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Local materials

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Trying photos from my phone. Miniature greenhouses for cuttings
And some hibiscus tree cuttings just coming to life.
 

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Rico Swazi

Active member
Teddy and Rico laughs are my birthright. I have a small patch of alfalfa growing...about one square meter. I call it Marcos's hay field.


I love to laugh. At myself, others , dont matter, take life too seriously and



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxVkAhto0Ag






2 cutting a yr for the alfalfa right? How much biomass can one sq meter produce I wonder ?
also I wonder the depth of a container that would be best to grow it or possibly the drought tolerant Sainfoin
if it can be grown well to maturity in containers that is



Might be the ticket for the closet grower growing his personal stash to save a few bucks
I'm thinking growers in apartments would see the most benefit if possible
 
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Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Yeah too funny. I've gotta have my cover crops and alfalfa tea no matter I've got 3 plants in a closet.
 

crisduar

Member
Hola crisduar how do you know your soil is of poor quality?
from what I have read, your soil seems to have enough of what is needed to grow plants. I may have missed it but what are you growing in? beds, containers or in the ground?



questions are good, no apologies necessary

muchas gracias por su respuesta, cultivo en macetas de tela# crecimiento interior en 3L y saco a florar a terraza en macetas de tela de 15L , reciclo mi tierra y el tema del suelo de baja calidad fue un ejemplo de enseñanza pie que creia que la tierra + humus de lombriz sin alimentos como harina de ostra o huesos o gusano..etc sería un suelo pobre, pero he aprendido con las respuestas anteriores que sólo necesitar buen compost(humus de lombriz) bien cargado de nutrientes y un buen TAC para liberarlos. y pedir disculpas es por las preguntas tan básicas.

mezclando tierra reciclada un poco de perlita para airear, vermicompost(humus de lombriz de tierra), humedezco con TAC y dejó descansar la tierra 1mes.

Gracias Saludos.
 

crisduar

Member
Thank you very much for your response, growing in cloth pots # 3L interior growth and going out to bloom on terrace in 15L cloth pots, I recycle my soil and the theme of low quality soil was an example of foot teaching that I thought the earth + earthworm humus without food such as oyster meal or bones or worm..etc would be a poor soil, but I learned from the previous answers that I would only need good compost (earthworm humus). And apologize, it's for the basic questions.

mixing recycled earth a little perlite to air, vermicompost (earthworm humus), moisten with TAC and let the earth rest 1 month.
 

crisduar

Member
disculpen repetir es que primero escribo español y luego traduzco y luego lo pego en el foro, y fumado se me olvida ponerlo en inglés no volver a a suceder.
 

h.h.

Active member
Veteran
A John Deere tractor in a one acre field...

I first mentioned using ACT on “poor soil”. Somewhat misleading as I often do I should have perhaps chosen better terminology.

I was referring to the idea that “supersoil” was needed when using aerated compost tea.
What I really meant was soil that wasn’t heavily amended.
I equate using ACT to putting a match to a fire. The more kindling I have, the easier to start the fire and keep it going. I need fewer matches.
Generally when I have poor soil, it’s outdoors. Often dealing with property where RoundUp has been used, chemical fertilizers, and the property has been graded down to sub grade and raked clean. Compost is scarce and at a premium. I use the handfuls I get for tea to make them stretch.
All in all though the point I was trying to make is that “supersoil” is not a necessity for using ACT.

That said, I invested heavily in amendments the last few years. Living in a new place, learning new ways, I wanted a lot of indoor soil real quick while I started gathering local material and making compost. Used a lot of fermentation’s rather than using ACT. Not to set a preference, I just failed to brew any.
All roads lead to Rome, be it by Harley or by Porsche. I thank God and Greyhound.
 

crisduar

Member
he encontrado semillas de girasol dice que tiene alto contenido de fósforo, ¿puedo hacerlas harina o polvo y sería el reemplazo al polvo de roca fósforica o o guano de murciélago indoneso(muy alto en fosforo)?
 

h.h.

Active member
Veteran
he encontrado semillas de girasol dice que tiene alto contenido de fósforo, ¿puedo hacerlas harina o polvo y sería el reemplazo al polvo de roca fósforica o o guano de murciélago indoneso(muy alto en fosforo)?

