Organic Fanatics - Australia

[SilverSurfer_OG]

Yup what bonsai said will work much better than your current mix monoclepop. I would also chuck in about 30% perlite and a small amount <5% of biochar.

I also been adding zeolite which is in the form of bbq fat absorber available at most supermarkets and hardware stores.

Coco is also excellent as an additive or as i use LC's#1 recipe - 5 parts coco, 3 parts perlite and 2 parts compost/worm castings.

Another option is just to buy the premium organic certified pre-bagged stuff. You are in Tassie right? Or do you mean NZ? Look for the Marinova sea greens bags. Its good stuff and made in Tasmania.

For apartments you can also use a bokashi bucket plus a small worm farm. Some members on the organics board are doing this. The runoff from worm farms will keep your plants super happy and help lots to keep away pests and disease.

Seasol is great, especially for root development and a general plant tonic.

Heres a wee pic of my Bubblicious from my no-till bed to brighten things up a bit

 

[monoclepop]

Thanks for the help Bonsai and Silversurfer. I'm from that other state, New Zealand - we tell the Americans that we're only a short drive away across the Sydney Harbour Bridge.


The Compost Quest

Last year I bought a couple of sacks of this stuff from the local garden chain.

Look at those buzzword ingredients! Lots of good things that I don't know too much about, but should work wonders right?

I was totally amped to find this compost and I switched from budget potting mix to 100% compost mix and started planting out everything in it. The problem was that my plants did not like it one bit - development slowed to an absolute crawl. The roots just didn't grow - I vegged some seedlings in it for about a month and the roots didn't even touch the edge of the pot, when they should have been rootbound in half the time. There was nearly no root growth. Plants grew with curled leaves.

Other types of plants were similarly unhappy with it. Ornamentals, vegetables, the girlfriend's money tree. The worst part was I nearly lost everything as I had repotted my entire perpetual cab into the compost in one night. Luckily I managed to get one puny sick clone to eventually chuck out roots and now I'm back up and running, albeit in the cheap potting mix.

I just figured there was something off - maybe the PH is too high?

This experience really put me off using the bagged compost again till I found my feet (and my plants found their roots).

Do you think I just pushed it too far with the 100% compost mix? Should I try again with a 30%-50% compost component? Do I need to pull it out of the bag, let it rest in the outdoors and keep it moist for a month before using it to let the micro-herd get up to speed?



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edit/ I'll definitely look at picking up some Seasol. Will it be enough if I give the plants a dose with it once during veg and once or twice during flowering

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

Yeah right that sucks. Yeah either too rich, too high/low ph or has been in the bag way too long although the last option wouldnt kill your plants i dont reckon...

Do you have Manutec products over there? Their ph soil test kit is awesome and lasts for ages. That would at least solve that issue.

Your best bet is just to find some local tomato etc growers or ask at the nursery for a reuptable brand.

Or go the soiless route which i prefer indoors.

 

[luvaduck]

Thanks for the help Bonsai and Silversurfer. I'm from that other state, New Zealand - we tell the Americans that we're only a short drive away across the Sydney Harbour Bridge.



Hehehe, maybe one day bro.......

So I guess you've learned the lesson the hard way, eh? That stuff sure looks good, but if you or someone you know hasn't used it before, ph test it if you can, and only try on a couple of things first.

And never use that shit on your girlfriends money tree! You wanna go broke or something?!?

 

[monoclepop]

Yeah either too rich, too high/low ph or has been in the bag way too long although the last option wouldnt kill your plants i dont reckon...

Do you have Manutec products over there? Their ph soil test kit is awesome and lasts for ages. That would at least solve that issue.

It didn't look like lockout from low ph, which I've seen before with too high a dose of nutes. I've got some ph strips that I'll try tonight.



If it is too rich I'll see. I've got some clones which will need new repotting in a couple of weeks. I'll put one into 50% compost, one into a 30% mix.


Just going back earlier to your point on using 30% perlite. I thought perlite was mainly used as a spacer to provide extra aeration - isn't this likely to exacerbate issues of water retention?

