Paging Dr. Greenthumb

Hey Test Dummy, sorry to hear about your troubles in organics, I think you'll still have trouble with this mix you just made, sounds super strong, you should let it cook for 4 weeks minimum. I'll post up my soil mix info and I have lot's more on teas and waterings if you'd like.


Mixing your own soil is the best way to ensure the highest quality ingredients and even ratios of amendments. You can correct any issues you encounter much easier than using store bought mixes because you'll know exactly what went into it and at what ratios. This is just my recipe, I've added a cubic foot of fresh Dynamic Accumulators with great affects before, stems and leaves from harvested plants, it all goes back in. Feel free to experiment and learn new things. You can use less amendments or ratios and still have a very successful garden.



I use:
1/3 Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss
1/3 EWC/Vermicompost (homemade is best.)
1/3 Aeration (small sized Lava Rocks or Growstones)
Bio Char 5-10% of Total soil mix. I usually go with 5-6% to be safe.

Using a 5gal bucket to measure with, 1.5 buckets equals 7.5gals (1 cubic ft).

These measurements don't need to super precise with the bucket. Just try to make it as equal as you can. Your CSPM should be fully hydrated before measuring because it expands and will throw your ratio off.

Amendments Breakdown Per Cubic ft of CSPM & Vermicompost.
(I'm using the amount of CSPM Vermicompost only for my measurements because it's the only living part of the soil mix in the beginning. There is no need to amend aeration which is inert. SPM's acidity is controlled by Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3), I.e. Crustacean Meal and Oyster Shell Flour in this mix.
Nutritional Amendments:
1 cup Alfalfa meal
1 cup Neem Cake
1 cup Kelp Meal
1 cup Crustacean Meal
1/2 cup Malted Barley Grain (6 row)
Sulfur:
Gypsum Flour 1/2 cup per cubic ft
Liming:
Oyster Shell Flour 1 cup per cubic ft.
Mineral Amendment: Rock Dust 3 cups per cubic ft
Premium Basalt Rock Dust



Starting to Mix!
Bio-Char & Charging your Bio-Char
I like the start with the Bio-Char since this will take the longest to be ready.
Biochar is not a fertilizer, but rather a nutrient carrier and a habitat for microorganisms. First of all it has to be charged to be biologically active in order to efficiently utilize its soil-enhancing properties. If biochar is incorporated pure and without activation into the soil, its high adsorption capacity and increasing CeC (Cation Exchange Capacity, is the number of exchangeable cations per dry weight that a soil is capable of holding, at a given PH value, and available for exchange with the soil water solution. CeC is used as a measure of soil fertility, nutrient retention capacity, and the capacity to protect groundwater from cation contamination. To increase the CeC of a soil is to enhance the formation of humus. In general, the higher the CeC, the higher the fertility of that soil.) will result in the absorption and fixing of available nutrients and water in the soil. This in turn may lead to inhibition of plant growth, at least in the beginning (several months to a year) and depending on the soil's nutrient content. To prevent this, it is recommended that prior to biochar's application, biochar should be:
1. loaded with nutrients and water
2. colonized with microorganisms, so that the fixed nutrients are more easily available to plants.
3. aged by oxidation, to bring CeC close to its maximum.

Due to its high porosity, biochar can take up water including the dissolved nutrients of up to five times its own weight. Research on the Amazon Basin's Terra Preta soils and naturally occurring biochar from forest and grassland fires implies that biochar can persist for millennia with very little decay. Laboratory studies using the latest technology estimate that biochar has a mean residence time in soils on the order of 1300–4000 years (Cheng et al. 2008, Liang et al. 2008)

Place the amount of bio char you want to use in a bucket/container with the charging elements, which could be organic compost, animal manure, such as Chicken, Horse, Goat, or Rabbit, or liquid nutrients to soak. Cow manure can use also, just make sure it's been aged a year. A year of composting time ensures the cow manure is safe from dewormers and antibiotics. Can also use Alfafla Meal, Kelp Meal or Neem Cake to charge the Bio Char with. The time for charging your bio-char should be at least 14 days in an aerated container to 3 weeks or even longer, it's up to you. Would add all of this to your soil mix when it's finished charging or give it to your worms for further working over. I use Chicken Manure and Kelp Meal or Neem Cake or both. But always animal manure in conjunction with Kelp or Neem. Doesn't hurt to add more.


