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Natural Living Soil and No-Till thread for Beginners

V

vonforne

Ok, so there has been an increased interest in organic growing lately. This thread will detail thing that have been discussed in the group Project OFC for sometime. In the following thread we will discuss Soil building, ACT and ACT brewers, Re-amending soil, containers, Blu-mats, Folair feeding, natural plant inputs, topdressing etc............

Building your soil

This to me is the single most important element of growing because without it everything else you do is pointless. So, here we go......

Building a soil yourself is much cheaper than buying bagged soils which to me are worthless and contain less than desirable ingredients. The quality you can achieve is unmatched by any pre-made bagged soil on the market today. There are many soil mixes floating around out there but I have found that the simpler the soil mix the better as it allows you to build on it at a later. Each user should take in to consideration that somethings can be obtained locally much cheaper than mail ordering so look first in your respective areas before ordering to save you some hard earned money.

Here is a mix I like to go with.

Base mix


1\3 Peat (Premier @ Home Depot)
1\3 Quality compost or Earthworm castings. (this is the most important part to me! You must always use high quality compost!)
1\3 aeration (Pumice, Lava rock or Rice hulls) I prefer Lava rock as it is obtainable @ almost every box store in America.

Amendments are measured per cubic foot of base material.

Amendment mix

Per cubic foot use

1\2 cup Neem seed meal or Karanja meal (N source)
1\2 cup Fish meal
1\2 cup Crabshell meal
1\2 cup Kelp meal
1\2 cup Fishbone meal

Mineral mix

1\2 cup Gypsum
4 to 5 cups (4x Glacial rock dust, 1x Bentonite, 1x Oystershell powder and 1x Basalt) GRD and Basalt are basically the same to if you don´t have access to one or the other just add a little more of what is available to you locally.

I like to add ´charged´ Biochar to my mixes @ 10% of the mix. You want to make sure it is saoked in Fish hydrolysate or EWC so when mixed into the soil it will not absorb the nutrients and rob your plants of needed nutrients.

Mixing your soil

I like to spread out a tarp in my basement to mix on. You can do this or mix outside or whatever suits your needs. I have also mixed in a concrete mixer for large batches of soil. I generally mix in 50 gallon lots so hand, rake and shovel mixing for me works.

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First thing you want to do is re-hydrate your peat. I do this by spreading it out on the tarp and breaking up all the chunks from the compressed bale. My bales come in 3 cubic feet. A cubic foot is 7.48 gallons. I then take warm water mixed with Aloe vera juice and hydrate the soil. Plain water works it can bet a little expensive using 200x Aloe vera juice to do this. You want it moist and not wet.
Next, I add the aeration component. I am using just Lava rock I crushed with a cinder block. Try and get it into 1\2 inch sizes dust and all. Mix this throughly and then add you Mineral mix. And then add the amendment mix and again mix throughly. At this time I like to moisten the soil a bit more until you can get a little water to come out when squeezed. I then cover and will let it sit for a period of no less than 4 weeks but have planted directly into it when needed. You can also fill what ever pots you are going to use. I am currently using 7 gallon Smart pots

Now, to this mix I will add 10% local soil to inoculate the soil. This is the easiest way to do it but you can also make an ACT and do it that way but I find using local soil gathered from under a stand of trees is best. It also adds biodiversity to your soil.

And that completes this part. I will end this with a few shots of my plants over the last few years.......

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This is the end of part 1.

Happy gardening!
 
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Weird

3rd-Eye Jedi
Veteran
may I please offer the suggestion anyone mixing amendments invest in and wear a respirator
 
V

vonforne

Here is a quick shot of my current garden. I have more but liked this picture......

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now off to the outdoor gardens and a nice walk in the woods for me today. The weather is beautiful here right now.......so puff puff and will talk to all of you later today.

Peace
 
O

OrganicOzarks

2 things

Wear a mask (as already stated)

Buy a cement mixer, and let it mix it for you. You will also get a much more consistent mix with a cement mixer. You can find them on craigslist for $100-$200. They have them new at lowes, and home depot for less than $300.

When I recycle I only use 1/4 cups of amendments. It is more than enough. I also would not replace the rock dusts at such high rates. I treat them like the others and only do a 1/4 cup.

Not all of the amendments get broken down in each run so there is not much of a point of using so much when recycling. There will almost always be left over nutrients in your soil.

At your rates you could add amendments every other run with no problems.
 
V

vonforne

2 things

Wear a mask (as already stated)

Buy a cement mixer, and let it mix it for you. You will also get a much more consistent mix with a cement mixer. You can find them on craigslist for $100-$200. They have them new at lowes, and home depot for less than $300.

