Need alittle advice, TLO soil cooking.

green_machine_two9er · Oct 20, 2014

Thanks for any advice in advance. Just trying to get into true organics with my garden.
I have a pretty good plan but my question is will my soil "cook" ok in my basement. Stays right around 62 degrees all winter long. humidtiy is right around 65-70.
also will everything work using large tubs or does soil mix need to be flat on a tarp?

thanks

st0wandgrow · Oct 20, 2014

You should be good leaving it in your large tubs in the basement.

Wet it down when you put it in the tubs. Not soaking wet, but moist throughout. When you squeeze a handful it should clump together a bit, but should not be so wet that water drips from your hand. Cover it up, but not air tight. You want some air getting in there so things don't turn anaerobic, but you also don't want it sitting out in the open drying out quickly. Check on it periodically after this. I go by smell mainly. It should smell like "soil". It may have a bit of a funk to it due to the various organic goodies you put in, but it shouldn't smell bad. If it has an ammonia or rotten egg stank to it, dump it on a tarp and air it out. Those smells are coming from anaerobic bacteria, and you want to set that straight asap. Out in the open the aerobic benes will take over and set things straight again. Some people like to dump the soil out every week or so to keep it from turning on you, but if you get the moisture content correct from jump street I dont find this necessary. You also may have to wet it down on occasion to depending on your environment. Usually just the top layer needs a little spritz.

DonPetro · Oct 20, 2014

st0wandgrow said:
You should be good leaving it in your large tubs in the basement.

Wet it down when you put it in the tubs. Not soaking wet, but moist throughout. When you squeeze a handful it should clump together a bit, but should not be so wet that water drips from your hand. Cover it up, but not air tight. You want some air getting in there so things don't turn anaerobic, but you also don't want it sitting out in the open drying out quickly. Check on it periodically after this. I go by smell mainly. It should smell like "soil". It may have a bit of a funk to it due to the various organic goodies you put in, but it shouldn't smell bad. If it has an ammonia or rotten egg stank to it, dump it on a tarp and air it out. Those smells are coming from anaerobic bacteria, and you want to set that straight asap. Out in the open the aerobic benes will take over and set things straight again. Some people like to dump the soil out every week or so to keep it from turning on you, but if you get the moisture content correct from jump street I dont find this necessary. You also may have to wet it down on occasion to depending on your environment. Usually just the top layer needs a little spritz.

green_machine_two9er said:
Thanks for any advice in advance. Just trying to get into true organics with my garden.
I have a pretty good plan but my question is will my soil "cook" ok in my basement. Stays right around 62 degrees all winter long. humidtiy is right around 65-70.
also will everything work using large tubs or does soil mix need to be flat on a tarp?

thanks

St0w is spot on.

green_machine_two9er · Oct 20, 2014

st0wandgrow said:
You should be good leaving it in your large tubs in the basement.

Wet it down when you put it in the tubs. Not soaking wet, but moist throughout. When you squeeze a handful it should clump together a bit, but should not be so wet that water drips from your hand. Cover it up, but not air tight. You want some air getting in there so things don't turn anaerobic, but you also don't want it sitting out in the open drying out quickly. Check on it periodically after this. I go by smell mainly. It should smell like "soil". It may have a bit of a funk to it due to the various organic goodies you put in, but it shouldn't smell bad. If it has an ammonia or rotten egg stank to it, dump it on a tarp and air it out. Those smells are coming from anaerobic bacteria, and you want to set that straight asap. Out in the open the aerobic benes will take over and set things straight again. Some people like to dump the soil out every week or so to keep it from turning on you, but if you get the moisture content correct from jump street I dont find this necessary. You also may have to wet it down on occasion to depending on your environment. Usually just the top layer needs a little spritz.

Right, im new to all of this, really excited though. thanks.

greasemonkeymann · Oct 21, 2014

green_machine_two9er said:
Thanks for any advice in advance. Just trying to get into true organics with my garden.
I have a pretty good plan but my question is will my soil "cook" ok in my basement. Stays right around 62 degrees all winter long. humidtiy is right around 65-70.
also will everything work using large tubs or does soil mix need to be flat on a tarp?

thanks

what are you cooking? Horse or cow manures? I'm asking only because a lot of times it's not totally needed, all depends on what you have in it though. the other thing you can do is add a thin layer of lawn clippings on top, it'll add a lil heat to help compost the soil, but like I said, you may not need that.

green_machine_two9er · Oct 21, 2014

greasemonkeymann said:
what are you cooking? Horse or cow manures? I'm asking only because a lot of times it's not totally needed, all depends on what you have in it though. the other thing you can do is add a thin layer of lawn clippings on top, it'll add a lil heat to help compost the soil, but like I said, you may not need that.

