Organic vs chemical

[Purp.N.Poonani]

How would i go about making them nettles good for use? Have loads of the barstards laying about! They didnt go down without a fight either stung all over when preparing the plots haha and what sort of proportions (in reference to alfafa and kelp) would be required for a. 6x6 bed housing 4 plants? And would using just this be viable for there entire life cycle then? And if not how would i know when they require more fertiliser or would i have to wait for a sign of deficiency? Sorry for all the questions 1st outdoor and i do not want to make any unnecessary mistakes!

 

[Purp.N.Poonani]

Loamy soil will drain well, so you may not need aeration bits at all. I don't care for perlite because it tends to rise to the surface of the medium defeating it's purpose. It will still work, but I just feel that there are better options. If you have moss and nettles growing in the vicinity that is indeed a good sign! Well established colonies of beneficial microbes abound! That nettle can be chopped, dried, and laid down on the surface ...... or bubbled in a bucket for a great addition to an organic regiment.

The meals I mentioned will supply your plant with micro/macro nutrients over the course of the plants life. When you add it to your bed the microbes in the compost, and your native soil will get to work processing it and turning it in to plant ready food. If all is right, you will really only need to keep the soil moist, and will not have to "fertilize" at all. Just water, and some good luck on the weather!

The above post was to you forgot to click reply!

 

[st0wandgrow]

How would i go about making them nettles good for use? Have loads of the barstards laying about! They didnt go down without a fight either stung all over when preparing the plots haha and what sort of proportions (in reference to alfafa and kelp) would be required for a. 6x6 bed housing 4 plants? And would using just this be viable for there entire life cycle then? And if not how would i know when they require more fertiliser or would i have to wait for a sign of deficiency? Sorry for all the questions 1st outdoor and i do not want to make any unnecessary mistakes!

Here's a good link for the nettles. http://gentleworld.org/nettles-health-tonic-and-veganic-fertilizer/

In a nut shell, chop them down, put them in a trash can (with a lid), break them up to create more surface area, cover with unchlorinated water, and let sit with the lid on for a couple weeks. This is a FPE (fermented plant extract). Super easy to make, and very effective. Plants like nettles, comfrey, etc send roots down very deep and mine minerals and nutrients, which then accumulate in their leaves (bio-accumulators). We can then take these plants and use the nutrient/mineral rich leaves to nourish the plants we are growing.

As for the meals, I would recommend the following: Pick up some alfalfa meal, kelp meal, and if you can find it locally crab shell meal and neem seed meal. Also grab an all purpose organic fert like Espoma, or Down to Earth. You can add apx 3 cups *total* per cubic feet of those amendments. IOW, if you grab all 5 of those items you will use around a 1/2 cup of each one per cf. If you use a little more, or less it won't hurt as it is quite hard to "burn" a plant growing organically. You want to amend your plot with the compost and those meals a good 4 weeks or so before planting if you can. Once bud sites really start to fill in, scratch in some more of the same as a top dress, and cover with a bit of soil/compost. You can use your nettle tea from time to time as needed.

 

[Purp.N.Poonani]

Here's a good link for the nettles. http://gentleworld.org/nettles-health-tonic-and-veganic-fertilizer/

In a nut shell, chop them down, put them in a trash can (with a lid), break them up to create more surface area, cover with unchlorinated water, and let sit with the lid on for a couple weeks. This is a FPE (fermented plan extract). Super easy to make, and very effective. Plants like nettles, comfrey, etc send roots down very deep and mine minerals and nutrients, which then accumulate in their leaves (bio-accumulators). We can then take these plants and use the nutrient/mineral rich leaves to nourish the plants we are growing.

As for the meals, I would recommend the following: Pick up some alfalfa meal, kelp meal, and if you can find it locally crab shell meal and neem seed meal. Also grab an all purpose organic fert like Espoma, or Down to Earth. You can add apx 3 cups *total* per cubic feet of those amendments. IOW, if you grab all 5 of those items you will use around a 1/2 cup of each one per cf. If you use a little more, or less it won't hurt as it is quite hard to "burn" a plant growing organically. You want to amend your plot with the compost and those meals a good 4 weeks or so before planting if you can. Once bud sites really start to fill in, scratch in some more of the same as a top dress, and cover with a bit of soil/compost. You can use your nettle tea from time to time as needed.

Cant thank you enough for your help! never heard of this and looking into now can only see positive things! When do you use the fertiliser i.e wait till it begins flowering or only in veg stage or throughout?

 

[gR33nDav3l0l]

Here's a good link for the nettles. http://gentleworld.org/nettles-health-tonic-and-veganic-fertilizer/

In a nut shell, chop them down, put them in a trash can (with a lid), break them up to create more surface area, cover with unchlorinated water, and let sit with the lid on for a couple weeks. This is a FPE (fermented plan extract). Super easy to make, and very effective. Plants like nettles, comfrey, etc send roots down very deep and mine minerals and nutrients, which then accumulate in their leaves (bio-accumulators). We can then take these plants and use the nutrient/mineral rich leaves to nourish the plants we are growing.

