Organic for dummies?

Richard Drysift

Richard Drysift

Well-Known Member
papa canna said:
I read so much about compost. But I have no idea where to get any. Do I go to BFE and get some manure?
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You mean bum fuck Egypt? Ok if composted camel shit is your humis of choice but there are far better options. You can also get active microbes in your mix by adding material from an outdoor compost pile, or from composted cow, chicken, or bat shit. Any kind of humis will add to microbial populations but the best option IMO is fresh worm castings. When I talk about compost I really mean EWC.
A worms guts contains all of the microbes needed to decompose organic matter for absorption by plant's root systems & the fresher it is the better it works. You can buy castings pre-bagged at most garden stores but the easiest and cheapest way to aquire the freshest EWC is to get it straight from a worms ass.
Having a worm bin is the best thing a grower can do to up their game in organics IMO. I use a worm factory 360 but you can also keep worms in a big ol smart pot. Doesn't have to be fancy but the worm factory makes it very easy to harvest castings with the stacking tray system. There's no smell or mess; everything is contained. A starter pack of 200 red wigglers is like $14; it's a small investment that pays off big time.
 
Stink Bug

Stink Bug

Well-Known Member
papa canna said:
So I've been shaking some things up lately. I'm switching from Sunshine advanced over to a bagged soil mix a friend of mine was telling me about. Is there an easy way to continue feeding organic once my plants have consumed the nutrients in the soil? I have a veg and bloom compost tea by the guano company, and I was thinking about buying a dried bag of happy frog nutrients.

What would be a decently easy way to continue to feed plants once they become demanding in full bloom? I dont really have the desire to buy 10 different ingredients and measure them out to different degrees. Thats a bit complicated for a novice like myself.
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Epsomas Garden Tone and Plant Tone. either does a fine job of growing container plants.
 
papa canna

papa canna

Well-Known Member
Richard Drysift said:
You mean bum fuck Egypt? Ok if composted camel shit is your humis of choice but there are far better options. You can also get active microbes in your mix by adding material from an outdoor compost pile, or from composted cow, chicken, or bat shit. Any kind of humis will add to microbial populations but the best option IMO is fresh worm castings. When I talk about compost I really mean EWC.
A worms guts contains all of the microbes needed to decompose organic matter for absorption by plant's root systems & the fresher it is the better it works. You can buy castings pre-bagged at most garden stores but the easiest and cheapest way to aquire the freshest EWC is to get it straight from a worms ass.
Having a worm bin is the best thing a grower can do to up their game in organics IMO. I use a worm factory 360 but you can also keep worms in a big ol smart pot. Doesn't have to be fancy but the worm factory makes it very easy to harvest castings with the stacking tray system. There's no smell or mess; everything is contained. A starter pack of 200 red wigglers is like $14; it's a small investment that pays off big time.
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That doesn't sound like a half bad idea. I'm assuming I would have to store these guys indoors somewhere. If I can find a spot for them I would love to keep some
 
ANC

ANC

Well-Known Member
naah, you can build a covered box outdoors. Worms are really good. Some microbes won;t even activate without passing through the gut of some worm or bug, a bit like some seeds with birds and animals.
 
ANC

ANC

Well-Known Member
naah, you can build a covered box outdoors. Worms are really good. Some microbes won;t even activate without passing through the gut of some worm or bug, a bit like some seeds with birds and animals.
 
papa canna

papa canna

Well-Known Member
Dont worms need 50+ yearly? I live in michigan. that may be tough. I could probably get away with putting one in the basement.
 
W

Wetdog

Well-Known Member
papa canna said:
Dont worms need 50+ yearly? I live in michigan. that may be tough. I could probably get away with putting one in the basement.
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That's where I keep mine as well, 6 bins going ATM and they've done well for over 7 years.

Outside, there are just too many things that find worms tasty besides birds and being trapped in a bin there is no place to escape to, or the weather by burrowing deeper or finding a warmer spot.

Have been tracking the temps in my basement for years and it never gets below 52* in winter, or over 76* in summer. I did make a couple of PVC frames to size the bins and attached the smallest soil heating cable so I could have fresh VC for outside for early spring planting. Worked like a champ, but since the basement never went under 52* the unheated bins performed almost as well. If your basement gets colder than that, it's worth a consideration.
 
MichiganMedGrower

MichiganMedGrower

Well-Known Member
My neighbor has an old refrigerator on its back buried up to the door. The worms and "black dirt" as he calls it are in there year round.
 
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