I have 3 Questions

PaulieWaulie said:

I feel guilty for just throwing this out there, because the answer is probably in the several 500 Page stickies in this sub forum. But thats damn near impossible to get through thoroughly page by page. Maybe this will also not be a straight up answer but start a conversation around about these topics.

I do recommend you dig into the first pages of stickies and research elsewhere.

Ive just gotten into the idea of organics and have spent several weeks reading up on and sourcing in bulk locally many ingredients. I want to make a very diverse and ultimate super soil from the get go.

Heres goes:

Soil Amendments Price LIST

- [ ] $20 /Bone Meal / 3.5KG
- [ ] $11 / Blood Meal / 1.3 KG
- [ ] $27.50 / Insect Frass / 1 KG (ONLINE)
- [ ] $? / Dehydrated Molasses / 25 KG
- [ ] $? / Diatomaceous Earth /
- [ ] $? / Kelp Meal /
- [ ] $33/ Glacial Rock Dust / 22.68 KG
- [ ] $55 / Perlite / 13.6 KG
- [ ] $25 / Azomite / 4.4 lbs
- [ ] $? / Alfalfa Cubes /
- [ ] $? / Mycorrhizae / - Forget this as an amendment - use on roots or seeds
- [ ] $90 / Bat Guano P Mineralized / 10KG
- [ ] $? / Rice Hulls /
- [ ] $80 / Neem Meal / 9 KG (ONLINE)

Make sure you crumble the cubes thoroughly before mixing in the soil and use a minimal amount. You are better to use alfalfa meal $12 to $15 CAD at the feedstore.

I also have a massive compost that I've been building up for 3 years, and I just bought 1000 worms and started a worm farm, and I also got 2 guineapigs to provide me with droppings. So I'm fairly committed to going all the way with this.

Here are my 3 Questions:

1. When I compost something that has 10-0-0. When that is done composting is that 10-0-0 still in the compost, or did the process and the bacteria eat it and it now just is compost that doesn't have the same nutrients but other beneficial bacteria etc. ? This is the underlying dilemma, should I throw amendments in the compost to help break them down, make nutrients available,add bacteria and microbe life to them, or do I loose something during this process and it is better to add this raw ingredient into the soil mix directly instead ?

* The reason I am asking is because we are sourcing all these amendments saying this is a good source of this and this is high in this, but aren't all food veggie kitchen scraps full of various nutrients. If I compost it all and use my compost isn't that the same as using these amendments ? I know theres little specific benefits here and there in some of the ingredients, but Im sure there are many benefits from basic simple plants and veggies and byproducts were not even aware of and just haven't researched.

It is quite imperative that quality compost is made using a compost calculator which helps to use a starting ratio of 30:1 carbon to nitrogen using diverse inputs. You may google compost calculator and find one online. An old static pile is still decent but not as high in nutrients, There is no relationship to NPK measurements in compost, nor 'real' organics. Nutrients in compost are sequestered in a form available to microbes and roots via cation/anion exchange through realease of organic acids. (see root exudates sticky)


2) If I recycle my soil, and the nutrients are used from the compost and earth worm castings, and I keep on adding new fresh ones, my overall quantity will increase. But Im recycling my soil and don't want it to increase and use the exact same amount every run. I understand that the soil itself will be very alive and have lots of microbes and bacteria and fungi but if the nutrients are used up then its no good., unless I add the amendments of course, which I was planning on too. But should I not add new worm castings and compost continuously as well ? I know I can use the extra in my garden but It will have all the perlite, vermiculite etc in it which I wasn't planning on having in the garden, and a bit would look stupid but I suppose I could make the whole thing inc perlite.

It would be superior to go no-till in larger containers (for actual LIVING soil) but if you are recycling soil, just mix in fresh vermicompost and non-hot amendments each round and topdress other hot amendments. You can use pumice/lava rock, etc for drainage instead of the white crap and excess in your garden won't look stupid.

3. I may have mixed question #3 into 1 and 2. But the general theme of my curiosity at this point is questioning the benefit of so much diversity of amendments at effort and cost, and what truly there benefits are versus, normal kitchen scraps,EWC, guineapig manure - all composted. There is a lot of hype around organics, so Im trying to not get caught up in it, and know what works, and what makes a difference.

My amendments will cost me close to $400 CAD Im sure, and yes it is bulk so I'm set for many years, but still I could use my compost and worm bin and guineapigs ONLY and for free and I wonder how much of a difference I would get buying and adding amendments.

I remember my 3rd question.



You are the decider. I've grown spectacular gardens using local
on-hand materials. Living soil is about the soil coming to life, NOT about a set group of ingredients. I never bought any amendments at a grow store (except for experiments). Everything came from the livestock store or local scrounging.



#3. Does it make sense to make compost teas or teas in general, if you already have those exact ingredients mixed in the soil ? What would you get out of the Tea that isn't in the soil already and has had several weeks to break down or multiply. Mainly Im thinking about any microbes or that type of thing. obviously there would be nutrients in the tea that were used up in the soil at that point. But strictly speaking in terms of mycrrizaal fungi, bacteria, microbes etc.

ok thats all for now, anyone, chime in with your thoughts and experience!

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Microbeman said:

There is insufficient time to address this. There is NO mycorrhizal fungi in compost tea. I think it is worth using well made CT but your idea of how it works appears fundamentally flawed. This article may help; https://microbeorganics.com/#More_on_Compost_Tea_2013_



Please see comments in bold

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PaulieWaulie said:

Not sure why, the link isn't working.



"Your website is NOT YET AVAILABLE
This is a temporary page that will be replaced in the next few minutes with a page that features your domain name and your dedicated IP address."

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