When I recycle I only use 1/4 cups of amendments. It is more than enough. I also would not replace the rock dusts at such high rates. I treat them like the others and only do a 1/4 cup.

Not all of the amendments get broken down in each run so there is not much of a point of using so much when recycling. There will almost always be left over nutrients in your soil.

At your rates you could add amendments every other run with no problems.

After the initial mix I only top dress with what I think it needs. Alfalfa, EWC etc.

I never said anything would be replaced yet and no you do not re-amend with the Rock powders.

After I run the mix I only top out with EWC the next round and maybe some alfalfa IF I think it needs any. But 2 inches of compost or EWC is standard.
 
O

OrganicOzarks

Sorry I was confused by the Title of the thread vs. the content of the thread. By the title I thought you were recycling soil, but by the content you are building a soil. A bit confusing.
 
V

vonforne

Went through with my Hudson Comando sprayer and sprayed the top of the containers with Aloe, Ful-power and Protekt.

The night before they received a soil drench of the same. I like to use the sprayer to keep the top part of the soil moist under the mulch.

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and here is a shot of the smart pots and the Blu-mat. I also prefer to keep the drag trimmed so the plant puts its energy into flower formation.

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here is one half of the garden from 2 nights ago

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V

vonforne

Sorry I was confused by the Title of the thread vs. the content of the thread. By the title I thought you were recycling soil, but by the content you are building a soil. A bit confusing.


it will be a not till as we go along.....I just started from the beginning for those who have not done it before so the are not lost as they start to read along.......starting from the first page of the book so to speak. No confusion.
 
O

OrganicOzarks

There is confusion. Only it was me that was confused. :) Great thread.
 

VortexPower420

Active member
Veteran
Nice thread Von. Turning out to be a great beginner walk through.

I find with no- till or living soil for that matter it is important to keep the top layer moist. Do you cover crop or mulch your containers?

Timbuktu
 
V

vonforne

Nice thread Von. Turning out to be a great beginner walk through.

I find with no- till or living soil for that matter it is important to keep the top layer moist. Do you cover crop or mulch your containers?

Timbuktu

Ya, I am using dry mulch now. Old canna leaves and regular leaves over the Blu-mat carrots. I cruise through with my Hudson sprayer and keep it all moist. Gawd, I love that sprayer and it was half the price of the Chapin 1949 and local. No shipping.

I have been asking around for Barley straw also but so far no luck.

V
 

xmobotx

ecks moe baw teeks
ICMag Donor
Veteran
yeah; it seems like there must be some "farmer inside group" when it comes to barley straw ~they all agree it's an excellent choice & they all have a variation if they have straw

you know like; "oh yeah everyone wants barley straw; want some rye straw?"
 
V

vonforne

yeah; it seems like there must be some "farmer inside group" when it comes to barley straw ~they all agree it's an excellent choice & they all have a variation if they have straw

you know like; "oh yeah everyone wants barley straw; want some rye straw?"

lol that is what I get.......exactly! ahh excuse me I noticed you grow barley in your fields ahhh you won´t want to get rid of 10 bales would you? Well young feller I don´t have any barley straw but I can give you a truck load of wheat or oat straw. Ok but I don´t see any oats or wheat just barley.......

Looks like I´ll have to take the oat straw. Oh well......
 
V

vonforne

Here is a little reading for all of you. I came from a member here.......h.h..
Botanicals
http://www.frenchgardening.com/tech....64873867231346

The basic method of fermentation is simple enough, which is not to say anything goes. First you need a container made of a nonreactive material. A 50-gallon plastic garbage can works fine. You need to cover your container during fermentation, but not tightly, or it might explode! Either punch some holes in your garbage can lid or cover the can with a piece of burlap or other cloth. While you can use smaller containers, 50 gallons is an optimal homeowner-scale size that is big enough to help moderate temperature extremes during fermentation.An unheated garage or outbuilding is a good place to conduct the fermentation, the speed of which is temperature dependent. The higher the temperature--up to a point--the faster the fermentation.

The water you use is very important. The ideal source of water is rain, being free of calcareous minerals or additives such as chlorine which can retard or stop fermentation. If you must use hard well water, add a bit of vinegar to it to lower the pH. City water should be allowed to stand several days to allow the chlorine to evaporate before you use it for your extracts.

The duration of fermentation can range from a few days to a couple of weeks. When the mixture stops bubbling when you stir or otherwise move the contents, fermentation is complete. Check your brew daily.

