Living Soil Wicking Beds

MAGpie81

MAGpie81

Well-Known Member
JimmyJackCorn said:
The soil is a vermicompost heap with various inputs in various stages of decomposition, mostly anaerobic (I think). It's basically a heap of dirt, leaves, grass, biochar, and non-animal kitchen waste that I stirred before taking what I need! It is chock full of many different bugs. It hasn't ever steamed or gotten temperature-hot, that I know of. The totes for my wicking beds are not heating up, and I guess I don't expect them to. I did add vermiculite and perlite, so between those and the big organic chunks from the vermicompost, I think it should be okay for aeration.

No worm bin! At least not yet. I keep toying with the idea! When I need to replenish my EWC supply, I dig a hole in a flower or garden bed and retrieve loam that's honeycombed with worm tunnels. I only use EWC for IPM, so any N-P-K it adds is incidental.
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I like mixing my own soil too, but will usually pick up a bag of small pumice stone to add, too. Get a great deal on thrice-washed non-gmo rice hulls which make for a good amendment for aeration as well as a great top cover for weeds-control. I don’t think bugs get around on it very easy either.
But also- way to go on keeping it organic and local. I think some bio diversity of bugs can be beneficial and citric is pretty great as well. Happy growing
 
DankTankerous

DankTankerous

Well-Known Member
I got some humic acid powder from some company, always twists my leaves. I haven’t had it since, my soil has a lot of humus in it already
 
GenericEnigma

GenericEnigma

Well-Known Member
DankTankerous said:
I got some humic acid powder from some company, always twists my leaves. I haven’t had it since, my soil has a lot of humus in it already
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I hear ya. That's where I'm at. I've put years and years worth of leaves and grass into this pile of dirt, as well as most kitchen and garden vegetable waste. It's basically a pile of humus with some sand, biochar, and native bentonite mixed in. Super hot stuff.

These sativa-leaning plants have struggled in it, and showed a phosphorous deficiency as well. Probably strain related, but it was eye opening all the same (I have never tested the pile).
 
GenericEnigma

GenericEnigma

Well-Known Member
Hollatchaboy said:
You need to use water soluble humic acid very sparingly.
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No kidding!

I have made liquid fertilizer out of that compost pile. One gallon of soil soaked with a half-gallon of water gave me maybe a quart of brown runoff, which made two gallons of fertilizer (watered down). I kept a couple mothers alive in quart pots of depleted soil for nearly a year, and still have a gallon leftover!
 
GenericEnigma

GenericEnigma

Well-Known Member
Harvested three weeks ago, showed pistils for 11 weeks (switched to 12/12 before sexual maturity).

Stripped fan leaves and hung to dry in a tent for three weeks at 60% RH.

Dry trimmed lightly, weighed at 7.3 oz. (first time weighing my yield). Half of that is larfy mids for edibles.

Smells like overripe underfunk, tastes not much better! Smooth, clear-headed, very relaxing high. Good all-day smoke, great for anxiety.

Next grow will be in the SIPS thread!
 

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