Don't complicate things

[Lacroix]

I want to start this thread by stating I'm not a professional gardener and have had little to no experience with DIY/ACT organics. However, I have been very successful growing in soil and will even call what I have produced truly DANK.

There are organic products being sold and advertised via ic mag. It is my recommendation that you think twice before using them. These products are no doubt quality and the customer service I have received has been second to none. I have no problem at all with the vendor!!!

Hers the problem as I see it.

For us small scale home growers I don't think these compost tea brewers are worth the time, effort or certainly the money. Starting from seed with these require quite a bit of trial and error even with specific instructions. It is very messy for a small indoor grow (and keep in mind, I'm meticulous)... I believe these compost tea kits are much better for outdoor gardens or large scale indoor production.

My most recent experience with the DIY organic soil and compost tea kits have been a disaster. I started with four plants (that's not a felony where I am) and had a tough time gauging the waterings. Even though I followed the vendors instructions to the letter, I will accept full responsibility for the failure of the first attempt as a result of over watering. I did however, relocate these plants repotted them in happy frog and did the normal gen hydro nutes ph'd to 6.8 and within a week they went from looking like cooked spinach to thriving plants.

The second grow I did an experiment. I started 3 plants in the DIY soil and one in happy frog with perlite and worm castings. I watered the 3 DIY soil plants with the compost tea and the girl in happy frog with the gen hydro nutes and ph'd water. BTW all my water IS dechlorinated I did not over water at all and the strains are the same.

I got the same results. The three in the DIY almost died and the one in happy frog soil thrived. It was actually twice the size and had much better green color. I repotted the three and they all recovered in two days.

When I repotted I noticed that the DIY soil accepted water very unevenly. Some parts were dry and others clumpy and soaked. I do water evenly and slowly so I have no idea why this happened but the DIY soil seems very very dense.

Again, I'm not starting a war and certainly not bashing what are probably great products. I am simply recommending that before you go full bore on the organic DIY ACT trip do your research and don't expect miracles. Pay attention to the size of your garden and how you can best manage it.

Good luck and I hope my experience helps....

 

[pseudostelariae]

i keep 8-12 flowering plants and can brew enough tea in a 5 gallon bucket with a cheap pump and airstone. i don't think there's really any need for most to have a brewer, i think people just enjoy getting new toys. i know i do.

from my own experience, i tend to agree concerning soil. people swear by living soil and a water only type grow and it's obvious that there are people getting incredible results but so far it's been more trouble than it was worth. just taking the time and effort to formulate or choose a recipe, collect all the various amendments, mix it all up and compost it...a lot of people simply don't have the space.

right now i'm running coco, castings, and perlite fed every watering with bottled organic nutrients. not exactly popular in the organic forum but for the space i have to work with, it's the best i can do while keeping things practical and realistic. i will be experimenting with a coco substituted version of a peat based living super soil in hopes of a water only grow but that's at least a month or two off. should be more or less the same as the stickied organic mixes, just getting away from peat and dolomite which also cause me nothing but problems.

 

[aridbud]

Try hempy bucket method- vermiculite/perlite mix.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=98419

 

[trichrider]

imo ACT requires advanced knowledge. you say meticulous I say ridiculous.

the ACT is not to be used for irrigation so much as for inoculation. also, do you examine your ACT with a microscope to attest it's biodiversity? the biodiversity determines root symbiosis and it's contribution to plants needs...bioavailability of nutrients that should already be in the organic medium.

sound like your 'soil' is sterile.

 

[Lacroix]

It seems sterile. No I don't use a microscope. I have a shitload to learn till then. As for now I'm doing really well with tried and true methods. I may not be able to brag about my great organic buds but I can sure as hell brag about my dank buds that I enjoy very much. Flavor, smell and quality are all great. I'm going to try tolerant more about ACT/DIY soils this summer outside in my vegetable and herb gardens. Like I said, for what I'm doing tried and true methods are working for me. It's a lot cheaper and a lot less hassle for my space.

