Ok so I finally stepped off the cliff as it were. Thanks to ITG's soil thread, Jerry's insight and my own overactive imagination, I am in. I am 26 days into a 58-60 day flowering cycle, this is the time to do it if I am going to be set for my next run. Here is what I got yesterday and today at Harmony Farm and all around my lovely county (snuck into Marin for lunch and oyster shells). 40# EWC- Nature's Solution brand 3 x 1.5 cu. ft. Roots Organic Regular 2 x 3 cu. ft. Roots Organic 707 Mix (I always have found better results from mixing the two) 2 x 1.5 Royal Gold Basement mix (to increase coco content), 3# Alfalfa Meal 5# Bone Meal 5# Bat Guano 5# Marble dust (local shop) 10# Oyster Shell, Hog Island Oyster company, I had 18 fresh Oysters while I was there to replenish the huge shell pile. It is fine but it isn't flour, will this be ok? 1# Local Ground Bull Kelp 5# Crab Meal 1.5 cu. ft. Bunny Poo- I eat these same rabbits (4/month). I fell in love with rabbit when I was cooking for a living, I think everyone should eat more bunnies. How much of these: Dolmited Lime (I have a 50# bag) (7 1/2 pints?) Neem Meal (40# bag) What is missing? More Aeration? I am thinking more Aeration.
Hey gnome! You've got some excellent ingredients my friend. I do think you need something for aeration. If you've got the oyster shell you shouldn't need much lime. If you use the lime at all I'd cut it way down to like 1/8 cup per cubic foot. Do you keep the rabbits yourself? They are an excellent meat. I do think you need a rock dust other than marble- granite or basalt if you can get it. Marble is comprised of carbonate minerals (like calcite and dolomite), so it isn't the type of "rock dust" you want for this application.
Actually you are right, it is granite dust....from a place called Marble design, my mistake. I don't raise the rabbits, I met the person through my meat CSA as they don't include rabbits in my box. If it wasn't for sushi I could probably bike to 90% of the meat I eat at home. Perlite or crushed lava rock for aeration?
Very cool gnome! Way to keep it local. As far as aeration goes, go with whatever's cheaper and more easily available. I use perlite because it's cheap and works fine. Aeration is aeration, just go with what you prefer.
Include the neem meal in your 2-3 cups per CF (total) of nutritional amendments. It's also nice to top dress with a few tablespoons. What kind/brand were you able to get? J
Down to Earth. I have used them for years, just had never given the neem meal a second glance before. Our Harmony Farm store is really the best farm and garden store I have ever found, always worth the trip. I got my favas and clover for the winter while I was there.
Ok, Added 3 gallons of perlite and I forgot to mention DE. I am a DE fan. Side note, you can use DE to effectively filter particulate matter out of oils. When we used to make basil oil or the like we would sift DE over the surface and then skim the clear oil after it settled down to the bottom (with the fine plant matter). Stupid question of the night, since my local club has compost tea bubbling away all the time, should I use that to moisten the soil? I am a week or two away from having my tea brewer up and running.
Gnome, you can use an ACT to moisten the soil, but you can also use de-chlorinated water. I don't know how good their compost tea is, if it's good stuff sure, go ahead and use it. But you don't have to stress about moistening it with an ACT. You can just use water and then hit it with an ACT in a week or two when you get your brewer going.
So far I think their tea is pretty good, that is until I get all nerdy with my brewer then I am sure I will think mine is far superior. I am in there 3 or 4 days a week or so checking on my consignment clones and dropping off more so picking some up is pretty easy. I will grab a gallon or two next time I am in there.
I will get there, I have to do some adjustments like you did and create an airlift, though I doubt I will drag a 55 gal brewer (for some reason I thought it was 65 but apparently I need better glasses)into the hardware store like you did. I chuckle at the visual of you in the aisle putting the pieces together. So far this morning I had to make a hundred clones, water the girls( flower room, moms room and babies), transplant fifty clones into 2 1/2" pots, box up a bunch for the club and make an organic seedling mix (royal gold basement, EWC, neem meal, DE) for future rounds of babies. I will be back at it around nine tonight after work with a glass of wine in my hand. The goal tonight is to make a base for the brewer and get rid of the 2 1/2" to 3/4" pipe converter currently on the bottom of my brewer. If I get that far tonight, tomorrow is a trip to the plumbing supply shop to get the things I will need for my airlift.
I've seen many flexible rubber connections that utilize a simple hose clamp, and also ones that accept different sizes at each end? Just thinking out loud. J
If you have a well-balanced soil your plants should thrive no matter the state (veg, extended veg, flower) they are in. If you are regularly feeding botanical teas and occasionally ACTs and top-dressing with EWCs and/or compost you shouldn't need to change the amendments - this is true for any complete/balanced soil you are maintaining, regardless of stage of growth. Cheers, GM EDIT: Check out no-till gardening. That soil is used for several cycles - Jerry has some success stories there.
Thank you all for your patience, I will get there in time, I come pre-programmed to still think NPK as a pot grower even when I know better, for example in my head adding a 4-6-2 bat guano made sense instead of a 0-7-1. I have to admit there is another part of my brain that thinks of seasonal ammending and how a mother plant will never see August or September as it were but I am probably just overthinking that, the plant will take what it needs from a healthy soil.
the plant will take what it needs from a healthy soil ^This is the key my friend. That plant doesn't care what kind of guano you put in there, it's going to use what it needs regardless of whether or not there's more N or P or whatever in the soil. If it doesn't need it, it'll leave it there. Focus on supplying a variety of nutrients by using multiple amendments, and you'll be good to go.