Next is your Vermicompost or Earth Worm Castings (EWC). This is THEE MOST IMPORTANT part of your soil mix! Producing your own Vermicompost is easy and fun. You can use just about any thick or dark colored container to block light from entering and disturbing your photosensitive worms. I use red wigglers. There are many worm farm kits you can buy if you don't want to make your own. Worms reproduce by laying 2 eggs every 90 days. The population is self regulating, there won't be to many. I put worms in all my pots, your soil mix wouldn't function properly without them in my opinion.

You can do a 50/50 mix of compost/Vermicompost for the freshest mix, but I prefer to play it safe and not use any completely raw ingredients like fresh compost which could start thermal composting and possibly hurt the worms or young plant roots.

 

RO water should be fine. Some don't use it because it creates a lot of waste water.
Just covering a few basics here, you probably know a lot of this.


Plant Watering
When you start adding organic material to your garden soil and begin using compost and mulch you will use MUCH less water because of the water holding capacity and efficient use by the soil itself. That being said, watering is important and you should follow some basics for best results.

1. Water before sunrise or in the early morning. Indoors this means before the lights come on, or just after. This will allow the plants to have moisture for the hot day. Watering at night can cause humidity issues based on your environment and should be avoided unless they have to have the water.

2. Water with Clean water. Use rain water or use tap water that has been aerated for 24hrs. Adding citric acid or a small amount of organic material will break the chemical bonds of Chlorine or it's various other forms so it will evaporate out of the water and so you aren't doing damage to your microbial life. Filter your water, just do something to have the best water you can afford to use for the garden.

3. Water at a temperature that isn't extreme. Don't use ice cold water or hot water if at all possible. I've used a seedling heat mat under a bucket to take the chill out of the water during the winter.

4. Make sure you have proper drainage and water till a little barely comes out the bottom of your container or until the garden is properly moist but not flooded. Over watering is a common mistake for many gardeners.

5. Don't aim for wet and dry cycles. Aim for Consistency of time of watering and also for a good moisture level in the soil. Keeping the soil moist will keep all the soil microbes alive and well. Drying out the soil will kill much of the soil life.

You can use dechlorinated water the whole plant's life or you can incorporate Nutritional and/or Sprouted Seed Tea's for a treatment or boost. If for whatever reason your plants look unhealthy and develop a nutrient deficiency you can brew an Aerated Tea. Watering your plants with that to restore them to health again. Teas can be brewed in a food grade 5gal bucket with an airstone to make it bubble. The stronger the air pump the better! The slurry left at the bottom of the bucket should be applied to the soil also to feed the life within. If you have a lot of leftover Tea, can strain out the slurry in the bottom and feed the solids to your worm farm or dilute and use on outside garden beds. Dilute by at least 50% before using on house plants, it will burn them.

From Tim Wilson's website...
http://microbeorganics.com/
"First of all I'd like to make it clear that most aquarium air pumps don't produce enough air to use in a container larger than 1 gallon when considering making an aerated brewer. So don't even try the 5 gallon pail with the aquarium pump idea everybody is passing around. You need a minimum 0.05 CFM (cubic feet per minute), open flow of air and an optimum 0.08 CFM per gallon (US) or higher to make aerated compost tea (ACT). ACT should have the DO2 sustained at or above 6 PPM. Generally, aquarium pumps produce around 0.02 to 0.16 CFM. Another generality is that 25 watts of power usually produces 0.75 to 1.0 CFM in diaphragm air pumps. The wattage is usually marked on the pump which will help you figure out the approximate output."


Fulvic Acid (Ful-Power)
High bio-availability and supreme chelating action. Ideal for foliar sprays (helping to increase effectiveness of other materials), clones and cuttings, bare-root dip, and seed activation.
"Fulvic acids, are humic substances known to be powerful organic electrolytes which help to dissolve minerals and metals. In other words, fulvic acids transform minerals so that they are readily available for absorption by plants. Fulvic acids work more in the plant than in the soil. They enhance nutrient, vitamins, coenzyme, auxin, and metabolism, which contribute significantly to plant growth and health. An indirect way in which fulvic acids help plants to withstand wilting
is by increasing the amount of carbohydrates which results in the accumulation of soluble sugars in the cell. This increases the osmotic pressure on the cell walls and makes the plant better able to deal with drought stress." - Biostimulants
Lastly, fulvic acids help to sensitize and enhance the permeability of the cell membrane which assist in the nutrient uptake.




