Ah I see; so basically all the nutrients from my amendments wouldn't even have affected the plant just yet? Sphagnum Moss
Sort of..... the soil microbes need time to break down the plant matter and make the nutrients bio-available for your plant. Another aspect is that this process is exothermic.... it puts out heat. Your soil may be too hot for your roots, literally.
Just researched the net and looks like I bought the wrong Sphagnum!!! I've just removed the plant, shook up the soil and pretty much removed alot of it (plus the Sphagnum Moss). There's not alot of roots. Gonna get some Perlite tomorrow
Yeah i made that mistake once...... that's why I knew to ask lol Woah!! I would have waited until I had the soil ready to transplant into..... I was just speculating what someone would probably tell you to do lol I'm sure it'll work out though.... Could you feel any heat coming from the soil?