Organic Growing: An Introductory Guide

[Rasta Roy]

Yeah thanks for the heads up guys! I'll be building my greenhouse and raised beds this winter hopefully done by February. I'll be getting everything moved in as soon as I get it. I plan on putting everything in and letting it "cook" by march at the latest. Also starting plants inside in march and placing them outside in may, you think thats enough time for everything to start working together?
I also have a shit ton or earthworms around my place I'll be harvesting them through out the winter or fall to put them in there. I found a farm about 2.5 hours of me that sells pretty much all the organic ingredients needed for a "super soil" in 50 lb bags, I'll be spending about $400 there for everything minus base dirt/compost.

Rasta roy, what you said about the cow shit, would that go for chicken shit as well?

Chicken shit is always gonna need to be composted, it is the hottest of the manures, my cow shit advice can be applied to horse manure but not chicken. But since you're prepping your bed in advance you can definitely use it.

I would start my plants indoors in February, then take em out to plant in May. Unless you got size restrictions.

 

[Nugs1]

Chicken shit is always gonna need to be composted, it is the hottest of the manures, my cow shit advice can be applied to horse manure but not chicken. But since you're prepping your bed in advance you can definitely use it.

I would start my plants indoors in February, then take em out to plant in May. Unless you got size restrictions.

Thanks Rasta I really appreciate it. My greenhouse will be about about 38ft by 20ft wide. I honestly don't know how high it will be. My plants have to stay inside of it, I'm not legal over here. I plan on a raised bed with all this dirt we've been talking about in it, the plan is for it to be 30' long by 5' wide by 18" tall. So I need a lot of dirt. I was thinking of putting them 3 wide or at least 2 wide in the 5 ft wide bed so they should have some room. I am hoping for about 15-20 1 pound plants.

 

[ANC]

The main thing is not to get root bound if you want to veg for long or you will have lots of intersex plants.
Just start mulching the bed you want to use with hardwood bark or chopped up leaf matter. Magic happens under that. you may not even feel like digging after you stick your finger in there after just a few short weeks.

 

[Fastslappy]

whoa nothing changes been awhile since i've been here , the hack was the last time .see they never realyy fixed the issues ,owners just sitting on this web mine of money lol
what's up Bro ?

 

[PuffAdder]

Hi everyone.

First of all a special thank you to @Rasta Roy and @greasemonkeymann and others for sharing their wealth of knowledge.

Secondly I would like some opinions and comments on a soil I'm trying from a local producer here in Africa that I am wanting to support. I know the discription gives no ratios but from anyone's experience would this mix be to hot for seedlings?

Below is what is on his site detailing his mix and below that is a link to his site for anyone that is further interested.

Thank you in advance.

"Orgasoilux is a premium organic potting mix, especially created for planting and growing healthy,organic and nutritious vegetables, aromatic herbs and radiant flowers.

It is organic and filled with nutrients and trace elements. Orgasoilux essentially promotes the vigorous growth of roots, foliage, vegetables, fruits and flowers.

Contents:

Compost, Cocopeat, Perlite, Earthworm compost, Diatomaceous Earth, Dolomite lime, Soft Rock phosphate, Guano, volcanic rock dust, kelp meal and alfalfa/Lucerne meal."
http://www.jamiesgardenshop.co.za

 

[Chunky Stool]

Hi everyone.

First of all a special thank you to @Rasta Roy and @greasemonkeymann and others for sharing their wealth of knowledge.

Secondly I would like some opinions and comments on a soil I'm trying from a local producer here in Africa that I am wanting to support. I know the discription gives no ratios but from anyone's experience would this mix be to hot for seedlings?

Below is what is on his site detailing his mix and below that is a link to his site for anyone that is further interested.

Thank you in advance.

"Orgasoilux is a premium organic potting mix, especially created for planting and growing healthy,organic and nutritious vegetables, aromatic herbs and radiant flowers.

It is organic and filled with nutrients and trace elements. Orgasoilux essentially promotes the vigorous growth of roots, foliage, vegetables, fruits and flowers.

Contents:

Compost, Cocopeat, Perlite, Earthworm compost, Diatomaceous Earth, Dolomite lime, Soft Rock phosphate, Guano, volcanic rock dust, kelp meal and alfalfa/Lucerne meal."
http://www.jamiesgardenshop.co.za

Looks like a good product. Plenty of cal-mag.
Ingredients list is a bit vague... what type of guano? And WTF is "alfalfa/Lucerne meal"?

 

[PuffAdder]

Looks like a good product. Plenty of cal-mag.
Ingredients list is a bit vague... what type of guano? And WTF is "alfalfa/Lucerne meal"?

I did ask him and he did say it's seabird guano. And I have no idea lol this is what he says about it on his site.

"ALFALFA/LUCERNE MEAL
A slow releasing natural fertilizer
Contains a natural growth hormone – Triacontanol, which stimulates root development"

 

[Fastslappy]

The good stuff is at the end so it's limited on those kelp, the meal but high in ewc so yeah I'd buy it to try

 

[Chunky Stool]

I did ask him and he did say it's seabird guano. And I have no idea lol this is what he says about it on his site.

"ALFALFA/LUCERNE MEAL
A slow releasing natural fertilizer
Contains a natural growth hormone – Triacontanol, which stimulates root development"

So it's just alfalfa meal -- which is good shit.