Silica (potassium silicate)
"Silica - The Hidden Cost of Chemicals
A major mineral is missing in many soils and most soil tests do not even monitor its presence. This mineral can increase stress resistance, boost photosynthesis and chlorophyll content, improve drought resistance, salt tolerance and soil fertility and prevent lodging. lt can also reduce insect pressure, frost damage and destructive disease while lowering irrigation rates, neutralizing heavy metal toxicity and countering the negative effects of excess sodium..." - BAS website.

You can alternate special applications with dechlorinated water and Silica. When using a Sprouted Seed Tea (SST), I strongly suggest only once a week as you can hurt your plants. Watering is dependent of container size and how much the plant is drinking, higher heat & wind will make it drink more. Silica can be used every watering, which I often do, really helps out a lot, especially for any kind of plant training.

Every 4 weeks make a Neem/Kelp Meal Tea for IPM (Integrated Pest Management) and plant nutrition. Use this in place of one of the special weekly waterings so you don't over feed.

How do you know when they need water? Drooping lower fans leave is a sign, but he best method I've found is picking up the pot or lifting one side up when they get bigger, you'll start to notice the weight difference between a hydrated and dry containers pretty quickly. Remember to avoid wet & dry cycles, keep the soil evenly moist, like a damp sponge is the analogy most compare it too. Use dechlorinated water!

My Watering Schedule
Monday
Per 1 gal of water add;
Soap Nut powder (still testing this ratio, using 1 tablespoon per 5gals.)
1 Tsp Silica (AgSil 16H)
10 ml Ful-Power (Fulvic Acid)
1/4 cup Coconut water (added for last 10mins of brewing)


Tuesday- Thursday
Per 1 gal of water add;
1 Teaspoon Silica

Friday
Per 1 gal of water add;
1 Teaspoon Silica
1oz Malted Barley Grain (SST)
10ml Ful-Power
1/4 cup Aloe Vera Juice (added for last 10mins of brewing)

Saturday - Sunday
Per 1 gal of water add;
1 Teaspoon Silica


Neem/Kelp Meal Tea (IPM, once a month)
Per 1 gal of water add:
1 Teaspoon Silica
2 Tablespoons Neem Meal
1 Tablespoon Kelp Meal
10ml Fulpower Fulvic Acid
Brew 24-48 hrs.


ACT Tea Recipes
Add Ful-Power at 10ml per gal to these to really kick them into high gear!

Neem/Kelp Tea
per gallon
2 TBSP Neem Cake
1 TBSP Kelp Meal
24-48hrs brew time.

Alfalfa/Kelp Tea
Per gallon
2 TBSP Alfalfa meal
1 TBSP Kelp meal
24-48 hrs brew time.


Malted Barley Grain Tea.
You want to hit a homebrew store and there you will ask them for malted barley grain - not malted barley syrup or powder - GRAIN. They'll have 2 row and 6 row Grain, you'll want 6 row Malted Barley Grain because of the higher enzymes and nutrition.
For 1 gallon of tea:
1 oz. malted barley grain and grind that to a powder with a cheap coffee bean grinder.
Add this to 1 gallon of water
1 oz. of BioAt Ful-Power (pure fulvic acid)
1 tsp Silica
1/4 cup aloe vera juice

You can let this brew for about 4 hours and apply full strength. Stick with the 4 hour maximum!! if you don't have enough air moving through these teas you will get acetic acid. Acetic acid in concentrated vinegar (20% or higher) is sold as a herbicide under the general name of 'horticulture herbicide' or 'agricultural herbicide' and it kills plants.
"Or, grinding the malted barley seeds like you have to a very fine powder using a Mr. Coffee coffee bean grinder. Then I sprinkle the powder on top of the soil - about 1/4 cup per container (#7 SmartPot) and then I use my Chapin Sprayer to water the powder into the soil.

I cannot see one single difference doing things this way vs. the previous way of bubbling out the barley tea. Plus with the amount of air I'm moving into a 5-gallon bucket (i.e. 22 GPM) the foaming creates a mess that has to be cleaned up. Doing it this new way is painless and equally effective." - CC


Spouted Seed Tea: (SST)
Seeds have all the enzymes ready to create life and we can harness this with sprouts. Think of this as a do it yourself enzyme tea that costs pennies.
This super seed tea will change your game completely and is worth the extra time it takes. Use this weekly or at least once per month especially towards the finish of your plants.
Organic Barley Seeds, Corn Seeds, Legumes, really anything but it works best with barley because barley is cheap and also high in nutrients. Seeds are encoded by the host plant with an extensive array of enzymes including chitinase which is a big reason to use malted grain teas. A developing seedling cannot absorb (or adsorb) anything from the soil since it has no root system.