It is imperative that you filter your extract. Doing so stops the fermentation from going too far, and also prevents globs of stuff from plugging up your sprayer or watering can when you apply the brew. Use a very fine strainer lined with cheesecloth, an old clean teeshirt, anything short of a coffee filter or other filter paper, which filters out too much.

Store your extract in stainless steel or plastic containers in a cool place, around 40-50 degrees F being ideal. French folks like to use 5-gallon plastic wine containers, appropriately enough. While a wine cellar is also an excellent place to store your extracts, make sure to label carefully!

Once you have your made your extract or infusion, you of course need to apply it. Most often, you spray it on, just as you would a conventional pesticide or foliar fertilizer, taking care to cover the undersides of leaves. But some remedies are applied as a soil drench. This is best accomplished with a good old-fashioned watering can.

Okay, now that you know the basics, here is the roster of beneficial plants and how to use them.



Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)

Perennial plant with silvery, aromatic foliage.
Action. Repellent, especially against cabbage butterflies and codling moth on apples during period of egg-laying. Fungicidal against rust on currants.

Fermented extract (2 lbs. of fresh plant material to 2.5 gallons water) Undiluted for rust on currants. Undiluted sprayed on soil to repel slugs. Diluted to 10% against codling moth and cabbage worm. Note: Do not throw detritus of fermentation on compost, as it will slow its breakdown.

Fernleaf yarrow (Achillea millefolium)


Perennial plant with ferny, silvery, aromatic foliage and white flowers.
Active ingredients: pro-azulene, a volatile oil; isovalerianic and salicylic acids (salicylic acid is aspirin, which is why a tea of this plant reduces pain and fever in humans.)
Action. Promotes compost breakdown; potentiates fungicides.
Cold maceration. 1 oz. of dried flowers in 1 quart of water; macerate 24 hours. Add to fungicide treatment, such as horsetail or tansy.

Garlic (Allium sativum)
Needs no explanation, except to say that garlic is perennial if left in place.
Active ingredients. Sulfur-containing compounds.
Action. Insecticide and fungicide.
Preparation. In decoction: chop 4 oz. peeled cloves and add to 1 quart water. Bring to boil, cover and remove from heat, infuse for one hour. Strain and use without diluting. Used as a soil drench, excellent to prevent damping off of seedlings. In oil maceration: Place 4 oz. of peeled cloves and 2 T. linseed oil in a mixer or blender and pulverize. Filter, washing the filtrate (and mixing in) 1 qt. rainwater. Store one week before using. Adding a bit of soap as a surfactant before spraying is useful. Effective against aphids and mites.
Note: This is a great use for spare garlic at the end of the winter storage season, which is beginning to sprout and taste unpalatable.

Cocklebur (Arctium lappa). Infamous biennial weed.
Active ingredients. Tanins, mucilage, resins, sulfate and potassium phosphate, calcium, and magnesium.
Action. Fungicide effective against mildew on potatoes.
Preparation. Use the whole plant before flowering. The root has the most active ingredients. In fermented extract, use 2 lbs. fresh plant to 2.5 gal. of water. Attention: strong odor! Filter and dilute to 5% before spraying on potato foliage. Also, just pick the leaves and use them as a mulch on your potatoes.

Nasturtium (Trapaeolum majus). Flowering annual.
Active ingredients. Sulfur-containing compounds.
Action. Fungicidal against canker on tree fruits. Insectifuge against white fly (repellent).
Preparation. In infusion, 2 lbs. fresh leaves in 5 quarts of water. Boil water, add leaves, infuse like tea one hour. Use undiluted on fruit trees. Dilute to 30% to spray tomatoes against mildew.

Comfreys (Symphytum officinalis, S. x uplandicum). Flowering perennial.
Active ingredients. Allantoin, which stimulates cell multiplication. This is why allantoin is such an excellent ingredient for skin creams, especially for chapped skin.
Action.Comfrey is a powerful stimulator of all cell multiplication, e.g. growth. It stimulates microbial growth in the soil, and in compost, thus acting as an 'activator'. Comfrey stimulates seedling development as well as foliar growth.
Preparation. In fermented extract, use 2 lbs. of fresh leaves in 2.5 gal. of water. As a soil drench, dilute to 20%; as a foliar fertilizer and seedling fertilizer, dilute to 5%.

Spurge (Euphorbia lathyris). Hardy perennial.
Active ingredient. Euphorbone.
Action. Repels moles and voles, but must be prepared and sprayed to be effective. Having the plant on your property does not suffice.
Preparation. In fermented extract, harvest the stems and leaves; the terminals have the most active ingredient, from April to October. Caution! The milky sap of this plant causes skin irritations! Wear long-cuffed gloves to protect your hands and arms. Use 2 lbs. fresh plant material per 2.5 gals. of water. Spray around cultivated areas.

