Indoor New grow, Old + New Seeds, ft Optic Foliar

[DMHeights]

Ten 5gals eh?
A beautiful green so far buddy, excited to see how your soil mix does
Happy growing

 

[bakEQuatorial]

Ten 5gals eh?
A beautiful green so far buddy, excited to see how your soil mix does
Happy growing

Soil mix is doing well. I am certain it will do well. Different story about the grower using it though lol. I have 10 × 5gals that was mixed and cooked for at least 4+ months due to lockdown.

Another 2 x 5gal pot was mixed just a few days before planting. It uses part recycled soil just like all other pots. Kind of a test to see if i really need to cook them for so long? My gut feeling says no. I dig a hole in the middle and fill it with seedling mix of just Peat, Castings and perlite. The seedlings will take at least 10-14 days to really reach the hotter soil mix. That itself should be enough cooking time imo.

So it's really 12 x 5gal Pots. In addition to that, also have a 2 gallon and a 1 gallon. May even end up with another 1 gallon if Berry Bomb's late comeback amounts to anything?

Space will likely be sufficient. There are a few questionable plants that probably won't get big and I won't be training them sideways like I usually do. No topping even, if I can help it. If the canna Gods smile at me and bless me with Super growth down the road, I can always chuck a few in the 5×5. Its empty now, waiting for my HSO beans. If they don't arrive, will just do my Seedstockers.

Thank you so much for dropping in brother!

 

[DMHeights]

I'm starting to think the cooking time depends on your base soil, and the type of amendments or the outcome you're looking for,
Start with a good base and just looking to add a little npk seems like you could mix it up and start growing right away, as you said, when the plant needs it in a month, it's probably well broken down,
Where as if you've mixed your base and have added something to adjust ph in addition to the npk value, I think it takes more time, let everything really settle into place

Fingers crossed the wonky ones pull through and you have to break out the other tent

 

[bakEQuatorial]

I'm starting to think the cooking time depends on your base soil, and the type of amendments or the outcome you're looking for,
Start with a good base and just looking to add a little npk seems like you could mix it up and start growing right away, as you said, when the plant needs it in a month, it's probably well broken down,
Where as if you've mixed your base and have added something to adjust ph in addition to the npk value, I think it takes more time, let everything really settle into place

Fingers crossed the wonky ones pull through and you have to break out the other tent

Thank you brother! Your patronage is very much appreciated. Starting to get lonely in here lol.

I do share your sentiment on cooking time. I didn't go into details cos I figured you read my soil mix thread. Part of the soil is actually already very old. Add to the fact that my amendments are all pretty mild. The hottest amendment I added is probably the Alfalfa Pellets. Even that is in rather small quantities. And perhaps also the guano but that's pretty insignificant at 1 tbspn per around 2 pots of soil.

I feel that the amendments/ top dresses only work as well as the microbiology in soil. Thats why my feeds this round focuses on feeding microbes and enzymes into the soil. I made some homemade fermented juices and EM for what I consider a more natural source of microbes. I also have store bought local equivalent of something like Great White but is definitely inferior imo. Those are probably lab cultured but I like and believe in the diversity it provides.

Hope all goes well and if it doesn't, I'll make sure i learn something from it

 

[DMHeights]

I agree with the amendments and soil biology buddy thinking of brewing any microbe teas? Or just the fermented style?

 

[bakEQuatorial]

I agree with the amendments and soil biology buddy thinking of brewing any microbe teas? Or just the fermented style?

Am thinking about a tea for flower down the road. Everyone seems to think it's a must for living soil in small containers. Any ideas?

