Tutorial Organics for Beginners

[delerious]

Rice Hulls

Rice Hulls

Can this http://www.groworganic.com/item_PSO500_Rice_Hulls_50_Lb_Bag.html be used instead of perlite in LC's mixes? Anyone used it or similar products? I'm wondering if it soaks up water and expands or any other properties to take into consideration - for example, if it's biodegradable and I re-use my soil, I'll have to watch to make sure I don't lose too much aeration with my soil mixes.

 

[dev0n]

Can this http://www.groworganic.com/item_PSO500_Rice_Hulls_50_Lb_Bag.html be used instead of perlite in LC's mixes? Anyone used it or similar products? I'm wondering if it soaks up water and expands or any other properties to take into consideration - for example, if it's biodegradable and I re-use my soil, I'll have to watch to make sure I don't lose too much aeration with my soil mixes.

I've talked with people about rice hulls in substrates a while back, so I know some people use it. The word I heard was that it had properties similar to perlite (low water-holding capacity, high air-holding capacity, and therefore little/no CEC), but there were some scary stories about residual chemicals depending on source. I'd say check it out, but think about sterilizing it before use.

 

[dev0n]

DUDE - tooled around on the 'net and found this: Rice Hulls 101 - it's an excellent article by Dr. Michael Evans published in Grower Talks, January 2008, pp 61-64. Has everything you could want to know.

 

[vonforne]

Another question on how to prepare LC#2 with the dry nute (recipe #1) for rest and re-use.

How much dolomite, kelp meal, bone meal, blood meal do I need to add per gallon of soil to bring just used soil back up to par?

Thanks

Well GM that is up for debate. How much did your plants use? Were they heavy feeders or light feeders?

Each round I add something different. Soil Building

If you want amounts.......I do not have an answer for that.

I add fresh compost and or EWC every time and with that my mineral substances. Dolomite lime for the amount of fresh compost plus some for the old soil. I also rotate sources of like P. One round will have bone meal and the next will have High P guano.

Did that make sense?

I guess just watch the plants and use your best judgment.

V

 

[grapeman]

Well GM that is up for debate. How much did your plants use? Were they heavy feeders or light feeders?

Each round I add something different. Soil Building

If you want amounts.......I do not have an answer for that.

I add fresh compost and or EWC every time and with that my mineral substances. Dolomite lime for the amount of fresh compost plus some for the old soil. I also rotate sources of like P. One round will have bone meal and the next will have High P guano.

Did that make sense?

I guess just watch the plants and use your best judgment.

V

Yes sir and ty. Hard for me to tell on one grow what was used and what wasn't. What I really noticed was the lack of stretch as compared to the same genetics in soil but with bottled nutes. Finished product was great though. I'm thinking that either the meals I used were just of so so quality or they are still in the soil and probably more ready for the next round. So I'm going to make one batch of new fresh soil with all the goodies, then augment the just finished soil with about 1/4 to 1/3 rate of meals and goodies of the original recipe then mix the 2 soils together at about 1/3 new soil to 2/3 old soil. I'll try that until I get the hang of it.

Thanks V

 

[Corpsey]

Well GM that is up for debate. How much did your plants use? Were they heavy feeders or light feeders?

Each round I add something different. Soil Building

If you want amounts.......I do not have an answer for that.

I add fresh compost and or EWC every time and with that my mineral substances. Dolomite lime for the amount of fresh compost plus some for the old soil. I also rotate sources of like P. One round will have bone meal and the next will have High P guano.

Did that make sense?

I guess just watch the plants and use your best judgment.

V

That does make sense, otherwise the plants would have too much with the long release ferts. what about blood meal? i would assume add fresh blood meal every time but maybe a smaller amount?

 

[grapeman]

That does make sense, otherwise the plants would have too much with the long release ferts. what about blood meal? i would assume add fresh blood meal every time but maybe a smaller amount?

Will do. thanks

 

[Spok]

so i mixed up 30 gallons of LC's mix peat based with dry ferts which has been cooking about a month.

about halfway through the month i added too much water resulting a hint of sewage smell which made me think the mix went somewhat anaerobic.

i started mixing the soil every other day hoping that the soil would dry up, but it seemed to stay the same.

I finally decided to dump out all the soil out of the trash bins onto a tarp where the soil is spread out to let dry.


Im worried ive destroyed my mix so i guess im wondering if after the soil is dry, will the mix still be able to reach its microbe potential? Also, does the sun affect the soil if beamed directly on it?