Bracken fern and male fern. (Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris felix-mas). Perennial plant.
Action. Insecticide and insectifuge.
Active ingredients. Gallic and acetic acids; tannin; cyanogenic heterosides; potassium; aldehydes transformed to methaldehydes after fermentation.
Preparation. In fermented extract, 2 lbs of fresh leaves to 2.5 gal. of water. May be fermented simultaneously with nettle or horsetail. Dilute to 10% before spraying. Effective against some pests of potato and grape, very effective against wooly aphid. Note: bracken fern is indigenous in many areas, especially in well-drained acid soils, and is often considered invasive, as it is rhizomatous.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). Flowering perennial.
Active ingredients. Over 250 different compounds!
Action. Insectifuge, insecticide.
Preparation. In fermented extract, 2 lbs. of fresh plant material per 2.5 gal. of water, dilute to 10% before using. For dried material, use 7 oz.
In simple infusion, use 4 oz. of fresh plant material in 1 qt. of water, or 2/3 oz. of dried plant material per quart.
Note: If you live in a cool climate, your lavender will be less potent than that grown in a hot climate. Double the quantities or use dried plant material from a southern source.


English Ivy (Hedera helix). Perennial vine.
Active ingredient. Heteroside which is liberated during fermentation.
Action. Insectifuge and insecticide against white fly, spider mites, and aphids.
Preparation. In fermented extract, use 2 lbs. chopped leaves in 2.5 gal. of water. In observing fermentation, don't confuse the foam caused by the saponins in the leaves with the gas bubbles of fermentation. Dilute to 5% before spraying. Beekeepers in the 18th century rubbed their hands with ivy to protect themselves from bee stings. Caution! The extract is toxic and must be kept out of the reach of children. Also, many people are allergic to the sap of ivy and/or to the fine hairs on the reverse of the leaves. Wear gloves to protect yourself.

Lemon balm. (Melissa officinalis). Perennial aromatic culinary and medicinal herb.
Active ingredient. Many aromatic compounds.
Action. Insectifuge against aphids, mosquitos, white fly, and ants.
Preparation. In infusion, 2 oz. of fresh plant in 1 qt. of water. Allow to cool, filter, and spray without diluting. Note: Do not use on seedling beds as it can prevent germination of seedlings.

Peppermint. (Mentha piperita) Perennial aromatic culinary and medicinal herb.
Active ingredients. Many aromatic compounds.
Action. Insectifuge and insecticide against aphids and spider mites.
Preparation. In infusion, 4 oz. of fresh plant in 1 qt. of water. Allow to cool, filter, and spray undiluted.
In fermented extract, 2 lbs. of fresh plant to 2.5 gal. of water. Ferments extremely fast. Dilute to 10% before using. Note: Impedes germination so don't use on seedling beds.

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica). Perennial weed.
Active ingredients. A cocktail of ingredients still poorly analyzed but including formic acid, as well as iron, nitrogen, and many trace minerals. Acts as an immunostimulant for plants.
Action. Strongly stimulant to both microbial and plant growth, thus a compost activator as well as fertiliser. Insectifuge and sometimes insecticide against aphids, mites, and other pests.
Preparation. Use of the whole plant before flowering. Studies have shown that including the roots adds a fungicidal action to the extract. In fermented extract (the famous purin d'ortie), 2 lbs. of fresh plant in 2.5 gal. of water, fermented for a few days only. Dilute to 20% before using as soil drench or foliar feed. Use full strength as a natural herbicide (it kills with 'fertilizer burn' because it is so rich). Soak bareroot plants for 30 minutes in the pure extract or for 12 hours in a 20% dilution before planting to stimulate rapid establishment and vigor.

The nettle reigns supreme among plants for fermentation in France. The fermented extract is sold commercially in garden centers, and clubs and associations of nettle fanatics exist throughout France. Needless to say perhaps, but wear gloves when handling nettles. It's not for nothing they're called 'stinging.'

Horsetail. (Equisetum arvense). Perennial plant and medicinal herb.
Active ingredients. Diverse alkaloids, nicotinic acid, silica.
Action. Insectifuge, preventive fungicide, plant tonic and growth stimulant.
Preparation. In decoction, boil 1 lb. of fresh plant with 5 qts. of water for 1 hour, allow to infuse 12 hours, filter and dilute to 20%.
In fermented extract, 1/2 lb. of dried plant in 2.5 gal. of water. Dilute to 5% before using.
Horsetail, along with nettle and fern, form the Big Three among medicinal plants for plants, according to the French. I remember my Swiss grandmother gathering horsetail and drying it in pillowcases for use in astringent poultices.

