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All about reamending

bigshrimp

Active member
Veteran
I curious to hear about how you all reamend, how much and what each cycle, little signs that you need more of this or that, what to avoid accumulating, you know. I also think it would be a good reference for future growers since there is no single searchable thread on the topic.

I'm in the process of accumulating more soil still so i have not done a straight reamend yet. What i have been doing is making the new batch a little stronger with certain amendments, N, K, and a lesser extent P. Then mixing it 50/50 with"used" soil. This has worked smoothly for me bring me from ffof with blood, bone, guano to the rich more dank mix that is typical here.

Lets hear it
 

Bennyweed1

Active member
Veteran
Dont mean to sound like a prick or anything but right above this thread in the stickies is a journal titled "Living organic soil from start through recycling"
 

VerdantGreen

Genetics Facilitator
Boutique Breeder
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i dont know guys, i think this is worth a thread by itself because many of the ROLS guys were doing no-till or moving towards that. if there are any definitive posts in there then perhaps someone can link to them or copy them over?

also it's locked

VG
 

xmobotx

ecks moe baw teeks
ICMag Donor
Veteran
balanced additions; where you would use TBSP/gal, use tsp/gal {gal of soil mix}

depends on pot size too/you have to get a feel for it ~a bigger pot can go longer

below 3 - 5 gals might need a re-amend for veg & again for flower

a little EWC/vermicompost is a good idea as a mulch too when top-dressing {top-dress/re-amend same/same quantity wise}
 

VerdantGreen

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i tend to go for around half the original amount every other re-amend for most of my slow release ingredients, but i also use a fast release N source (guano) which gets used up fairly quickly ( ime during the first half of flower) and this gets added back every time.

peat i add 10% every 3 or so cycles with the requisite amount of lime and gypsum for the amount of new peat added.

EWC i add every other time at 5% alternating with compost.

VG
 

wingdings

Member
Veteran
Im interested in what everyone else is doing. Gathered from what Ive read, I re-amend with ewc, kelp, alfalfa, neem meal, and crustacean meal but I hardly have it down perfectly.
 

VerdantGreen

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and how would you know if you did? :D

i was getting great results using new soil each time and recycling it in the rest of the garden, i tweaked the mix slightly for different cuts and cultivars - and it's taken a while for me to get results as consistently good (smoking-wise) with recycled soil.

taking notes of exactly what i do each time helps me to decide what to add the next time.
also watching your plants and when they start to yellow or fade is something i find helpful. obviously this is easier if you are running the same cuts over and over. you get to know them quite well and they can be your guide.

VG
 
S

Sat X RB

I have been intrigued by this question also ... and after much thought have to agree there a few hard rules. taking notes is a GOOD idea.

seems to me that as the contributors above suggest ... organic gardening is an ongoing experiment subject to many local influences.

think hard ... then do whatever. the learning is always in the doing.

cheers from the Land of Oz!
 

Dkgrower

Active member
Veteran
It all depends, but i go light with some woodash, fishmeal, alfalfa, compost and some thing that improves soil texture, peat, rice rusk, diatomite.

My native soil was very sandy so i am still adding more peat to improve soil texture...
 
O

OrganicOzarks

I cut everything in half, and reamend every cycle. I do not add oyster shell flour after the first application though. The half inputs also includes worm castings, and compost. I have a vertical soil bed going right now that I have been adding everything to the top in a circle around where the plants are planted, and then put my worm/compost on top of that, and then replace my mulch. My pots I dump out, mix everything in my cement mixer, and then repot. My plants are growing pretty much the same with the recycled soil, but it is much cheaper than starting fresh every time.
 

VerdantGreen

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i also dont re-amend with lime unless i add more peat.

is that one thing we can all agree on? that we dont re-add dolo lime/gypsum/oyster shells when we re-amend?
 

xmobotx

ecks moe baw teeks
ICMag Donor
Veteran
that we dont re-add dolo lime/gypsum/oyster shells when we re-amend?

i do agree ~the concern being we would end up w/ too much

however i have corrected mixes by top-dressing Ca amendments or by mixing w/ water and watering in

for instance; my 1st mix since joining ICmag i used a pelletized dolo lime which was less than perfect. when CC1 &/or clack suggested the 3-way mix w/ DL,oyster,gypsum ~i thought that would be an excellent way to get that mix fixed. i top-dressed w/ the oyster & w/ gypsum. I used tiny amounts and a little more then eval then a little more ~maybe adding 1x every couple weeks until i was satisfied the mix was well-balanced

similarly; the OBBT experiment was balanced by amending the gypsum & oyster shell ~but i was more generous w/ this {even though it was still only a couple TBSP to the 5 gallon bucket}

keep in mind, this was accommodating a known shortage and not re-amending
 

bigshrimp

Active member
Veteran
i also dont re-amend with lime unless i add more peat.

is that one thing we can all agree on? that we dont re-add dolo lime/gypsum/oyster shells when we re-amend?

You wouldn't think so, especially if your using calcium rich amendments like, ewc, crab meal, fish bone meal, frass etc.

A little more peat every few cycles is a good idea, i have noticed my soil becoming more gritty.
 
U

unthing

i'm interested how someone would go about just topdressing with collected plant material, dried and powdered, any rule of thumb? i'm sure this is mentioned here and there in rols and jaykush has talked about it on several threads. this is the way i'm most interested about.

with worry about accumulating of certain stuff, how would crop rotation every now and then with veggies and/or something annual fruiting plant? if one is able rotate some containers in the yard/balcony type of situation.
 

xmobotx

ecks moe baw teeks
ICMag Donor
Veteran
collected dried plant material will not vary much in application from amendments such as alfalfa meal, cottonseed meal, kelp meal ~which are 'collected dried plant material'

i do ley rotations outdoors and no reason to think it wouldnt be OK in containers

w/ the plant material, diversity is the key to preventing buildups/balancing the addition but FTMP; @ the levels i have suggested there should be no real concern from build ups unless you are applying suspect plant material from areas like roadside or commercial/public properties as would be subjected to sprays
 

VortexPower420

Active member
Veteran
Unthing- I am taking a break from amending my 15 gals from the last run of indoors. I am amending with plant materials, cover croping and letting them sit outside untill my next project starts.

I have been taking pictures and everything and was planing on posting them here.

Timbuktu
 
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