First try and recycling

[MrFista]

I'm pleased it's working well for you. As you are topdressing keep the mulch layer thick so the 'topdressed' layer is in the moist active zone. The plants are providing nice shelter for the soil now but nothing beats a mulch layer for activity, just peel it back and take a look, it's probably alive under there like mine.

Watch out for deficiencies so you know if anything specifically needs adressing between grows.

Have a nice trip see ya soon.

 

[pinecone]

Thanks for the kind words people. I'm really happy with the results and ease thus far.

As you are topdressing keep the mulch layer thick so the 'topdressed' layer is in the moist active zone.

Short of buying something (what would I buy?) or harvesting something from outside (partially decomposed yard waste?) all I have is plant material. This the tote has so much surface area that it is difficult to generate enough mulch via plant material. This said I did do a significant amount of pruning which generated a bunch of leafs and stems. When I got back today I top-dressed with about an inch of local compost product (contains composted leafs and EWC) and mulched with the pruned leafs and stems.

Pine

You think this is good enough for now? As the plants keep stretching and side branching they will generate additional plant material from pruning which I will use for mulch.

The cab today after pruning and super-cropping. The plant on the right is larger and stretchier. I'm trying to even the canopy out as much as possible via hurd crushing and crimping on the right hand side plant. I'm also trying prune all side branches so that I can have fewer, but longer, colas.

 

[mad librettist]

I would chop up that mulch coarsely... especially the twiggy stuff.

 

[guest2012y]

I do the exact same thing with my leaves. They break down pretty quick and you'll maybe notice that the nitrogen in those leaves cycle back through the loop pretty quick as well. I let the bugs do all the work,I just throw them in there as is.

 

[jaykush]

Short of buying something (what would I buy?) or harvesting something from outside (partially decomposed yard waste?)

use plant material from outside, and things that wont root while laying on the ground and things that have gone to seed are also a no no. i like to use weeds as most of them are dynamic accumulators, im sure fista will agree.

 

[guest2012y]

Sometimes I grab a hand full of leaves and mop up the "mud" around the pots and then throw them back in. I'm really surprised how fast they break down. It's a great mulch too.

 

[pinecone]

I would chop up that mulch coarsely... especially the twiggy stuff.

Thank for chiming in. I usually try to chop up the woody stuff. What I cut off yesterday was "tender" new flowering growth which breaks down quickly in my experience.

I'm really surprised how fast they break down. It's a great mulch too.

Within a week they are usually "crispy" and yellow-brown. Even what looked like a decent amount of mulch material yesterday looks a bit inadequate today.

use plant material from outside, and things that wont root while laying on the ground and things that have gone to seed are also a no no. i like to use weeds as most of them are dynamic accumulators, im sure fista will agree.

In a few weeks this will work well. Right now not much is growing around here. We have had a really cold spring that has set things back a few weeks.

I've got some leafs on the patio that are mixed in with spilled natural charcoal from the grill. I think I'm going to grab a bunch of this stuff today, put it in a bag, run it over with the car a few times, and use it as mulch.

Thanks for the input guys

Pine

 

[mad librettist]

Thank for chiming in. I usually try to chop up the woody stuff. What I cut off yesterday was "tender" new flowering growth which breaks down quickly in my experience.

actually the reason I chop is that I get better moisture retention that way.

 

[jaykush]

In a few weeks this will work well. Right now not much is growing around here. We have had a really cold spring that has set things back a few weeks.

what is growing, there's gotta be something unless your in the arctic or something.

i wouldnt use the char as a top dressing, unless you only add a little bit. gotta be 100% raw natural charcoal. if it wasent just a tree that was chopped and charred its not worth it.

 

[pinecone]

what is growing, there's gotta be something unless your in the arctic or something.

Normally lots of stuff by now, but we have had an exceptionally cold spring, including late snow storms. The grass on my lawn just started to green within the past few week. It isn't really growing yet though. Normal greening time for grass here is early April. There are some wild onion type things that are coming up and a few small weeds and such. For instance I did notice some creeping charlie just starting to come up.

i wouldnt use the char as a top dressing, unless you only add a little bit. gotta be 100% raw natural charcoal. if it wasent just a tree that was chopped and charred its not worth it.

