Ok here is the history. I have been outdoor gardening from the start. I literally plant my crops in the dirt god/alah/whoever gave us without ever an issue (see my food garden for results.) I have been under the firm belief that all the hype surrounding organic does not matter as my garden has always produced more than enough food for me, my family and the homeless in my community. though because I actually smoke my weed and the carcigens are what is the thing I felt are bad for me I never applied my organic ways to my indoor dope garden. Well this year my GF talked me into doing so. Well being a good BF I obliged. Being that most of the time she is correct. in the picture is my results between non organic (right) and organic (left). these are two of the same strain cloned from the mother at the same time. (the organic clones was actually bigger at the start.) But as you can see the non organic is in way better shape than the organic. Now please keep in mind that they both recieve the same organic ferts. So I am inclined to think that I have done something wrong. This pic is of two plants in a side by side compairison. the other strain that I am running is more drastic. normally three foot plants are about 1 foot. All I can think is that the mother plant that has been in non organic soil fert'ed with organic ferts. shocked the clones placed into the new organic soil. What you really can't see in the picture is that the color of the plants differ a great deal. The non organic is deep green and the organic fan leaves are yellow. Like a lac of nitrogen with out the dyeing off of the fans. these are 2 weeks or so from harvest and as my last non organic harvest this will significently impact my harvest. What am I doing wrong? Is there better organic soil?
My soil is good, what did you use? What did you amend the soil with? Did you innoculate the soil. Compost use at all? If you thought Organic growing was buying a bag of soil that said "Organic" on it growing a plant from seed to finish without enriching it somehow, then that is the problem. If you bought a line of "Organic" Nutrients and compared them with the ones you already have, most of us haven't used them enough to help I don't think. Cannibus likes a lot of differing additions to soil I think, the more diverse the soil, the better plant's I get. You might just have to add some more diversity to what ever mix you have going on now. The aim is to be water-only soil.
To the rescue again I see. I used ceder grove organic soil. No I did nothing to the soil with the exception of adding a bit of perlite. I have a compost but it will not be ready til the next spring planting season. Winter just hit hard and I used the last of the compost for the outdoor winter crops (brassicas, onions and lettuses) seems I have some research to do before going into full indoor organics. I had no idea that I had to do anything to the soil I bought. Normally if I add anything to the non organic soil it would burn the shit out of my plants. Thanks for the help!!!!!!!!!!! someone link me in the right direction. As I have seen great resulst in my food garden I would like to apply this to my dope aswell
Hey mixted your food garden is looking real nice. I bet that home made brew is great. I sent you a PM regarding the quality humus, I have made a few connections for local worms and compost and might be able to forward you int heir direction ...]\\ other wise the best humus is found in the most 'unexpected' places. I snagged a 6' nanking cherry bush off the CL last week- it was apparently being shaded out by larger trees and the lady was super nice. Well the root ball was just the blackest soil with the smallest particles, and some worms in there, Just fine and beautiful humus. I guarantee that puts cedar grove away as far as quality, although I think the cedar grove is still a good base to start a larger compost soil mix with, and that it's quality will improve with enough work/time
Have you thought about gathering soil from some of your outside plants to use indoors? also i don't kow if it has anything to do with it but have you looked at the one straw revolution yet?
Mixted I'm familiar with Cedar Grove's products - we get them at the mainstream nurseries around Portland. I support their efforts and for outdoor gardens their compost is a very nice product. For container-grown plants, the compost isn't as finished as you want. See if any of these shops are close enough for you to drive to. If so then if you were to purchase the Vital Earth Potting Soil which I've used and recommended for new medical growers because it is one of a tiny, tiny handful of potting soil companies across the USA that actually process their own thermal compost and worm castings out of their facilities in Phoenix in Southern Oregon. This soil should be about $10.00 for 1 c.f. which is the very same price as Fox Farm Ocean Forest which is $15.00 for 1.5 c.f. and as we all know, FFOF is as sh*tty as it gets. Until you have several grows under your belt you would be hard-pressed to find anything remotely close to this potting soil. Some of their other products are dubious like any other company I suppose. In particular stay away from their amendments - last time I checked it looked like they were infected with the 'grow store pricing fever' - laughable. If you live close enough to Portland that a trip once every 3 or 4 months wouldn't be much of an issue then you'll have the keys to the kingdom because one wholesaler there sells to every organic farm and feed store in Western Washington and Oregon. Prices are too cheap to believe. DISCLAIMER: I have absolutely no affiliation with Vital Earth. I ran their potting soil a couple of years back when medical issues prevented me from mixing my own soil. This is the one that I looked at and purchased. For a commercial, bagged potting soil, this is as good as you can hope for all things considered. Mixing your own is always better and less expensive. HTH LD
Thanks, Lumperdawgs I think you solved my problem for the short term as one of those stores is an hour or less away. For the long term ForbinsAscent I think you are right in your line of thinking and the straw revolution is intresting stuff. my GF always encourages me to not cut our grass and let it "meadow" out, which is essentailly the same concept. One think they did not mention is that doing his methods also cuts down on the ammount of water you have to use as well. Now here is an idea I had, based on FA suggestion. I have an area in my yard that during the summer the ferns and other vegitation grows naturally, I never give it any upkeep just let it do its own thing and every winter it dies back but then like clock work it comes back very lush. Think removing soil from there and useing it in my indoor would work? I would replace the removed soil from that area with used soil and let it sit for a year or two. what really would solve my problem is it the feds would stop fucking around so I could grow my dope outside so MN could just handle it for me.
my experience with outdoor farming, or the no till method, is limited. I know that it will increase the soil water holding ability, but im not sure if bringing the dirt in will be your answer. it would seem to be the answer when it comes to the soil of my cherry shrub. It was planted between several healthy trees, and the lady who gave me the shrub is an avid gardener as well. her neighbor keeps bees... all i know is somehow along the line the soil from the far corner of her yard was converted to super dark & fine, airy material
thanks all, due to me having finals all this week I decided to just use the remaining non organic soil I have until I have a lot of time to research. ForbinsAscent I will be getting in contact with you after finals are over. Hopefully I can hang on through the end of the week. And again thanks all.
Good luck with finals, two of my kids are taking theirs's too. One of them apparently, from the letter home, has been ass-raped by Inorganic Chemistry all year, told him it was because it wasn't ORGANIC!!! Da-dum-da!
Inorganic Chemistry was one of the most boring classes I ever sat through. Plus it is required to learn the entire periodic table, all the elements atomic weight, how electrons work and tons more, it is alot of information to take in, lots of lectures and tons of reading. I was almost turned off to science as a whole because of that class. But pending their path they should be getting into majors biology, and plant Bio. which kick ass, tons easier when you can go home and apply what you have learned. (wink, wink) I have been up all night for the last 4 days trying to get this calc down. I fucking hate math. I learned all the math i ever wanted to know by tenth grade (28 grams in a OZ, 16 OZ in a pound) Hopefully I finish this class and no more math ever.