everything looks great!
cant wait to see what happens with the side by side.
cant wait to see what happens with the side by side.
Ive always used FFOF.
Whats the best soil on the market you think.
Any ammendments needed?
Whats the best soil on the market you think.
Any ammendments needed?
C
Cep
Thanks TJO!
@CareGiver
Hard to say which bagged soil is best. FFOF here has had fungus gnats so I steer clear. If you don't get gnats in the midwest you should have it tested. The analysis usually runs around $30 and the info is priceless. After you know whats in it then you can decide what to amend with.
I like Sunshine #4, Promix, or peat as a base for mailer indoor deals because it isn't overloaded with N or K and I can bring the levels to where I want them.
Edit: Testing multiple bags of FFOF or most bagged soils will give varying results. If you want a more accurate way of knowing what amendments are needed the best thing to do is take all the soil you are going to use for a run and mix it on a tarp or in a mixer and then pull many small samples off the pile at varying places. Doing that would tell you more accurately exactly what is in the whole pile rather than in one of the bags being used for a run.
@CareGiver
Hard to say which bagged soil is best. FFOF here has had fungus gnats so I steer clear. If you don't get gnats in the midwest you should have it tested. The analysis usually runs around $30 and the info is priceless. After you know whats in it then you can decide what to amend with.
I like Sunshine #4, Promix, or peat as a base for mailer indoor deals because it isn't overloaded with N or K and I can bring the levels to where I want them.
Edit: Testing multiple bags of FFOF or most bagged soils will give varying results. If you want a more accurate way of knowing what amendments are needed the best thing to do is take all the soil you are going to use for a run and mix it on a tarp or in a mixer and then pull many small samples off the pile at varying places. Doing that would tell you more accurately exactly what is in the whole pile rather than in one of the bags being used for a run.
C
CaliGabe
It's amazing when you start testing soil/compost/etc. how much garbage is actually out there. Compost can cause some serious problems. The more I see people test the more I wonder why others don't.
There's probably a market for a company to provide balanced, tested soil and could get a premium for it once the market smartens up and gets away from...just add compost and worm castings and let the soil food web sort it out.
Nice to see someone like you do a side-by-side experiment like you are this year. Wish more would. I'm guessing both sides will rock
Hello.As I see you amend the soil yourself, I tought this coul be interesting:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trifolium_repens
I don´t know to what extent Works but I think is worth to give a try. I have seen shamrock in farms around, patches of soil let to rest for a while..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trifolium_repens
I don´t know to what extent Works but I think is worth to give a try. I have seen shamrock in farms around, patches of soil let to rest for a while..
C
Cep
Funny, the guy I got it from cut clones like that. Trapper keeper? I don't follow.
I planted dutch clover last year as a cover. Buckwheat this spring, probably a mix of stuff this fall. One other interesting crop I found was oilseed radish. They sink long, wide roots into hard clay soils. If the plants freeze in the winter the roots rot, leaving a bunch of holes the next spring and the soil is easily cultivated.
He didn't work for Blue Sky's nursery at one time, did he?
That's how their nursery did it, 4" rockwool cubes poked with 6 cuts.At the SR-71 / Blue Sky dispensary in downtown Oakland, their "menu" was a Trapper Keeper with pocketed clear vinyl sheets that displayed their warez in baggies.
I assumed you got the clones from the dispensary (now defunct) directly.
C
Cep
Ah ok, pretty sure he didn't work there. He just drove down there years ago to pick up a few strains. The rockwool job is great for space but pulling them apart is tedious and damaging to the plants.
C
Cep
Went with the first compost analyzed and spread 22 yards in:
Plants were put in last week and are tracking the sun well and growing fast:
Plants were put in last week and are tracking the sun well and growing fast:
Nice work bro. Im excited to see how these run this year. Maybe I missed it but how far is your spacing, they look awfully close.. Also whats the price on testing at A&L? my results from Logan took forever, far more than 3-5 days they claim.. more like 10..
Respect,
FE
Respect,
FE
C
Cep
That pic does make them look really close, but they are on 8.5' centers, which is ok for this plant as I don't think it will get enormous.
A&L's consistently getting me results 4 days after I submit. $32 for the complete analysis including NO3. Just drop it off at the location off 217 on schools ferry.
A&L's consistently getting me results 4 days after I submit. $32 for the complete analysis including NO3. Just drop it off at the location off 217 on schools ferry.