I did what I said I was going to do and gathered some leaf material along with a bit of spilled charcoal, put it in a bag, and drove over it. The charcoal didn't really break into dust the way I expected it do (probably the padding from the leaf material), so I just picked up the leaf material out of the bag and used it for mulch. There was a small amount of char dust on it, but not anything substantial.

I cook outside almost everyday starting about this time of year and extending through September. I made the switch to natural hardwood charcoal many years ago and noted a huge improvement over briquettes. Switch if you haven't already - and also get a chimney starter. Huge difference makers IMO.

Pine

 

[jaykush]

Normally lots of stuff by now, but we have had an exceptionally cold spring, including late snow storms. The grass on my lawn just started to green within the past few week. It isn't really growing yet though. Normal greening time for grass here is early April. There are some wild onion type things that are coming up and a few small weeds and such. For instance I did notice some creeping charlie just starting to come up.

i would just use what you have for now as a mulch and wait for spring, next year if the mulch is still there you wont have this problem. that is unless you can find some stuff here and there of course. from your photos you got a pretty good start for a mulch.

also from the sounds of it now is a good time to spread some seed of beneficial plants outside at your place. make the house look nice and improve your grow at the same time. chamomile and yarrow can be tossed onto the snow or out before a rain, they will sprout when they know its time. dandelion can be sown in a dedicated area so you can keep track on it. lemon balm is also tossed out about now for you for a summer harvest. and of course nettles in a dedicated area as well, shady/sun, wet and sandy if possible. or just shady/sun and wet.

I did what I said I was going to do and gathered some leaf material along with a bit of spilled charcoal, put it in a bag, and drove over it. The charcoal didn't really break into dust the way I expected it do (probably the padding from the leaf material), so I just picked up the leaf material out of the bag and used it for mulch. There was a small amount of char dust on it, but not anything substantial.

I cook outside almost everyday starting about this time of year and extending through September. I made the switch to natural hardwood charcoal many years ago and noted a huge improvement over briquettes. Switch if you haven't already - and also get a chimney starter. Huge difference makers IMO.

i haven't used briquettes in i dont even know how long. we mostly just use wood that we get from our property. oak, apple, cherry, walnut, almond, peach, pear, and some others. before that i used the natural hardwood charcoal you can find. and your right that stuff is way better than any briquette, people just have still that shit stuck in there head for some reason. lazyness maybe?

 

[MrFista]

Sounds really good so far, and looks good too.

Keep an eye on your yard and you'll soon learn where the mulch sources are coming from. Leaf mulch is great, some say carbon heavy, just add some green leaf like you're doing, or lawn clippings to mix with them. I'm a few days off the 5th harvest of no till no 'ferts'.

I've added plant material, grasses, chicken bedding, dried weeds (dried weeds are great find a dryer spot to let em dehydrate and powder them on).

Add the odd compost tea with tiny bit of molasses and kelp and everything looks golden. I'll add about a couple teaspoons guano this round, just sprinkled on top of the bed. The trick is to let the microbes bugs and plants dictate everything. I'm learning all about soil microbes at present, the best thing we can do is let them set the pace with the plant. Many species have active communication with the plant and change their metabolism as things progress through the plants cycle in order to continue assisting the plant. Far too complex for a dumb gardener like myself to second guess.

 

[guest2012y]

Try to find that charcoal in wood form. You can get at the snobbery market..AKA "Whole Foods".
Sometimes bigger grocery stores carry it as well.
I smash mine with a common red brick...works well.

 

[pinecone]

also from the sounds of it now is a good time to spread some seed of beneficial plants outside at your place. make the house look nice and improve your grow at the same time. chamomile and yarrow can be tossed onto the snow or out before a rain, they will sprout when they know its time. dandelion can be sown in a dedicated area so you can keep track on it. lemon balm is also tossed out about now for you for a summer harvest. and of course nettles in a dedicated area as well, shady/sun, wet and sandy if possible. or just shady/sun and wet.

I love this idea. I'm going to get on it.

