A fistfull. I don't measure either. Greensand's a great thing in a long term plot or no-till setting. Remember how long it takes to break down - years. Slow release is excellent in an organic garden - just be aware, if you don't recycle or use a no till setup it's not doing a lot for you. J
Dumb question but no till? What's that mean? Also I was considering doing a coco, perlite, greensand and growstones mix. I've tried many concoctions and would like to give that a shot
No till is when you use the soil over and over again, without removing from the container. The idea is that you are keeping the microbe environment happy by not totally uprooting and/or starting from scratch with new soil.
Cool, I do that now. For a few sessions but after awhile I will use fresh. But your saying with organic that's the way to go? I was going to make a mix then use some but let the rest sit for as long as I can possibly a year or two
Here's a pic of "no till".....I planted a rooted clone right next to the "stump" of a harvested plant last fall........grew it out and harvested in December. Top dressed with fertilizer mix and EWC and water only.
Thanks! Wow so you leave roots and all huh? I would think you'd take the roots too then refill but I guess that defeats the purpose of no till. Thanks for the pic and knowledge...
I've done it a couple of different ways......you can also cut out the stump and plant right on top of the root ball. I inoculate my cuttings right from the start with mycorrhizal fungus spores........these are still colonized in the old root system and will infect the new roots on the clone. It's important to make sure your top dressing has a good N source. N is pretty mobile and will be depleted in the container. I like alfalfa because it works pretty fast and has growth regulators. I've done this in #5 and #7 Smart Pots, but it really works well in larger containers and/or beds. Cheers, Chunk
Chunk, Can you do this with 5 gallon buckets? Im about to start running SIP's and im curious if I could do no-till with them.
MicrobeMan (of Microbe Organics) recommends doing no-till in containers no smaller than 14" in depth, but people have definitely been successful with smaller. From http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/1065004-moving-no-till-medium-2.html
[quote name='Irie67']Chunk, Can you do this with 5 gallon buckets? Im about to start running SIP's and im curious if I could do no-till with them.[/ I've done this in #5 and #7 Smart Pots, but it really works well in larger containers and/or beds. J
I just change the set up so im basically starting with fresh. I'm just gonna no till next time. So...how long can you go without tilling? Years? Or just a certain amount of grows... Thanks!
As long as you like. You will need to occassionally top dress with castings, compost, kelp meal, rock dust etc. make an ACT here and there. This will help to replace what gets used. Feed with botanical teas - comfrey, nettle, kelp, alfalfa, dandelion - etc. Don't think like you are feeding your plants; feed your soil. Think of your soil like what it is: a living organism made up of billions of tiny life forms. If you feed your soil you will never go wrong. As far as I'm concerned a no till setup can and will last forever if properly cared for. Yeah, chemical nutrients are better than organics *snort* Organics rule! J
Hi, does anyone know where I can find micronized Greensand? I want it to react a bit faster with the soil. I’m not very happy with conventional coarse/sandy Greensand.