Recycled Organic Living Soil (ROLS) and No Till Thread

Chunky Stool

Well-Known Member
So how long is the minimum amount of time it takes for soil to cycle? I have some Bodhi that I want to get going ASAP, but I just started cycling this weekend.

I normally start in solo cups, but what if I just used my base soil (SPM/Perlite/Malibu Compost) and had them in 1 gallon pots while my soil cycles? Could the plants thrive off just the base soil, could topdress some kelp/Neem or whatever?

@greasemonkeymann

This is what's in my soil

Ahimsa Neem cake
Kelp meal
Fish bone meal
Crab shell meal
Oyster shell flour
Glacial rock dust
No yak hair? :eyesmoke:
 

Kind Sir

Well-Known Member
Sure maybe I'll just do that, I have a bag of loose promix soil I might use.

Why not just get a small bag of seed starting mix and some solo cups with drainage holes?

By the time they are ready to xplant, the soil will be done -> 3 or 4 sets of leaves.

Wet
 

Kind Sir

Well-Known Member
Haha I know you're joking, I know what you're saying man! I don't have yak hair, but man one of my cats has hair so soft it's worthy of making a rap song about!

I'm just fucking around. :eyesmoke:
It cracks me up when recipes are specific like "Indonesian bat guano" or "Peruvian seabird guano".
As if country of origin makes a difference... :dunce:
 

ShLUbY

Well-Known Member
So how long is the minimum amount of time it takes for soil to cycle? I have some Bodhi that I want to get going ASAP, but I just started cycling this weekend.

I normally start in solo cups, but what if I just used my base soil (SPM/Perlite/Malibu Compost) and had them in 1 gallon pots while my soil cycles? Could the plants thrive off just the base soil, could topdress some kelp/Neem or whatever?

@greasemonkeymann

This is what's in my soil

Ahimsa Neem cake
Kelp meal
Fish bone meal
Crab shell meal
Oyster shell flour
Glacial rock dust
if you add oyster and crab into the base mix, you'll probably be fine so you can help fight the ph and keep it in check. when the mix starts to get acidic, those things will start to dissolve and help regulate ph (acid solutions dissolve the calcium).

i would not start the seeds in the 1 gallons unless you're really watching the moisture content of the soil. just take a gallon of base and add a heaping tablespoon of OSF and crab meal to it and mix and rock and roll as normal in your solos
 

Kind Sir

Well-Known Member
Thank you for telling me about the OSF/Crab meal dissolving when the soil gets acidic, that's awesome to know!! I'll just put them in solo cups like normal, and use my base with the OSF/crab meal.

I just added my amendments this weekend, so they just started cycling. If I started them in solo cups now, you think I could keep them in there until my soil is ready? What would you do?

I'm just getting the hang of making my own soils, so not sure what the best move would be yet! Thanks man

if you add oyster and crab into the base mix, you'll probably be fine so you can help fight the ph and keep it in check. when the mix starts to get acidic, those things will start to dissolve and help regulate ph (acid solutions dissolve the calcium).

i would not start the seeds in the 1 gallons unless you're really watching the moisture content of the soil. just take a gallon of base and add a heaping tablespoon of OSF and crab meal to it and mix and rock and roll as normal in your solos
 

ShLUbY

Well-Known Member
Thank you for telling me about the OSF/Crab meal dissolving when the soil gets acidic, that's awesome to know!! I'll just put them in solo cups like normal, and use my base with the OSF/crab meal.

I just added my amendments this weekend, so they just started cycling. If I started them in solo cups now, you think I could keep them in there until my soil is ready? What would you do?

I'm just getting the hang of making my own soils, so not sure what the best move would be yet! Thanks man
i just listen to the plants man. hard to say if a solo will be enough room for a month of growth...... i doubt it though!
 

ShLUbY

Well-Known Member
I have seen people go a long time in solos.
with organics though? i have no doubt you could with bottle fed nutes because you're giving it what it needs, but with organics trying to make it go a long time in a solo seems.... pardon my pun, fruitless :lol:

my buddy does the canna A and canna B mixture, and he grows massive plants in like 2 gals of coco coir medium and he uses blumats as the watering system. pretty impressive results, but the herb itself is not all that impressive, it's better than most of the alternatives out there though lol.
 

