I have plenty of wood that’s past bonfire stage. Lots of red cedar. That probably wouldn’t be the best to use tho right? I’ll used hedge or hackberry. Those would probably work better in the end.
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Yeah cedar does the same thing as above. If you google Hügelkultur they have a list of wood not to use.
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Awesome. Should have done that in The first place. Thanks man!
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I wouldn’t think that hedge would be a good one, if you’re referring to Osage orange. That is supposed to take forever to break down, and that’s why they make fence posts from it. The natives would also pick a perfect branch and make a bow from it, because it was a strong, long lasting wood. I believe bugs mostly avoid it as well iirc.
Edit: I’m gonna read up on that h word.
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Yeah, I was trying to remember, I think I actually added uncharged bio char to my soil mix once and didn’t notice any issues. But I also think that that batch of soil sat in the garage for a couple months before I used it.
That’s exactly how I’ve charged my bio char. But I think I let it sit for a week or so, can’t remember. You can brew a compost tea and pour it into a Rubbermaid container with the char, too. From what I remember, you basically just need to fill it with SOMEthing before adding it to your soil mix. Fish, compost tea, I’ve read rock dust, even a mixture of water and urine.
In addition to the cedar, there’s one other kind of wood that’s detrimental to cannabis growing, but I can’t remember what it is. Birch, maybe? Anyway, yeah, I like your idea of the rice hulls. Or straw. It seems to me that since @CADMAN is going to be planting the crimson clover, the initial mulch layer is just that: initial. Seems like once the living mulch is up and growing (and then dying back), whatever is used as mulch to start doesn’t really matter.
Unless it’s cedar haha.
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That’s interesting always want to try and build one I’v seen some really high ones built like 4-5 feet tall are yours shorter?
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I’ve seen some huge beds in Europe. Mine are small like 2 foot or so. I dug like 3 foot deep and piled everything up. When I started I thought with all the materials I added, it was going to be like 6 foot tall. But once everything is in and sits for a few weeks, it flattens out! I feel like I would need my loader if I wanted to go as big as some people. Possibly with extra top soil. I would love 4 or 5 foot tall Hügel beds but the digging could be crazy.
Some people dig out the paths between the beds because it makes a place for water to pool for the plants. Plus the logs and other matter soak a lot of moisture up.
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All this talk about biochar has inspired me to get some haha. Just ordered 11 gallons, which is enough to amend my soil at 5%. Been a few years since I’ve had any in my soil mix, pretty stoked to get it in there.
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I’ve been thinking about getting some for my pots. I put it in my initial mix but since have added pots. I took two 20 gallon notill pots and made four 30 gallon by adding to it. I still see a piece of biochar here and there in the pots but not much.
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Do you have worms bin your pots? Wonder if something is chowing down on the char I thought for some reason char doesn’t break down under normal conditions in the soil .
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yeah I have worms. I split the original two pots into four and added tons more soil. Its in there but not much. Did not have anymore char.
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I don’t think worms eat it. Have you ever seen those videos of, like, excavations of ancient areas, where there’s just levels and levels of bio char? When I was researching soil mixes and bio char etc, years ago, I came across some of those videos, it was crazy-looking.
I’d think that if a worm did eat some bio char, it’d just pass right through them.
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It would add to the mocrobiome on the biochar if a worm did eat it. Its just a carbon matrix for things to live on…
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Almost looks more like snacks rather than dirt ingredients!
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Actually, I got these from a health food store online lol kinda like the bulk barn. Definitely can eat all these. Well maybe not the Clover seeds haha.
The coconut chips I’m gonna blend into a course chunky powder and spead through the soil. Instead of feeding coconut water, this will slowly break down when I water 
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So what actually is the purpose of those coconut chips? Nobody ever answered that when I asked. I understand the role of coconut water in growing (cytokinins etc); do those chips just kind of serve as a sort of “slow release” form of coconut water? Nobody ever answered the banana leaf question, either. Are banana leafs used for their potassium?
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Yes exactly… I’ll use Coconut Chips in the soils as a slow release of cytokinins ect. Not sure if anyone had tried this yet. But in theory it makes sense.
Bannana leaves cut up and in soils assists with potassium during veg and flower.
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Did some more research and yip. Your right. No Cedar chips. BUT maybe I can just have some in the tent In general, not in the pots just kinda in a mesh bag to piss off any possible pests.
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Received NemaKnights nematodes 4004423 Biological prevention (fungus gnats, white flies, thrips ect) has anyone used this as a prevention? Or just waited till they needed it?
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