The growing large plants, outdoors, thread...

[MrSterling]

Why am I here? "Cya"? I don't know how to reply to that without stirring the turd more gcg, and normally I'd reply to this in pm, but I'm not being pushed out of a thread by you. I just apologized for making an unfair assumption, why try to make me feel unwelcome? Apologies again for derailing the topic further.

 

[GoldCountryGuy]

Good to be back on topic. How many of you are adding worms to your pots/mounds this time of year?

Curious of the timing with doing this and adding cover crops. As of right now fresh compost was added to the mounds and we will be getting worms to add this weekend. I'm not sure if I should be adding the worms to the mound before/after the cover is established.

Leaning towards adding worms asap with some more minerals and if need be do some weed whipping and cover mounds with that diverse food source for the worms.

We will add some pictures once its looking proper.

Tis' the season

 

[Dr. Purpur]

Anyone budding any plants out, outdoors in Cali?

I am. I put them In ground a week ago or so. They have been in the green house, clones from last season. They are budding now.
Its an Orange Crush, Salmon Creek, LA Confidential cross.

 

[smoooth]

The growing large plants, outdoors, thread...

Anyone budding any plants out, outdoors in Cali?

I am. I put them In ground a week ago or so. They have been in the green house, clones from last season. They are budding now.
Its an Orange Crush, Salmon Creek, LA Confidential cross.

Hehehe

 

[shroomyshroom]

View attachment 212153
Hehehe

that sir was priceless

 

[FatherEarth]

Indeed. I had to save that pic. Yea Purpur please show us some pictures. How long have they been out?


Gold Country, what kind of cover crops are you adding? You doing Hugelkultur mounds?


Sea Maiden, Thanks for the response. I was more looking for the reason behind the statement. The science behind it rather. Sometimes it seems like its just being repeated but nobody knows why, myself included. Microbeman, resolved that that one well. Opened up a whole new can of "why?" worms...

" Cause its got electrolytes"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Vw2CrY9Igs

As for the drama its been addressed via PM, lets keep it civil no need to get all emotional. Im not out to piss anyone off, Im here to learn. The ratings are used for what they are meant for.
"Did you find this post helpful?" Seems like a direct question to the person who is having their question answered, does it not? Just keeping it honest. Constructive criticism I guess some call it. Didnt mean to ruffle any feathers or take sides in a gang fight. I respectfully bow out.

With Respect to ALL,

FE

 

[Durdy]

Gonna pick some worms up for the 100 gals sometime this week!

I've got a huge J-one mother I've had going since september thats exploding outta my veg tent. She's gonna get an early start outside and hopefully finish by the beginning of June!

 

[GoldCountryGuy]

Gold Country, what kind of cover crops are you adding? You doing Hugelkultur mounds?

FE

austrian field peas
clovers
hairy vetch
ryes

Also on and near the pots and mounds we will be planting a beneficial bug blend and a bee feed mix. If you want to know what is in these mixes just let me know.



We are doing huge mounds, medium sized mounds, large pots and probably some random experiments.

 

[SeaMaiden]

Good to be back on topic. How many of you are adding worms to your pots/mounds this time of year?

Curious of the timing with doing this and adding cover crops. As of right now fresh compost was added to the mounds and we will be getting worms to add this weekend. I'm not sure if I should be adding the worms to the mound before/after the cover is established.

Leaning towards adding worms asap with some more minerals and if need be do some weed whipping and cover mounds with that diverse food source for the worms.

We will add some pictures once its looking proper.

Tis' the season

GCG, I think you guys are hitting things the right way--get the worms in, get the cover crops going ASAP. Are we all shooting for a June 1 put-out date?

<snipped>
Sea Maiden, Thanks for the response. I was more looking for the reason behind the statement. The science behind it rather. Sometimes it seems like its just being repeated but nobody knows why, myself included. Microbeman, resolved that that one well. Opened up a whole new can of "why?" worms...

IIRC, and you've got to remember that once I read the book I passed it along to help spread the love, but IIRC the issue, the reasoning that is, is because bacteria multiply so incredibly rapidly, whereas the fungi we're after take a good bit of time to develop sufficiently to really have an effect on plants. I think they may have discussed soil samples/tests/slides that showed annual soils being more bacteria-dominant as well, but I can't say for sure. That is what I recall.

