Time Has arrived:Switching to organics..need advice!

[dreadlock]

anyone mind taking a look at these ingredients please, let me know what you think. unable to decide which ones to go for..

pumice for plants, jewelry all the same..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_sa...+powder&_frs=1

notice the difference in quality with sphagnum peat moss! also how important it is with our soil. Unable to source canadian peat moss. Would fresh sphagnum moss be an option? link below has more then a few different types..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_sa...um+moss&_rdc=1

anything particular i need to know regarding sphagnum moss when contacting retailers?

 

[Microbeman]

Fresh sphagnum peatmoss is entirely different. Do not use it. If I were you, I'd just use what is easy to get. If you are in the UK then Verdant G should be able to give you direction.

 

[dreadlock]

i had no idea, thank you for pointing it out.. trying to locally source all the ingredients. proving harder then i thought. I'll have to dig around.

is the purpose for sphagnum peat moss mainly for air + water holding capabilites? or also a catalyst for microbes..
reason going for it was due to the unique cellular structure which consists of large cavities that absorb air and water like a sponge. the right balance of air and water is essential for root development and plant growth making organic sphagnum peat moss an ideal medium..

what would be a good alternative otherwise..

 

[jaded1]

Dreadlock,there's plenty on ebay,search for irish peat moss and plenty should come up.

There must be a garden centre somewhere near you,most will have it and would save you the silly delivery prices.

 

[dreadlock]

thanks bro! noticed this already, one of the links above has it. Just noticed their not working either lol wasn't sure if it was right or not.. guessing you've used this before jaded? it's very easy to get hold off & cheap..

 

[jaded1]

Yes,have used for many years in my veggie patch.

 

[dreadlock]

i'll pick up a few bags, just what i needed to hear. nice one.

do you treat it in anyway before? could you let me know what the texture and colour is like. If Dark, not very muddy then its good sign. normally a high grade/quality one i believe, that seems to resemble canadian sphagnum peat moss the most..

 

[jaded1]

Haven't used the westlands stuff but can vouch for the shamrock brand.
The irish peat moss should be exactly the same as the canadian,we are at pretty much the same lat.

My prob with peat moss is having to lime it.
Don't mind in the garden as most of the waterings are rain but having to use tap indoors is a pain in the arse because the amount of cal in the water.Makes recycling more trouble than it's worth.

 

[dreadlock]

How hard is your water? mine is hard shitty water loaded with ca/mg. Do you let the soil mix cook?think it makes a difference. apparently peat moss takes long to decompose holding its acidic nature for longer.. Plan is to cook for at least 6 weeks. hope this will raise the ph. how much DL to use? any clue if it permanently raise PH.

a rain water butt would be good. Once soil is cooked, most of summer should be over.

 

[StayBlazinDawg]

I heard Jamaican bat shit is better for use if you are making salves, heard from someone testing bud for years. I've tried Indo and Jamacian and Sea Bird crap never notice a different in my teas. Humus is awesome just got a truck load almost 2 yards more Humus less coco my next runs indoors and outdoors. Stuff I got is called super humus certified organic and it is friggin bumping. Planted some Comfey but never used any yet or how too?

 

[dreadlock]

still new and learning when it comes to orgaincs. No experience to comment on. Sure someone else will chip in.

would love to grow comfrey someday. It has many benefits for the plants. Npk, trace elements, vitamins and hormones.

Did a quick search, says it prefers to grow in rich manure. it loves N. It has a low C:N ratio compared to manure so will not take up too much N. good source of potassium.
For the first year flower should be trimmed. Allowing it to grow the next year as a bigger plant more established. maybe someone else can comment on this?

you can use fresh comfrey as a compost activator, increasing N and heat. can apply as a mulch.

either way nice one dude. good luck with it & let us know it goes..

darc mind has posted a good description of humus can be found here:
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=243151

 

[xmobotx]

bat guano works OK/nothing special but it's not sustainably harvested

comfrey is easily applied a # of ways; it's 1 of the plants that will re-vitalize a dead EWC or compost {just chop some up and mix in w/ it}

You can also mulch w/ it either by itself or mixed w/ some EWC and/or compost ~or vermicompost

~just as you found dreadlock

also; most any plant's root structure will mimic what's going on above ground. i.e. mowing grass causes it to be short-rooted. An experienced hay farmer {retired actually} told me that; getting a hay field established, only take 1 cutting @ the very end of the season. It's for the same reason and applies to comfrey as well.

The inverse is true as well; if the roots are impeded, the plant wont reach it's potential height either

 

[VerdantGreen]

i use shamrock peat in the Uk. 30% of my mix. its one of the only ones you can find that is straight, unamended peat rather than a potting compost.

shame you cant get cavemans guano any more in the UK. it was sustainably harvested by indigenous tribes from their own area of jungle.

biobiz do great worm castings that you can buy from greens horticulture.

gardendirect do most of the rock dusts, seaweed meal etc.