Cow manure. I am planning on writing up my whole plan for critique here In a day or two. Just been crazy busy last week. I also bought one of those earthworm composter tray sets. Should be arriving tommorow!

greasemonkeymann · Oct 21, 2014

green_machine_two9er said:
Cow manure. I am planning on writing up my whole plan for critique here In a day or two. Just been crazy busy last week. I also bought one of those earthworm composter tray sets. Should be arriving tommorow!

well, i'm not a big fan of cow products, really, but that's just me. For manures I really really LOVE rabbit and alpaca manures, can't beat those two. Plus no issues with antibiotics, hormones and the like, cows get a lot of stuff given to them.

greasemonkeymann · Oct 21, 2014

green_machine_two9er said:
Cow manure. I am planning on writing up my whole plan for critique here In a day or two. Just been crazy busy last week. I also bought one of those earthworm composter tray sets. Should be arriving tommorow!

unleash your worms on the manure, that'll compost it probably faster than aging. I imagine anyways, I don't have much experience with cow manure, but i'd speculate that worms would speed it up a bit.

green_machine_two9er · Oct 21, 2014

greasemonkeymann said:
unleash your worms on the manure, that'll compost it probably faster than aging. I imagine anyways, I don't have much experience with cow manure, but i'd speculate that worms would speed it up a bit.

I've heard about the alpaca. I wonder if I can get that around my area and that's a great point about antibiotics and shit. Don't want any of that

greasemonkeymann · Oct 22, 2014

green_machine_two9er said:
I've heard about the alpaca. I wonder if I can get that around my area and that's a great point about antibiotics and shit. Don't want any of that

alpaca is good shit, i use it for my jack herer, she likes less nutes than what the rabbit poo, for my blue dream i like the rabbit manure, it's higher in everything generally the more sativa characteristics (usually means more N is needed) the more rabbit manure i use.. I know one thing, bat guano doesn't hold a candle to rabbit or alpaca manure, i don't care what the NPK says, as soon as i started using rabbit and alpaca manure, i ditched the guanos. In vege stage a tea of rabbit manure and alfalfa is about the greatest nitrogen boost ever. People often overlook nitrogen, because of all the BS hydro-myths

greasemonkeymann · Oct 22, 2014

green_machine_two9er said:
I've heard about the alpaca. I wonder if I can get that around my area and that's a great point about antibiotics and shit. Don't want any of that

check craigslist for alpaca wool, normally they have the alpacas on site.
llamas work too, just be careful with those bastards, they are MEAN... don't ask how i know... lets jjust say they can spit really, really, really far.

st0wandgrow · Oct 22, 2014

greasemonkeymann said:
alpaca is good shit, i use it for my jack herer, she likes less nutes than what the rabbit poo, for my blue dream i like the rabbit manure, it's higher in everything generally the more sativa characteristics (usually means more N is needed) the more rabbit manure i use.. I know one thing, bat guano doesn't hold a candle to rabbit or alpaca manure, i don't care what the NPK says, as soon as i started using rabbit and alpaca manure, i ditched the guanos. In vege stage a tea of rabbit manure and alfalfa is about the greatest nitrogen boost ever. People often overlook nitrogen, because of all the BS hydro-myths

Do you use the rabbit maure straight from the arse hole to the soil, or do you compost it in any way?

greasemonkeymann · Oct 22, 2014

st0wandgrow said:
Do you use the rabbit maure straight from the arse hole to the soil, or do you compost it in any way?

I've done both, straight from the arse, mashed into the fresh EWC and mixed into the soil, or as a GREAT topdress, same way, mashed into the EWC and then topdressed.
I also compost it, my worms like to eat shit... those scat loving wierdos
keep in mind i don't use a whole lot of it, like anything less is waay better than more, especially if you use AACTs, i'm curious to see how it'll react with biochar, trying biochar for the first time

green_machine_two9er · Oct 22, 2014

Heres the plan so far. I will be switching over time because my grow is perpetual. so first thing I am going to get my soil cooking.
Base
25% perlite
25%earthworm casting
25% cocnut coir
25% organic soil (not sure what im going to sue here, I have always used ocean forrest but hope to find something much cheaper and good quality.)

