The growing large plants, outdoors, thread...

[OrganicBuds]

I just don't get it. I am not arguing with anybody, just trying to find answers to relevant questions. I tried the search feature, netted zero results. I spent 2 hours plus researching my questions on google, but didn't get all the answers I was looking for. I thought the next step was to ask people in this thread, since you guys do have the answers. I kind of feel like I have been picked on, and that isn't cool. Guess I will have to brave it alone, like normal.

GoldCourntryGuy - Sorry if I have ignored your advice.....I don't know when or how I did this but I guess you feel this way. I am always open for help, or suggestions, from seasoned growers such as yourself. Also, yes you have offered me personal help, and taught me a lot over the years. You, ganja, veg, and many others have helped more than any other source of info I can find. That is why I respect you guys so much.

Good luck this year everybody, hope this season treats everybody well.


BTW - The reason I keep asking these questions is to find out how important peat is over coco. I am not arguing, just not sure if I should spend at least 3 times as much. All the bulk soil places around me think peat mining is bad for the planet, and all have redwood dust instead. The only way I can get peat is bagged from lowes. I understand peat may test higher on average than coco, but how do I know the peat I am subing for coco is any better than the coco its being subbed for? All questions I have to ask and find the answers for myself I guess. Just trying to show I wasn't arguing, just wanted answers.

 

[theJointedOne]

Dont worry about the haters man, there is no such thing as a stupid question. How the hell do you think we learn?

Aero- Man I would reuse the soil from last year and just amend it...200gallons is about a yard of soil, thats a lot...but hey on the other hand, the veggie garden would be stoked im sure and it would give you a chance to dial in a new blend...but you would do fine imo by amending your current smarties...I like to have a spare 200 next to me and i empty out each old smartie halfway, amend the bottom half, dump the other half back in and amend the top....

 

[SeaMaiden]

OB, I am still incredulous as to the renewability of peat moss. If we add in the cost (it's triple coir's cost?), that'd be counting me out for the most part.

Using peat or coir is used for aeration in the soil. Sure clay may have higher CEC but it is dense as hell and roots will have a harder time squirming through clay than peat or coir.

I don't disagree about that. However, doesn't cost factor into things here? That's what gets me about using coir or peat on a very large scale. I can talk a lot about how I'm making my heavy clay soil friable and productive. It began with mineralization and increasing organic matter, but relies to a large degree on green manures/cover crops and mustards especially to break that heavy soil up. Couple of years tilling, we're avoiding it now unless absolutely necessary, but already I can dig down quite a bit deeper, and am finding nice-looking, dark earth, after 3 seasons working this patch of dirt.


Yesterday's biochar experiment was a FAIL, though. I buried the fires too soon and quickly smothered them. I guess at least I can say I'm good at putting fires OUT, eh?

Someone that understands me? whoa

But Sea is feeling bereft. No answers to the query?

So, what is everyone using to cover crop your mounds.

Everything I possibly can, and then some. Third year and the friability of the soil is amazing. Let's hope the productivity of the soil matches the looks, eh?

I noticed about an hour after sunrise when walking around barefoot how the areas with clover were much more warmed up than straight black dirt. That made me think, as silly and simple as it sounds.

Don't limit it to just clover *or* what you get in the PVFS packages! Also, the like to throw a lot of vetch in there, and we've found that vetch is the single most vexing cover crop you can use. It's a bitch to whack, till, whatever. We haven't hit vetch with the weed-flamer yet, though.

Drop as much in there as you can, and include some mustards if they're not in there already. I literally went through my cupboard, and one of the golden gems I found that I'll always be planting is FENUGREEK. I thank our Aussie brothers and sisters for that little tidbit, because they were right, the microgreens from the fenugreek are DELICIOUS, and it sets seed quickly when it's hot, so it's easy to keep it going. Also try amaranth, alfalfa, salad greens & reds--pretty much anything you can get in seed form.

I mention and bring this to topic because I often see new and seasoned growers jumping the gun on planting to get that "big/giant/biggest/etc" plant. It has become quite obvious to me that setting plants out early is no more than a hassle.

That being said, we are attempting to do a light dep where we will be setting plants out in early april. This not only requires additional heat, but requires a little thought to properly (imo) manage the situation.

I have ordered several different seed mixes this week in order to not only cut down on my heating (whether it be electric or propane) by properly letting a living mulch take hold on my native soil and for that matter the mounds that are established and being established as I type.

For anyone interested, I'm focusing on three different blends. A winter cover crop that will go over all the freshly terraced soil to get the biology back in order, or an attempt to do so. The other two blends would be called, by me, a "beneficial bug blend" and a "beneficial wasp/bee blend". I think the name speaks for itself and my goals are pretty obvious. If anyone wants me to elaborate or source you to the blends I'm using then ask away.


Anyway, for those who don't know me or are new I have a lot to share and learn. I do however, have a low tolerance for bullshit. I love growing cannabis outside. So let's stay on topic *myself included and do this the best that we possibly can.

I'll add more that seems relevant as much as I can, I thought I'd just live this tid bit for now to job memories and introduce an often neglected idea.

Now lets do this.

The cover crops are going to do a lot more for you than just keeping the ground warmer. They're going to help you save money on watering, feeding, will keep soil biology most active, and in the case of mustards that are allowed to get large, will tap deep into the soil, which both helps break it up AND brings nutrients and minerals held deeper up to the surface.

Don't forget the utility of the stuff that keeps growing through August and September, either. While it's often stuff like the bull thistle (aka motherfucker thistle), it's also stuff like woolly mullein and a few different oxalis species. These can be used well for teas.