Chitinase deconstructs chitin. This enzyme breaks down the the insect's outer 'shell' which is made from chitin. When a plant detects chitin it produces this enzyme in huge amounts and this is one way that plants produce their own insecticides and fungicides in the soil.
Flowering plants create terpenes, terpenoids and ketones to fight off insects and fungi on the leaves and branches. Other plants (trees) create Secondary Metabolites like the compounds found in neem trees, turpentine in some pine tree cultivars (but not all), willow tree shoots (salicylic acid which some researchers are now calling a plant hormone) and the enzymes and compounds in aloe vera, kelp meal, et al.
So the benefit is from the enzyme and indirectly from the chitin itself via bacterial actions. Besides this enzyme in germinating seeds you should look at the other big 3 in germinating seeds - urease, protease and phosphatase to round out the beneficial enzymes in seeds.


Enzymes are made from Amino Acids & they are proteins. When an Enzyme is formed, it is made by stringing together between 100 & 1000 Amino Acids in a very specific & unique order. The chain of Amino Acids then fold into a unique shape. That shape allows the Enzyme to carry out specific chemical reactions. An Enzyme acts as a very efficient catalyst for a specific chemical reaction. The Enzyme also speeds that reaction up tremendously. For example, the sugar Maltose is made from two Glucose molecules bonded together. The Enzyme Maltase is shaped in such a way that it can break the bond & free the two Glucose pieces. The only thing Maltase can do is break Maltose molecules, but it can do that very rapidly & efficiently. Other types of Enzymes can put atoms & molecules together. Breaking molecules apart & putting molecules together is what Enzymes do & there is a specific Enzyme for each chemical reaction needed to make a cell work properly.

Enzymes are NOT Microbes & they are NOT alive, they are specialized Proteins!

Earthworms lack teeth & sufficient digestive Enzymes of their own. Relying instead on microorganisms to begin to rot & soften organic matter so it can be ingested. Then relying on naturally occurring Bacteria & Fungi in their gut to digest their food. In the process of taking in this biologically active predigested organic matter. The earthworm also ingests small particles of sand & soil, which lodge in their gizzard. As the organic matter & Microbial life coating it move past this gizzard they are ground against the gritty particles lodged there & fragmented into smaller pieces. Making them easier for the gut organisms to digest. Researchers now understand that it is not from the organic matter itself, but from the bodies of Microbial life rotting the organic matter that the worms derive the bulk of their most vital nutrients. Once thought to be detritus (debris) feeders, we now understand that the earthworm is actually a predator of Microbial life. Relying on microscopic Bacteria, Fungi, Protozoa & Algae as their major sources of nutrition. Thus, anything that will support Microbial activity, that is, anything that rots, is potentially suitable food for earthworms. Materials that support the greatest level of earthworm activity are those that support the greatest & most diverse populations of Microbial life. Worms actually exude specific Enzymes into the food stock to trigger specific responses

There are other specific attributes that pureed seeds can offer aside from the enzyme "boost" & its not necessarily specific to just the seeds but to the plant as a whole. You can use Corn for Cytokinins, which may just be specific to just the corn itself. Coconut water is an excellent source of Cytokinins as well. Alfalfa for Triacontanol, a PGR (Plant Growth Regulator), Fenugreek for its Nicotinic acid (insecticidal properties) & Caryophyllene which is a big part of cannabis essential oil, up to 36%!!
you would get a much larger, all around benefit from taking your sprouts, pureeing them and mixing them with water. The general amount is 2 Tablespoons of seeds per gallon of water you plan on using. Then after watering you can take the left over spent material at the bottom of your container and top dress it around the plants. As it breaks down thru Microbial action your worms will eat it and you not only get the increased Cytokinin benefit by watering with it but then your still using it like you have been as worm food.