Chronikool

Well-Known Member
with organics though? i have no doubt you could with bottle fed nutes because you're giving it what it needs, but with organics trying to make it go a long time in a solo seems.... pardon my pun, fruitless :lol:

my buddy does the canna A and canna B mixture, and he grows massive plants in like 2 gals of coco coir medium and he uses blumats as the watering system. pretty impressive results, but the herb itself is not all that impressive, it's better than most of the alternatives out there though lol.
Ive done a solo cup start to finish...wormz in cups, teas, granular top dresses...it workz... just needz more attention :)
 

GreenSanta

Well-Known Member
sooo... Ive got this experimental half ass worm form that is a total hit and miss, it's right on the ground so the worms are free to go into my outdoor garden if they choose to, I think my veggie garden is gonna kick ass this year lol.

anyway, I still produce a nice wormcasting/compost mix,

I just scooped a bunch and some of the native sandi soil got mixed with it but its mostly worm castings. in that area of the worm farm, I remember trowing a couple dead chickens, chicken shit, coffee ground, horse shit, egg shell ... anything I could find for free locally

I mixed that stuff with

a fair bit of crushed oyster shell
perlite
vermiculite
half ass crushed lava rock
useless small handfull of magnesium

its pretty much wormcastings/compost/aeration

Ive got a couple plant in 7 gallons with that mix and a few in veg in small 2 gallon pots, tell me I am not going to regret this lol!! I ran out of soil and with all the snow we get here and stuff I had to improvise something quick, if it doesnt work that well I will simply use it to top dress. what you guys think?
 

GreenSanta

Well-Known Member
This morning I woke up and the plants I transplanted into the wormcastings/compost mix with -vermiculite perlite lavarocks oyster shell...- were all droopy, I was like fuck, the ph must have been right out of wack. The thing is I dont ph stuff, I have a great soil ph meter but I have used only a couple of times I could not even calibrate the thing yesterday I think my ph 4 and ph7 mix were out of wack.

Anyway, I was thinking not much I can do, it will be fine to top dress I am sure. If not now, months from now it will.

Well I am happy to report that tonight I walked into the flower room (yes I transplant and flower the same day, ... small space!) and the few plants that were in the new mix looked fine!! I think the reason why they were droopy was that the soil was pretty much frozen when I transplanted them. All I can think of. Anyway, I think everything is gonna be fine I cant wait to report and show how these plants turn out because this is the most hilly billy soil mix ever.
 

hillbill

Well-Known Member
This morning I woke up and the plants I transplanted into the wormcastings/compost mix with -vermiculite perlite lavarocks oyster shell...- were all droopy, I was like fuck, the ph must have been right out of wack. The thing is I dont ph stuff, I have a great soil ph meter but I have used only a couple of times I could not even calibrate the thing yesterday I think my ph 4 and ph7 mix were out of wack.

Anyway, I was thinking not much I can do, it will be fine to top dress I am sure. If not now, months from now it will.

Well I am happy to report that tonight I walked into the flower room (yes I transplant and flower the same day, ... small space!) and the few plants that were in the new mix looked fine!! I think the reason why they were droopy was that the soil was pretty much frozen when I transplanted them. All I can think of. Anyway, I think everything is gonna be fine I cant wait to report and show how these plants turn out because this is the most hilly billy soil mix ever.
My hillbill mix could be more hilly billy seein' that 8/10 letters match!
I transplant at about 2 weeks old and try to a week or so before flower. But I have small tents and I do what works. Everything is perpetual on this hill.

If I keep my aeration at 50% or so, things are just easier. My plants use more water with that kind of loose mix also. Organic in 2 to 3 gallons.
 

frankslan

Well-Known Member
thinking of doing a no till in a 4 by 4. With maybe two 40 gal totes Sip

Anyone use sip and no till how did it work out?

I wont be able to move the tubes out of the 4 by 4 so will I be able to plant in the same soil right after?
 
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