Organic Forum Discussion

[X]

I apologize guys... I just saw the questions today. I don't know how I didn't see them before... I do look several times a day, usually.

What are you amending your soil with (per gallon of base) for that necessary jolt of N through veg. And you probably incorporate a very slow release N too. So, a quick release (no burn) and a slow release--soil based.

I put alphalfa, mexian bat guano, seabird guano, and probably a couple other amendments that contain N. But, they are all there, cooked and cured in the mix, before I ever put a plant in it. From my perspective, I do not have the nutrients in the mix to feed the plants... I put nutrition in the mix (amendments) to add to the microbe spectrum or to feed the microbes... So, the actual growing process practiced by many/most TLO users does not change throughout the grow. Other than water and maybe a guano tea (to re-vitalize the microbes) or some carbs (molasses) to provide energy for the microbes, there is not other supplementation of nutes.

here's a question for you organic folks anyone ever use ground deer antler in their soils?

They don't carry that at my hydro store or I'd probably throw some in there.

Does anyone have experience using cottonseed meal in their mix?

Yes. And, you can find it at the Home Depot here.

TesterX, I have seen you mention in posts about throwing together a decent TLO mix for around $50.

A very basic TLO mix... You need a good microbe source/sources, and nutrition to feed the microbes.

Vigoro Organic potting mic... 1.5 cu ft (10 gals)... about $8... Home Depot (make sure it is the Organic "potting" mix... NOT the organic "soil" mix).

Mushroom Compost... 1 cu ft (6 gals)... $4... Home Depot

Kelp meal... 2lbs... $9... Kelp4less http://www.kelp4less.com/

Garden Lime (dolomite)... 6.75 lbs... $5... Home Depot

Rock Phosphate... 1 lb... $7... kelp4less

Alphalfa meal... 2 lbs... $13... kelp4less

Greensand... 5lbs... $10... Gardner's supply co. https://www.gardeners.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Gardeners-Site/default/Cart-Show

That comes to about 60 bucks and you would have enough of the extra amendments to last about a year (in my estimation) to re-condition and re-use the mix. If you can't get the stuff locally, I have added some links and I did not factor in the shipping in the costs. If possible, I would add worm castings and/or as many different guanos as possible to broaden the microbe spectrum. As time progresses, even a person on a very tight budget can buy $10-$30 worth of amendments from time to time to further enrich your mix.

If you are interested in getting a clear understanding of TLO Organics, and you haven't been through this thread, it may save some time and effort in the research area: https://www.autoflower.org/f89/tlo-dummies-dummy-17822.html

P.S. I forgot Epsom salts... a bag is a few bucks. Always get it at Walmart or a drug store. The garden centers sell the same stuff for a lot more money.

 

[GCase]

Excellent Testerx. Indeed, the soil is the kitchen.

Verified my N sources.

Thanks :gthumb:

 

[GreenShine]

Im not sure Im posting in the right thread, but would like to know how much of a common occurence pests like insects and larvas are with indoor soil growth? I was initially planning on going with soil and three 12L airpots for my Growlab GL80 tent. But the thought of having to deal with an insect infestation is making me considering the hydro option.

It's not just the extra headache of dealing with it, ontop of that Im really not that fond of bugs in general.

 

[X]

Im not sure Im posting in the right thread, but would like to know how much of a common occurence pests like insects and larvas are with indoor soil growth? I was initially planning on going with soil and three 12L airpots for my Growlab GL80 tent. But the thought of having to deal with an insect infestation is making me considering the hydro option.

It's not just the extra headache of dealing with it, ontop of that Im really not that fond of bugs in general.

If you don't bring anything inside, from outside (pests), you greatly improve your chances of avoiding pest issues. If one does arise, it will be of a more manageable variety, in most cases. In almost three years of growing inside, I have only had one case of fungus gnats and that was easy as pie to fix, with no harm done.

The first time I saw somebody pull a big ball of black roots out of the water, was enough to keep me away from hydro forever... but, that is me... just me. That said, IMO, until a person really gets hydro, there are many more issues that could cause terminal results for an inexperienced grower. Also, hydro doesn't eliminate all pest issues.

 

[GreenShine]

If you don't bring anything inside, from outside (pests), you greatly improve your chances of having pest issues. If one does arise, it will be of a more manageable variety, in most cases. In almost three years of growing inside, I have only had one case of fungus gnats and that was easy as pie to fix, with no harm done.

The first time I saw somebody pull a big ball of black roots out of the water, was enough to keep me away from hydro forever... but, that is me... just me. That said, IMO, until a person really gets hydro, there are many more issues that could cause terminal results for an inexperienced grower. Also, hydro doesn't eliminate all pest issues.

Thank you for your informative reply!

So you mean that the bought soil should be fairly free from pests? Reason for my concerns was that I had previously read claims that one will almost never escape pest/bacteria issues regardless of the quality of the soil bought. Some claim that you have to bake the soil in an oven to eliminate future problems.

 

[X]

So you mean that the bought soil should be fairly free from pests? Reason for my concerns was that I had previously read claims that one will almost never escape pest/bacteria issues regardless of the quality of the soil bought. Some claim that you have to bake the soil in an oven to eliminate future problems.

It's true, I guess, that any soil or amendment bought could have some sort of infestation... but, if the mix is relatively fresh, it is rare to run into anything other than a few fungus gnats which can easily be controlled without pesticides.

No organic grower would ever consider baking soil... it kills everything... if this doesn't make any sense to you, here's a link to a thread that explains it: https://www.autoflower.org/f89/tlo-dummies-dummy-17822.html


https://www.autoflower.org/f89/tlo-dummies-dummy-17822.html

 

[GreenShine]

It's true, I guess, that any soil or amendment bought could have some sort of infestation... but, if the mix is relatively fresh, it is rare to run into anything other than a few fungus gnats which can easily be controlled without pesticides.

No organic grower would ever consider baking soil... it kills everything... if this doesn't make any sense to you, here's a link to a thread that explains it: https://www.autoflower.org/f89/tlo-dummies-dummy-17822.html

I also thought it sounded a bit odd to bake the soil, so what you say makes perfect sense to me. Thank you for clearing things up. :thumbs:

 

[X]

Hey guys, I mentioned a new humic acid product in the forum recently. The company that sells it is offering free 5lb samples on their website. I find the information the company provides intriguing but I haven't tried it myself yet. If you're interested, here's the link: http://andersonshumates.com/

 

[Mossy]

X..have you ever seen anyone using cuttlefish on the plants as a calcium dressing...?

I just got blessed with some on the beach walk and after googling find most people use them for bird treats..cal for budgies.

But I'm thinking cal is cal...:cough:..they might just work for the girls..if I can get them for nowt...

Anyone tried them....?

 

[X]

X..have you ever seen anyone using cuttlefish on the plants as a calcium dressing...?

It has virtually the same chemical make-up as egg shells and oyster shells. So, if it were ground well, I can't see why it wouldn't work just as well.

Honestly, I had never heard of them before you mentioned it, so I have no personal experience.