Recycled Organic Living Soil (ROLS) and No Till Thread

[st0wandgrow]

Awesome thanks bro. ALSO, would people using less cups per foot be using a lot of teas vs those using more cups per foot? Can i burn the plants adding too much or would it just be unnecessary? I have heard alfalfa meal can be pretty hot though

I would say the amount of meals that you use, and wether you need to supplement with teas would be a strain dependant thing. IMO it's tough to over-do the meals and "burn" a plant in organics. The nutrient value is tied up in those meals, and is released over a relatively long period of time through mineralization.

It's a pretty forgiving way to grow. If your compost is of a high quality, and you keep the medium at the correct level of moisture you could train the monkey in my avatar to grow your plants

 

[earthling420]

I would say the amount of meals that you use, and wether you need to supplement with teas would be a strain dependant thing. IMO it's tough to over-do the meals and "burn" a plant in organics. The nutrient value is tied up in those meals, and is released over a relatively long period of time through mineralization.

It's a pretty forgiving way to grow. If your compost is of a high quality, and you keep the medium at the correct level of moisture you could train the monkey in my avatar to grow your plants

lmao nice cause i feel like that monkey lol alright thanks again bro

 

[smokey the cat]

Hey man, so i take it the straw will probably dry out very quickly and blow away in an instant ? I could find out and order a bale of alfalfa, atleast it will be way easier to deal with if it does sprout aswell ? On the other hand would a 2" layer of lucerne mulch be okay for my ladies or possibly a bit too strong cause it is more potent than afalfa? Peace man thank you for the input.

I get a lot of wind where I am, but the light mulch of clover and grasses I've put on on my outdoor containers stays put. Surprised the hell out of me, lol.

The mulch next to the soil almost immediately starts rotting down so becomes limp and quite sticky - it sort of glues the loser mulch on top of it to the soil.

If you wet down your mulch for the first few days I reckon you'll be sweet.

 

[SouthernSoil*]

I get a lot of wind where I am, but the light mulch of clover and grasses I've put on on my outdoor containers stays put. Surprised the hell out of me, lol.

The mulch next to the soil almost immediately starts rotting down so becomes limp and quite sticky - it sort of glues the loser mulch on top of it to the soil.

If you wet down your mulch for the first few days I reckon you'll be sweet.

I love living mulch bro, awesome how it all sits in place though but i want to ask bro, what do you guys use in winter & what do you use in summer ? Cause i remember last time i wanted to get some although the supplier said they were only suitable for cool weather.

Really appreciate the confirmation that using the hay will be sweet & i thought it should kind of glue itself together if i wet it down, thank you bro ! much respect

 

[smokey the cat]

I don't plant anything outside in winter -too rainy and cold (8*C) and my place doesn't get all that much direct sun in winter.

My mulch - I've got grasses and clover weeds growing in all my ornamentals in pots - this is what I've harvested and used as "traditional mulch" for my outdoor container vege garden (along with some roughly chopped dandelions I've cut out of the lawn). My "living mulch" in my ornamental plant pots is all self-seeded weeds - guess that means that they have self selected for my growing conditions, lol

Aerated compost teas and SST are the secret to container garden health I reckon. SST turns everything into a monster, and ACT makes plants thrive in any crap potting mix.

 

[SouthernSoil*]

I don't plant anything outside in winter -too rainy and cold (8*C) and my place doesn't get all that much direct sun in winter.

My mulch - I've got grasses and clover weeds growing in all my ornamentals in pots - this is what I've harvested and used as "traditional mulch" for my outdoor container vege garden (along with some roughly chopped dandelions I've cut out of the lawn). My "living mulch" in my ornamental plant pots is all self-seeded weeds - guess that means that they have self selected for my growing conditions, lol

Aerated compost teas and SST are the secret to container garden health I reckon. SST turns everything into a monster, and ACT makes plants thrive in any crap potting mix.

I see what you mean bro, we also get to about that temp but no rains as its mostly summer rainfall here where i am.

Thats dope dude ! so basically just by planting a few clover around your garden and so on its automatically now seeded itself into your ornamental pots along with the weeds that were already there : ) ? Got to love nature man ! I have some wood sorrel that grows around my area and sometimes acts a a great ground cover around veggies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxalis_stricta , also have some natural clover in a corner of garden but i need it to seed & i have some dandelions popping up voluntarily aswell which i want to leave until the population grows so i can chop em up.

Bro you guys use alfalfa seeds to make SST's right ? Id be really interested in giving it a try !

