Critique my recipes. (Soil and Bloom/Veg ACT)

Hello all! I came up with some recipes that I'd like to try out in my next couples rounds and I'd like to get opinions on my recipes. I'm trying to stick with the ingredients that I currently possess so I guess I'm looking for quantity suggestions, mainly. I've grown organic vegetables outside for a long time but I'm pretty new to indoor gardening.

k
SOIL MIX
-5 gal screened peat moss
-1/2 cup dolomitic lime
--------MIX----------
-5 gal #6 perlite
-1 cup greensand
-1/2 cup kelp Meal
-1/4 epsom salt
-1 cup rock phosphate
-1 cup blood meal
-1/2 cup bone meal
-4 tbsp granular humic acid
-----------MIX------------
2.5 gal screened top soil (mainly sand and clay with a little composted wood material)
5 gal screened compost (1/2 forest/poultry compost , 1/2 cow manure compost)
----------MIX-----------------

Clones will be planted into solo cups, then up-potted after 2 weeks to 3 gal pots, then after 2 weeks into 5 or 7 gal pots. A week after final transplant they will go into flower.

Veg ACT Recipe
-3 gal tap water (been sitting and aerating for days)
-60 mL blackstrap molasses
-7.5 mL screened peat
-15 mL kelp meal
-45 mL fish emulsion (planning to switch to hydrolosate when I run out of emulsion)
-75 mL screened compost (1/2 forest/poultry compost , 1/2 cow manure compost)
-7.5 mL rock phosphate
-10 mL Peruvian seabird guano
Brewed for 48 hours then mixed with 2 gallons water for a 5 gallon batch. Watered in once per week.

Bloom ACT 1 (first half of flower)
-3 gal tap water (been sitting and aerating for days)
-60 mL blackstrap molasses
-7.5 mL screened peat
-15 mL kelp meal
-30 mL fish emulsion (planning to switch to hydrolosate when I run out of emulsion)
-75 mL screened compost (1/2 forest/poultry compost , 1/2 cow manure compost)
-7.5 mL rock phosphate
-45 mL Peruvian seabird guano
Brewed for 24-30 hours then mixed with 2 gallons water for a 5 gallon batch. Watered in once per week.

Bloom ACT 2 (second half of flower)
-3 gal tap water (been sitting and aerating for days)
-45 mL blackstrap molasses
-7.5 mL screened peat
-15 mL kelp meal
-10 mL fish emulsion (planning to switch to hydrolosate when I run out of emulsion)
-75 mL screened compost (1/2 forest/poultry compost , 1/2 cow manure compost)
-5 mL rock phosphate
-75 mL Jamaican bat guano
Brew for 24-30 hours then mixed with 2 gallons water for a 5 gallon batch. Watered in once per week.


Well, that's about it. If anyone has constructive advice or criticism, I'm all ear (er, eyes).

Thanks for looking!

sfl420 said:

Hello all! I came up with some recipes that I'd like to try out in my next couples rounds and I'd like to get opinions on my recipes. I'm trying to stick with the ingredients that I currently possess so I guess I'm looking for quantity suggestions, mainly. I've grown organic vegetables outside for a long time but I'm pretty new to indoor gardening.

k
SOIL MIX
-5 gal screened peat moss
-1/2 cup dolomitic lime
--------MIX----------
-5 gal #6 perlite
-1 cup greensand
-1/2 cup kelp Meal
-1/4 epsom salt
-1 cup rock phosphate
-1 cup blood meal
-1/2 cup bone meal
-4 tbsp granular humic acid
-----------MIX------------
2.5 gal screened top soil (mainly sand and clay with a little composted wood material)
5 gal screened compost (1/2 forest/poultry compost , 1/2 cow manure compost)
----------MIX-----------------

Clones will be planted into solo cups, then up-potted after 2 weeks to 3 gal pots, then after 2 weeks into 5 or 7 gal pots. A week after final transplant they will go into flower.

Veg ACT Recipe
-3 gal tap water (been sitting and aerating for days)
-60 mL blackstrap molasses
-7.5 mL screened peat
-15 mL kelp meal
-45 mL fish emulsion (planning to switch to hydrolosate when I run out of emulsion)
-75 mL screened compost (1/2 forest/poultry compost , 1/2 cow manure compost)
-7.5 mL rock phosphate
-10 mL Peruvian seabird guano
Brewed for 48 hours then mixed with 2 gallons water for a 5 gallon batch. Watered in once per week.