C
Cep
Final soil test is in for each of the three rows:
The Potassium levels are way higher than I intended and it it certainly due to the addition of compost. Each row had between 22 and 25 cubic yards of worked soil and I did not think adding 4 yards of compost would be a problem. You'll see that bed #3 has the highest level. This is due to the leftover 2 yards of compost all going to that bed. 10-14% K is too high so I have raked in additional lime and gypsum on the surface of the beds. The other thing I'll be doing religiously this season is foliar Calcium and Magnesium.
Beds 1 & 2 will be the test rows. #1 being treated with the Biological Advantage line on top of last years methods. #2 being treated with last years methods which included foliar Calcium and AgSil. As much as I'd like bed #3 to be a control with no foliars I'm worried that I'd lose to much at the end of the year so it will probably receive at least foliar Calcium, Boron and Phosphorus.
I'll be monitoring brix and sap pH in all three beds.
On an other note I snapped a pic of a criterion I use in picking healthy starts:
Notice the white base. Sometimes plants will get yellow or brown growth at the base or cracking will occur. I try not to use these plants as they may already have a fungal infection or are more likely to get one later on in life.
The Potassium levels are way higher than I intended and it it certainly due to the addition of compost. Each row had between 22 and 25 cubic yards of worked soil and I did not think adding 4 yards of compost would be a problem. You'll see that bed #3 has the highest level. This is due to the leftover 2 yards of compost all going to that bed. 10-14% K is too high so I have raked in additional lime and gypsum on the surface of the beds. The other thing I'll be doing religiously this season is foliar Calcium and Magnesium.
Beds 1 & 2 will be the test rows. #1 being treated with the Biological Advantage line on top of last years methods. #2 being treated with last years methods which included foliar Calcium and AgSil. As much as I'd like bed #3 to be a control with no foliars I'm worried that I'd lose to much at the end of the year so it will probably receive at least foliar Calcium, Boron and Phosphorus.
I'll be monitoring brix and sap pH in all three beds.
On an other note I snapped a pic of a criterion I use in picking healthy starts:
Notice the white base. Sometimes plants will get yellow or brown growth at the base or cracking will occur. I try not to use these plants as they may already have a fungal infection or are more likely to get one later on in life.
Wow Im surprised you made it this far without foliar calcium. I thought that was the gospel.
Good eye and advice on watching the plant base. I found exactly the issue you mentioned recently and set it aside for show and tell. Precisely why we take so many cuts at the start of a run...
Respect,
FE
Good eye and advice on watching the plant base. I found exactly the issue you mentioned recently and set it aside for show and tell. Precisely why we take so many cuts at the start of a run...
Respect,
FE
anonymousgrow
Active member
This looks fantastic! excited to see how it goes!
C
CaliGabe
Yo Cep! We're messing with the AEA line and everyone really liking it. A friend gave a few foliar feedings to his light dep and they went BOOM and still going almost a week later. Gotta love 'snake oil'
Bump~
more pics of the snake oil wizardry! !!
more pics of the snake oil wizardry! !!
C
Cep
I'm one month in and very happy with the growth so far:
June 10th approx. 16"
July 1st approx. 42"
We had a week or so of marginal weather which makes the growth rate even more impressive.
I've been foliar feeding and tomorrow I'll take brix readings mid day after a heavy morning foliar. Ten days ago the brix was between 13.5-15.5 with sap pH hovering around 6.6-6.7. The 3rd row with highest K levels is showing lower brix. I'm going to hit them tomorrow with PHT phosphorus, pure protein dry, photomag, albion calcium. pH readings higher than 6.4 usually indicate an anion shortage.
For these readings I've been selecting fully formed leaves:
I go down each row and pluck 1-2 mature leaves off for a representative sample. After I'm done testing I throw a few carrots through and drink the juice.
June 10th approx. 16"
July 1st approx. 42"
We had a week or so of marginal weather which makes the growth rate even more impressive.
I've been foliar feeding and tomorrow I'll take brix readings mid day after a heavy morning foliar. Ten days ago the brix was between 13.5-15.5 with sap pH hovering around 6.6-6.7. The 3rd row with highest K levels is showing lower brix. I'm going to hit them tomorrow with PHT phosphorus, pure protein dry, photomag, albion calcium. pH readings higher than 6.4 usually indicate an anion shortage.
For these readings I've been selecting fully formed leaves:
I go down each row and pluck 1-2 mature leaves off for a representative sample. After I'm done testing I throw a few carrots through and drink the juice.
