Your Organic Methods

How do you reuse your rootballs? I heard someone puts them in a big tote, adds the amendments and such and lets it sit as if it were so cycling it seems.

What do you think?
Suggestions?

Kind Sir said:

3. Learn how to transplant and "clone" Aloe efficiently. Want to have a spot specifically for growing Aloe.

Click to expand...

Hello Kind Sir, Just busted up my aloe plant, think the pictures speak for themselves(from 1 'plant' to 7). They prefer well draining, low fertile soil and they really do like it to dry right out. If your soil is moist when propagating, do not water after transplant,wait till the soil is near enough bone dry.

Here's the plant

The plant is rootbound and has had a recent change of environment, so it is stressed. If you look closely at the base of the leaves in the second picture, you'll notice there is a slight pinkish coloration, this is caused by stress, and you should expect your plants to turn this colour after transplant, it's normal and nothing to worry about, they'll recover.

Prepare pots for transplanting, remove plant from pot and shake soil loose from the roots.

Spotted the worm?...lol...I've got stray worms in most my aloe pots, they usually spend some time in one of my grow rooms and catch nightcrawling escapees before the lights come on and fry them.

Divide each pup up, trying to share out the roots between each plant, gently tease them apart and then snap the roots where attached.


Suspend roots in hole in soil, gently fill around them, then firm the soil down just enough to support the plant. They are seriously top heavy at this stage, with little root system, so if they 'must' be moved, be very gentle, support the plant and the pot. Better still don't move them till the roots establish.


My soil was slightly moist, so I've not watered them, here they are 7 from 1


Like I said, they'll turn pink and take a while to recover, but I'll let the soil dry out a little more before watering and they should have started producing new roots by then.

It's nearly as easy to propagate as comfrey, not quite, you only need to hack a piece of root off with a spade and plant it with comfrey. Two of 'Our' most beneficial plant species and so easy to reproduce, I'll never have to pay for either ever again.

What about frequency and recipes?

For both foliars and drenches..
Organic all nature types..

Shall we pool them here alas

Kind Sir said:

How do you reuse your rootballs? I heard someone puts them in a big tote, adds the amendments and such and lets it sit as if it were so cycling it seems.

What do you think?
Suggestions?

Click to expand...

Worms love them
I'd dry them out save most the soil
And then id build worm beds out of pure roots
Delish

DonTesla said:

What about frequency and recipes?

For both foliars and drenches..
Organic all nature types..

Shall we pool them here alas



Worms love them
I'd dry them out save most the soil
And then id build worm beds out of pure roots
Delish

Click to expand...

Thats exactly the kind of stuff I wanted to have on here. I wanted to make a consened thread with thorough, updated information. Few ideas we could all pitch our opinions on.


1. When do you guys give...

SST, Nutrient Teas (EG Kelp/Alfalfa), TopDressing(Recipe?Frequency?),AACT?

2. I have a small room dedicated to my worm bin/cycling (cooking) soil. I want to start another worm bin, and dedicate one 27 gallon tote to cycle my old root balls.

- I have some mites in my worm bin, which I hear is fine but I want to transfer worms to start a new bin. Should I try to "rinse?" the worms off or what?

- For reusing rootballs, do you just reamend and cycle as normal?