Just wanted to drop in here with a question that's a little open ended. Do any of you guys run no till containers with live worms? I've searched high and low without finding much consensus. I don't have my own worm bins but several friends do, and if they could help cycle the soil I'm preparing they'd be my little heroes. My mix is in a few 20 gallon smart pots with a cover crop of oats, peas, and vetch all just starting.
Found this compiled info on a pdf I got somewhere along the beaches of life. lol Aloe Vera BioStimulant The problem with trying to do research on the Aloe vera plant in the USA is that the links at Google are loaded with blogs, forum posts and manufacturer's blab sheets. Pretty daunting trying to dig through it. You'll do much better at the Australian web sites. Australia is the 3rd largest producer of Aloe vera extracts - liquid, spray-dried and freeze dried versions. China & Mexico are bigger than Australia. Saponins trigger the plant's Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR) as well as the Hormonal Acquired Resistance (HAR) - auto-immune compounds created by plants for defense against a number of pathogens. (CC) What shocked me the first few times I used Aloe vera or rooting cuttings was the sheer amount of root sites and then the rate which they pushed out from the stalk.(CC) The only warning that I want to give you on doing your own thing is that Aloe vera contains high levels of Benzoic acid which begins to ferment in less than 20 minutes once it's exposed to air. Commercial Aloe vera juice is treated with salt which converts this acid to Sodium Benzoate which most of consume at each and every meal - unfortunately. The organic, non-preservative versions of Aloe vera will use one or a combination of the following: Citric or Ascorbic acid so if you know anything about arresting fermenting with these acids then you could make a quantity and keep it in the refrigerator. If not then only extract what you need at that moment. For folks who live in areas that have a large Hispanic community, Aloe vera fillets are available often in the supermarkets and speciality stores and they even have a UPC sticker on them. Fresh is best. Freeze dried powder is next. Spray dried powder is next. Anything sold as a liquid and particularly at the retail level then you need to read the labels closely.(CC) The same compounds in Aloe vera that facilitated the rooting without degrading the leaves (typical complaint on garden boards) will do the same thing when you plant the rooted plugs in your soil(CC). Sodium Benzoate you do not want.(CC) Two compounds that are important(CC): • Saponins • Salicylic acid (salyclic acid is a rooting compound. Same as willow shoots) Mixing instructions: Fresh fillets (best method) - 2 tablespoons to 1 gallon of water (CC) 50XX Powder - 1 gram mixed with 49 grams water = 50 grams aloe vera juice 100XX Powder- 1 gram mixed with 99 grams water = 100 grams aloe vera juice 200XX Powder - 1 gram mixed with 199 grams water = 200 grams pure aloe vera juice. 0.25 grams with 1 gallon of water To equal 2 oz. per gallon when making 5 gallons of ‘tea' you would add 1.5 grams which is 2 teaspoons (.75 gram each) \n\nTen main chemical constituents: Amino Acids - Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Valine, Tryptophan, Alanine, Arginine, Asparagine, Cysteine, Glutamic Acid, Glycine, Histidine, Proline, Serine, Tyrosine, Glutamine, And Aspartic Acid. Anthraquinones Enzymes - Amylase, Bradykinase, Catalase, Cellulase, Lipase, Oxidase, Alkaline Phosphatase, Proteolytiase, Creatine Phosphokinase and Carboxypeptidase. Minerals - Choline, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Manganese, Chromium, Selenium, Copper, Iron, Potassium, Phosphorus, And Sodium Vitamins - Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12 Lignins Monosaccharide Polysaccharides Salicylic Acid Saponins Sterols. \n\n[SIZE=23pt]Coconut Water [/SIZE] [SIZE=10pt]BioStimulant [/SIZE] [SIZE=10pt]Used in tissue culture propagation. The Cytokinins in coconut water will go a long way to increasing the girth of your branches. The indole-acetic-acid (IAA -Auxin) sprayed on the young starts will lessen the internode spacing. The coconut water is far, far more than simply water - it is the embryo of the coconut endosperm. It is biologically active with everything that it will take to turn this embryo into an actual seed spread over several months. I do not believe that you could [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]find another plant material that is as rich as this one - no flower, no seed, no fruit - nada. Young [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]coconuts do not have any ‘coconut meat' because that takes several months for the coconut water [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]to attach itself to the internal sides of the shell and as that solidifies and hardens it becomes the stuff you eat. Using a 1:15 mix ration would be at the upper end.(CC) I can't imagine much benefit using coconut water as a foliar spray. The action you want to see from the specific enzymes take [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]place in the soil and not on the leaves & branches.(CC) [/SIZE] [SIZE=10pt]Usage: 1/4 cup / gallon[/SIZE] Fulvic Acid Apply as a foliar or drench. Part of all humic structure in rich composting soil. It is an acid created in extremely small amounts by the action of millions of beneficial microbes, working on decaying plant matter in a soil environment with adequate oxygen. Amazing for a foliar spray. California & Oregon do not allow the term ‘Fulvic acid' on labels. BioAg Ful-Power is a pure Fulvic acid and this is the name used for both retail and online sales to Oregon & California customers. In other states and countries the term Fulvic acid is used.