Hey friends,
Added the 200L rice hulls I ordered last week...
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It was a warm day today, so I left the pile open until this evening. Just before closing up shop...Yeah, I lost track of daylight and when I got back in the greehouse it was already to dark for a decent picture...Oh well...We'll just have to let it brew for a while, but I can tell you it smells sweet inside the greenhouse now....Mhmmmmmm....
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Regards,
Bob
Hey Bob!
Are those rice hulls pretty resilient about breaking down?
In my organic program, I really wouldn't have much of a problem using it as a top dress As a barrier to bugs and for aid and moisture retention even with a living cover crop.
With as active as my media is, I'd be a little reluctant to use it in all my media as aeration, although I can see it doing a great deal in aiding a very healthy root system. I'm just a little bit leary, of it possibly tying up nutrients.
I've been migrating towards using something a bit more permanent for aeration, but something that will supply a very valuable mineral such as silica. I started using volcanic pumice. I do have quite a bit of media that I used a product that is used to soak up oil spills that is composed of diatomaceous earth. I went to the pumice for two reasons, it's a bit lighter and a little less dense and then you have all the holes in it for the microbe homes.
The pumice stays in place and does not migrate
The biggest reason I'm migrating toward use of that volcanic pumice Is me using A no till set up on big pots and beds in the future. The aeration has to be more of a permanent nature since the pots in the beds will go through many many grow cycles. I've already purchased several bags in preparation and anticipation of using the AutoPot Tray2Grow setup with
GrassRoots LivingEarth bed.
Jeremy of BAS We'll be running two of the beds in his next 10x10 grow series. I sent BAS Several questions and suggestions and running these beds and I'm waiting to see how he runs them and if he is going to utilize especially one of the suggestions/question I proposed. I think the biggest and most important question in running these beds was if he is going to manually institute a Regular cyclical Dry down time.
I feel that instituting that dry down period will do two critical things in the running of the beds with the auto pot system. setup. A set dry down period will help with expanding the root system and also help with the health of it. It will also help to be able to utilize liquid amendments and not over water the bed.
In my mind, the way I think the AutoPot Tray2Grow Could be utilized and ran pretty much like an Earthbox setup, but WAAAAAY bigger and ya don't have to rebuild it after every grow. I think that the plant will develop the same root relationship with the wicking mat of the AutoPot as the plant does in an Earthbox. With this relationship the plant now has a source of clean water with no nutrients. It can now take up water and not be
forced to take up nutrients along with it. As in Earth boxes, it can then can take its nutrients from the surrounding media and the top dressing with its feeder roots.
Here is a video from him explaining the system.
If it functions as I think it will, I'm pretty sure this is going to be my main means of production. The labor it will save, I think will be quite sizable. In a tent environment, the only downside would be access to the girls to do training and trimming and the sort. I'd have to start using that back door on the tent that I've never used.
Starting up the next grow would be extremely simple and could be pretty quick. After the plant is chopped, turn the water off from the reservoir for a dry down. The cover crop will continue to utilize what moisture is left in the bed and help with the dry down. Once the media is at acceptable moisture levels, I would remove media directly around the old main stalk, cut and remove the stalk about 4 inches down and then fill in the hole with plain media to either direct seed or transplant. The plain media is just to avoid any problems in germination or transplant with all the microbial activity in the soil. Naturally I'll sprinkle some mycorrhiza in the hole, But that probably won't be needed being that close proximity to the old root system that already has some established.
I think it will be a very large labor saver where I can devote some of that savings to training. I think it will simplify growing quite a bit and also provide for a extremely consistent and Potent product.
While the rice hulls would not benefit me much in the bed set up, I'll still be using Earthbox Reg & Jrs and my new three gallon
GrassRoots LivingEarth bags for tests and clones.
Still need the WW or not bro? 
