BarnacleBill
Well-Known Member
Hello family, it's been awhile since I came out from under the warf for a discussion. But hey, I'm still bobbing around wich is a good thing. So here we go.
Back in the early 1980's when I first started growing, today's tech and science was nonexistent. The concept of hydroponics was in it's infancy and we'll out of the reach of the average grower. We used known practices that were from the agriculture industry and if it worked for them we followed suit. I thought we we hightech using an old sewage pump truck to suck the muck up out of the slop pond at the end of the dairy barn to flood our grow field... Hey, what did we know other than it really increased our yeild dramatically! Over the years we adopted other practices and that was the introduction of various fertilizers and chemically enhanced ferts and neuts. I mean hey, it was a hell of a lot easier filling a sprayer than sucking up cow waste from a pond, not to mention moving it! In a nutshell, hell yeah, I got lazy!
Now that I'm on the doorstep of pushing the big "six-0" with more medical issues than I care to admit too, I am seriously concerned about what goes into my body. Between the amounts of recreational drugs I've consumed and the medications that I've ingested and the radiation I've been exposed to this old ship feels dry rot from bow to stern. It not the matter of the quantity of my life anymore but more so the quality of it. The same holds true to my grows. Okay let me rephrase that, quantity is STILL important if it's QUALITY...
After years (who am I kidding, decades!) of being a mindless Monsanto soldier fostering a scorched earth philosophy in the pursuit of capital gains, life has slowed to a more natural pace and my waypoints are much more attainable. I am finally committed to weening myself off the teat of the Monsanto monster and moving back to harmony and a natural relationship with what I grow.
... and as usual I have lost my course, my apologies. Who wants to listen to an old scallywag who's ship has sailed without him. Let's turn to port, lash down the cleats and see what's in the hold. Enough sea chanteys for now...
Recently I have been looking into several living soil programs for my next grow and feel like I have settled on one in particular. I am wondering if any of you mates have used this particular one. I confess that this is not my program but have pirated it from growingyourgreens.com who in turn has done the same from a source aka Master Mark (I really would like to know that particular captain!). Here is their manifest:
They are starting with Fox Farm "Ocean and Forest" as a base wich they modify from there. Now I must say that they recommend starting seedlings in "Happy Frog" and graduate it from there up to the "Ocean and Forest" mix. Since I mostly grow auto strains in a closet tent since loosing the farm and their extremely fast growth rate, I intend on starting with the modified "Ocean and Forest" from step one.
To the "Ocean and Forest" they are adding 20% of the volume of the initial amount of soil the following additives. If your starting with let's say 10 gallons of dry soil, after the additives you should have 16 gallons of soil because you added 20% of each additive. Make sense?
1) An all natural Biochar. In essence this is a mixture of finally ground natural charcoal. This is commercially available from several companies such as Organic Solutions among others. Some companies add additional supplements such as rock dust wich also helps create a microbial foundation.
2) A single hydroponic substrate. Now you ask "Why that? I'm growing in soil, not hydroponics." Well we need a home for the microbial bacteria to live and this is our source. The beneficial bacteria will adhere and reproduce on these pieces of substrate. They recommend using "Hydrocorn" due to the irregular surface area. It's like having a fish tank, when you initially start the tank it will cloud. Once you have an established bacteria colony in your filter, the bacteria will actually assist in the filtration process. In our case, the bacteria will help assist in breaking down the nutrients making them available to the plant as well as eliminating harmful bacteria.
3) Additional work castings. Ya gotta love worm poo! There is (In my opinion) no better soil additive than worm poo!
To this they additionally add:
1 to 2 cups of a Neem Seed Meal such as "Down to Earth" brand wich is a slow release nitrogen fert with a quantitative analysis of 6-1-2.
1 to 2 cups of kelp meal such as the "Grow More" brand.
What I find interesting is the fact that this soil ( if maintained properly through periodic topdressing, tea baths, organic cane sugars and a soluble kelp extract ) is supposedly reusable! This is awesome! They allege that the yields have actually improved through as many as five cycles after the initial planting.
On my next cycle I will be using this formula and will be doing an accompanying grow journal. I will cover feeding cycles at that time. I would greatly appreciate everyone's input on this thread if this is your sort of thing. I am especially interested in those that are following this program.
