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  1. R

    Soil Mix advice needed.

    Someone on this thread said "you can't have too much organics in it.." and that is simply not true when you are using compost. Anything over about 30% can lead to an anerobic condition, especially at 18" or deeper. Another said "I check for even a pin hole in the bag so I won't get bugs.." and...
  2. R

    Soil Plans For Next Season:

    Put the manure in a pile and see that it heats to 131 degrees F for at least 3 days. This will kill salmonella and fecal coliforms. Generally speaking if you're using true worm castings rather than vermi-compost 10% is plenty. More isn't necessarily better as it can become a muddy mess without...
  3. R

    what soil mix is best?

    North County Bounty 420 Blend. Soilless and don't feed for 4 weeks. After that you can feed if you know what you're doing. Should be able to go 2 months without anything with the right size pot and good watering habits.
  4. R

    Thoughts Organic Miracle Grow?

    Do you have any idea HOW a plant grows? Do you have any idea HOW those supposed chemical ferts are produced? Do you know the difference between NH4 or NO3-N? What about the biological processes that convert one to the other? Are biological processes ever important in the use of commercial ferts...
  5. R

    Adding minerals to your soil.

    A little Azomite added should do fine. Kelp meal or a liquid form will work too. You might have to add kelp several times, but if you buy any you should have enough for several doses.
  6. R

    Miracle Grow...shhhhh

    It simply means it persists in the soil at some level, it doesn't mean it will be adequate. Temperature, amount of water, size of container, and the size of the plant all play into it. 2 months is possible with some out there if good conditions are maintained.
  7. R

    Miracle Grow...shhhhh

    Read the label please. The only nutes in it are manure, sometimes chicken poop. That isn't a bad thing, but it can be labeled as "timed release" or "slow release" by law because the water insoluble (N) content meets a certain threshold. There is no "miracle" in the MG. Cheaper? Well there is...
  8. R

    Chemical = more potent?

    Touchy subject for folks. I think they both have their place and I use some of each. Another topic besides NPK is the micro-nutrients. Unless you are building soil for the long haul most of the sources just don't provide much until years pass. If you throw out your soil after each cycle it is...
  9. R

    Will Fox Farm Grow Big KILL mycos?

    The FF guy was correct. According to a study by Curtis E. Swift of Colorado State University - "The benefits of mychorrizae are greatest when the soil phosphorus levels are at or below 50ppm (50 mg-kg -1). Mycorrhizal infection of roots declines above this level with little if any infection...
  10. R

    Peruvian Seabird Guano, help with dosage and ph

    To answer your question about how to adjust pH in the tea; use citric acid. About 3 tsp/100gal will be approx. 1 pH unit. As for the dosage, I would be comfortable trying 2 tablespoons/gal once a week. If you see signs it is too much flush until at least 20% of the water drains out and then...
  11. R

    Oxygen To Roots

    Seems the most common H2O2 is 29% these days. 3ml/ gal is recommended on the label. My reading has lead me to accepting as fact that rainwater has elevated levels of H2O2. It doesn't last long because the H2O2 is unstable giving up the extra oxygen molecule easily. Plants do well with rainwater...
  12. R

    Slow release Nitrogen?

    Osmocote is a good slow release source of N. It is derived from a polymer coated ammonium nitrate, ammonium phosphate, and some other stuff along those lines. The Osmocote Plus is basically the same thing with micro-nutes. Temps have everything to do with how quickly it releases. Cold temps it...
  13. R

    The Positive Effect of Diffused versus Direct Light on Plant Health, Vigor and Yields

    Been using one as well for the last few months. They definitely eliminate the hot spot and the girls have responded well. I would say it is worth the $35. I think the aluminum has some coating on it to help with the diffusion. It feels gritty.
  14. R

    Miracle Grow Love It Or Hate It?

    I'm not basing my guess on the price of the product, but rather on the ingredients. FFOG sells for around $10/bag here so it could be on the cheaper end of the range for the material cost. Like I said, just a guess. An educated guess though.
  15. R

    Miracle Grow Love It Or Hate It?

    $40/ bag !!! That would be hard to swallow. But when you add the cost of nutes over time it could come close to that still. My guess is that the soil in the MG bag costs about $.85 - $1.00 and the rest is packaging, shipping , etc. FFOG is somewhere in the $3 - $5 range with the rest packaging...
  16. R

    Miracle Grow Love It Or Hate It?

    When you look at a label on soils or ferts the thing to notice is that the ingredients are by law listed in descending order. The items listed first are in greater abundance than the things listed later. What isn't shown is how much of each ingredient is actually in there. In a 1.5 cu. ft. bag...
  17. R

    Looking for alternatives to dead cow parts

    Cottonseed meal is a high N fert that keeps it vegan. Alfalfa meal has triacontinol. Good stuff. Kelp helps with trace minerals and moderate to minimal NPK.
  18. R

    Want Fatter Buds not Sure How - 2 Weeks To Go

    Blackstrap molasses contains several different kinds of sugars, some of them complex sugar. It also contains "residue" which analysis typically shows as humic acid material. The concentration of blackstrap molasses tends to favor either bacteria or fungi. Low concentrations favor bacteria and...
  19. R

    Need New Soil Mix

    What kind of problems are you referring to? Organic is fine, organic based is easier and often more practical. The biggest issues I generally see are composted ingredients that technically meet the criteria but may not be fully enhanced with all the biology (bacteria and fungi) expected. These...
  20. R

    A liitle about me/disclosure

    I'm happy to finally be a part of the group. I've been lurking for some time and refer to RIU when searches point me to the site. I have been working in the soils design, blend, sales industry for about 12 years. It has mostly been landscape oriented but I also have some "specialized" blends...
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