Talk nerdy to me

Discussion in 'Growing Organic Marijuana' started by questionable cultivar, Jan 15, 2014.

  1. #1 questionable cultivar, Jan 15, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 15, 2014
    Ok. 
     
    So I just finished tumbling my dirt and I'm feeling like talking soil; to admire our soil, is to admire the organic gardening hobby itself.
     
    I really would like to start a discussion of recycling indoor soil if anyone is interested? I'm more interested in hearing other peoples approaches, methods or even relative anecdotes more than formulas, although, they can sometimes be interesting too..sometimes.  
     
    That being said, this is how I do it. 
     
    I christened this regeneration two days in advance by starting a gnarly pot of AACT. I'm looking to get a nice balance of bacteria and fungi, so I add my molasses as smaller doses a couple times a day over the entire brewing course. I do this so as not to over explode the bacteria population, but more importantly to keep the bacteria cruising through the entire brew like an endurance athlete pacing themselves. I also add plenty of kelp to increase fungal sites. I'm a fan of getting some fungi in the soil to start working on those freshly added rock minerals.
     
    This time I threw in a gal of humus to every 1/2 cu.ft. of old soil. Basically, 1:4.
     
    I'm in my third generation with this soil and I still think that my minerals are not quite there. Mg. in particular, which is interesting as I just read a thread started by ITG a while back, and I believe it was....pardon me.... :bongin: .. :blink: ...whatt wasss I...yeah, so I think she read somewhere that coco coir was shown to interfere with calcium and magnesium uptake. Somehow.  Well, this perked my ears as I have had mag deficiency every grow with this soil, although with fewer and fewer symptoms/generation. So in the drum goes my rock minerals, big and small. 
     
    I tumble by hand in a food grade 55 gal. drum. Starting with 1 1/2 cu. ft. old (mature :) ) soil. In the drum goes 1C. kelp, 1C. mixed meal. 
     
    Close the lid and tumble for fifteen minutes, maybe listen to Xavier Rudd, Bob (lots of good Bobs out there, pick one, and be satisfied), Of Monsters and Men? Rhetorical.
     
    At this point I start to admire the exercise of it.
     
     
    I layer this in totes, spraying tea every couple of inches. I use coir heavily in my soils and it can take LOTS of tea when watering, but here I'm just going for light damp. Too light, and you may not get enough microbial activity. Too heavy and it can start to ferment anaerobically, suffocating all your hard work and increasing the chance of pathogens. I believe it is imperative to make sure you have enough oxygen in the soil. Flush the soil with fresh oxygen every 'so often.'
    The totes get heavy quick.  I just fill the tote with one tumbles worth. Space isn't much of an issue. I went with an aged coir mulch (compost tea, and time) and sprinkled in a couple Tbls. of neem seed and crab meal and mixed it in before applying a thin coating over my soil. The crab meal is a nice slow release while attracting beneficial 'predator' bacteria that feed on chitin based organisms such as the eggs of root feeding nematodes (parasites).. Neem also deters mites, and PM while adding nitrogen to your soil.
     
       
    Anybody have an interesting biographical story about recycling with lacto, EM-1, homemade serums?
     
    Anybody?
     
    Best

     

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