theBeaver goes organic (or at least tries to…)

I have been actively growing indoors for a couple of years. Before that I grew outdoors a bit in the 1970s. fAs time goes on, and I have learned more and more, I have decided to attempt to go organic.

My goal is to utilize an organic soil mix that provides all needed nutrients for a cannabis grow cycle. I would eventually like to go with the no-till method.

Here are some pictures of my current grow, at 52 days of flower.

The trichomes are disappearing and the plants look to be needing nutrients.

Here was the soil mix I used:
Initial soil mixed in 6 ft kiddie pool in May 2021:

8 cu ft Kellogs organic plus for raised beds and outdoor containers (4 – 2cu ft bags)
2 cu ft Perlite
3 cu ft Local garden center compost with mycorrhizal
8 cups Espoma tomato-tone (6-5-3)
4 cups Espoma kelp meal (1-0-2)
4 cups Espoma garden lime
2 cups G and B organic earthworm castings
1 cup Espoma bat guano (10-3-1)
2 cups Espoma bone meal (4-12-0) (12% calcium)
2 shovels full Garden soil (out of the vegetable garden)


Over the following I months added
500 red wigglers (many worms still alive and active)
partial bags of FFOF
recycled soil from assorted pots and planters (approx. 3 cu ft)
Coffee grounds
Some vegetable cuttings (not too many)

Approx 1 month ago I added
12 cups rock dust
4 cups azomite (0-0-0.2)
4 cups Espoma flower-tone (3-4-5)
10 qts G and B organic earthworm castings

I plan on adding more (if needed):
BrixBlend basalt rock dust
G and B organic earthworm castings
Down to Earth crab meal (4-3-0)
Down to Earth alfalfa meal (2.5 0.5 2.5)
Down to Earth neem seed meal (6-1-2)
Down to Earth langbeinite (0-0-22)
Espoma kelp meal (1-0-2)
Espoma bone meal ((4-12-0)
Espoma bat guano (10-3-1)
Espoma organic chicken manure (5-3-2)
Espoma garden lime

These are all ingredients I currently have on hand. The 6' kiddie pool is approximately half full of my current soil mix. What do I need to add to make it better?

 

These young ladies will be my next crop. Two Biscotti Mintz by Barneys Farm and two Tenth Planet by Ethos.



Do they look ready to transplant? I would like to mainline them to eight tops each. @TimJ, when should I top them? Should I transplant into 1 gal nursery pots, or into 1 1/2 gal smart pots?

I will transplant using my current soil mix.

I would like to re-amend my soil mix after I transplant, to let it "cook" for a month or so before using in my finishing pots..

 

Many thanks for that link @TimJ I think my little girls will benefit greatly from this training technique.

 

Thanks @BrassNwood! I appreciate the feedback. I have a lot of perlite on hand, so I'll throw a bunch in.

 

I plan on incorporating the following ingredients into my existing soil mix:

30 C Basalt rock dust
64 C EWC
1 CF Perlite (Cubic feet)
1 C Crab meal (4-3-0)
2 C Alfalfa meal (2.5 0.5 2.5)
2 C Neem seed meal (6-1-2)
1 C Langbeinite (0-0-22)
2 C Kelp meal (1-0-2)
2 C Bone meal ((4-12-0)
1 C Bat guano (10-3-1)
4 C Chicken manure (5-3-2)

I am not very familiar with the breakdown of various organic soil ingredients. Any recommended suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

I have approx.10-12 cu ft of soil to amend. would 3/4 cup be excessive?

 

I like being on the safer side.

 

I am looking for a rice hull source. Any suggestions other than Amazon?

 

Great idea @CrazyGardener! Many tanks!

 

Thanks for the repoly @Organic sinse! Nice to know what to ask for. It must be used to filter your home brew, eh?

 

I have a worm bin I set up according to the start of the Vermicomposting (Make your own Worm Castings) thread. It has been up and running about four weeks now. I stocked it with 120 worms from my homemade soil mixing tub (kids wading pool). I added one banana peel initially and just added a second yesterday. I want to add some rock dust, kelp meal, crab meal and alfalfa meal. How much should I add, and how often? Anything else? My worm bin is a 19 gallon tote?

*** I WILL EDIT AND UPLOAD A PICTURE AS SOON AS I AM ABLE ***

 

So here are my newest 4 ladies. A pair of Biscotti Mintz (Barney's Farm) and two Tenth Planets from Ethos.

I transplanted into 1 gallon pots at 18 days old.


And I topped them today at 23 days old.


I plan on training these young ladies as per @TimJ with his augmented mainline and supercropping post.