That's pretty sweet. I have seen folks here grow awesome plants like that!
Thanks! I feel lucky to have these seeds. I poked around JBC and a few other banks for months and what I wanted was usually sold!
Nice work,so many ways to do it but the end result is it works very well.Hydro growth with organic taste, what could be better.
They're probably in there. I used Mosquito Bits to knock gnats down once and that took them back down to a manageable level. But I will remember that! The more tools for IPM the better!
if you have some bomb EWC I wouldn’t worry about putting play sand on top. I never had a problem with gnats when I had my SIP going, and I didn’t have a cover. My plant started to out grow the SIP container so I took my cover off and added more soil on top. I put hay on top as a mulch and yeah never had any gnats. If you put sand on top, that’s going to be a bitch to remove, just to top dress
I wasn't sure if I wanted to start the grow with the tote lids on or off, but your post helped me decide to leave them off! I could use the humidity anyway (an evaporative humidifier is my next big purchase).
Yup shop vac works well,top dress and dump sand back on top.I wasn't sure if I wanted to start the grow with the tote lids on or off, but your post helped me decide to leave them off! I could use the humidity anyway (an evaporative humidifier is my next big purchase).
If I were to use sand to fight gnats, I would use a shop vac to remove it. DE might be another story!
The EWC is from my backyard. The soil is also from my yard. They go together really nicely!
It's funny, I just mentioned a couple weeks ago, that it would be nice to implement a res to a bed, and you had the idea already. Lol.... good shit man! I'm totally interested in this!
It's risky, yes. I don't know enough about what's in all my inputs to be in control. I'm hoping for a natural balance!
be careful with using soil from your backyard. Put it a black garbage bag and in the sun, so it kills the bad bugs. Also make sure it’s well aerated… but I’m sure you know that. Do you have a worm bin outside?I wasn't sure if I wanted to start the grow with the tote lids on or off, but your post helped me decide to leave them off! I could use the humidity anyway (an evaporative humidifier is my next big purchase).
If I were to use sand to fight gnats, I would use a shop vac to remove it. DE might be another story!
The EWC is from my backyard. The soil is also from my yard. They go together really nicely!
The soil is a vermicompost heap with various inputs in various stages of decomposition, mostly anaerobic (I think). It's basically a heap of dirt, leaves, grass, biochar, and non-animal kitchen waste that I stirred before taking what I need! It is chock full of many different bugs. It hasn't ever steamed or gotten temperature-hot, that I know of. The totes for my wicking beds are not heating up, and I guess I don't expect them to. I did add vermiculite and perlite, so between those and the big organic chunks from the vermicompost, I think it should be okay for aeration.
Did you mean aerobic? Anaerobic is not what you want, although LaB is anaerobic but amazing for your soil. I’m sure it’s giving it the nutrients it needs, if not it’s breaking down into humus and will be amazing for your soil. I don’t know where you live, but chances are they are deep burrowing worms. I highly suggest you get a worm bin, but keep your compost going. It’s very easy to keep a worm bin, just make sure balance the carbon/nitrogen. They love newspapers, straw, cardboard, leaves, etc. buy at Least a ten gal bin (apparently they don’t reproduce in smaller than that, at least that’s what the person told me whom I buy my red wrigglers from. Check out kashi composting as well, it’d be a great addition to your compost pile. Sorry to hear about the bugs. I work on a farm (not the green kind) and I gotta shower and change clothes before I look at my plants… it doesn’t always happen.
Thanks for the good words!
well as far as it being outside, make sure it temperature of the bin doesn’t go over 85. Ants are also a problem. I recommend keeping it inside. My bin doesn’t smell and it shouldn’t. Everything stays in the bin, I have had pill bugs escape, but that’s about it. It’s easy to maintain and the benefits are better than anything you can buy on the shelf. Doesn’t require that much attention, hell you can forget about them for a few weeks and they’re fine.
