I’ve made and bought SIP planters and there is an organic method to those using an organic fertilizer. I was wondering if anybody had used these indoors? I’ve got peppers and melons growing in them outside and they are doing well so far.
I’m using self watering planters but still water from top like regular containers unless I go away for a couple days.
Everything went fine till week five of flower so I can’t say for sure. They did great up to that point. Wish I added the organic nutrients earlier on. Just used ff ocean forest.
Hell yeah man, I can post, I naturalize everywhere I can throughout the grow season. This year I ordered a few thousand ladybugs for pest control, and so far, am very pleased. (I knew I would be). But seriously, I make my plants their own special nutrient smoothies out of natural elements, along with wood ash for nitrates, and apple cider vinegar/ citrus juice to regulate pH. I use good Bugs to kill bad bugs. And also, if the conditions are favorable, I still take them out for some real sun from time to time. Bottom line is... NATURE IS AWESOME!!!!
Nature is the best at what she does, so if your plants are completely reliant on you for natural atmospheres, organic nutrients are best, rotate your plants often, find a safe way to control pests (ladybugs work fantastic). And constant care is necessary. You gotta tell them how much light is appropriate and then adjust accordingly. And ventilation, and humidity and room to grow into. Then towards the end stages, “flushing” is super important. Don’t be afraid to ask at all! That’s what this place is for.
Perhaps in a hydroponic garden - but certainly not in an organic garden. Hell - I don’t even use fertilizers... J
Well, I only say about flushing because i never used to use this practice until last year and the results were incredible! just when it was looking like it was time to harvest, i began an intensive flushing (you don't need molasses, despite what some would have you believe), but seriously, my trichombs literally quadrupled in just the two to three days i spent flushing. I was dumbfounded when I saw the results. All flushing does is wash out many of the remaining nutrients in your soil. In doing so, your plants will "panic" so to speak, and throw every bit of their energy into the development of the "flowers". I know it sounds unnecessary but the benefits are well worth it. (Trust me, it can't hurt at all). Also, stalk splitting is another trick I learned about and applied last year as an experiment, and I was happily satisfied with the results. Born on a farm, I've been growing outdoor crops since 1993, and only recently began indoor growing for quality purposes, and the differences between outside and inside are crazy. You no longer have mother nature doing most of the work for you, so you must become nature herself. but the fact remains, anything organic that you can use to benefit the health of your crop/garden is the better way to go about things. NO MIRACLE GROW OR ANY OTHER CHEMICAL ENHANCERS!!! just compost, wood ash for nitrates, vinegar for pH (if needed), and Ladybugs for pest control. sometimes i make special smoothies for my girls out of bananas and their peels, a few egg shells, a shot of whole milk, a bit of wood ash, fish (for fertilizer), and apples. I make a big batch and store it in the refrigerator. But I digest. Whatever works best for you, just do it. And, if anyone else has any other interesting methods, please hit me up and let me know. I am very interested in obscure methods of bettering my grow operation.
Most organic gardeners re-use their soil over and over again - but the thing about a true organic soil is that every component of the soil - from the tiny pieces of compost to the Kelp meal or stone dust or worm castings - these items ARE THE SOIL - I suspect what you saw was the natural increase in size of trichomes at the end of their lifespan. It is honestly impossible to flush an organic soil - unless you were to wash the soil itself away. “Am very interested in obscure methods of bettering my grow operation” Compost - work on your compost game and then work on your own Vermicompost - You’ll find that your plants will need (want) absolutely nothing but tap water and you’ll never need to check or adjust pH again, never need to “feed your plants” just keep things “just moist” with tap water. Start growing Comfrey and using it as worm food, compost material and especially mulch - Speaking of mulch - your soils surface wants to be shaded, and a good mulch made from well chopped old leaves and I mean 3”+ thick on top of your soil will both shade the soils surface and secondly, once you’ve got worms in your pots you’ll find that the worms will be swarming under the mulch, munching on the decomposing old leaves (and Comfrey!!) The worms will create pathways for oxygen and water in your soil to move through, they will leave castings to feed your plants under that thick mat of mulch and evaporation becomes a moot point, negating the need to water as often. Start treating your soil as a living entity - as a terrarium so to speak - and by mulching and keeping worms in your soil, and occasionally mixing a bit of Kelp meal, a fistful of chicken manure pellets or chopped Comfrey into the mulch that these items will slowly break down - and that you will find that you can keep your soil in perfect form, Many organic gardeners soils are SO RICH - so alive, that they can harvest a plant and now drop a new clone right next to the stump of the freshly harvested plant without skipping a beat - With all due respect and of course to each their own, flushing is for the Hydro Crowd and definitely not for a living soil gardener. Mulch. Super high quality compost and vermicompost. We have excellent threads on these subjects in the Organics forum - I wouldn’t steer you wrong. I used the same pot of soil for over 3 years and through many harvests by mulching and having worms in my (large - let’s say 15 gallon) pots. J
Okay dude, no worries lol. What works for you is all that is important. Keep doin what your doin man. Everyone has their own methods and that’s what makes this field so enigmatic. Good luck with your garden buddy.
