Lisa martinez
Well-Known Member
Thank you for the info
Real Organics
- Thread starter Grandpa GreenJeans
- Start date
Grandpa GreenJeans
Well-Known Member
Thank you and welcome. I don't know everything, but I do know enough. Be sure to stop back here as there's alot of good stuff to come. All organic/veganic and some automation for the techy type.
Grandpa GreenJeans
Well-Known Member
@ShLUbY
Just got back from the grow shop. I took your suggestion/advice on the growstones.
A couple days ago I dumped 1 gallon of AACT in each 20 gal fabric. Nothing leaked out, but it's too hydrated for my taste and I can only imagine the moisture content at the pots bottom.
Unfortunately I have to dump the pots today and add more drainage. On a positive note, the bokashi has completely composted and there is not a single recognizable fermented food scrap. I'm gonna add a little more crushed oyster meal and magnesium sulfate and myco/tric powder.
Just got back from the grow shop. I took your suggestion/advice on the growstones.
A couple days ago I dumped 1 gallon of AACT in each 20 gal fabric. Nothing leaked out, but it's too hydrated for my taste and I can only imagine the moisture content at the pots bottom.
Unfortunately I have to dump the pots today and add more drainage. On a positive note, the bokashi has completely composted and there is not a single recognizable fermented food scrap. I'm gonna add a little more crushed oyster meal and magnesium sulfate and myco/tric powder.
Grandpa GreenJeans
Well-Known Member
Jeezzz, these damn pots weigh at least 200lbs.
Now just to be on the safe side I added a 1" layer of growstones to the bottom of the fabric pots, this should give me guaranteed excellent drainage, and no soggy pooling in the event my blumats aren't dialed in precisely. I'm still sceptical on their accuracy but the layer of stones will work it out.
So to each 20 gal pot I added:
1 cup FPE charged crushed bio-char
2 cup crushed charcoal
3/4 cup crushed oyster shells
1/4 cup magnesium sulfate
4oz endo/ecto/trichoderma (powder)
2 gallons (US not trade) growstones
After I loaded the pots, I used the last 1 gallon of growstones on the surface and scratched it in. That's a tad over 1L for each pot. Doing this top dressing of stones will reduce the soils surface tension and help the water from the blumat drippers evenly absorb and will add a little diffusion of oxygen before it hits the soil. More 02 means more growth.
Now I just have to lug these monsters into the growcab onto carts.
I wish yall could be here to smell my soil. The whole damn basement reeks like earthy mushrooms and it has this faint sweetness too.
Now just to be on the safe side I added a 1" layer of growstones to the bottom of the fabric pots, this should give me guaranteed excellent drainage, and no soggy pooling in the event my blumats aren't dialed in precisely. I'm still sceptical on their accuracy but the layer of stones will work it out.
So to each 20 gal pot I added:
1 cup FPE charged crushed bio-char
2 cup crushed charcoal
3/4 cup crushed oyster shells
1/4 cup magnesium sulfate
4oz endo/ecto/trichoderma (powder)
2 gallons (US not trade) growstones
After I loaded the pots, I used the last 1 gallon of growstones on the surface and scratched it in. That's a tad over 1L for each pot. Doing this top dressing of stones will reduce the soils surface tension and help the water from the blumat drippers evenly absorb and will add a little diffusion of oxygen before it hits the soil. More 02 means more growth.
Now I just have to lug these monsters into the growcab onto carts.
I wish yall could be here to smell my soil. The whole damn basement reeks like earthy mushrooms and it has this faint sweetness too.
Grandpa GreenJeans
Well-Known Member
I mean the soil the way it was before was porous and the top half was crumbly but the water holding ability was just too high. I want the blumats to operate more frequently than I'm sure they would have. Since the soil is about 33% compost that would have made mud in the lower half and roots won't go there.that looks much better man. i thought it looked a little light on the drainage. the bluemats are dialing in great, moisture level is awesome as far as my sensors on my fingers are concerned
Grandpa GreenJeans
Well-Known Member
Seedlings are bouncing back. Oh happy day. These are some of the better genitics that I currently have. I prefer indica over sativa, and i have a heavy love for anything kush or afghani.
#2-- alien kush x Hindu kush (2)
#3-- licorice kush x Ice kush (2)
#5-- grape ape x purple urkel (1)
#6-- purple gooberry. (2)
#7-- lsd (1)
I know they look rough yet but I'd imagine they will be just fine. I've been foliar spraying them with 1/8 strength kelp every night just before lights out. I'm hoping this will help them get past the stress I've put them through. They are all 17 days old today.
#2-- alien kush x Hindu kush (2)
#3-- licorice kush x Ice kush (2)
#5-- grape ape x purple urkel (1)
#6-- purple gooberry. (2)
#7-- lsd (1)
I know they look rough yet but I'd imagine they will be just fine. I've been foliar spraying them with 1/8 strength kelp every night just before lights out. I'm hoping this will help them get past the stress I've put them through. They are all 17 days old today.
Grandpa GreenJeans
Well-Known Member
Lol look who's back. I guess my buddies old lady didn't approve of him growing. And she looks like shit! He said he feed it miracle grow twice. Smh-
Fuck it, I'll finish her out no matter what she does. She's got a good amount of flower sites but looks very over ferted and probably in lockout. I'm gonna flush her out and leave her be till she done.
Fuck it, I'll finish her out no matter what she does. She's got a good amount of flower sites but looks very over ferted and probably in lockout. I'm gonna flush her out and leave her be till she done.
