Living Organics *Ofiicial Thread*

[AliCakes]

Poopookaka, if you are having such difficulty sourcing Rev's ingredients, why not try another recipe. Rrog puts his recipe out there at least once a week. Since you already have Azomite on the way, sub that for his rock dust mix and have fun. If an ingredient is difficult to find in your area, find out what its purpose was and replace it with a regional substitute.

Exotic ingredients are not necessary. Nature finds a way to grow beautiful, vigorous, healthy plants all over the world. And shipping in heavy ingredients from half way across the world is counter intuitive to the organic movement. Makes me sad to think of all the wasted fossil fuels. I think my bat guano and my nematodes are the only things I put in my soil that was manufactured more than 100 miles or so from my home. And since my worms have gotten busy decomposing our household waste - I have never replaced the guano. With a little creativity you will be shocked at how much money you can save with NO loss of quality in the final product.

 

[Rising Moon]

The best fertilizer is the farmers shadow...

 

[Rrog]

AliCakes- Nice post. Very true about local amendments.

 

[AliCakes]

Thank you Rrog. I have truly enjoyed learning about KNF and creating my own local colonies. So much better than shelling out hundreds of dollars for individual products that may or may not be successful in my region. The info you put out is much appreciated.

 

[Cann]

With a little creativity you will be shocked at how much money you can save with NO loss of quality in the final product.

Amen brother. In fact...the quality of the final product often increases! win-win situation....

 

[AliCakes]

Amen brother. In fact...the quality of the final product often increases! win-win situation....

Very true, Cann - but I'm no brother.

 

[Cann]

a female cannabis gardener?!?!!? it couldn't be.....

lol just giving you a hard time...i shoulda known it was a lady...too smart for only 90-something posts. welcome

wish my girlfriend was as passionate about gardening as you are...

 

[AliCakes]

Hahahaha...thank you.

In all fairness, I grew up gardening organically and taught jr. high science for several years. I feel you about the gf, though. My husband has zero interest in learning to grow. He's only interested in running off with my product.

 

[GreenSanta]

^ what jcjmrt said. aloe should last for quite a while in the fridge, although fresh aloe filets will be much better for many reasons. also he has a great point about sprouts and enzymes for teas/foliar. apparently barley and alfalfa sprouts make amazing enzymes, i can elaborate more on that later.

enduroxx - have you tried a rice/milk wash to make your own EM? from what I understand you shouldn't need to buy a mother culture, and the whole process should only take about 20 days from start to finish and you will have activated effective microorganisms. here is a good link - http://www.hawaiihealingtree.org/?p=163

also I would stay away from applying some sort of AACT/EM mixture during every watering...most of the great organic minds I know only apply 2 or 3 AACTs/EM mixes during the entire cycle - usually one at the beginning of veg, and one at the beginning of flower (high fungal tea to facilitate K uptake i think). over applying AACTs is like forcing microbes down your plants throat - the microbes should already be at full force if your soil mix is right, so adding a bunch more microbes might not be helping as much as we think. I was initially under the same impression as you, but the more I read the more I realized less is more with AACTs. just a heads up

otherwise everything is lookin gravy

I am too lazy/busy to make teas all the time, like you, I use about twice a cycle. But I do think, that if one had the time and patience, it's better to give more diluted teas all the time than fewer stronger teas.

 

[dochickory]

so where does that put the kelp? I have access to kelp year round and close by, a friend mixes it with rain water in a pond for garden watering. very successful crops

my friends crops are not MJ

 

[Cann]

what color is the kelp? brown is best (in horticultural terms)

 

[dochickory]

what color is the kelp? brown is best (in horticultural terms)

I think mostly brown, I can ask the KELP CHICK she knows the KELP

 

[AliCakes]

Kelp is high in potassium and nitrogen, plus has lots of trace minerals and growth hormones. Used late veg/early flower as a bloom booster, or at transplants for a root stimulator.

 

[dochickory]

AliCakes, thank you, do you think I should use the kelp tea? is it that beneficial? I'm setting up an aeroponic system and could easily introduce the tea at late veg/early flower.

 

[greenghost420]

how easy is it to get a wormfarm going and start collecting castings?

 

[AliCakes]

I am a firm believer in organics. That being said, if you wanted to add kelp to your regimen, I would use it as a foliar spray at that time.

I have a question for you. Why aeroponics? Salt based nutes are forced down your plant's system whether they need those at the moment or not. If you move to a balanced organic soil based system, your microbial population releases the nutrients to the plant as they are needed. Go out to a local forest or wildlife area - those plants have never been fertilized or even watered by humans, yet they have thrived. Why do you think that has happened?

From first hand experience, I tried a diy aero system. I wasted over $400 on set up and all I ended up with was a flood in the room it was set up in.

 

[AliCakes]

Green, it is VERY easy to set up. Some do it as simply as a Rubbermaid tote with air holes in it, I like my flow through bin a lot, Rrog raises worms in a smart pot. Here are some ideas:

http://vermicomposters.ning.com/forum/topics/diy-flow-through-bins-a

How ever you choose to set up, I would encourage you to do it. Not much you can do that is more beneficial to both your plants and mother earth.

 

[greenghost420]

im thinking i gotta go buy a big bag,then im thinking shit it would prob cost the same to start a wormfarm lol

 

[dochickory]

I am a firm believer in organics. That being said, if you wanted to add kelp to your regimen, I would use it as a foliar spray at that time.

I have a question for you. Why aeroponics? Salt based nutes are forced down your plant's system whether they need those at the moment or not. If you move to a balanced organic soil based system, your microbial population releases the nutrients to the plant as they are needed. Go out to a local forest or wildlife area - those plants have never been fertilized or even watered by humans, yet they have thrived. Why do you think that has happened?

From first hand experience, I tried a diy aero system. I wasted over $400 on set up and all I ended up with was a flood in the room it was set up in.

after reading sooo much I determined aeroponics is generally good for a small grow, clean, and easily allowing ph/nutes adjustment and flushing, lastly I really like high tech systems, I hope to use organic tea for nutes appreciate the input for sure

 

[Emans]

No doubt that this recommended book "Teaming with Microbes" gives the better detail for the living organism in the body so just good link for the viewers.[h=1][/h]