 

[DMHeights]

Does seem like it's the standard eh? but I cant really comment, just getting into the organics this year aswell, brewed my first about a month ago... It didn't kill any plants so that's a good sign lol,

Just worm castings and molasses to feed them, in an old sock haha
I have no liquid ph measuring means so was a little nervous just dumping in a bucket of "home brew" haha

 

[bakEQuatorial]

Does seem like it's the standard eh? but I cant really comment, just getting into the organics this year aswell, brewed my first about a month ago... It didn't kill any plants so that's a good sign lol,
View attachment 1218394
Just worm castings and molasses to feed them, in an old sock haha
I have no liquid ph measuring means so was a little nervous just dumping in a bucket of "home brew" haha

I've never done the sock or t shirt method. I always just dump everything in a 5gal bucket and add 2-3 little airstones with pumps. Due to my hot climate, I feed after 36 hours max of brewing. Have tried 48 hours with no ill effects too. I also never dilute it. I wonder if I should?

I understand the sock suspends the material and allows for more surface interaction. But my method also sees the materials being blown around by the airstones. Makes good foam too so I don't think there's much of a difference, sock or no sock.

For flower tea, I'm thinking to use Worm poop, molasses, some fish amino acids, insect frass, a pinch or two of humic acid, a tablespoon each of Bat and Seabird guano. Maybe a touch of seaweed extract after brew. I will intentionally not add any other microbes i have in hand, to avoid complications and competition between microbes. Let the competition happen in the soil is what I feel. No point brewing a fungal dominated tea just to add bacteria into it to compete for food.

I'm pretty new to organics too. But have read a ton and have slowly built my grows towards this. It was not an overnight change. My soil mix changed little by little to what it is today. Thats why I'm rather confident with it. Me as a grower, not so much lol

You have a journal running bro? Tag me if you do! Thanks for the company!

 

[WildBill]

I'm starting to think the cooking time depends on your base soil, and the type of amendments or the outcome you're looking for,
Start with a good base and just looking to add a little npk seems like you could mix it up and start growing right away, as you said, when the plant needs it in a month, it's probably well broken down,
Where as if you've mixed your base and have added something to adjust ph in addition to the npk value, I think it takes more time, let everything really settle into place

Fingers crossed the wonky ones pull through and you have to break out the other tent

Time in "Cooking" up any organic soil mix is really dependent on heat. If when you remix up your media and you can't detect a heat up from microbiological activity after24hrs, the amendments you added have been consumed/converted. This is dependent on IF you added the proper amount of moisture at build time and after each remix.
When building a soil mix or plain compost, I remix when I detect a temperature drop in the core/center of your mix. It quickens finishing. In Small batch mixes this is easy with water demands and labor required. In large batches, 12yds ++, it's not economical to do with the amount of water and mainly labor involved. When I was making 100s of yards of compost, later 1000s, I waited until the mix was cold before turning and adding moisture. It's just plain logistics and proper planning.

 

[WildBill]

I've never done the sock or t shirt method. I always just dump everything in a 5gal bucket and add 2-3 little airstones with pumps. Due to my hot climate, I feed after 36 hours max of brewing. Have tried 48 hours with no ill effects too. I also never dilute it. I wonder if I should?

I understand the sock suspends the material and allows for more surface interaction. But my method also sees the materials being blown around by the airstones. Makes good foam too so I don't think there's much of a difference, sock or no sock.

For flower tea, I'm thinking to use Worm poop, molasses, some fish amino acids, insect frass, a pinch or two of humic acid, a tablespoon each of Bat and Seabird guano. Maybe a touch of seaweed extract after brew. I will intentionally not add any other microbes i have in hand, to avoid complications and competition between microbes. Let the competition happen in the soil is what I feel. No point brewing a fungal dominated tea just to add bacteria into it to compete for food.

I'm pretty new to organics too. But have read a ton and have slowly built my grows towards this. It was not an overnight change. My soil mix changed little by little to what it is today. Thats why I'm rather confident with it. Me as a grower, not so much lol

You have a journal running bro? Tag me if you do! Thanks for the company!

Take a sample of the soil you're currently growing and brewing the tea for and add it to your brew. If everything is going good in that pot, you're just bolstering the flora in that pot.