 

[farm hippie]

Hey, I'm a total newbe in the area of no till indoor gardening as well as to forums online of any sort. So please excuse me if I commit any forum sin and educate me.
I've grown off and on since 89. A few years ago I finally realized my dream and bought a farm out in the sticks. I'm working on being off the grid and as self sufficient as possible.
I got on here originally to find companion plants for MJ. Wanting to do a biodynamic grow approach.
Wow! You guys are amazing! First thank you for putting such great info out there. After reading such good stuff I know my instincts were right on but how to execute is another matter. I live in an unfriendly state so I stay four plants or less. ( misdemeanor ) and tried growing outside a few times. Last time a cow got loose and ate my girls about two weeks from harvest. Boy was I sick. So I now only grow indoors for myself and a sick friend. I use a 4 1/2x4 1/2 x7 tent. And currently1000w hps but am considering a smaller different light source.

Now for my questions. What can I use from my farm to start my no till set up inside. I have chickens, ducks, sheep, a cow, soon bees and rabbits. I own woods on a hillside with a creek and pasture on bottoms. Most things like nettle etc grow wild out here and I've always watered my plants from the creek although in winter ph is usually around 7.5-8 so I adjust. Lot of limestone and ball clay here in bourbon country. The forest is full of humus and leaf mulch(obviously)
Any suggestions on how I might get started?

 

[farm hippie]

That's the creek I water from looking out kitchen window. It seems silly to me to go buy a bunch of stuff when so much is available right here. What do I really need to buy? Ok kelp is not available but can't I use a local substitute?

 

[CannaBare]

Lemme guess. Tennessee? I was just eyeballing a place just like that! You beat me to it lol

 

[farm hippie]

View attachment 3311247 That's the creek I water from looking out kitchen window. It seems silly to me to go buy a bunch of stuff when so much is available right here. What do I really need to buy? Ok kelp is not available but can't I use a local substitute?

Btw I grow a lot of autos for sake of time. Current grow. Embarrassing compared to yours. Auto pounder with cheese and one tangelo rapido seven and half weeks from seed.

 

[farm hippie]

Lemme guess. Tennessee? I was just eyeballing a place just like that! You beat me to it lol

No north of there

 

[DonPetro]

View attachment 3311235 Hey, I'm a total newbe in the area of no till indoor gardening as well as to forums online of any sort. So please excuse me if I commit any forum sin and educate me.
I've grown off and on since 89. A few years ago I finally realized my dream and bought a farm out in the sticks. View attachment 3311235View attachment 3311236 I'm working on being off the grid and as self sufficient as possible.
I got on here originally to find companion plants for MJ. Wanting to do a biodynamic grow approach.
Wow! You guys are amazing! First thank you for putting such great info out there. After reading such good stuff I know my instincts were right on but how to execute is another matter. I live in an unfriendly state so I stay four plants or less. ( misdemeanor ) and tried growing outside a few times. Last time a cow got loose and ate my girls about two weeks from harvest. Boy was I sick. So I now only grow indoors for myself and a sick friend. I use a 4 1/2x4 1/2 x7 tent. And currently1000w hps but am considering a smaller different light source.

Now for my questions. What can I use from my farm to start my no till set up inside. I have chickens, ducks, sheep, a cow, soon bees and rabbits. I own woods on a hillside with a creek and pasture on bottoms. Most things like nettle etc grow wild out here and I've always watered my plants from the creek although in winter ph is usually around 7.5-8 so I adjust. Lot of limestone and ball clay here in bourbon country. The forest is full of humus and leaf mulch(obviously)
Any suggestions on how I might get started?

Btw I grow a lot of autos for sake of time. View attachment 3311253Current grow. Embarrassing compared to yours. Auto pounder with cheese and one tangelo rapido seven and half weeks from seed.

First off, big ups to you for finding paradise, simply beautiful. Second, plants look great! What size containers you rocking there?
I would gather the various materials you mentioned and build as big a compost pile as possible. The end product will have great bio-diversity and can be used in your soil mix and outdoor gardens. You can top-dress with the rabbit poo and mulch with the leaves. I would also suggest starting a worm bin and run some of the materials you mentioned through it. Worm castings are the shit!

 

[farm hippie]

What is a smart pot? I use ten gallon plastic planters from lowes and for my food gardens I use the same planters and also raised beds. I empty them all into the compost pile mix it all in and refill in the spring. I found that I don't have to rotate crops that way. Would this soil be ok indoors since there is no winter indoors? The freeze thaw cycle helps break things up outside.

