Go go n chill
Well-Known Member
I love Foxfarm ocean forest
Ocean Forest - Soil Test Report
- Thread starter GreenGuy_1995
- Start date
Go go n chill
Well-Known Member
I use play sand on top of my soil
The fungus gnats hate it and then I use giant sticky traps that I bought on Amazon
A couple of years ago I had hundreds of gnats and those two things got rid of them
Go go n chill
Well-Known Member
Gnatrol helps but I do not like spraying anything on my plants
GreenGuy_1995
Well-Known Member
I've used FoxFarm Ocean Forest soil for decades and it's always been a reliably consistent base for me. Back in the day it was over $20 per bag, now it's only $12 which is great!
A long time ago, I had to purchase it from a retailer who would store their pallets outdoors in an open, but covered outbuilding. This was annoying because it would always seem to come with complimentary pests, such as fungus gnats.. These days there are more retail options available and I purchase from a retailer who stores it inside, and I no longer have to worry about the included pests.
As far as moisture content goes, the bags I purchase in the winter time may be a bit dryer than fall, spring or summer time purchases, but adding a little bit of water fixes that issue, no problem. I usually amend it and add water anyway..
I knock out any fungus gnats with a product called "Mosquito Bits" which is a BTi product. I'll sprinkle them on top of the pots and water in, or I'll mix them with water and saturate the pot from the top or bottom, depending on where the problem is. Works like a charm every time.
A long time ago, I had to purchase it from a retailer who would store their pallets outdoors in an open, but covered outbuilding. This was annoying because it would always seem to come with complimentary pests, such as fungus gnats.. These days there are more retail options available and I purchase from a retailer who stores it inside, and I no longer have to worry about the included pests.
As far as moisture content goes, the bags I purchase in the winter time may be a bit dryer than fall, spring or summer time purchases, but adding a little bit of water fixes that issue, no problem. I usually amend it and add water anyway..
I knock out any fungus gnats with a product called "Mosquito Bits" which is a BTi product. I'll sprinkle them on top of the pots and water in, or I'll mix them with water and saturate the pot from the top or bottom, depending on where the problem is. Works like a charm every time.
christopher jordan
Well-Known Member
H202 Flush works too.
brian330
Member
I actually have everything ready to go,except the nerve and knowledge to start using it. but hey,that's why I'm here.
brian330
Member
Earth worm bin you say? Now I'm intrigued...
Do you have a solid starting point for information on it? I'm new to growing in general, and have only glanced at the info on organic growing.
MustangStudFarm
Well-Known Member
I'll add this podcast. Tad Hussey has an All-Star line up here, it's very good. I still find myself listening to these and learning something new even though I already listened 3-5x. Clackamas Coot's is the go-to soil recipe that has been accepted into this forum and he has a 3 part series on here.
Failure is part of the process and you have to get your hands dirty. People that stress this much about failure are usually the ones that do their homework and learn.
MustangStudFarm
Well-Known Member
Just a regular compost pile on the ground will attract worms. I don't know if you are in city limits or even have a yard though...
MustangStudFarm
Well-Known Member
This is what I use. It's better if it sits in the water for longer than 24hrs. It's a bacterial strain and it's safe to put in animal water troughs and won't kill frogs, so it's safe enough to water with. I have a hunch that adding it an AACT would expand the bacteria, but that's a project that I'm about to work on lol.
MustangStudFarm
Well-Known Member
Just tell me what kind of yard that you have to work with. Do you mow the grass and get dead tree leaves? Do you have a "City Compost Facility"? My first compost/worm bin was just a compost pile on a broken concrete slab. It was a tool shed when I bought the house, but it was rotten and falling apart. So, I tore it down and used the cheap posts and chicken wire(poultry netting) around the concrete slab.
MustangStudFarm
Well-Known Member
There is also the WormFactory 360 route...
ilovereggae
Well-Known Member
those are on my wishlist. but if you type in DIY worm farm into YouTube there a ton of cheaper ways to make them using plastic totes which is what im planning to do one of these weekends.
MustangStudFarm
Well-Known Member
DIY is always best. You ALWAYS get a bigger system for much cheaper!
ilovereggae
Well-Known Member
On the other hand, I am just enough of a sucker for nice design to actually buy this one. I really love it.
The Urbalive Vermicomposter
A multifunctional container for composting bio waste and food leftovers at home, to produce your own organic fertilizer.
www.urbalive.com
But then reality sets in and I remember that I need to save money. So I am buying some clearance totes from Big Lots and getting my DIY on.
MustangStudFarm
Well-Known Member
WormFarm 360 is nice, but I never felt like I had enough castings ready. I only had a 4x4 tent at the time too...On the other hand, I am just enough of a sucker for nice design to actually buy this one. I really love it.
The Urbalive Vermicomposter
A multifunctional container for composting bio waste and food leftovers at home, to produce your own organic fertilizer.
But then reality sets in and I remember that I need to save money. So I am buying some clearance totes from Big Lots and getting my DIY on.
MustangStudFarm
Well-Known Member
I'm saying that the WormFactory 360 is small and the one that you shown is smaller. I get the idea that these set-ups are for people that live in tiny apartment buildings and don't have a yard. If that's you, I'm not stepping on your toes.
Kushash
Well-Known Member
The worm factory 360 I have has been great and I agree it only creates enough castings for top dressing, not enough when mixing a large batch of soil.
My go to feeding routine about every 10 days that the worms seem to enjoy is fruits and vegetables blended then mixed with a few handfuls of coco, 2 cups of soil and a pinch of dolomite lime.
The hypoaspis miles mites in my worm factory 360 have been the best defense against fungus gnats when I add fresh castings to my soil.
My go to feeding routine about every 10 days that the worms seem to enjoy is fruits and vegetables blended then mixed with a few handfuls of coco, 2 cups of soil and a pinch of dolomite lime.
The hypoaspis miles mites in my worm factory 360 have been the best defense against fungus gnats when I add fresh castings to my soil.
brian330
Member
I don't mind the DIY and own my house with a decent sized backyard,so i will definitely be looking into the concept for my next ...
brian330
Member
We own our home and have someone cut the grass and dispose of the clippings, but i can have him leave them in a pile in the backyard and collect the dead leaves that are around. I do not know about a compost facility in the county,but will look into it. I have a large shed in the back that my wife will let me slowly convert into a "greenhouse",so i decided to grow my first plants ever to get some experience and "master" the process before i start the conversion. I was unsure what medium i wanted to use, and foolishly thought that it wasn't that important, so i used soil mostly, but i have 8 in soil/perlite, 5 in coco/perlite, and 2 in a soil/coco/perlite mix.(I know 15 is an excessive start for a first timer, but they were not all supposed to be mine and i was supposed to have an experienced person helping me)I am going to use this run to see which medium(and growing methods) I would like to use going forward and this information will definitely aid me(and my plants)in the future.