Gratitude for this community. Today I bought the AC Infinity 4’x4’ tent (got a good deal on a new unit in an ugly box). First time growing anything. This is happening.
While I’m waiting for NY to green light homegrow for us MMJ patients, I figured why not get busy bringing the soil to life and get things nice and dialed in.
So I’m thinking of ordering a 2’x4’ Grassroots living soil bed. Is that biting off too much for a first living soil effort? Should I get one of their fabric pots first?
My plan is to binge watch build-a-soil vids tomorrow and follow the recommendations on components from there. I’m also really interested in KNF and bubbling brewed teas and — ahh it just sounds like so much fun.
If you’re good at following instructions then go for it. Ain’t none of this rocket science. Organic soil is super easy, I’m basically a moron and I manage to bring the dank consistently with it. I just amend my soil with dr earth tomato blend at 1-2tbsp/gal soil, top dress before flower with the bud and bloom blend. I’d use compost, and build my own, but I just don’t have the space for all that. Good luck
I just started up a similar set up 2x4 living bed in a 4x4! The one thing to remember is it uses a lot of soil! 8 or 9 cu! Ill be transplanting into it soon, just waiting on the clones to be ready. The learning curve for me will be watering. I got one of the reotemp moisture meters and am using the readings from my plants in pots to try to figure out whats ideal for moisture.
I bought autoflower seeds before I knew what autoflower was! It takes a village idiot!
I could not have found this community sooner to save me from more major bonehead moves.
If it were me, I would get a Grass Roots 3x3 bed for the 4x4 tent. I would then get a Build-a-soil “take and bake” kit. That should get you going without many issues.
I went with a 2x4 for 4x4 so that it is easier to access the whole bed, and so that it only took up half of the tent and I could still do some separate plants in pots. 3x3 would leave you with less room for anything else in there. Either works just depends what’s desired!
It can be as simple or complex as you want really. I went as simple as humanly possible and have been getting pretty good results. 1/3 compost 1/3 peat 1/3 aeration and worm castings wouldn’t hurt. I mixed my nutrients in with the soil but if I were to make another mix I would leave them out of the mix and just top dress immediately, as it seems to be more forgiving. I don’t do compost teas or anything like that, just water.
Hey, hey thanks for replying! I will check your posts to see what protocol you are using. Are the build-a-soil videos kinda “the place to start” in your opinion? Right now I’m so green I’m not at all worrying about optimizing (eventual) yield or anything. My goal is just to create a healthy bed and keep it healthy.
Watering! So are you doing automatic watering or hand watering? I’m thinking of starting with hand watering to keep the number of new things going on at once to a minimum.
Oh! Did you put any liner or riser or anything under the bed or is the bed directly on the tent floor?
GL with your transplant! I’ll be looking for your updates.
Build-a-soil is great. Sometimes they use a few too many additives and such - nothing that’s bad but perhaps overkill / overcomplicating, at least to start with. I think it’s good to start simple - coots soil mix is great and learn the proper amount of water. Top dress for nutrients when needed, etc. Get some Gnatrol off ebay or wherever to help with gnat control.
I hand-water and will be using that moisture meter to help judge when and how much. Eventually some form of automation would be cool so it can be on auto-pilot for vacations.
I have the bed on a bit of eva foam to insulate the basement floor, otherwise it’s just in the tent.
Aaaaaaand this is why I come here. That sounds good @ReikoX. What is your take on watering systems? What “cover crop” would you plant to prep the soil for cannabis? I’m waiting until NY officially legalizes home grow for MMJ patients like me (hopefully very soon) but I am ready to start failing, I mean learning, I mean failing…
I’ve actually never seen let alone touched or smelled a living cannabis plant in my life. I take CBD with delta 8 THC. I will be making oil for sublingual administration with my (hopefully eventual) harvest. The oil has changed my life immeasurably and I know there is a whole universe to discover.
I am a firm believer in having as much soil as possible. The 3x3 grass roots beds are a little smaller than that, but I guess it is a trade off.
I just started using the Tropf Blumat watering system and I love it. Prior to that I would hand water with a Chapin sprayer.
I have a love/hate relationship with cover crops. The 12 seed clover mix from BAS is what I have used a lot in the past, but the clover is just seems to attract thrips. I have been playing with dichondra, it’s not a legume, but is a good ground cover.
Check out my tincture thread for a whole bunch of ideas on how to make your own medicines.
Thanks so much @Kami I appreciate your post and link. We are almost there but not quite. That notification had a lot of people confused (including me) and was the opening of a public commenting period. If you look at this FAQ (scroll down to the section “General” and then part 5, it is pretty clear.
5. Can I legally grow my own medical cannabis at home?
Not yet. On October 21, 2021 the Cannabis Control Board advanced proposed regulations for home cultivation of medical cannabis. The proposed regulations follow the requirements of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) . The public comment period ended January 18th. The OCM is reviewing the public comments on the proposed regulations to determine whether amendments need to be made before the regulations are filed for adoption.
Patients and designated caregivers CANNOT legally cultivate medical cannabis at home until the regulations have been formally adopted.
When the final home cultivation regulations have been adopted, a notice will be posted on our website notifying patients and designated caregivers that they can legally cultivate medical cannabis at home in accordance with the regulatory requirements.
As you’re watching BAS videos and perusing the BAS website, don’t forget you can shop local too.
For example, even my local garden (not hydro) store carries a significant line of Down to Earth dry amendments because local people use them in veggie gardens as much or more than people use them for cannabis. For some of the other standards, like compost, kelp meal, etc., look to local grain elevators or farm supply stores. They may have larger bags that come out significantly cheaper in the long run than buying 2-5 lbs at a time through BAS–and are often the exact same brand that BAS sells. Buying quality organic compost locally is much more cost effective than buying something like Malibu Compost from BAS just because it’s in the videos. For malted barley, you can check out your local home brewing supply companies.