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

The perlite will aid in drainage and air retention. Also provide a habitat for beneficial microbes which will then innoculate any new medium when you recycle your mix.

Vermiculite holds way more water then perlite and can make a medium too soggy. Some people love using a 50/50 mix of perlite and vermiculite but i aint tried it.

I swore off it for a while but it works and is good value in 100 litre bags.

 

[aussiepurp]

in the past ive used vermiculite and perlite in a potting mix to provide decent drainage ive also noticed nice growth and happy plants

 

[monoclepop]

Today I picked up a bottle of Seasol - there's a sick money tree in the house could do with a pick me up. Great to see from their website that the kelp is all sustainably harvested.

For my grow - is there any danger from following the stated dose on the back? They state 10ml per 3 litres. My plants tend to be a bit nute sensitive so don't wanna whack them with too much if it could shake them up.

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

No danger with dosage but less is more. Also be careful as it is strongly alkaline. This wont be a problem at 10mls per 3 litre unless your tap water etc is already high ph.

Just remember Seasol is more of a tonic than a fertiliser per se. It doesnt contain any nitrogen or phosporous but has potassium and many trace elements as well as a growth stimulant which will encourage more stretching and more bud sites.



Kelp meal and seaweed extract solutions are rich in growth-promoting hormones called auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins. They increase blossoms and yields in fruit, vegetable and flowering plants, as well deepening petal colour and enhancing scent. Kelp and seaweed also improve seed germination, increase storage life of fruits and vegetables, strengthen frost resistance in hardy plants and build resistance to insects and fungus diseases. Kelp meal can be dug into soil around plant roots, or seaweed extract can be diluted in water and delivered as foliar feed by spraying it on leaves several times during the growing season.

http://www.judithadam.com/articles_growth_stimulants.htm

 

[monoclepop]

Great link Silversurfer, that site really helps contextualise just what's going on with plant growth stimulants.

Garden Science:

Growing Better With Plant Stimulants

What gardener can resist providing a little treat that will help plants grow vigorously in spring? At the end of winter, the swelling buds on woody stems are signs that natural growth stimulants are stirring within the plant. Longer days and rising temperatures trigger the manufacture of plant hormones, a sure indication that new growth will soon be underway.

If you’re installing new plants, growth stimulants will help them to become established more quickly. Or you may want to enhance the performance of a plant already in the garden. Natural growth stimulants can increase the performance of your plants without jeopardizing their health with excessive amounts of fertilizer. That means stronger and healthier plants that are capable of increased fruit and flower production. Just what we want!

Appropriate timing is important to success with growth stimulants. Attempting to force a plant out of dormancy is a mistake that can result in stunted spring growth, just the opposite of what you want. Always wait for signs that the plant is ready to grow and has begun a growth cycle. Stimulants can safely be offered when buds have opened and the first flush of foliage is underway. New plants you purchase through the spring and early summer will benefit from growth stimulants, but don’t provide any after the first week of August. Tender new growth produced late in the season might not have enough time to harden before deep frost arrives.

One of my friends makes his own seaweed brew for his vege garden. I'm not sure how he does it, though I should definitely find out. Scouring the beaches for kelp sounds fun.

 

[wilbur]

low altitude coca

low altitude coca

hello all. hope yr gardens are doing fine.

for interest sake thought you might like to see a low altitude coca plant in a friendly garden. organic of course.

from what I 've seen on TV this plant is a miniature of the commercial plant grown higher up. it's probably much stronger tho, because there's no need to stuff one's mouth full of leaves ... five little ones will do.

adds great strength to the legs when bushwalking, gives a great sense of forward orientation ... like one is a PURPOSEFUL walker, very together ... no tripping over things.

(this summers mulch hay in the background, Silver.)

cheers!