Intrigued about this organic soil to get off the bottle nutes. Been doing a lot of research. Would love to just be able to water without bottle nutes having to worry about ph and ppms. Question for you is, i have been growing year around but would like to take next summer off, after growing in this organic soil is their a way to save it for about 4 months without puttting another plant in it? Can you keep the soil in the pot and water it and feed it teas when not growing in it to keep the soil alive?
I keep my soil in 30 gallon garbage cans without any problems. You can always bubble an Aerated Compost Tea to jump start the micro herd.
I’m trying to keep my summer garden going and reading here as much as I can for an indoor grow. My question is the earth box has an alternative system that is organic, which I’m switching to next year outside, but is it ok for a newbie to do inside? What I’m getting at I guess is I want to get the kit and just start since I’m gonna be pressed for time and then study up the fine tuning while I’m doing that first one. Just trying to keep that card.
“Get the kit” Theres a kit? For what its worth, you could whip up a superb living organic soil in just a few hours - and if you went easy on the soil amendments on a smaller portion you could plant into it 5 minutes after you were done mixing and use that while the balance “nutrient cycled”. If you wanted i could give you a basic recipe - tap water only, use it again after you harvest. So easy even i can do it - and im as lazy as it gets when it comes to my garden. I couldnt be bothered with anything fancy these days and have discovered that the simple and cheap mixes work as good as the “fancier” mixes. Seriously dude - a couple hours and youre good to go with a water only mix. FEIW. J
@jerry111165, I’m surely down with that soil plan. I was just wanting to kick it off in a hurry although I don’t really know when I will have my main growroom done. In this closet I was just gonna do that SIP with some organic soil that I bought online. Trying to get the feel for inside growing. I can’t trek thru the woods with buckets anymore.
Its all fine and dandy buying soil online but I assure you that you can mix your own premium soil with basic items from most big box/hardware stores that will work most excellently. Lemme know - ill be happy to help. J
I honestly dont even use a recipe anymore - but the basic components could be: Pro Mix A good quality (and dude - i stress QUALITY) compost - (lemme know roughly where you live) Aeration - gotta drain well Organic soil amendments - a mixture of kelp meal, Epsoma Tomato Tone or similar blended amendment works great, plus my favorite, chicken manure pellets (such as “Cheep Cheep” or similar) You can add more items but look at how basic that is - just ridiculously easy and cheap - and will grow plants rivaling anyone’s expensive mix. Lemme know if you want to go Deeper. J
I live in the EU. Thanks for the heads up and the offer to help. I am pretty much sold on the no till recipy, but it so happens I am trying to convince my fellow countrymen that Bottled nutes is not the only way. The local forum, dominated by coco hydro heads, has a new thread where you can list a recipy that works. My intention is to post an organic recipy with off the shelf items. I want to help anyone who wants to understand they can grow weed very easily. I will try to replicate the list of items with locally available items replacing those I can't find. I'll need to get back to you sometime next week to partake your kind offer for help with any questions, not in town now. Cheers