Bloom ACT 1 (first half of flower)
-3 gal tap water (been sitting and aerating for days)
-60 mL blackstrap molasses
-7.5 mL screened peat
-15 mL kelp meal
-30 mL fish emulsion (planning to switch to hydrolosate when I run out of emulsion)
-75 mL screened compost (1/2 forest/poultry compost , 1/2 cow manure compost)
-7.5 mL rock phosphate
-45 mL Peruvian seabird guano
Brewed for 24-30 hours then mixed with 2 gallons water for a 5 gallon batch. Watered in once per week.

Bloom ACT 2 (second half of flower)
-3 gal tap water (been sitting and aerating for days)
-45 mL blackstrap molasses
-7.5 mL screened peat
-15 mL kelp meal
-10 mL fish emulsion (planning to switch to hydrolosate when I run out of emulsion)
-75 mL screened compost (1/2 forest/poultry compost , 1/2 cow manure compost)
-5 mL rock phosphate
-75 mL Jamaican bat guano
Brew for 24-30 hours then mixed with 2 gallons water for a 5 gallon batch. Watered in once per week.


Well, that's about it. If anyone has constructive advice or criticism, I'm all ear (er, eyes).

Thanks for looking!

Click to expand...

you are forgetting one of the most important, and that's earthworm castings... Also with poultry compost and manure compost you need to make sure it is indeed fully COMPOSTED, or it'll burn em badly.
And you are confusing me, with your measurements, are you using the metric system? The teas look good, but the base mix i'd tweek a lil...More EWC and less poultry/cow manures, personally I love alpaca and rabbit manures
edit-- I take that back the teas need some EWC also, for a good source of humus, I know forest compost has humus also, but not to the degree that EWC does. I also like alfalfa meal

Thanks for the input. It's greatly appreciated.

The compost I am using is bagged and very well composted, minus the twigs and sticks. I mix one bag of Eko original compost and one bag brownie cow manure compost. It's pure finished compost when I'm done screening it. Nice and fluffy. I've used the mix to start veggie seeds with great success.

I use the metric system for my teas because I have lots of graduated cylinders and plastic beakers. Just an easy way to do it for me.

I'll definitely look into getting some worm castings. I've got a couple of small worm bins, I just need to get them up and running. Would you say half and half on compost to castings? How much should I add for the tea?

I thought of one more thing. Cooking time? Will two weeks be enough to cook this soil or should it be longer or shorter?

sfl420 said:

Thanks for the input. It's greatly appreciated.

The compost I am using is bagged and very well composted, minus the twigs and sticks. I mix one bag of Eko original compost and one bag brownie cow manure compost. It's pure finished compost when I'm done screening it. Nice and fluffy. I've used the mix to start veggie seeds with great success.

I use the metric system for my teas because I have lots of graduated cylinders and plastic beakers. Just an easy way to do it for me.

I'll definitely look into getting some worm castings. I've got a couple of small worm bins, I just need to get them up and running. Would you say half and half on compost to castings? How much should I add for the tea?

Click to expand...

I like to have a least a big-ass handful of EWC to the tea mix, some like two-three cups, depending on how much tea you are making, but you really can NOT OD on ewc.. And since you asked, I also would transplant from the SOLO cups to something a little smaller than a 3 gallon pot, the root ball wont be as dense, I recommend spraying the roots with a mister (just water) and then sprinkling mychorrizae directly on the roots, and then transplanting to a one gallon pot prior to the 3 gallon, you'll see a difference, from a solo to a three gallon is too much initially, you may have problems with too much water retension, not to mention the roots won't develop as dense of a rootball. I also wouldn't transplant them so soon, 2 weeks isn't enough time, if you want big plants (and judging by the container size, you do) I would give them 45 days from clone in a veg room, by then the 7 gallon pot will be perfect. So from solo cups to a one gallon, then after about 30 days to a 3 gallon, and two weeks before flowering go to a 5 or 7 gallon. You'll be having some fatties...

sfl420 said:

I thought of one more thing. Cooking time? Will two weeks be enough to cook this soil or should it be longer or shorter?

Click to expand...

Well you said it was fully composted so it shouldn't need a cooking time, but honeslty I really think it's too much, blood meal is hot as hell, and when you have it with all the other amendments I think you'll have too much available to the plant. I don't like blood meal, or cow/chicken manure... I just don't. doesn't mean its bad, just that I prefer other amendments

You are the man! Thank you so much for taking some time to answer my questions. Found a cheap local source for castings. I may do a batch with half the blood meal first and see how the plants respond. I've got some 1 gal containers somewhere. I'll dig them out and take your advice. I was considering an in between size, I had just ruled it out. You've helped me re-decide.

sfl420 said:

You are the man! Thank you so much for taking some time to answer my questions. Found a cheap local source for castings. I may do a batch with half the blood meal first and see how the plants respond. I've got some 1 gal containers somewhere. I'll dig them out and take your advice. I was considering an in between size, I had just ruled it out. You've helped me re-decide.