VG

 

[dreadlock]

finally decided on a recipe... please let me know your thoughts! Thanks to everyone who helped me get this far..

Base:Shamrock peat/calcined clay/ewc

2 parts peat 50% - Sharocks irish moss peat
1 part aeration/drainage 25% - calcined clay + 1-2" bottom layer of rock dust for drainage.
1 part ewc 25% - EWC (Future grows will be homemade ewc,compost etc)

to 1cf soil:
1 cup organic Neem meal
1 cup organic Kelp meal
1 cup Crustacean meal
1/2 cup gypsum

4-5 cups of rock mix (4-5 cups glacial rock dust, 1 cup bentonite, 1 cup basalt, oysters shell grit)

any major differences between oyster shell grit & powder..unable to source powder! not sure if i should be looking for an alternative? or if possible to ground the grit! a part from time required to break it down, rekon grit would be practical in this case with min 7 week cook..

Guys should i add Diatomaceous earth? can get hold of it pretty easily, looks good for pest resistance, mites etc more importantly also a good source for silica containing 95%.. looks like i'm lacking in a few other departments..

bottom will have 2" lava rock for aeration/drainage. Will all the above rock materials create enough surface to acts as cataylysts for micros? am i over thinking lol

for magnesium boosts will use some epsom salts if that's okay.. trying to keep C:N ratio where it should be for obvious reasons so if you think i'm missing something let me know please

trying to keep the mix simple same time, as i can always add to it later right..

 

[John Deere]

Unless your rock dust is something different than mine, I don't think that would give any drainage in the bottom of your pot. Seems it'd turn to sludge and hold water. I used to put rocks in the bottom of my pots but it just adds weight. No rocks now. If the soil has enough aeration bits I don't see the necessity. A big bag of landscaping lava rock is only about <$5 at big box garden center hardware stores.

Oyster powder is just ground up grit. No biggie. Grind some up if you want or don't.

Some people have reported problems using DE in their mix. I've got a bit in mine. I don't think it's necessary but I had some on hand. I wouldn't put it in if you don't already have it.

Epsom salt? Not needed.

my 2¢

 

[dreadlock]

just noticed the error, supposed to be lava rocks. either way a good point. Maybe i'll pass on it.

excluding the pesticide benefits, it sounds like a good source of silica?

guess anything else like DE, comfrey can be mulched when needed.. will comfrey pellets be good or fresh plant material better? or both, keeping pellets for mulch and plant material for teas?

think i'm finally getting used to mulching and teas..thanks guys! realizes plants can be fed anything else i've left out of the mix,getting everything they need eventually..

curious how long to hydrate peat for? plan to use some horse chestnut powder, think it has higher amounts of saponins..anyone used this method ?

 

[jaded1]

I haven't noticed any difference between the pellets and my own plants.
Only reason i buy the pellets is for when i run out of my own,if your using the pellets as a mulch i'd soak them in some luke warm water as some of them are rock hard and will take ages to start breaking down.
A great worm food is to do the above and add some rolled oats once the comfrey has broken down,worms seem to love it and will all flock towards it.

Where did you get the crustacean meal from,have searched everywhere over here and can't find it?

 

[StayBlazinDawg]

Comfrey is some pretty cool stuff just found some fresh stuff and have made it into salve with cannabis currently treating broken hand with it. Another name for comfrey I learned is Knitbone thus the name gives away it's use. So is comfrey a big help to the immunity of the plant? Haven't added it to a tea yet because all the other soil moves i have been making. Switching less of my Coir mix and with the Super Humus and Compost I bought from an Organic Farm shit is friggin awesome can already tell it is going blow my shit out of the water. I'm not sure who esle or any grow shops sell Humus like the stuff i bought.

 

[BugJar]

Dread, sourcing materials/food/clothes locally is awesome and always worth it but sometimes you have to make exceptions. just continue to try sourcing more and more as time goes on.

some of us are fortunate to live in areas where this is easier than others.

good luck!

 

[dreadlock]

Where did you get the crustacean meal from,have searched everywhere over here and can't find it?

beginning to think it could be the wrong one, search on ebay dude, hard to miss.. There's only one place selling it. Just got in touch to see if it's the real deal. Let you know...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Crustacea...oods_FishingAcces_RL&var=&hash=item35c6cd8680

SBD - humus/compost sounds quality. Is it a local product only available round your sides? there a name to it..

Comfrey as i'm learning has many benefits for plants/soil. outside roots can grow 10ft+. wow! when cut, they break down quickly entering back into the soil. Now see why many experienced members recommend it. Works as activators for compost etc. The high C:N is ideal for plants. Not heard much about immune systems in plants. i'd like to think the above would aid the immune system and would be crucial to plant overall health right etc mmm interesting...Supposed to be good for us as well