(CC) Dr. Robert Faust (BioAg) has described Fulvic acid as a catalyst for catalysts as it assists in enzyme reactions(CC) On their pure Fulvic acid, the way that Dr. Faust and Zadow explain it is that the small molecules of Fulvic acid can and are absorbed by the plant's roots but equally important they can be absorbed through the leaves via foliar sprays. That is their suggested application method, BTW Once inside a plant's vascular system, Fulvic acid triggers DNA responses in that plant, i.e. this is not a ‘fertilizer' per se. It does a number of other functions but this is the one that stuck in my mind.(CC) Where to source: BioAg Application Rates: BioAg-Ful-Power - 1 oz per gallon Application Frequency: 1x per week on the barley tea with Ful-Power and that's applied through the entire veg and flowering cycles.(CC) Humic Acid (BioAg Ful-Humix) Apply as a drench not foliar(CC) \n61 It increases nutrient efficiency and uptake, increases cellular activities at all levels, stimulates beneficial microorganisms and converts raw organic matter and fertilizers into available forms for faster uptake. In the root zone it reduces the uptake of sodium, aluminum and other metals that negatively effect plants. Ful-Humix will also buffer the soil with organic biopolymers, thus preventing tie up of nutrients and trace elements (through chelation and complexing). BioAg's Ful-Humix = base Humic acid product. BioAg's CytoPlus = powdered seaweed extract and their Humic acid. BioAg's TM-7 and the TM = Humic acid plus Trace Minerals and there are 7 of them. I would suggest using the TM-7 for its trace minerals which includes Sulfur, Boron, Cobalt, Molybdenum, Copper, Iron, Manganese & Zinc in a 40% Humic acid base. What separates this (BioAg) product from others is that they're chelated with Humic acid vs. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)(CC) â„¢ 7. No need to hi-dose BioAg Ful-Humix (pure humic acid) is true humic acid and not Leonardite or leonardite that's just suspended in water using sugars to achieve aqueous suspension which doesn't translate into ‘liquid humic acid' contrary to the labels on many retail products. ““Know your vendor's sources†definitely applies when looking at humic and fulvic acid. Black sand suspended in water via molasses isn't ‘liquid humic acidâ€(CC) Application Rates: BioAg-Ful-Humix - 1x ever 7-10 days
I'd say most guys on here have worms in all of their pots. If you use quality vermicompost you're going to get them regardless because of cocoons. I have worms in all of my pots and I didn't put any of them there. Solo
I have worms in each of my pots. I started with 100 (give or take) of each red wigglers and European earthworms. Bham Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
That's what I figured. Made perfect sense to me, but man, it never ceases to amaze me seeing the conviction some cats have that any given thing is going to completely screw up a grow. Thanks guys!
Today I had a fellow grower stop by to chill and look at my plants. He said "what's all this shit growing in your pots for?". I said "it's ground cover, it helps with nutrient cycling upon other things". He said "that shit doesn't work, it uses all the nutrients in your soil." I laughed and told him he's an idiot. Then I showed him the first page of this thread and he about shit his pants. Bham Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
Hey sauce, fwiw I find that the aloe foliars really help the plants cope with the dryness. Rh gets really low around here at times as well. Peace, P-
Definitely not. This guy is a big time grower, we're talking 275 lights and he has his 502 license here in WA. He uses a nutrient system designed for agricultural food crops and won't tell anyone what the name is. He always says "this is how I make my money so I don't give away any of my secrets to anybody." He can have his synthetics, I want to do things naturally. Bham Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
I just put into 2 gallons of water with an air stone 2 oz of malted barley 4 (or so) teaspoons of Ful-Power fulvic acid 1/4 cup aloe vera juice ____________________ Gonna give it to my 3 big girls in 7 gal pots. Should I add more plain water? Maybe 1 gallon just to get a more even spread? Or should I just spread what I have between the three. Or should I have just mixed more liquid. I've read like 3 or 4 different recipies I think I have the right idea I'm just scared I don't want to kill my plants lol. I also gave an aloe foilar today to try and help my humidity problem, and when I watered my potted clones that look awful with aloe juice I let them run off into the tent catch tray to hopefully add some humidity in.
I bought some living soil from BAS not too long ago. Planted a Blue Mystic/Sour Diesel seed, she will be 2 weeks old tomorrow. Will post pic tomorrow.
Ulgh. It'll be a sad day that I buy a bud from one of those rec shops... Dude can keep his "secrets," I'd rather not know.
Im having trouble finding a good aloe powder that will ship to me. Anyone know if Swansons 200x aloe powder would be good? Link to product : https://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-organic-organic-freeze-dried-aloe-vera-powder-50-grams-1-76-oz-pwdr
Sauce', Living in the mountains of SW Colorado, I too deal with rather low humidity. If you have the room in your tent, you might want to think about utilizing this SIP method. It's really helped to bring the humidity up to reasonable levels in both of my grow rooms... http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/1151159-noobwannbs-self-wicking-smartpot-ghetto-setup.html
You'll never change those guys. Sometimes they get too big to learn anything. Anybody can buy 275 lights, not everyone can make the best of that investment.
Thanks for the suggestion. Maybe I can do it for my veg plants. I already have blumats for my glower tent. I'm hoping once I install them that helps. If the soil is evapping fast, the blumats should just keep right on filling it up. And when the soil is moist it's closer to 30%. So we'll see.
So how do you like those Blumats? How long you been running them? I'm interested in how they effectively keep larger pots evenly moist with just one or two drip lines dripping from one point. Or have they changed the water distribution set up since I last looked at them?