Click to expand...

Great, i'm happy to help, if you do use blood meal, just do so sparingly, and make sure PRIOR to putting the plant in the mix that you water it liberally, that way all the SUPER hot stuff is washed out a lil before hand. Blood meal is arguably the HOTTEST nitrogen amendment out there.
Off topic, but if you do that, make sure you "catch" the runoff, as your other plants will LOVE it, houseplants, trees, flowers etc... Use it LIGHTLY with houseplants and normal for any trees or established flowers

also I may suggest diluting your teas to half strength at least, with the soil being amended you don't need that much food, primarily you'll be wanting to feed the microbes in your soil rather than feed your plant.
Maybe even to a 3/1 or 4/1 ratio of tea, i'd concentrate on them microbes, that's why I suggested EWC/alfalafa meal, kelp meal and molasses, those four will make the microbes go nuts

I'll probably try and make my mix a week or so in advance and try to get some of that blood meal to cook down a little bit. I'm not so worried about the larger plants. Just mainly the new clones. I could always mix in extra compost for the cups if need be. That would help up the CEC as well to hold onto some of the that N instead of losing it.

Dilution would be nice so I can make it go further. I have a 1500 sq. ft. veggie garden so I can always use up the extra.

I'll look into alfalfa meal, for sure. I happen to have about 120lbs of whole grain milo (sorghum). Do you think grinding that into a meal would be beneficial to use in teas at all?

Those teas are nutrient teas, not ACT. For Act information look up microbeorganics or elaine ingham.

P-

Pattahabi said:

Those teas are nutrient teas, not ACT. For Act information look up microbeorganics or elaine ingham.

P-

Click to expand...

I actually did go to Microbeman's website and followed his direction. The only thing in my teas that is not something he suggests are the guanos. All the ratios and percentages are directly figured from his website. Even the pinch of peat is something he suggests to increase fungal diversity.

I probably should brew separate teas for the guanos but I'm a brewer short to do that at the moment. I've been following these recipes for the last couple weeks on a few plants that I had that were so-so and they've already made a 180 degree turnaround.

I've since modified the recipes to include 180mL EWC. I can't wait to get an entire cycle through with this stuff. It's already proving to be pretty good. I'm sure more fine-tuning will happen when I can get a microscope.

I love the selection of ingredients you've got, as where I'm at, the only thing I've got from your list, is tap water
I do have lots of high grade vermicast though, as well as fruit bat guano (the blooming kind).
I'm also hoping I can make some DIY bone and blood meal - molasses is another thing I was hoping can be made in a DIY way.
Composts I've started on, but they'll need a lot of time before being ready...

sfl420 said:

I actually did go to Microbeman's website and followed his direction. The only thing in my teas that is not something he suggests are the guanos. All the ratios and percentages are directly figured from his website. Even the pinch of peat is something he suggests to increase fungal diversity.

I probably should brew separate teas for the guanos but I'm a brewer short to do that at the moment. I've been following these recipes for the last couple weeks on a few plants that I had that were so-so and they've already made a 180 degree turnaround.

I've since modified the recipes to include 180mL EWC. I can't wait to get an entire cycle through with this stuff. It's already proving to be pretty good. I'm sure more fine-tuning will happen when I can get a microscope.

Click to expand...

MicrobeOrganics is a little outdated. MM is on another site, and I have repeatedly seen him post that his mixes are more and more just EWC, molasses and water. He does not use soft rock phosphate, guano or thermal compost. Check my math, I'm still waking up.

3 gal x 2.38% = .38c EWC or 95ml

3 gal x .5% Molasses = .08c molasses = 20ml

IF you are going to add kelp or alfalfa MM recommends increasing the brewing time. I definitely like to throw a little pinch of peat in for diversity.

Peace,
P-

Pattahabi said:

MicrobeOrganics is a little outdated. MM is on another site, and I have repeatedly seen him post that his mixes are more and more just EWC, molasses and water. He does not use soft rock phosphate, guano or thermal compost. Check my math, I'm still waking up.

3 gal x 2.38% = .38c EWC or 95ml

3 gal x .5% Molasses = .08c molasses = 20ml

IF you are going to add kelp or alfalfa MM recommends increasing the brewing time. I definitely like to throw a little pinch of peat in for diversity.
Peace,
P-

Click to expand...

