Big Soil Little Room, Recycled soil trial

[FatherEarth]

damn thats alot of gypsum... wow

Yea thats what I was thinking about the percentage of Ca in the gypsum, I mentioned earlier but did not do the math.. Thanks


I read not to worry about the S going too high, what are your thoughts?


Ill add that and send in a test for a second look... Still will be planting before that test comes back so we'll see if I got it right or just fumbled the perfect run attempt.

All aboard!


Respect,


FE

 

[FatherEarth]

So Ill be adding 10lbs of gypsum to SB2 for anyone wondering

My beds are 45" x 45" x 18" deep pot is 24" but only 18 full...

 

[milkyjoe]

Another test is a waste of time right now. That gypsum will take a while to break down and become available...you would just get very similar readings.

Sulfate won't matter as long as you have excess cations like K. Once those get in line you want to start working your sulfate down to around 75 ppm. But right now it will help you leach the excess cations out.

You might want to take a look at Steve Solomon's book The Intelligent Gardner. It gives a pretty good explanation of soil balancing.

 

[FatherEarth]

Steve's book is where I read not to worry about the excess S.
Thanks for the advice. Respect.

I dont think the test results would be the same because of what the spectrum extra did. Them raising the PH to 6.4 in 10 days should have tied up that H and made the CEC go up, been almost a month since inoculation... surely it has shifted...


Respectfully,


FE

 

[FatherEarth]

so add gypsum and water with spectrum extra and pep c & get the room temps up to high 80's low 90's for pre transplant. That is going to be the move.

FE

 

[Cep]

I used a shit ton of gypsum last year, just under 10lbs/yard outdoors in beds. Test came out like this a week or two afterward (sample titled "farm"):


Plants initially thrived in that so the high S definitely isn't a big deal. Heres a pic of the local BCD cut in that soil around late July:


Can't remember what the sap pH was at that point but I know the brix was around 18.

My foliar game was weak when those pics were taken. Your grow will be gravy. Nutrient dense super hedges.

 

[FatherEarth]

Thanks Bro,
Your Ca was on point, what was the previous test range before the gypsum?

Ill be plugging the transplants in this week. Looking super healthy, just hit them with some foliar calcium tria, going to follow up some AEA foliars to get them ready for the jump into the big beds. Looking like Ill be using lots of hortinova trellis in these beds. Going to be a giant scrog looks like. Im not going to lose colas like I did previously. Every cola will be standing, no sleepers. There will be a fair amount of canopy management needed til a certain point if Im going to hit 3 a light. Thanks for stopping in.


Respect,

FE

 

[munkey]

Hello great grow you got going on here. I was wondering if there is a size difference between the plants in your 400 gallon pots and the smaller ones? If you were to veg for 4 months, would a 100 gallon pot grow a plant as big as it would in the 400 gallon pots? I'm wondering if 400 gallons is overkill.

 

[Cep]

Prior to the gypsum the Ca was around 55-60% with Mg in the 25-30% range. I think I pushed a bunch of the Mg off exchange sites with all that calcium so dolomite would be the ticket from now on.

The AEA stuff s stupid good and should help alot with the numbers your shooting for.

 

[FatherEarth]

Munkey, not overkill if you reuse your soil, so many benefits to huge beds. Less watering, more available nutes...


Doing the math the 65's out did the 400' s at 1 lb each where the 400s averaged 5.25 although they were different cultivars so truly no control unless I mono cropped.

 

[FatherEarth]

No a 100 gal pot would not grow an equivalent plant. Just look at the folks growing outdoors. More soil, x young plants better yield than old plants in restricted space.

 

[DoubleDDsNuggs]

I'm doing something quite similar to what you're doing. I'm following another threads advice for my grow and am really glad I found yours. Thanks for all the research and logging to help others learn to grow healthier plants! I am still learning organics and would really like to produce a high brix crop. I have downloaded most of your attachments for foliar, etc and was wondering if you have any links to organics specifically for high brix? thank you for all your time and I'm excited to watch this to help me grow better.

 

[munkey]

Do you think the 65s did better than the 400s because they were able to be watered more than the 400? I was just thinking that more watering in the 65 could be the reason why they did better than the 400. Just a thought.

 

[grow nerd]

Damn so much good info in this thread. Just don't know how to process it all yet. Maybe some day it will all sink in.

 

[munkey]

Do you think the 65s did better than the 400s because they were able to be watered more than the 400? I was just thinking that more watering in the 65 could be the reason why they did better than the 400. Just a thought.

Sorry didn't realize you said "doing the math". I just have a few more questions. How long did you veg for? Also just want to make it clear that if I use 400 gallon pots that I can expect a bigger yield than with a 100 gallon pot if variables were the same? I am going to put in an order for smart pots soon and I want to know if I can get a bigger yield with a 400 gallon over a 100 gallon pot with 4 months of veg. Thank you and good luck with your grow. Hopefully you can hit 3 lbs per bed.

 

[HUGE]

Spectacular.

 

[grow nerd]

In the next few days I'll attempt to copy your brewer. I'm sorry if I missed the details, but from the pictures it appears you are using:

- EcoPlus Commercial Air 5 + 7
- 1.5" (or 2"?) ABS, Y'd to 1" ABS

Please confirm or correct.

Also, any reason for using the toothed cutout at the bottom, instead of a tee or similar?

A little bit of details on the hole sizing and placement in the air diffuser?

 

[FatherEarth]

GN,


Its been a while since Ive brewed compost tea... I feel like unless you are growing with sterile medium you really dont need the added microbes. If you are using quality microbial inoculants I dont feel there is a need to brew a slew of unknown microbes. Brewing plant teas is a whole other thing and Im certainly into it. To answer your question... I prefer that my bubbler in the bottom go around the perimeter of the barrel with a column of bubbles in the center. The spacing on the holes is simple in that they become more numerous the further away from the water inlet you go. Evenly spaced and numbered is the key to getting even airflow. Otherwise you end up with the first part of your bubbler putting out most of the bubbles in one area. The hole size I believe was done with a #80 drill bit.

The Toothed bottom is so it doesn't clog up by sealing on the bottom of the brewer.

Do not use the black pvc it is for sewer pipes only and is not safe for potable water. Go with regular PVC for potable water plumbing. Yes on the eco pumps and Ill have to check the pvc diameter but I think 2" is correct. It is all based of microbemans website how to build a brewer.. I think I provided a link, its been a while since Ive visted..
Also you may be able to find more detailed pics in my albums under the big soil title. If not let me know and Ill see what I can dig up.

Hope that answers your question...


FE

 

[FatherEarth]

For anyone interested....

I went back and replaced the appropriate pictures that were previously disabled by admin for off site pic linking rules. All Uploaded to IC

 

[Photosynthesis]

More microbes = more nutrient cycling. Hence why you should apply compost tea at least once per week.

Obviously using a scope for your brews is the ideal situation.