 

[Durdy]

GCG - I'm interested in your flower mix!

I was thinking about planting some potted flowers in and around the greenhouse.

Anyone have any good recommendations for companion plants to go DIRECTLY into a 100 gallon smart pot with the ganja?

I've tried a few things all of which died when the plant got bigger and shadowed the entire pot.

 

[Urbngroz]

Anyone budding any plants out, outdoors in Cali?

I am. I put them In ground a week ago or so. They have been in the green house, clones from last season. They are budding now.
Its an Orange Crush, Salmon Creek, LA Confidential cross.

I have a few different ones Im flowering out right now. There is Blue Dream, Sour Diesel, Pitbull, Cherry Pie, and Strawbwerry Cough. Started them at different times, the Blue and Sour will be done first.

 

[MrSterling]

What I've been wondering is if the bacteria dominant annual soil is due to yearly tilling. Would you see bacteria still dominating a no till system even with annuals?

 

[hooddro]

A couple of things...nothing wrong with top soil but who knows what is in it? Unless you have a soil test you won't know what base you are starting from. Second that Monrovia is seriously deficient in Ca.

IMO the single most important thing in growing plants this long is the Ca:Mg base cation ratio. You are looking, with mid 20s total cec, for 65-70 % Ca and 10-15% Mg.

Tom's recipe gave me 71:7. It is a great place to start and then you can reamend from there yr by yr with different things (if you keep using the chicken shit it is gonna drive P too high eventually). I would recommend you replace at least half the gypsum with dolomite though to get the Mg base saturation up a hair.

Thanks for the input Yosemite... I am trying to get as close to Tom's recipe as possible with my resources. I have good sun, and good genetics so there is alot riding on the soil so I really dont wanna fuck anything up...
8 yards Peat Moss (1 Pallet)
7 yards Compost
7 yards Pumice
2 yards Topsoil

For a total of 24 yards to fill 12 boxes at 2 yards apiece...

I have gotten to the point where I am just not completely sure what to amend with... I have read this entire thread as well as researched for hours and hours. I know I need to add a lime mix for calcium and I want to get around a 6:1 ratio of cal to mag....
Toms recipe calls for 20 lbs gypsum per 300 gallons soil...
So for my boxes that will have 400 gallons I would need roughly 25 lbs but to get the ratio correct I should mix with half dolomite?
now what?

 

[smoooth]

The growing large plants, outdoors, thread...

Figured y'all would like that one..

 

[YosemiteSam]

Well yes and no. Remember Tom's inputs included two other things which contain lots and lots of Ca...composted chicken manure and steamed bone meal. Take those two things away and you lose the majority of the Ca.

You can test everything going into your soil and make an educated guess or you can follow a proven recipe. These things did not happen randomly...they took yrs to dial in.

Sup r Green is very cheap and bone meal ain't a lot either. Until you do quite a bit of study why not just follow a proven formula?

 

[YosemiteSam]

What I've been wondering is if the bacteria dominant annual soil is due to yearly tilling. Would you see bacteria still dominating a no till system even with annuals?

Tilling every crop certainly leads to bacterial dominance...tilling fucks up fungi. With no till it comes down to how you feed the soil which will dominate. With mj you still want plenty of fungi, but you want bacteria for the N cycling. MJ definitely uses more N than it does any mineral.

 

[MrSterling]

Anyone here running no till on their outdoor monsters? Would love to hear how the plants fared from year to year as the hyphae structure returns.

 

[Yes4Prop215]

im also wondering if i have to till. getting soil samples sent in soon, and also going to be adding worms next week...a friend said to add steer or chicken manure to the pots now so the worms feed on them have you guys heard of this tactic? GCG are you just throwing worms in or do you also need to add some other stuff...june is right around the corner the works is starting again!

purpur interested in seeing some pics, how do the plants fare with the colder night time temps, now im tempted to throw a plant or 2 outside and see what happens..

 

[MrSterling]

Worms will work through cow manure fairly well. Technically they feast on the microbes and fungi and not the poop. Probably better off running it into worm castings but I can't say for sure; it seems a little close to outdoor season to be adding fresh manure. It'd take them a while to process it.

 

[Durdy]

I'd say set up a worm bin with the manure and some aeration or char. Than use it as a top dress towards the end of July.