Dr. Bruce Bugbee method: NASA technique on Mars etc.

My tips for growing on Mars. Don't Flush!

What do you guys think about adding some neem cake to Dr. Bugbee's soiless media mixes? Good idea? To use for systemic preventative IPM.

Would this keep away the buggies such as Thrips and help me to avoid spraying/infestations? What percent neem cake would you recommend?

i really havent read through all this stuff because its 19 pages come on! but if you want to stick with a 20-10-20 regimen adding anything organic will mess up the ratios. neem cake is high in nitrogen mostly. i do use it sometimes when i have it. good stuff but in organics.

crimsonecho said:

i really havent read through all this stuff because its 19 pages come on! but if you want to stick with a 20-10-20 regimen adding anything organic will mess up the ratios. neem cake is high in nitrogen mostly. i do use it sometimes when i have it. good stuff but in organics.

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I'm focusing on a more cannabis specific nutrient instead of 20-10-20 because after all, Dr. Bugbee is also developing his own cannabis specific one.... As long as one is not overly pushing the PPM/EC, so why not? The organic material will break down to become more acidic of course, which is an important factor to consider.

But nevertheless I've heard and observed, that this idea that "organics and salts have to be mutually exclusive" -- simply isnt true. Many interesting nutrient lines do now offer both in a single set.

But of course, point well taken! That's partly why I ask what ratio might be cautious such as only a few percent of the media mix? @crimsonecho Would you however say that its even worthwile becaues its a great IPM benefit -- in that bugs are systemically deterred by using it in the media at a few percent?

...I see that Clamas Coot uses just one cup of neem meal per 7 gallons of media.... thats tiny, like 0.7% if I calculated correctly...

Overgrowtho said:

I'm focusing on a more cannabis specific nutrient instead of 20-10-20 because after all, Dr. Bugbee is also developing his own cannabis specific one.... As long as one is not overly pushing the PPM/EC, so why not? The organic material will break down to become more acidic of course, which is an important factor to consider.

But nevertheless I've heard and observed, that this idea that "organics and salts have to be mutually exclusive" -- simply isnt true. Many interesting nutrient lines do now offer both in a single set.

But of course, point well taken! That's partly why I ask what ratio might be cautious such as only a few percent of the media mix? @crimsonecho Would you however say that its even worthwile becaues its a great IPM benefit -- in that bugs are systemically deterred by using it in the media at a few percent?

...I see that Clamas Coot uses just one cup of neem meal per 7 gallons of media.... thats tiny, like 0.7% if I calculated correctly...

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i don’t think you can’t use salt based stuff at all in organics, by that i mean the end product will not be organic but it’ll still grow and finish but what i mean is salt based stuff can’t really sustain a healthy microbiota not at the level we desire as organic growers. not enough diversity or density compared to an organic soil. and in organic soil its that density and diversity that keeps it in balance. for example if for some reason any pathogenic microbe starts to reproduce faster than normal, more than likely there will be a natural predator already in your soil and those microbes will also start to reproduce faster and feed on the pathogen until a balance between those two is achieved. however this may not be the case in salt based farming where your only organic input will be neem cake but i haven’t done it so i’m not sure.

as for ipm, azadirachtin is taken in by the roots and distributed in the plant tissue, when taken via the roots the highest concentration will be at the roots but plant will also translocate the azadirachtin into leaves, stems and flowers and as far as i know there is still quite a bit of azadirachtin left in neem cake after the extraction so its probable that it’ll have benefits towards your ipm regimen but again seeing this is organics it’ll take time for the neem cake to breakdown and it’ll take more time for the plant to accumulate azadirachtin in meaningful concentrations.

so it is possible with a little bit of time but i this is all just deductions based on some articles i read i haven’t got any test results on my plants neither have i ever battled any pests in my grow area and the most important ipm rules i implement is shoes off in the house and showering as soon as i come home coupled with no fresh air intake.
so i’d maybe just use around 2 cups for 7 gallon if going for the ipm route and top dress every 2-3 weeks.

New bugbee video on choosing supplemental lights for houseplants. May be good for newbies looking to purchase a light. Hes looking snazzy with a new haircut!

Kassiopeija said:

they are cheaper.
would grinding the total content to fine powder & mixing that real well help to do away the imbalances?

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Even worse as the compressed partcles actually help. As it becomes dust it absorbs atmospheric moisture and humidty from the enviroment and becomes less and less consistant in small amount.

Its negligable untill the last bit which has the smallest partcile from being broken up and handled, those smaller partcles have even more surface area and are even more most reactive to a storage envirments...

Same things happen to bottles nutrients when stored or used incorrectly.

Dry nutrients are def a space saver