Also - I hate the idea of using air conditioning to grow when I already have plenty of bud to smoke. Thus, I will be shutting my closet cab down after this crop, at least until it cools off in the fall. I'm planning to plant some sort of cover crop in my tote and put it in a sunny area of the house. I might even move it outside sometimes. I was thinking white clover or alfalfa just because I saw the seeds in the garden center nearest to my home. Any suggestions?

lazyness maybe?

I've come to the conclusion that there is a sizable portion of the American public that really doesn't give a shit about food.

Try to find that charcoal in wood form. You can get at the snobbery market..AKA "Whole Foods".
Sometimes bigger grocery stores carry it as well.

You mean Whole Check? I refuse to shop there. We have a good co-op in town and seasonally great farmers markets. Home Depot here carries the "Cowboy" brand of natural hardwood charcoal and their is a chain of liquor stores here (of all places) that carries a local brand. Usually, I end up using the Royal Oak brand of natural charcoal as I can get it at a significant discount - half the price of the other stuff.

Pine

 

[jaykush]

Also - I hate the idea of using air conditioning to grow when I already have plenty of bud to smoke. Thus, I will be shutting my closet cab down after this crop, at least until it cools off in the fall. I'm planning to plant some sort of cover crop in my tote and put it in a sunny area of the house. I might even move it outside sometimes. I was thinking white clover or alfalfa just because I saw the seeds in the garden center nearest to my home. Any suggestions?

i would do a cover crop of chamomile, alfalfa and nettle maybe. white clover will be permanent.

I've come to the conclusion that there is a sizable portion of the American public that really doesn't give a shit about food.

or give a shit about anything but owning a big house, fast car, lots of crap and wasting money while killing the earth on a daily basis. if only they knew you could have it all without the death part.

You mean Whole Check? I refuse to shop there. We have a good co-op in town and seasonally great farmers markets. Home Depot here carries the "Cowboy" brand of natural hardwood charcoal and their is a chain of liquor stores here (of all places) that carries a local brand. Usually, I end up using the Royal Oak brand of natural charcoal as I can get it at a significant discount - half the price of the other stuff.

all i used when i started was royal oak( red bad right?) works great. sucks to crush up lol.

 

[mad librettist]

Quote:
Also - I hate the idea of using air conditioning to grow when I already have plenty of bud to smoke. Thus, I will be shutting my closet cab down after this crop, at least until it cools off in the fall. I'm planning to plant some sort of cover crop in my tote and put it in a sunny area of the house. I might even move it outside sometimes. I was thinking white clover or alfalfa just because I saw the seeds in the garden center nearest to my home. Any suggestions?

i would do a cover crop of chamomile, alfalfa and nettle maybe. white clover will be permanent.

unless you are putting it under light or actually in the sun, you need something that will tolerate shade.

yeah the white clover is permanent, but I think I've shown it doesn't slow down cannabis in my living mulch thread. I'm using a variety of white clover. It seems to like LED light just fine.

 

[pinecone]

unless you are putting it under light or actually in the sun, you need something that will tolerate shade.

No grow lights and my house and yard are mostly shaded by large trees in the summer. There are some spots in both that get direct sun for parts or the day though. In the garden (proper) I'm only planning on growing stuff that tolerate shade. From my understanding this is stuff like greens (collard, mustard, kale, and chard), lettuce, broccoli, spinach, arugula, brussel sprouts, and beans. I've experimented with tomatoes and peppers, but they didn't finish well. My yard would be good for growing mushrooms. So yeah - I need to be thinking about shade tolerant plants.

Pine

 

[mad librettist]

sprouts, beans and arugula will be better in full sun. To get the arugula flavor out of a shady patch, try wild arugula. it retains its flavor even after bolting.

brussels sprouts are definitely a full sun crop. not easy to grow because of the very long growing time for a brassica. if you time the harvest so it's after a few hard frosts, you get the tastiest brassica on earth.

 

[jaykush]

gooseberries and currants love shade

 

[pinecone]

The plants are providing nice shelter for the soil now but nothing beats a mulch layer for activity, just peel it back and take a look, it's probably alive under there like mine.

I peeled it back this morning just to take a look and I saw a lot of what I think were nematodes (little white worms about 2mm or so long). I don't think they were present prior to adding the compost (which is advertised as being biologically active) and the leaf mulch. I'm not sure which they came from, but maybe they were there the whole time and I did not notice.

Pine