Larger scale organic growers opinions and advice.

[calicocalyx]

For composting, a lot depends on environmental conditions. There is a bacteria mix you can buy to help promote breaking down the organic matter, I can't remember cause it's been awhile. Heat and time and good moisture levels.

and oxygen. turn that dirt a couple times

 

[green_machine_two9er]

I'm hoping to do everything in basement. 60f 60 rh most the time. Probable take ages at that temp?

 

[greasemonkeymann]

I'm hoping to do everything in basement. 60f 60 rh most the time. Probable take ages at that temp?

I was going to agree with @Pattahabi on the cover crop, (I still do agree, but if you are in a basement that ain't gonna work) but that's what i'm doing right now, because my landlord threw out some of my no-till soil... fucker.. anyways, while the mix is "aging" have a cover crop of nitro-fixin legumes in there, and you can see when your soil gets "ready" the legumes will grow in even a freshly made batch but they SHOOT like crazy with nice lush growth once the soils amendments are more available, (for me it took about 40 days, it was cold) Plus I can only imagine having some nice green legume mulch is not gonna hurt my topsoil any.
Ahh, but keep in mind, umm snails and slugs like legume sprouts, and I imagine rabbits and such do as well but my problem was with the banana slugs... damn things can be 8 inches long.. and eat like caterpillars do... meaning they don't stop.
Anyways, if you are in your basement, treat it like a compost pile, and I haven't done this part before, only outside, but I imagine adding redworms or even native worms to the soil while its re-breaking down couldn't hurt anything.
I'm also thinking that it may be a good idea to add a nice thick compost layer in there too? I mean if you are waiting months why not?
I'd do the "lasagna" layering and mix a layer of old soil, alfalfa meal, kelp meal, leaf compost, maybe some dandelion or other weedwacked goodness?
Course the flaw with that is you MUST wait long enough for the compost to break down, but hell you'd be doing most of your mixing prior, not to mention it'd be fabulous for the microbes and such.
That's how i'd do it personally, but like I said, that's assuming you jhave the full amount of time to break down that soil.
but 60 deg and 60 rh would be fine for aging soil, especially if you are composting it too.
Even if you don't compost it, it'll get a li warm on its own, especially if you reamend with alfalfa/comfrey or kelp

 

[MustangStudFarm]

Sometime this week I'm gonna hit the hydro store and get my soil and amendments. Gonna run this without letting it compost not to spite you or the sticky lol. Because I wanna grow organic I'll post back here with pics and when it don't work you can say see shawn I told you man why don't you listen bro

It's been over a month, any pics? I wonder if they are as burned as my first try at organics last year... I didnt wait either.