I appreciate you taking the time to read this, I realize it is long in the line . High tides and green fields to everyone!
Back in the early 1980's when I first started growing, today's tech and science was nonexistent. The concept of hydroponics was in it's infancy and we'll out of the reach of the average grower. We used known practices that were from the agriculture industry and if it worked for them we followed suit. I thought we we hightech using an old sewage pump truck to suck the muck up out of the slop pond at the end of the dairy barn to flood our grow field... Hey, what did we know other than it really increased our yeild dramatically! Over the years we adopted other practices and that was the introduction of various fertilizers and chemically enhanced ferts and neuts. I mean hey, it was a hell of a lot easier filling a sprayer than sucking up cow waste from a pond, not to mention moving it! In a nutshell, hell yeah, I got lazy!
Now that I'm on the doorstep of pushing the big "six-0" with more medical issues than I care to admit too, I am seriously concerned about what goes into my body. Between the amounts of recreational drugs I've consumed and the medications that I've ingested and the radiation I've been exposed to this old ship feels dry rot from bow to stern. It not the matter of the quantity of my life anymore but more so the quality of it. The same holds true to my grows. Okay let me rephrase that, quantity is STILL important if it's QUALITY...
After years (who am I kidding, decades!) of being a mindless Monsanto soldier fostering a scorched earth philosophy in the pursuit of capital gains, life has slowed to a more natural pace and my waypoints are much more attainable. I am finally committed to weening myself off the teat of the Monsanto monster and moving back to harmony and a natural relationship with what I grow.
... and as usual I have lost my course, my apologies. Who wants to listen to an old scallywag who's ship has sailed without him. Let's turn to port, lash down the cleats and see what's in the hold. Enough sea chanteys for now...
Recently I have been looking into several living soil programs for my next grow and feel like I have settled on one in particular. I am wondering if any of you mates have used this particular one. I confess that this is not my program but have pirated it from growingyourgreens.com who in turn has done the same from a source aka Master Mark (I really would like to know that particular captain!). Here is their manifest:
They are starting with Fox Farm "Ocean and Forest" as a base wich they modify from there. Now I must say that they recommend starting seedlings in "Happy Frog" and graduate it from there up to the "Ocean and Forest" mix. Since I mostly grow auto strains in a closet tent since loosing the farm and their extremely fast growth rate, I intend on starting with the modified "Ocean and Forest" from step one.
To the "Ocean and Forest" they are adding 20% of the volume of the initial amount of soil the following additives. If your starting with let's say 10 gallons of dry soil, after the additives you should have 16 gallons of soil because you added 20% of each additive. Make sense?
1) An all natural Biochar. In essence this is a mixture of finally ground natural charcoal. This is commercially available from several companies such as Organic Solutions among others. Some companies add additional supplements such as rock dust wich also helps create a microbial foundation.
2) A single hydroponic substrate. Now you ask "Why that? I'm growing in soil, not hydroponics." Well we need a home for the microbial bacteria to live and this is our source. The beneficial bacteria will adhere and reproduce on these pieces of substrate. They recommend using "Hydrocorn" due to the irregular surface area. It's like having a fish tank, when you initially start the tank it will cloud. Once you have an established bacteria colony in your filter, the bacteria will actually assist in the filtration process. In our case, the bacteria will help assist in breaking down the nutrients making them available to the plant as well as eliminating harmful bacteria.
3) Additional work castings. Ya gotta love worm poo! There is (In my opinion) no better soil additive than worm poo!
To this they additionally add:
1 to 2 cups of a Neem Seed Meal such as "Down to Earth" brand wich is a slow release nitrogen fert with a quantitative analysis of 6-1-2.
1 to 2 cups of kelp meal such as the "Grow More" brand.
What I find interesting is the fact that this soil ( if maintained properly through periodic topdressing, tea baths, organic cane sugars and a soluble kelp extract ) is supposedly reusable! This is awesome! They allege that the yields have actually improved through as many as five cycles after the initial planting.
On my next cycle I will be using this formula and will be doing an accompanying grow journal. I will cover feeding cycles at that time. I would greatly appreciate everyone's input on this thread if this is your sort of thing. I am especially interested in those that are following this program.
I appreciate you taking the time to read this, I realize it is long in the line . High tides and green fields to everyone!