 

[Lacroix]

Pseudo I agree about the organic bottled nutes. I'm not in a "cool" organic contest either... I definitely want to learn and work my way towards organic gardens that work are cost effective and fun. Enjoying this process is a lot of fun.... Struggling with it isnt

 

[JohnQQ]

I understand your points, and yes, they are certainly applicable to my small situation as well, but I have to disagree about DIY soils.

I use organic bottled nutes at the moment, but I think of it as a short-term solution. Of course organic growing is a pain in the ass sometimes and certainly so at the start of the process for many, but the long-term goal of a living soil is far more valuable than even a year of mediocre harvests for me.
I don't expect great yields for a while. Why? My soil is young, and hasn't had much grown in it. My rhizoshpere isn't a firestorm of activity at the moment, but I know that with every plant I put in, I'm going to get better soil in the end. I loathe wine-aging analogies, but with soil and compost, I think the comparison is somewhat be appropriate.

Also, you can get a jar of PHC BioPak and just spray it every now and then if teas aren't your deal.
Absolutely agree on large scale brewers as unnecessary for micro growers (and trust me, I love gadgets).

 

[Lacroix]

Would it be counter productive to veg in regular nutes then switch to a DIY soil for flowering?
Or should I stick with the same soil and nute combo all the way through?

 

[umbralindigo]

What kind compost are you using for the DIY?

 

[Lacroix]

3- Gallons Peat Moss
2- Gallons perlite
2- Gallons worm castings compost

Mixed with

Oyster shell flour, gypsum, azomite, Basalt Rock Dust, Bentonite, Crab Shells, Fish Meal,
Bat Guano, Alfalfa Meal, Neem cake, Fish Bone Meal, Kelp Meal, Humates, Diatomaceous Earth

 

[umbralindigo]

While this list of ingredients looks fine, I'm curious what worm castings compost you are using?

The way I see it, is when someone has a problem with hardening of a soil mix (based on peat) like rock clay soil, then one should not look at aeration first. One should look at compost QUALITY first. I've seen it happen first hand with friends. Buy some shitty knock off brand compost and get bone dry hardened like a rock mix. Also, if you are using this same compost for tea, there is your answer to why it aint working well.
All the ingredients in the world arent going to make someones compost better. It is truly the building block of all organic soil mixes. (Even happy frog)

Maybe, the amounts of each input is the problem?

Another possibility... Did you transplant little babies into this mix? Not that they couldn't handle it, but if you didn't make sure they had roots, what you may be seeing is the babies gaining foothold in your mix (after an abrasive transplant with no roots) and then you snatching them out and putting them in happy frog.

One more idea, you said that you had uneven dispersal of water in the root zone. Did you pre-wet the peat with a wetting agent? Like yucca extract or my favorite Aloe juice? That is of serious importance also, they use wetting agents in all commercial mixes, and there is a reason why... peat has a hydrophobic effect, it WILL repel the water if not saturated thoroughly before mixing and/or planting.

I use peat still, and always break my 2.2 cu. ft. brick up and soak with 8 gallons of water with aloe juice. Then add compost and aeration, and then ingredients.

Please don't give up. Gen Hyrdro/Organics is blowing loads all over the place because you bought their product. They don't care about the world, they care about your money. They don't deserve your money. Think of this as being sustainable, not "getting results easily". I have used happy frog, it isn't the worst soil, but your "DIY" soil sounds leaps and bounds better than, any fox farm product mixed with GH "nutes".

Please try this again. Fuck bottles. I use the same mix for flowering I use for veg. You shouldn't have a problem lest your mix isn't "wet" enough, your amounts per ingredient used is correct, and you are transplanting when plants are old enough.

 

[Microbeman]

Umbra makes some great points as others have as well. Buying a bioreactor is optional which is why I post instructions on building your own.

When we mix in peat, we open the bag the day before and pour in warm/hot water and mix it up as much as possible. This rehydrates it and is exceptionally important. Having hydrophobic peat was likely your problem.

Compost Tea is not a miracle liquid. It is one tool in amending living soil.

Living soil is not something you mix up. I first posted about living soil in this forum in 2008/09 and unfortunately others took it to differing levels and changed it to mean 'mix all this shit in ur soil and that is living' That is just the start. Soil needs to come alive and it requires a certain volume...maybe even 5 gallons is not enough. It is not for everyone.