First off, big ups to you for finding paradise, simply beautiful. Second, plants look great! What size containers you rocking there?
I would gather the various materials you mentioned and build as big a compost pile as possible. The end product will have great bio-diversity and can be used in your soil mix and outdoor gardens. You can top-dress with the rabbit poo and mulch with the leaves. I would also suggest starting a worm bin and run some of the materials you mentioned through it. Worm castings are the shit!

i do put worms in my planters. A couple of years ago I bought a bag of castings for like thirty bucks then it dawned on me to just put worms in.
I do have a big compost pile have to use a front loader to mix it. When it rains big a lot of forest debris ends up washing down the hill into the pasture so I collect that into pile too. Problem is I have a hard time getting it to cook

 

[farm hippie]

What is a smart pot? I use ten gallon plastic planters from lowes and for my food gardens I use the same planters and also raised beds. I empty them all into the compost pile mix it all in and refill in the spring. I found that I don't have to rotate crops that way. Would this soil be ok indoors since there is no winter indoors? The freeze thaw cycle helps break things up outside.

i do put worms in my planters. A couple of years ago I bought a bag of castings for like thirty bucks then it dawned on me to just put worms in.
I do have a big compost pile have to use a front loader to mix it. When it rains big a lot of forest debris ends up washing down the hill into the pasture so I collect that into pile too. Problem is I have a hard time getting it to cook

oh and thanks. The plants are in my soil mix. But by the end of the grow like now I end up having to use some light ferts. Did not know about teas and such till now.

 

[DonPetro]

What is a smart pot? I use ten gallon plastic planters from lowes and for my food gardens I use the same planters and also raised beds. I empty them all into the compost pile mix it all in and refill in the spring. I found that I don't have to rotate crops that way. Would this soil be ok indoors since there is no winter indoors? The freeze thaw cycle helps break things up outside.

i do put worms in my planters. A couple of years ago I bought a bag of castings for like thirty bucks then it dawned on me to just put worms in.
I do have a big compost pile have to use a front loader to mix it. When it rains big a lot of forest debris ends up washing down the hill into the pasture so I collect that into pile too. Problem is I have a hard time getting it to cook

Smart pots are pots made out of heavy fabric usually and the big advantage is that they "air-prune" the roots preventing them from spinning out like they can do in plastic pots.
You may want to add more manure to your pile and provide a high N source such as alfalfa or blood meal to stimulate the microbial action.

 

[farm hippie]

Smart pots are pots made out of heavy fabric usually and the big advantage is that they "air-prune" the roots preventing them from spinning out like they can do in plastic pots.
You may want to add more manure to your pile and provide a high N source such as alfalfa or blood meal to stimulate the microbial action.

Cool. Thanks although even when I clean the chicken coup out and put a couple months worth of dung it still won't cook. Yet it is such a hot fertilizer you can not use it directly or it will burn the shit out of most plants

 

[farm hippie]

wha

Cool. Thanks although even when I clean the chicken coup out and put a couple months worth of dung it still won't cook. Yet it is such a hot fertilizer you can not use it directly or it will burn the shit out of most plants

t is a good size smart pots to use in a4x4 tent?

 

[farm hippie]

wha

t is a good size smart pots to use in a4x4 tent?

so it seems the important thing is to build a living soil out of organic matter and amend with minerals that the organics will take from as needed. Is that the basic gist of it. I feel like such a newb after reading all your alls posts.

 

[farm hippie]

Smart pots are pots made out of heavy fabric usually and the big advantage is that they "air-prune" the roots preventing them from spinning out like they can do in plastic pots.
You may want to add more manure to your pile and provide a high N source such as alfalfa or blood meal to stimulate the microbial action.

What size is good? And aren't they a bitch to move. My tent goes in the loft in winter and down below in summer

 

[DonPetro]

What size is good? And aren't they a bitch to move. My tent goes in the loft in winter and down below in summer

In a 4x4 tent i would go with 4 7 gallon smart pots. They can be a bit of a pain to move around and are best placed in a catch tray for more easily moving and to obviously catch run off which can be an issue. I have seen root rot occur in large plastic pots even with adequate drainage. The smart pots allow for more even moisture distribution imo because of their ability to breathe.

so it seems the important thing is to build a living soil out of organic matter and amend with minerals that the organics will take from as needed. Is that the basic gist of it. I feel like such a newb after reading all your alls posts.

Yes, a good and plentiful humus source is the key. Mineral amendments are also very important for micro and trace elements. Combine the two and let the plant do its thing. Its great peace of mind knowing your medicine was only given water throughout its entire life.