As for the meals, I would recommend the following: Pick up some alfalfa meal, kelp meal, and if you can find it locally crab shell meal and neem seed meal. Also grab an all purpose organic fert like Espoma, or Down to Earth. You can add apx 3 cups *total* per cubic feet of those amendments. IOW, if you grab all 5 of those items you will use around a 1/2 cup of each one per cf. If you use a little more, or less it won't hurt as it is quite hard to "burn" a plant growing organically. You want to amend your plot with the compost and those meals a good 4 weeks or so before planting if you can. Once bud sites really start to fill in, scratch in some more of the same as a top dress, and cover with a bit of soil/compost. You can use your nettle tea from time to time as needed.

This is like a fucking Botanics class. Awesome .

 

[st0wandgrow]

Cant thank you enough for your help! never heard of this and looking into now can only see positive things! When do you use the fertiliser i.e wait till it begins flowering or only in veg stage or throughout?

Growing organically is pretty simple, but you need to wrap your brain around one thing: You are not *feeding* the plant. The army of microbes in your soil takes care of that for you. What you're doing instead is creating a hospitable environment for those microbes (and the plant), by loading it up with organic inputs (kelp meal, alfalfa meal, etc) which the microbes eat and in turn make plant available through pooping it out, or being eaten by predators further up the food chain. You are using compost, and a good source of loamy, native soil which brings those microbes to the mix to begin with, and also gives your medium the ability to hold on to those nutrients (cec) for the plant to utilize. The plant will secrete sugars/exudes to attract specific bacteria or fungi to it's root zone when it requires a certain nutrient, thereby working in unison with the billions of microbes to satisfy it's needs. So, just be clear .... the plant is in charge, not you!

This is the reason you want to load your soil up with goodies a few weeks in advance of planting. Give your little buddies in the soil a chance to get to work on processing that stuff for you.

Nettle teas can be used as a soil drench at any point during the plants life cycle. It can also be used as a foliar. As with any foliar, I would avoid using it once bud formation really picks up. Keep an eye or your plants, and if you feel they need a little shot in the arm give them a top-dress of some amendments, or bubble a tea for 24 hours and apply. If you go this route there are plenty of folks, myself included, that are willing to field questions along the way.

Good luck!

 

[gR33nDav3l0l]

I've noticed that fixing the soil sometime prior to planting works a lot better than planting soon after the soil mix is done.

 

[Purp.N.Poonani]

Growing organically is pretty simple, but you need to wrap your brain around one thing: You are not *feeding* the plant. The army of microbes in your soil takes care of that for you. What you're doing instead is creating a hospitable environment for those microbes (and the plant), by loading it up with organic inputs (kelp meal, alfalfa meal, etc) which the microbes eat and in turn make plant available through pooping it out, or being eaten by predators further up the food chain. You are using compost, and a good source of loamy, native soil which brings those microbes to the mix to begin with, and also gives your medium the ability to hold on to those nutrients (cec) for the plant to utilize. The plant will secrete sugars/exudes to attract specific bacteria or fungi to it's root zone when it requires a certain nutrient, thereby working in unison with the billions of microbes to satisfy it's needs. So, just be clear .... the plant is in charge, not you!

This is the reason you want to load your soil up with goodies a few weeks in advance of planting. Give your little buddies in the soil a chance to get to work on processing that stuff for you.

Nettle teas can be used as a soil drench at any point during the plants life cycle. It can also be used as a foliar. As with any foliar, I would avoid using it once bud formation really picks up. Keep an eye or your plants, and if you feel they need a little shot in the arm give them a top-dress of some amendments, or bubble a tea for 24 hours and apply. If you go this route there are plenty of folks, myself included, that are willing to field questions along the way.

Good luck!

Hi, cut up a sh*t load of nettles today added some water however i was counting on the apparant heavy rain coming and typically the one time i want it it does not come ha the only pure water i had here had been added however it was so little that it has merely dampened the nettles i am wondering if boiling tap water then letting it sit outside for a few hours would be ok to use? Also where abouts do you purchase your alfafa and kelp? I am going on a shopping trip to try get these tomorrow going to tryth e obvious, garden stores, however the two "centres" near me are very poorly stocked and i am unsure as to whether they will have these, thanks again!

 

[st0wandgrow]

Let your water sit out in a 5 gallon bucket for 24'ish hours and most of the chlorine will dissipate. If your city uses chloramines that's another matter, but I wouldn't know without looking at your cities water analysis.

I pick up most of my meals and supplies at feed stores. Any place that caters to livestock, horses, rabbits, ect. A lot of hydro stores will carry meals too, but they're usually more expensive.

 

[Purp.N.Poonani]

Let your water sit out in a 5 gallon bucket for 24'ish hours and most of the chlorine will dissipate. If your city uses chloramines that's another matter, but I wouldn't know without looking at your cities water analysis.

I pick up most of my meals and supplies at feed stores. Any place that caters to livestock, horses, rabbits, ect. A lot of hydro stores will carry meals too, but they're usually more expensive.

Will leaving the nettles to dry out be detrimental to effectiveness of the nettles or will they be ok being left for them 24hrs? An thanks will look for nearest feed store!

 

[st0wandgrow]

That'll be fine