Technically, You would have to compare percentages and adjust.

I use ash. At least in the past. Compost should really have plenty.
With ash, I usually give it a quick soak.
The potassium dissolves quickly while the other salts take longer.
Separate the water and let it evaporate.
As it evaporates it will leave salt rings on your container. Stuff you don’t want. You want the water. The potassium stays in suspension. It stays in the water.
Adding more water and repeating the process will further refine it.
I generally just use the water without evaporating. Good enough for my needs.

allelopathic
Sunflower seeds have what's called an allelopathic chemical -- one that inhibits the growth of plants in the area. One on hand, this helps a garden because it can keep the weeds down. On the other, it can weaken the growth of the plants you do want. Beans and potatoes are especially susceptible to this chemical and cannot be planted near sunflowers. Do not till the sunflower remains back into a vegetable garden either, as the chemicals will remain in the soil for some time.
 

St. Phatty

Active member
Oh well there go all my local materials.

I walked around the hill scooping up all the wood ash.

Got 2 full buckets and some 1/2 buckets.

This morning we got a 1/2 inch of rain so all the wood ash at the burn sites on the hill ... is now feeding plants nearby.

One of my other wood ash buckets was caught up in a garden hose mistake.

Full bucket of filtered ash ... in liquid form.

I find it's easier to handle that way. Wood Ash Dust being pretty noxious.
 

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Can we keep it serious?
I’m easily confused.
Should I empty my closet?

You should see some of the emails I get. Some of my jokes have sent others down a path of no return; including the gal who traded me for a Harley.
 

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Hey people, the one big problem I've encountered with acquiring local topsoil is all the weed seeds in it. The primary problem is with good old international quack grass but also my new found friend nut sedge,

The 2 non-poison remedies I know of are including the soil in thermophilic composting or spreading it out under black plastic. The latter, unfortunately also kills off the bugs n' such.

Of course the third solution is to use it and weed, weed, weed. However one goal is to provide a local organic potting mix to some of the gringos.

I know the best way is to compost it, which puts me a year away from any sales but that may be my lot.

Any wonderful ideas?
 

Microbeman

The Logical Gardener
ICMag Donor
Veteran
From Rico
Edit- Forgot to mention that a keyhole hooglie with a walkway up the middle for your chair would be the ticket to ride in your case

I was thinking more of side by side hooglies which is pretty much the same thing but allows for ingress and egress.

FIY, I am still mildly ambulatory enough to shuffle about my plants and cuttings.

At 68 I believe I hold the record for the oldest person with Arthrogryposis still walking (a guess). I was also classed as quadriplegic due to being half paralyzed at birth and having residual limited motion in all four limbs. Through many surgeries and exercise I was able to get around quite well from 1963-5 until 2002. Pretty good stretch which was full of adventure. In 2002 I began falling a lot so had to quit walking out on the farm. That is when I got my first 4 wheel scooter.
 

crisduar

Member
vermicompost

vermicompost

Hola buenas quería comentar que llevo rescatando lombrices de mi humus de lombriz, casi durante un par de meses las he alimentado con Aloe vera y he minados de lentejas los copos del café y salvado de trigo leo que decía que tenía gran aporte de fósforo lo cual me lleva a tener una segunda opción de fósforo para mis plantas sin depender de PK o P de bote líquido orgánico.

tambien pensé que en enfocar la nutricion de las lombrices con el fin de con Seguir un lombricompost completo en NPK, como decir in todo en uno , sin enmiendas todo en el lombricompost+tierra reciclada+aireación por que el aporte mineral se les puede dar también en la alimentación de las lombrices
 

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crisduar

Member
Oh well there go all my local materials.

I walked around the hill scooping up all the wood ash.

Got 2 full buckets and some 1/2 buckets.

This morning we got a 1/2 inch of rain so all the wood ash at the burn sites on the hill ... is now feeding plants nearby.

One of my other wood ash buckets was caught up in a garden hose mistake.

Full bucket of filtered ash ... in liquid form.

I find it's easier to handle that way. Wood Ash Dust being pretty noxious.

To make palm ash.
 

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