Amendments
I went alitle crazy and orded all kinds of shit, heres what i got
Oyster shells
Dolomit lime
blood meal
bone meal
feather meal
green sand
organicare 6-6-5 "pure"
rock phosphate
powdered gypsium
kelp meal
azomite
humic acid
alfapha meal
brown rice organic

still need to get a good manure product. I can get steer locally. any suggestions??

I have a few sativas and indicas. do i need to worry about the strain as i start thinking about building soi? higher N for sativa blends?

I plan to use a AACT with my fresh earthworm castings once my composter is up and running.

:Im looking for suggestions as to if i need all this stuff or can leave out certain items? as well as recipes as to how much of each ammendment i should use. I plan on making just over a C/F each batch. 8 gallons of base mix or so..
thanks in advnace for any input

greasemonkeymann · Oct 22, 2014

green_machine_two9er said:
Heres the plan so far. I will be switching over time because my grow is perpetual. so first thing I am going to get my soil cooking.
Base
25% perlite
25%earthworm casting
25% cocnut coir
25% organic soil (not sure what im going to sue here, I have always used ocean forrest but hope to find something much cheaper and good quality.)

Amendments
I went alitle crazy and orded all kinds of shit, heres what i got
Oyster shells
Dolomit lime
blood meal
bone meal
feather meal
green sand
organicare 6-6-5 "pure"
rock phosphate
powdered gypsium
kelp meal
azomite
humic acid
alfapha meal
brown rice organic

still need to get a good manure product. I can get steer locally. any suggestions??

I have a few sativas and indicas. do i need to worry about the strain as i start thinking about building soi? higher N for sativa blends?

I plan to use a AACT with my fresh earthworm castings once my composter is up and running.

:Im looking for suggestions as to if i need all this stuff or can leave out certain items? as well as recipes as to how much of each ammendment i should use. I plan on making just over a C/F each batch. 8 gallons of base mix or so..
thanks in advnace for any input

i personally would leave out the following
blood meal
bone meal
feather meal
alfalfa
the organicare 6-6-5 (whatever that is)
i'd also add crab meal AND neem meal.
may not need the humic acid because you are adding a lot of EWC.
And if you can, i wouldnt' bother with a bagged soil, you are doing it the right way, so i would just stick to peat or coco
maybe a bag of biochar too, i'm going to use it for my soil...

greasemonkeymann · Oct 22, 2014

as far as the recipe, per cubic foot add the following
1 cup of kelp meal
1 cup of neem meal (forgot to mention that)
1 cup of crab meal
1 cup of fish bone meal (this is optional)
then your minerals
1 cup of azomite
1 cup rock phosphates
1 cup oyster flour
1 cup greensand
some growers change up the minerals a lil

green_machine_two9er · Oct 22, 2014

greasemonkeymann said:
as far as the recipe, per cubic foot add the following
1 cup of kelp meal
1 cup of neem meal (forgot to mention that)
1 cup of crab meal
1 cup of fish bone meal (this is optional)
then your minerals
1 cup of azomite
1 cup rock phosphates
1 cup oyster flour
1 cup greensand
some growers change up the minerals a lil

this recipe should get through whole grow with just tea? and how often would tea be apllied rather that just water?

green_machine_two9er · Oct 22, 2014

also do i need some kind of mycorrhizae??. was looking at great white.

greasemonkeymann · Oct 22, 2014

green_machine_two9er said:
this recipe should get through whole grow with just tea? and how often would tea be apllied rather that just water?

if by tea you mean AACT? I don't live or die by a water only recipe, many times i need to topdress with a little food, but not much, more often than not, just water and AACTs will do you fine, but one LARGE variable is the size of the container. EWC and a speck of rabbit manure, topdressed will get you through a lot. Personally i use the aacts once a week, but that's probably overkill, i imagine my microbe population doesn't die off in a week, but that doesn't keep me from playing with my bubbler... my new favorite thing is comfrey and dandelion tea... made my roses and my dahlia start blooming again, three days after feeding

greasemonkeymann · Oct 22, 2014

green_machine_two9er said:
also do i need some kind of mycorrhizae??. was looking at great white.

mycos is a good one, try to stay away from cannabis products (i think great white is just that) you'll pay much more for anything pot oriented, even though its the same stuff
i don't mix the myco in with the soil, i COVER the roots when i transplant, they need physical contact with the roots in order to work, and i also don't use AACT within two weeks of transplanting just in case the myco is consumed by the AACT microbes (trichodermas are hungry)
what i like to do is get a spray bottle to spray the roots when transplanting, keeps the myco stuck to the roots. Use each and every transplant. It's why i like to transplant three or four times per grow.

Need alittle advice, TLO soil cooking.

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