Kind Sir
Well-Known Member
Grandpa GreenJeans
Well-Known Member
Lol, just a tad burnt? She looks fried lolol. I am suprised at how she shaped out tho, nice structure and decent flower set. It's just too bad she is such rough shape because she would have been a impressive auto. Not to sure what I'll yield on her but if and when these buds ever fill out and swell, I should have around an oz.actually she has a nice shape. you got all antsy with it...
My records show that she is 43 days old today.
I flushed her and got the ppm down to 240, but the pH wouldn't budge, stays at 6.9-7.0 and I ran 6 gallons of 0ppm @6.5.
Grandpa GreenJeans
Well-Known Member
Oh man oh man! The flush did her good, and now she's praying. I'll pray with her too, hopefully the herb nerd ganja gods will bless us. 
skunkwreck
Well-Known Member
Amazing what one day in the right hands will do .
Grandpa GreenJeans
Well-Known Member
Thanks dude.
I just can't understand why my buddy gave her Miracle Grow. I explained to him she was having a slight K deficiency and I top dress with 2" of my bokashi compost mix. All he had to do was water it in.
But your right, (not to be conceded) she is in better hands now.
Grandpa GreenJeans
Well-Known Member
If I can get her to bounce back, with all those flower sites, I'll be impressed. I haven't measured her height wise, but I'd say 16- 20" and she's hopefully gonna be solid bud based off her structure.
Grandpa GreenJeans
Well-Known Member
This thread is all about organics so let's see those vermi bins/farms. Include the species of worm too that you use.
Grandpa GreenJeans
Well-Known Member
I use a simple 20 gallon tote with newspaper, leaves and potting soil. No drainage holes on the bottom.
I use 2 species of composting worms.
Esenia foetida which is the common red wiggler and Esenia Hortensis which is the European nightcrawler. My bin smells very earthy and fresh. I like to monitor temps also for optimal action.
I'm currently feeding them oat, barley, potato, apple, oyster flour, rock dusts all chopped up in a food processor.
I use 2 species of composting worms.
Esenia foetida which is the common red wiggler and Esenia Hortensis which is the European nightcrawler. My bin smells very earthy and fresh. I like to monitor temps also for optimal action.
I'm currently feeding them oat, barley, potato, apple, oyster flour, rock dusts all chopped up in a food processor.
calliandra
Well-Known Member
Ha, what a timely call, I was just entrusted with a worm bin that's fully out of balance today and am a bit worried as to how to salvage the last surviving worms -- enough to get me out of lurk mode anyway!
So hello!
The worm bin is a ready-made round plastic thing with 3 trays (2 in use) and a bottom tray to catch the runoff.
The worms are Eisenia foetidas and somehow the whole bin went anaerobic (my take is, she's hardly been using any bedding...). Being as it is winter here, she didn't want the putrid thing in her bathroom anymore (where we put it after I protested her leaving them out on the balcony to die) - and I have a frost free cellar.
First thing I did was to dump the contents of the top tray out in the garden - it was steamy hot and the stench (=vomit) was unbearable despite the dry leaves I had mixed in a few days ago to try and get the slush to aerate and dry off a bit.
The middle compartment had worm castings (almost ready), and that's where the worms were when I first inspected them outdoors - very feeble and dying... Indoors the continued to flee into the runoff tray (and die there) --- because the castings also went hot and stinky
So what I did now is to wash off the putrid goo & worm carcasses, and split the castings incl. worms into 2 trays, mixing in and layering them with dried lilac leaves underneath (and on top, moistened just a bit, in the top tray), added a handful of rock dust, and some neem meal, which apparently is worm heaven (trying to cajole them into surviving?! haha)
I have NO experience with worm bins to now, so I did this just based on gut feeling.
I just went downstairs to take pix and was pleasantly surprised to find that the castings' smell now resembles horse manure more than vomit... taking that as a good sign
Any ideas on how I can save these guys are extremely welcome!
Cheers!
Grandpa GreenJeans
Well-Known Member
You did the right move in saving the bin. Too much moisture OR overfeeding is the cause of anerobic bins. Browns are the key to fixing this. Coco coir, peat, newspaper, burlap, cardboard, potting soil are all browns. When you add too much food and the worms let's say don't like it that much, it builds and spoils, then goes very acidic/anerobic and the bin dies off. This can also invite unfriendly pests like mites, gnats, flys and maggots. Mites especially in very acidic conditions. Oyster shells flour or powdered egg she'll helps buffer the bins pH to neutral.
Temperature is very important too with worms, we want them too breed and eat, and they will as long as the temps remain between 50-80F. Play with small amounts of different food scraps. Worms really like grains, fruit, berries, veggies and melons. Coffee grounds are a favorite for most too. Find what your worms like and they will go crazy multiplying and eating.
Here's some publications I found helpful.
http://www.compostjunkie.com/composting-worms.html#bedding
http://www.wormfarmingrevealed.com/wormfarming.html
I hope I help some
Temperature is very important too with worms, we want them too breed and eat, and they will as long as the temps remain between 50-80F. Play with small amounts of different food scraps. Worms really like grains, fruit, berries, veggies and melons. Coffee grounds are a favorite for most too. Find what your worms like and they will go crazy multiplying and eating.
Here's some publications I found helpful.
http://www.compostjunkie.com/composting-worms.html#bedding
http://www.wormfarmingrevealed.com/wormfarming.html
I hope I help some
Kind Sir
Well-Known Member
Hey there, you mix rock dust/oyster flour with your food before feeding? I have glacial rock dust oyster flour, been feeding strawberries.. Add a real small amount huh?