 

[Fastslappy]

100% Organic
100% Pestacide free
Clackamas Coot's mix that I tweaked

 

[PuffAdder]

100% Organic
100% Pestacide free
Clackamas Coot's mix that View attachment 4027251 I tweaked

 

[Rasta Roy]

Hi everyone.

First of all a special thank you to @Rasta Roy and @greasemonkeymann and others for sharing their wealth of knowledge.

Secondly I would like some opinions and comments on a soil I'm trying from a local producer here in Africa that I am wanting to support. I know the discription gives no ratios but from anyone's experience would this mix be to hot for seedlings?

Below is what is on his site detailing his mix and below that is a link to his site for anyone that is further interested.

Thank you in advance.

"Orgasoilux is a premium organic potting mix, especially created for planting and growing healthy,organic and nutritious vegetables, aromatic herbs and radiant flowers.

It is organic and filled with nutrients and trace elements. Orgasoilux essentially promotes the vigorous growth of roots, foliage, vegetables, fruits and flowers.

Contents:

Compost, Cocopeat, Perlite, Earthworm compost, Diatomaceous Earth, Dolomite lime, Soft Rock phosphate, Guano, volcanic rock dust, kelp meal and alfalfa/Lucerne meal."
http://www.jamiesgardenshop.co.za

I recommend a soil you build yourself over this bagged option.

 

[PuffAdder]

I recommend a soil you build yourself over this bagged option.

Thank you for reply Rasta. That is my goal in near future however where I stay I can't get any of the amendments locally in my area. I will have to order everything in. Only stuff that's readily available is mushroom compost and a generic bagged soil that I hate. Has pieces of plastic and other crap in it. Can't even find fresh EWC locally here. Guess it's a good excuse to start a worm farm​

 

[greasemonkeymann]

So it's just alfalfa meal -- which is good shit.

haha, yea I had the same question a couple yrs ago helpin a grower in new Zealand
not a term you run across much here.

Thank you for reply Rasta. That is my goal in near future however where I stay I can't get any of the amendments locally in my area. I will have to order everything in. Only stuff that's readily available is mushroom compost and a generic bagged soil that I hate. Has pieces of plastic and other crap in it. Can't even find fresh EWC locally here. Guess it's a good excuse to start a worm farm​

well, sounds like you have an empty market for yourself then eh?
I'd go get a shit-ton of leaves and grass and do both at once, you'd be surprised how quick it goes.
keep in mind that any leaf/grass eating animal is gonna have a good well rounded manure to use, elephant, giraffe, etc.
you could easily use that also as the "green" input in a compost pile too.
nothing wrong with mushroom compost either, especially if you can age it in a compost pile to inoculate it.
on it's own it's fine too, just gotta match it with aeration and some sort of established microbial diversity

 

[Fastslappy]

haha, yea I had the same question a couple yrs ago helpin a grower in new Zealand
not a term you run across much here.

well, sounds like you have an empty market for yourself then eh?
I'd go get a shit-ton of leaves and grass and do both at once, you'd be surprised how quick it goes.
keep in mind that any leaf/grass eating animal is gonna have a good well rounded manure to use, elephant, giraffe, etc.
you could easily use that also as the "green" input in a compost pile too.
nothing wrong with mushroom compost either, especially if you can age it in a compost pile to inoculate it.
on it's own it's fine too, just gotta match it with aeration and some sort of established microbial diversity

Just go^a mix it up ,ud b surprised what u can compost

 

[Cheesy Bo' Greesy]

This is some phenomenal information. Well written, thorough and on par with exactly what we needed to hear. Im always learning concerning this trade. This thread is right up there with some of the best.

 

[Rasta Roy]

This is some phenomenal information. Well written, thorough and on par with exactly what we needed to hear. Im always learning concerning this trade. This thread is right up there with some of the best.

I'm working on an updated version, I've also learned some new things!

 

[PuffAdder]

haha, yea I had the same question a couple yrs ago helpin a grower in new Zealand
not a term you run across much here.

well, sounds like you have an empty market for yourself then eh?
I'd go get a shit-ton of leaves and grass and do both at once, you'd be surprised how quick it goes.
keep in mind that any leaf/grass eating animal is gonna have a good well rounded manure to use, elephant, giraffe, etc.
you could easily use that also as the "green" input in a compost pile too.
nothing wrong with mushroom compost either, especially if you can age it in a compost pile to inoculate it.
on it's own it's fine too, just gotta match it with aeration and some sort of established microbial diversity

@greasemonkeymann I'm gonna do just that plenty of animal farms around my area. Gonna try go chat up the local farmers and get my hands on some manure. Will post feedback on what I can find. Thank you once again everyone for the wealth of information.

 

[Fastslappy]

@greasemonkeymann I'm gonna do just that plenty of animal farms around my area. Gonna try go chat up the local farmers and get my hands on some manure. Will post feedback on what I can find. Thank you once again everyone for the wealth of information.

get some sealed 5 gallon buckets & visit the farmers , most r happy to get rid of it when its fresh

 

[Nugs1]

I'm starting some prep for next year. I know its early but its not you know lol.
Anyway I found a local supplier of large amounts of food compost. I talked to the owner a couple times and visited his yard. He gets wood chips, sand and large amounts of food waste from local restaurants and quality top soil. They mix it very well and let it sit for a year before selling any of it. Its also been screened several times, nice dark brown and smells like great soil.
He gets his stuff lab tested and gave me a copy, Im having a hard time figuring out what it all means anyone got any ideas?