Once soil becomes living it just needs to be fed various forms of organic matter. This is what worked for me and it surprised me. I grew crop after crop up to 7 years, just letting the soil live. We applied ACT, vermicompost, fish hydrolysate and topdressed kelpmeal & alfalfameal. Period. There were worms, bugs, mushrooms.

If you are happy with what you are getting success with, keep it up.

 

[rik78]

Umbra makes some great points as others have as well. Buying a bioreactor is optional which is why I post instructions on building your own.

When we mix in peat, we open the bag the day before and pour in warm/hot water and mix it up as much as possible. This rehydrates it and is exceptionally important. Having hydrophobic peat was likely your problem.

Compost Tea is not a miracle liquid. It is one tool in amending living soil.

Living soil is not something you mix up. I first posted about living soil in this forum in 2008/09 and unfortunately others took it to differing levels and changed it to mean 'mix all this shit in ur soil and that is living' That is just the start. Soil needs to come alive and it requires a certain volume...maybe even 5 gallons is not enough. It is not for everyone.
Once soil becomes living it just needs to be fed various forms of organic matter. This is what worked for me and it surprised me. I grew crop after crop up to 7 years, just letting the soil live. We applied ACT, vermicompost, fish hydrolysate and topdressed kelpmeal & alfalfameal. Period. There were worms, bugs, mushrooms.

If you are happy with what you are getting success with, keep it up.

that volumen if for pot size or when you mix and prepare your soil?

I grow in 1gallon pot, please tell me that I can still say goodbye to the ph meter.

For the lat month I have been reading the organic soli forum, and have my DIY soil already prepare and just finishing my 5L Vortex brewer... I will put pix later in the week when is finish.

could some one please comment on the minimun container size the organics ACT will work, please???

 

[Microbeman]

I believe you may grow using organic amendments in one gallon but I doubt it will support a living soil system. Perhaps Verdant Green could advise you here.

 

[h.h.]

Some parts were dry and others clumpy and soaked. I do water evenly and slowly so I have no idea why this happened but the DIY soil seems very very dense.

Sounds like something was wrong from the get go.

 

[rik78]

...

Soil needs to come alive and it requires a certain volume...maybe even 5 gallons is not enough. It is not for everyone.

...

that volumen if for pot size or when you mix and prepare your soil?

I grow in 1gallon pot, please tell me that I can still say goodbye to the ph meter.

For the lat month I have been reading the organic soli forum, and have my DIY soil already prepare and just finishing my 5L Vortex brewer... I will put pix later in the week when is finish.

could some one please comment on the minimun container size the organics ACT will work, please???

I believe you may grow using organic amendments in one gallon but I doubt it will support a living soil system. Perhaps Verdant Green could advise you here.

noone???

for experience, what is the smallest pot size you use, PEOPLE???
thank you!

 

[ct guy2]

noone???

for experience, what is the smallest pot size you use, PEOPLE???
thank you!

I know people using #5 containers and #7s. I prefer 15 to 30 gal containers. I think the largest size container you can use, the better.

 

[Lacroix]

I took everything apart and replanted in happy frog. Been feeding only water for last week and they are looking much much better. I think for now I'm going to stick to what I know. Are bottled organic nutes "better" than regular nutes like gen hydro?

I'm a little confused.

Happy frog with organic nutes, is that creating a living soil or is that just using organic nutes.
Does that combo need to be ph'd or should I stick with a regular nute like general hydro with the happy frog? Thanks

 

[Lacroix]

PS... I'm going to use my DIY soil and compost teas outside in my veg garden this spring to learn more about that style gardening.

 

[paint4420]

Putting the diy soil outside will be a good start. My feeling is if your asking the diffrence between bottled organic and general hydroponics you havnt done nearly enough research into how a true living, organically derived soil works. The diy kit is just that. Who ever put it together has gotten it to work well enough to sell and profit of of those result. With a little thought and reading you should be able to fully utilize it.

My question is did you let it cook at all? What size conatiners did u use how long did u bubble your tea. What ratio did u amend with? Other people can cover this better than I can.

I just have a feeling and I think u would agree u may be in over your head.

Did you seek the retailers help in concluding what went wrong?