I use Aloe Vera because it brings Salicylic Acid (SA) to the mix as well as its surfactant compounds (Saponins, freaking love Saponins!). Barley seeds contain A-Amylase & B-Amylase which are Enzymes that catalyzes the hydrolysis of starch into sugars. Malted grains contain the Enzyme Chitinase. Chitinase & SA create a pathway that increases a plants SAR (Systemic Acquired Resistance) which basically means a plants defense system against pathogenic Fungi & suppresses insect damage. Fulvic acid pushes the functions of plant Enzymes as far as possible. Beyond that once inside the plants vascular system FA triggers specific RNA responses which provides for several benefits in overall health, ion absorption & adsorption efficiencies, etc. Silica because it increases cell strength, the cell wall in plants is a substantial barrier that must be breached to gain access to the passing nutrients within. A Fungal pathogen must drill through this wall with its hyphae to be able to tap into the nutritious cell center. Once this goal is achieved, the pest has the food source that sponsors its spread, & a disease is born. When a disease begins, the plant directs all available Silicon to the attack site to strengthen the surrounding cell walls & stop or slow the spread of the pathogen. The problem is, because Silicon is immobile once incorporated into the cell wall. It must be in constant supply so the plant can utilize it at these times. On top of increased cell strength Silica increases stress resistance, boosts photosynthesis & chlorophyll content, improves drought resistance, increases salt tolerance & soil fertility & prevents lodging. Can also reduce insect pressure, frost damage & destructive disease while lowering irrigation rates, neutralizing heavy metal toxicity & countering the negative effects of excess sodium. The list could really go on and on for each of these items & there are numerous benefits!


Soap Nuts
More Saponins! Super high levels of Saponins which trigger a plants SAR, their defense system. Here are some comparisons of saponin levels in different materials.
Alfalfa - 20,000 ppm
Aloe Vera - 30,000 ppm
Yucca Extract - 40,000 ppm
Horse Chestnuts - 140,000 ppm
Soap Nuts - 240,000 ppm

Not expecting any specific visible results other than continued healthy and vigor, and naturally stronger pest resistant plants. DO NOT AERATE THIS for long than 20-30mins, it's called "soap" nut powder for a reason. First time I did that, got to water my plants and mop the floor. I also use The powder to wash clothes, 1 tsp per load of clothes. 2 tsp for the really dirty clothes.

 

well please step in and correct me if I'm wrong Waktoo.

 

I come in peace also brother, thought maybe you had the answer, I looked for awhile but couldn't find the info I was looking for. In people Distilled water removes minerals from our bodies. Something about the negitive ions need to bind to material to balance out. Now that you mention flushing, maybe it's part of that crowds misinformed. Until I can find something just forget about what I said about distilled water OP.

 

Polyphenols actually "block" digestion. Bacteria have nothing to do with it. Drilodefensins (metabolites) inside the worms gut actually remove the polyphenols, and and then allow digestion. The more polys in the plant material, the more drilodefensins the worms' gut makes. Check it out, interesting Biology for sure.

Lu

 

The bio-char and Agsil16H I get from Buildasoil.com, which is there in CO, shipping should be pretty cheap! Honestly I don't know the difference other than AgSil16H comes as a powder which I mix as I go, saves me a lot of money in the long run.

 

I get Everything through buildasoil lol, except the stuff I can get locally, CSPM, EWC, Lava Rocks.

Azomite
Azomite (aka Montmorillite) contains a good deal of aluminum that can be chelated by humic acids in the soil, fulpower, kelp meals... and uptaken by the plant. If you were to use azomite in the proportions in which we add rock dust, this toxic metal accumulation could be a problem.
Which means you're intaking Aluminum that deposits in your brain which is linked to Alzheimer's. You should be using Aluminum Free deodorant too.

 

I don't use Insect Frass, a lot of others do, maybe they can comment.

I use Molasses, very randomly and far apart for no particular reason, just don't think I need it more than once a month or longer. I'll take the liquid from my worm farm and add that to water along with a healthy drizzle of molasses, aerate that for awhile and water.

Snatched this off the web real quick: Molasses is a very valuable addition to the compost pile, as well as to the garden itself. Unsulfured blackstrap is the preferred variety, due to the mineral content, but any of the unsulfured ones will do fine. The benefits beyond the minerals are the natural sugar content that will feed the microorganisms in the compost or soil of the garden.

Use 1/4 to 1 cup to a gallon of water and spray onto the pile or garden, or add to the drip system for the garden. For soils that are poor, stressed or need help use 1 cup, while those that just need a little “snack” use 1/4 cup. The readily available sugar content will skyrocket the microbial life.

 

Fucking eating my replys. Hire a fucking 11YO to fix this shit!
Two complaints, if it actually gets posted.
Bump the lime up to 15 cups, if 15cf is the total amount of mix.
Reduce the rock dust to 30 cups (or less), for 15 cf of mix.
VOE on both of these amounts.
Wet


Edit: Sorry for the rant, but God Damn ... Having to re-type the same reply 3x to post once gets me a bit grumpy!