-thanks

 

[BurnOne]

so i mixed up 30 gallons of LC's mix peat based with dry ferts which has been cooking about a month.

about halfway through the month i added too much water resulting a hint of sewage smell which made me think the mix went somewhat anaerobic.

i started mixing the soil every other day hoping that the soil would dry up, but it seemed to stay the same.

I finally decided to dump out all the soil out of the trash bins onto a tarp where the soil is spread out to let dry.


Im worried ive destroyed my mix so i guess im wondering if after the soil is dry, will the mix still be able to reach its microbe potential? Also, does the sun affect the soil if beamed directly on it?

-thanks

It's fine. Everything is still in there. Keep mixing it until it dries up a bit. If it's been a month you can go ahead and use it.
Burn1

 

[Spok]

burn1

thats what i needed to hear, thnx man

 

[koolace]

great recipes, cant wait to put them to use!

 

[Spok]

It's fine. Everything is still in there. Keep mixing it until it dries up a bit. If it's been a month you can go ahead and use it.
Burn1

the soils fairly dried and now back in trash bins. Even though its been a month im not ready to use it so should i continue to keep it moist until i am ready?

-thanks

 

[grapeman]

the soils fairly dried and now back in trash bins. Even though its been a month im not ready to use it so should i continue to keep it moist until i am ready?

-thanks

Yes. I have kept soils in bins for months before i was ready to use them. I re-moisten with EWC & water, but I'm sure just plain old water (w/o chorine) would do you just fine as long as you remember to turn the soil once a week or so. my 2 cents.

 

[SecretGardener]

The flowering gunao mix instructs to use every watering. If you water every 3 days or so and it takes about 3 days to make a good brew this means your brewer is running 24/7. It seems like you'd go through A LOT of guano if using 2/3 cup every brew. Do you have to mix up a new dry mix to hang in the tea every 3 days or can you just keep using the same mix for a week or so? How long until you've exhausted it?

 

[Cool Moe]

not sure why you're brewing guano. i thought guano was mix and pour or topdress. what is gained by brewing guano for 3 days?

 

[FreshlyShaven]

not sure why you're brewing guano. i thought guano was mix and pour or topdress. what is gained by brewing guano for 3 days?

Not much, really. If you're sure to add EWC or compost though, letting it brew will allow you to combine your fertilizer tea and your nutrient tea into one watering.

 

[SecretGardener]

RECIPE #3 (My favorite)
If you want to use guano tea and kelp...

Guano Tea and Kelp:

Seedlings less than 1 month old nute tea mix-
Mix 1 cup earthworm castings into 5 gallons of water to make the tea.
Add 5 tbs. Black Strap Molasses.
Use it to water your seedlings with every 3rd watering.

Veg mix-
1/3 cup Peruvian Seabird Guano (PSG)
1/3 cup High N Bat Guano (Mexican)
1/3 cup Earth Worm Castings (EWC)
5 tsp. Maxicrop 1-0-4 powdered kelp extract
(That makes the "dry mix". You can make all you want and save it to use later.)
Mix with water @ 1 cup of dry mix into 5 gallons of water to make the tea.
To that 5 gallons of tea add:
5 tbs. Liquid Karma
5 tbs. Black Strap Molasses
Use it to water with every 3rd watering.

Flowering nute tea mix:
2/3 cup Peruvian Seabird Guano
2/3 cup Earth Worm Castings
2/3 cup High P Guano (Indonesian or Jamaican)
5 tsp. Maxicrop 1-0-4 powdered kelp extract
(That makes the "dry mix". You can make all you want and save it to use later.)
Mix with water @ 2 cups of dry mix into 5 gallons of water to make the tea.
To that 5 gallons of tea add:
5 tbs. Liquid Karma
5 tbs. Black Strap Molasses
Use it to water with EVERY watering.

Don't ask me why you'd want to use Guano, just read the actual original post.

 

[SecretGardener]

Not much, really. If you're sure to add EWC or compost though, letting it brew will allow you to combine your fertilizer tea and your nutrient tea into one watering.

What do you mean fertilizer tea and nutrient tea into one watering?

 

[vonforne]

the soils fairly dried and now back in trash bins. Even though its been a month im not ready to use it so should i continue to keep it moist until i am ready?

-thanks

Yes, and add some compost tea from time to time. And if you d let it dry out just re-activate it with a compost tea and fresh EWC.

V

 

[Phatty]

I thought recipe #3 was suppose to be "brewed" as well. Please inform if im wrong. Using 65 gallon root pots and wondering how much of the tea to use? Will 5 gallons water 65 gallons of Mix #2? I have never used this big of pots. Also do i dilute the tea or use it straight?