Hey all. So I'm trying to get a solid soil lined up for next years grow in the woods... a good organic blend that'll allow my ladies to readily take up nutrients as they desire. And I'm trying to keep it as natural (and free ) as possible. I'm thinking my main ingredients will be composted manure (likely horse, as I can get it for free in large amounts), earthworm castings, compost from my bin, perlite as necessary for good aeration, and I'm thinking about finding some good forest humus/river loam/maybe sediment from a lake or pond... good idea? These ingredients should hold water well, and have a diverse amount of bacteria/fungi to feed the plants. However I have a few questions 1.) In my growers bible it mentions that compost may harbor harmful bacteria/pests, and should be solarized in bags in the sun to kill off any unwanted nasties. However I think that's more of a concern for using compost indoors... anyway, you never know what might be in the humus I dig up as well, should these ingredients be cooked a bit for use outdoors? 2.) How far ahead of time should I have my holes filled up? I want the soil to be full of life before the plants go in, especially because I will be including some autoflowers, so I don't want them to be held back by anything. 3.) I plan on using homemade fermented fertilizer... fish, ascophyllum nodosum seaweed, maybe dandelions or stinging nettles. Although I feel the fish and seaweed may be nutritious enough. I am wondering if it's fine to mix ingredients while fermenting, ie fermenting fish and seaweed in the same batch, with lactic acid serum and blackstrap molasses. or should they be done separately? I only have a few organic grows under my belt, so I'm certainly no master yet but I'm hoping I can grow an abundance of dank bud next year. Thanks a ton for any help!
Hey crazychain, welcome to GC! 1) Anyone who tells you that you should sterilize your compost is an idiot. Those microbes that you would kill through solarization are the very thing that make the compost viable. By definition, "good compost" doesn't harbor harmful microbes. If it did, it wouldn't be "good compost". I'm not surprised that you read that in a "Grower's Bible" <snerk>. Whether using compost indoors or out, sterilizing it (by solarization) would kill off the good microbes-the reason that we are applying the compost- and the ones that prevent any bad microbes from taking over. If there's something wrong with your compost, you will know by the odor. Please don't ever sterilize your compost (this is what solarization does). With regard to the forest humus, let your nose be your guide. If it smells funky, leave it alone. You know how good humus should smell (rich, earthy, foresty). If there are any bad microbes in the forest humus, the good microbes in your (unsterilized) compost will quickly kill them off. You won't run into problems unless you start killing off those microbes through sterilization. Since you're growing outdoors, you aren't going to introduce any new unwanted pests by using the forest humus. Also, since you are prepping early, any bad pests will probably be gone by the time you put your plants in because there won't have been any food for them for a good while. 2) The longer you can let the organic soil sit and nutrient cycle, the better. You could go ahead and prepare them now. Or, as soon as you can work the ground in the spring. 3) Yes, you can mix ingredients while fermenting. Although I'd probably do the fish on its own and then mix them together afterward. But I've never made homemade fish hydrolysate so it'll probably be fine to mix them. Also consider including some dry fertilizers as well directly in the planting holes. These will break down more slowly than the fermented liquid fertilizers. With organics, it's always best to put everything in the soil from the get-go (not that you shouldn't also use your fermented liquids, those sound great!). Add some of that kelp directly to the soil! Same thing with the dandelions and stinging nettles. Especially if you plan on preparing the soil early-having everything in the soil from the get go really allows everything to work together in a very nice way. It sounds like you have a great plan for an organic grow! I'm betting you can definitely grow an abundance of dank bud. Just remember, leave "sterilizing compost" to the grow-store dudes and grower bible writers.
thanks! those are the answers i was expecting and hoping for, especially regarding compost. I've actually never used compost so I just wanted to double check. I got Jorge's medical growing bible as a gift recently, I find it a great go-to guide for the most part, but there's definitely some info I disagree with.
Leave it up to the stoner books/bibles to promote sterilizing compost. ITG was being nice calling them idiots. These retarded authors give actual organic growers a bad name. Morons.
Lol jerry, "retarded" was the very first word that came to my mind, but I was trying to be polite. So wait- you mean I shouldn't have microwaved my ewc? Dude at the grow store said it would contaminate my grow if I didn't nuke it. Btw, I'm running the entire General Organics lineup plus Kandy Kush boosters and Lizard Juices. My runoff pH is a little high, nothing a good flush won't fix. (crazychain, I'm totally not making fun of you. I'm making fun of these mouth-breather "experts" who don't have a real gardening bone in their bodies. It irks me to no end- I just imagine someone telling a group of tomato or orchid growers that they need to pH their runoff and spend $150 on magic-potion "nutes". lol. Don't forget to flush!)
Ahaha no worries, I know the type! I couldn't see any benefit to it at all, but gibberish or not I don't have half the experience of Jorge, so I always like to get second opinions.
I don't have half the experience of Jorge Thank God. Forget anything you've read by him. You're already way ahead of him...