Right on. Thanks for the update on his stuff. I'll probably get another brewer up and going to give guano teas every week or two and pull it out of the tea mixes. I knew he didn't use that in his teas at all anyway. It's interesting that he's only using EWC now. It seems like the diversity of microbes would benefit in diversity of materials. I guess EWC are just that all-inclusive that it beats everything else out?

What are your thoughts on a weekly compost tea drench (EWC, molasses and peat) bi-weekly nutrient teas made of the other ingredients? Would that be more beneficial? I don't want to hamper microbial growth by adding too many ingredients to the compost tea but I would like the benefits of the nutrient ingredients of the teas.

I did come out with different math but it's no sweat. I'm pretty groggy, myself, in the morning. I'm sure it was a conversion issue. I like metrics and tend to know a lot of random back and forth conversions. It confuses the hell out of anyone I talk to. I got:

3 gal= 11356mL x 2.38% = 270mL EWC
3 gal = 11356mL x .5% = 57mL molasses

Thanks for your input. I do appreciate it, for sure.

AlcoholicO said:

I love the selection of ingredients you've got, as where I'm at, the only thing I've got from your list, is tap water
I do have lots of high grade vermicast though, as well as fruit bat guano (the blooming kind).
I'm also hoping I can make some DIY bone and blood meal - molasses is another thing I was hoping can be made in a DIY way.
Composts I've started on, but they'll need a lot of time before being ready...

Click to expand...

Best of luck. Use the vermicompost up, apparently. This thread got me to do more research on it and it's pretty amazing stuff. I'll be using it from here on out, for sure.

sfl420 said:

Right on. Thanks for the update on his stuff. I'll probably get another brewer up and going to give guano teas every week or two and pull it out of the tea mixes. I knew he didn't use that in his teas at all anyway. It's interesting that he's only using EWC now. It seems like the diversity of microbes would benefit in diversity of materials. I guess EWC are just that all-inclusive that it beats everything else out?

What are your thoughts on a weekly compost tea drench (EWC, molasses and peat) bi-weekly nutrient teas made of the other ingredients? Would that be more beneficial? I don't want to hamper microbial growth by adding too many ingredients to the compost tea but I would like the benefits of the nutrient ingredients of the teas.

I did come out with different math but it's no sweat. I'm pretty groggy, myself, in the morning. I'm sure it was a conversion issue. I like metrics and tend to know a lot of random back and forth conversions. It confuses the hell out of anyone I talk to. I got:

3 gal= 11356mL x 2.38% = 270mL EWC
3 gal = 11356mL x .5% = 57mL molasses

Thanks for your input. I do appreciate it, for sure.

Click to expand...

Doah... thought I was doing something wrong. I only converted for one gallon.

The microbes are going to come from the EWC (and the pinch of peat), but the rest is just food stock. All solids will lower dissolved oxygen levels, so you don't want to get too crazy with inputs. Once a week is a lot of CT's imo. I don't think you are going to hurt anything, but it may or may not be necessary. I rarely, if ever, use nutrient teas. I would definitely apply them separately.

Peace!
P-

Pattahabi said:

Doah... thought I was doing something wrong. I only converted for one gallon.

The microbes are going to come from the EWC (and the pinch of peat), but the rest is just food stock. All solids will lower dissolved oxygen levels, so you don't want to get too crazy with inputs. Once a week is a lot of CT's imo. I don't think you are going to hurt anything, but it may or may not be necessary. I rarely, if ever, use nutrient teas. I would definitely apply them separately.

Peace!
P-

Click to expand...

The solids and dissolved oxygen makes total sense. I'll definitely work things out into separate teas. I think I can use up 3 gallons(diluted to 6 gallons) pretty easily each week between the veggie garden and these babies. I'll experiment a bit and see how they act when I only apply every other week. Maybe alternating between nutrient tea and compost tea each week would be better. That way it would be every other week for both. Plus I wouldn't have to make any more brewers that way.

Awesome. I love when others help get the wheels turning in my head. On with the experiments. I'll try to remember to report back towards the end of the cycle.

Wouldn't it make sense to apply nutrient tea, which would presumably inhibit microbial life if only a bit and then maybe an hour or two later (or immediately maybe?) follow up with the EWC/Molasses tea to re-build it?

I'm on weekly EWC teas (still haven't found molasses!) and going to try some nutrient teas now as well, like banana peel tea for the blooming girls and I'm making my own fish goo (bought a fish, cut it up and fit half into my blender for a nice pink, smelly sushi smoothie - am now freezing it and then leaving it in tropical heat for a week or should I leave it longer I wonder) to use both in the EWC based tea, but also as a soil amendment.