 

[wilbur]

coca close up

coca close up

here's a closer look. the pale green colour is normal.

my two pots with turkeys' nest in them are growing things very nicely. I took Bonsai's advice to use Charlie Carp and seems the advice is very good.

in case there were nematodes in the soil I soaked with molasses at tablespoon per four litres before I potted up. the combination of M with C/C is producing very dark green leaves with even darker, almost blue, margins ... so I guess I 'm close to nutrient limits. will post some pics when I have something spectacular ... I hope.

keeping the pots cool is an issue. we've had no rain. it's the driest november since 1800 something. 35C at present and no humidity. no change in sight. which means dryland plant has been postponed ... but I ready to go when it does rain.

cheers again!

 

[High Country]

Today I picked up a bottle of Seasol - there's a sick money tree in the house could do with a pick me up. Great to see from their website that the kelp is all sustainably harvested.

For my grow - is there any danger from following the stated dose on the back? They state 10ml per 3 litres. My plants tend to be a bit nute sensitive so don't wanna whack them with too much if it could shake them up.

You'll be fine. I've used it many times, mainly on clones of all things. The recommended rate is 2 caps per 9 litres I think. I have over dosed and under dosed often....by being slack.

Did not cause any problems. Seasol seems to be good for healthy root growth and the general overall health of the plant. This stuff should be used with the addition of a quality fertiliser for veg and flower growth though.

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

Great link Silversurfer, that site really helps contextualise just what's going on with plant growth stimulants.

One of my friends makes his own seaweed brew for his vege garden. I'm not sure how he does it, though I should definitely find out. Scouring the beaches for kelp sounds fun.

Cool mate it also made good sense to me

The seaweed brew is just seaweed and fresh water. Some people recommend rinsing the salt off first, others say waste of time. Choice is yours The most important thing is to collect the seaweed from a pollution free area.

All of these organic brews are just weeds/herbs/flowers etc in water. Its so easy and much cheaper than the hydro store and the results will be superb just like organic erb

Ah Wilbur welcome back and whats this?! A coco plant! Awesome mate i want one Any chance of a cutting?

 

[Mtn. Nectar]

been tendin' organic for 35 outdoor seasons in central Cali and see it no other way..........why poison yourself, others, or mother earth........keep it clean.....

some of Loran's D'Bluze............

ganj on.......

aka:barefoot

 

[wilbur]

Hmm ... WELCOME Mtn Nectar (altho it's Silver's thread). I grow outdoors too and look forward to sharing notes! cheers!

 

[SilverSurfer_OG]

Hey Mountain Nectar

Beaut plants! We can make you an honorary Australian if you like

Got my spots outdoors all planted now with my White Rhino x Satori/Reclining Buddah. The males will be pulled and replaced with RB x Satori in a few weeks.

Going to go around today with a light watering of mollasses, kelp and a nettle/lucerne brew to help em along a bit. Then a mulch with lucerne pellets, kelp pieces and those covered with local vegetation. O yeah and some rooster booster pellets for good measure.

Been reading Sepp Holzer's book Permaculture. This guy is a legend and grows his fruit trees/vegies with no irrigation, fertiliser or pruning. Just mulch and a few teas/soaks etc. He is a master at making microclimates using ponds, rocks and raised beds made from brush wood, tree trunks etc.

Truly inspirational. He also gives his proven knowledge on animal keeping (all free range), mushroon cultivation and much more. All done 1500m above sea level in the Austrian alps.

Heres a couple of his vids:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzRzJRiUylg

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=235437896615994763

 

[bonsai]

Somehow I've not read that yet... Might just put in a request letter to Santa

 

[wilbur]

Silver, I see y're foliar spraying with kelp/molasses. wots the dilution rates for each and the percentage of each in yr final mix?

I 've used kelp before at 100:1 to rejuvenate a sick plant. Cheers!

 

[vandelay]

Bass liquid potash

Bass liquid potash

I am trying to decide on what to use during flowering. Bass liquid potash looks good 2.9.20 will it kill the microbes in my soil tho? I am feeding my plants a benni tea throught spring and summer and i dont want to kill off all my bacteria.