Pyrethrum (Tanacetum cinerariifolium). Perennial.
Active ingredient. Pyrethrins.
Action. Insecticide against aphids, cabbage fly, whitefly, carrot fly, and others. Does not hurt bees.
Preparation. Harvest the flowers when open, and dry them. In infusion, use 1 oz. in 2 qts. of water. Filter when cool and spray undiluted. In fermented extract, use 3 oz. in 2.5 gal. of water. Dilute to 20%. Spray after sundown or in very early morning.

Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana)
Perennial culinary herb.
Active ingredients. Sulfuric heteroside, glucosinolate.
Action. Fungicide against blackspot on cherries.
Preparation. In infusion, 12 oz. of fresh plant material (leaves and roots chopped) in 2 1/2 gal. of water. Filter when cool and spray undiluted. In fermented extract, 4 oz. of chopped root in 2.5 gal. of water. Use full strength on seedlings for damping off.

Rhubarb (Rheum rhaponticum).
Perennial potager plant.
Active ingredients. Oxalic acid as salt of calcium.
Action. Insectifuge against aphids, caterpillars, and other larvae. Repulsive to herbivores.
Preparation. In cold maceration, use 1 lb. of chopped leaves in 3 quarts of water; allow to soak 24 hours before filtering. Use full strength. This is a great way to use rhubarb leaves as you eat the stalks.

Rue (Ruta graveolens). Perennial herb.
Active ingredients. Tannins, heterosides, malic acid, glucosides, and others.
Action. Insecticide and repulsive.
Preparation. Harvest fresh leaves and stems before flowering. In fermented extract, 2 lbs. of fresh plant material in 2.5 gal. of water fermented for 10 days. Dilute to 20%. Repels mice, chipmunks, and other chewers. Spray against aphids.

Dockweed (Rumex obtusifolius). Perennial weed.
Active ingredients. Have not been studied.
Action. Fungicide against canker on apples and pears.
Preparation. In infusion, 2 lbs. fresh leaves in 5 qts. boiling water. Filter when cool, spray full strength on cankers. Treat young trees preventatively. Spring is best time.

Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis). Flowering perennial.
Active ingredients. Saponins.
Action. Insecticide, insectifuge.
Preparation. In infusion, 4 oz. fresh material in 1 qt. boiling water. Filter when cool and spray undiluted. In fermented extract, 2 lbs. fresh plant material in 2.5 gal. of water. Dilute to 10% before using.


Sage. (Salvia officinalis). Perennial herb.
Active ingredients. Monoterpenones, including thujone, camphor, and others, aldehydes, coumarin.
Action. Insectifuge, fungicide.
Preparation. In infusion for insectifuge, 4 oz. of fresh plant material in 1 qt. boiling water. Filter when cool and use full strength. In fermented extract, 2 lbs. of fresh leaves and terminals in 2.5 gal. of water, diluted to 10%, against mildew on potatoes.

Common Elderberry (Sambucus nigra). Large shrub to small tree.
Active ingredients. Sambucine.Action. Powerful repellant; fungicide.
Preparation. In decoction, 2 lbs. of leaves soaked for 24 hours in 2.5 gal. of water, then boiled for 30 minutes. Spray undiluted against aphids, beetles, caterpillars. In fermented extract, use 2 lbs. fresh leaves in 2.5 gal. of water. Use undiluted against shelf fungus infections on trees.

Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare). Perennial plant (invasive in sandy soils).
Active ingredients. Not studied.
Action. Insectifuge, insecticide, fungicide against rust and mildew.
Preparation. In fermented extract, 2 lbs. of fresh plant material in 2.5 gal. of water. Use nondiluted against cabbage fly. In infusion, 1 oz. of flowers in 1 qt. of boiling water. Filter when cool and spray undiluted against aphids, mildew, and rust. Caution: don't throw residues on compost as tansy inhibits its breakdown.
 
V

vonforne

wow this info looks familiar


yes at the top of the post there is a link and the members name and the link that he used
and alot of the information that will be in this thread came from the ROLS crew who left. I still remain and will pick through all the threads and put it in one place here in this thread so it will be easier to access for all the new ROLS growers who come this way. Someone has to do it so we can disspell the myths associated with cannabis growing and ween people off the bottles and bullshit.
 
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