I don't recall, did you and boobs get yourselves set up with a CT brewer?


Next up, trying for the unFAIL of the biochar experiment. Let's hope my bangs don't get any shorter!

 

[hooddro]

iamoregone

hooddro
Nobody is 'hatin' on coco, everything has its applications. For me coco belongs in a reptile cage, or as a casing for fruiting mushrooms. So do you understand cation exchange capacity? Seems like you may be missing something here... Maybe you need some links to some reading material? PMs are always welcome. Ive got a giant library of PDF's on all this stuff. Hit me up.
Thanks for the heads up on the GoodEarth.
FE

Father Earth... I would greatly appreciate some links that you deem appropriate. After researching CEC with google I have a basic understanding of the concept. Do you think i would be better off using just Compost, Topsoil, and Pumice over the origonal recipe i posted(20% coco, 50% compost, 10% topsoil, 20%pumice)? Jesus Christ whoever said this outdoor shit was easier than inside is a fuckin retard.

BTW - The reason I keep asking these questions is to find out how important peat is over coco. I am not arguing, just not sure if I should spend at least 3 times as much. All the bulk soil places around me think peat mining is bad for the planet, and all have redwood dust instead. The only way I can get peat is bagged from lowes. I understand peat may test higher on average than coco, but how do I know the peat I am subing for coco is any better than the coco its being subbed for? All questions I have to ask and find the answers for myself I guess. Just trying to show I wasn't arguing, just wanted answers.

Yo Buds i understand exactly what you are saying and I am in the same boat. I haven't been able to find peat in bulk so now the question is this.... do I make 15 trips to Home Depot for Peat Moss? Or do i just forget about both the coco and peat and find a suitable mix with the remainder of components at my disposel...

BTW...Much appreciation to everyone who has chimed in with their 2 cents about the coco... Its got me thinking harder than i want to but sometimes thats a good thing

 

[ClearBarbedFunk]

Jesus Christ whoever said this outdoor shit was easier than inside is a fuckin retard.

lol,

 

[GanjaRebelSeeds]

Father Earth... I would greatly appreciate some links that you deem appropriate. After researching CEC with google I have a basic understanding of the concept. Do you think i would be better off using just Compost, Topsoil, and Pumice over the origonal recipe i posted(20% coco, 50% compost, 10% topsoil, 20%pumice)? Jesus Christ whoever said this outdoor shit was easier than inside is a fuckin retard.




Yo Buds i understand exactly what you are saying and I am in the same boat. I haven't been able to find peat in bulk so now the question is this.... do I make 15 trips to Home Depot for Peat Moss? Or do i just forget about both the coco and peat and find a suitable mix with the remainder of components at my disposel...

BTW...Much appreciation to everyone who has chimed in with their 2 cents about the coco... Its got me thinking harder than i want to but sometimes thats a good thing

The real trick to growing outdoors for me personally is to KEEP IT SIMPLE. There are a million options for every decision and detail encountered when growing outdoors.
Successful growers don't let the endless choices and possibilities overwhelm them. You got to stick to your gut,go with what you've seen,done,and learned,and always try to improve and evolve.

Keep shit simple and try to learn and improve where you can and you'll be ok.

 

[FatherEarth]

For some people it takes more than a few times of reading about something to really be able to wrap their head around things. I am one of those people. Ive found that sometimes these boards are here only to steer you in the right direction. A lot of times you will only find clues to lead you to the road of understanding the principles. You sometimes have to earn your wealth in knowledge, the silver platter isnt always available. Today I hand you a platter although not silver, its full for you to feast on. Im sure most of us have read these but for those who haven't. Here you go:

cough up an email addy and get all the papers in pdf form sent to you, thats the only way to get some of them..Or make a donation..

The Albrecht Collection

more to come unless this in considered "clutter" by the
"Keepers of the Thread"...

 

[FatherEarth]

So for the breakdown this is about as simple explanation as I have come across. I dont know what to say if you dont have a full understanding after this. I took screen shots of each one of these things so I could post it, the PDF was too large. Hope this helps.

Soils: Cation and Anion Explained
See attachments link to the gallery in the last post.

 

[FatherEarth]

see attachments

 

[FatherEarth]

see attachments

 

[FatherEarth]

See attachments

 

[MrSterling]

Broken links galore fatherearth!

 

[FatherEarth]

I dont see any broken links at all... odd Anyone else getting broken links?

here is all of it in one place...

http://postimage.org/gallery/77s0up4q/

 

[MrSterling]

You're probably loading them from cache if you're seeing them and we aren't. Thanks for the full link!

 

[SeaMaiden]

I see mostly broken links.

First batch of biochar--DONE.

 

[FatherEarth]

you can see the attachments though right? Ill clean the links up then, thats why I uploaded them as attachments so...my apologies, not sure why the links arent working...

 

[Madjag]

you can see the attachments though right? Ill clean the links up then, thats why I uploaded them as attachments so...my apologies, not sure why the links arent working...

Totally clear to me....

 

[SeaMaiden]

Yes, I can see the attachments. Thanks!

 

[MrSterling]

There they are!

 

[YosemiteSam]

Damn...thanks for those Albrecht papers Father. I have actually been considering buying the books from ACRES. Once you understand his principles it is hard to look at bottled nutes without laughing...they are so fucking wrong.

btw...I shoot for dead on 12% base cation saturation of H these days based on the work of Bruce Tainio...maximum insect, fungal protection. Not the easiest thing to dial in but I have yet to see any problem when I get within a point either way. It equates to sap pH of 6.4