Organic Growing from a Microbial Perspective

[Microbeman]

BP:

To add to what was stated by my good friends, peatmoss does not expand that much upon being wetted. It does expand coming out of the bale.

As has been recommended soaking it ahead of time is what I do. I usually use hottish water because it has superior penetration. No hotter than 105F.

Contrary to many stories, sphagnum peatmoss contains bacterial/archaeal and fungal spores and protozoa cysts which contribute vastly to the life in your soil once you get rolling.

 

[xmobotx]

it almost seems off-topic but; i like to think of that time when you're mixing soil as preparing the culture for the life that you want to encourage in this living soil style of growing

hydrating w/ AACT is great too

 

[heady blunts]

i use act to drench the soil after mixing everything toegether to give it a biological kick in the pants.

 

[Weird]

Being able to brew for them and to apply them is one facet

creating environments that are optimized to host them is another

maintaining an optimized herd is another

many things that effect it are strategies like indoor / outdoor, container / open soil , available composts, etc

 

[Kozmo]

Bummer; I didn't know to hydrate my peat before I made my soul mix. I've just been steadily hydrating the whole nine cf. lot with ACT's and added worms.

 

[Coba]

Oh, that's the worst. Trying the hydrate peat after it's already in the pots... watching all the water roll off the top of the containers... It takes forever to drain right. always leaving that dry spot right in the middle. Nothing to do but, play in the mud pretty much at that point. I get my hands and fingers in there and start squishing all the water together with the dry stuff...

 

[Weird]

I mix my dirt in homer buckets, or mortar pans and because they don't have drainage they it is easier to hydrate, also the mortar pan gives more surface area making it more thorough

As Jiggywhompus once suggested I mix each containers soil separate to guarentee every pot has the same exact amount of all components used.

I keep a pump sprayer around to wet down peat or anything else I am working with if it is dry and making dust, before I even fuck with it.

I haven't used it in a long time but SM-90 was very good at helping hydrate overly dry peat (when water beads off of it)

I haven't used yucca in the same way but it might be a viable alternative

 

[CannaBrix]

Just started using yucca and can say it does work the same way