@grease_monkey follow this shit. This is why I don’t really fertilize in the swamps
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What do you think of pistachio shells for drainage? I think they’re less likely to float to the top than perlite.
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I’ve been using macadamia nut shells from my tree for aeration in my garden. Doesn’t seem to hurt
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I used to add them to my worm bin and didnt like them because they wouldn’t break down very fast and wouldn’t fit through the screen. Problem is, they do eventually break down. I prefer pumice for a long term bed.
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I tried boiling them. They temporarily became translucent but returned to their original state when they dried and cooled. Put 'em in a sock and beat them with a hammer. How do you know when worms like something?
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It was just a personal preference, I’m the one who didnt like them, the worms were indifferent.
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I’m finding red wigglers in all my potted plants now. They have found their own way in as I had only put them directly in the garden last fall. I put out a pound and they are absolutely everywhere now
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I found some in my 1 liter pots the other day, I never put them in there, must be leaving eggs in the soil I remove from my 10 gal pots and re distribute.
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Hey @ReikoX, what do you use for your 4 cups of mineral mix?
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1 cup gypsum, 1 cup oyster shell flour, 1 cup basalt rock dust, 1 cup glacial rock dust.
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@ReikoX- looking for some advice on taking this soil mix thru flowering and harvest.
I followed your recipe, except for the mineral mix- you think I’ll have micronutrient issues during flower? I’m in 7 gal pots…
Also, ive been feeding w foxfarm grow big, but plan to cut that off now that I’m 2 weeks into flower. I want to make sure I have enough nutes to get me thru to harvest, and I dont care if its thru bottle feeding, amendments or both. Just want to avoid being deficient.
Following your teas Reikox- should that be adequate to finish me out if I’m rotating different teas thru flower? Should I have a bottled bloom nute just in case? I wouldnt classify my soil as “living or no til” yet bc this is the 1st run w it.
I should note I topped dressed w ewc a couple weeks ago, the build a soil craft blend last week, and a little neem cake this week. Looking for the right plan to get me thru flower happy and healthy!
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Did you add any minerals or rock dusts? They are important for pH buffering as well as calcium and micronutrients.
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Yeah, dolomite lime and azomite was what I had on hand
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You should be fine then. If you’re worried about micro nutrients, pick up some TM-7. It has seven essential micronutrients in it.
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Cool, how about the macros- you’re good w just the teas to get you thru flowering? How about top dressing?
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I usually top dress EWC and neem when I flip to flower. Otherwise just teas and what’s in the soil.
Speaking of buffering and such got me thinking about how effective the use of crushed oyster shells as aeration and a buffer the recycled living soils. Heres a paper I found on it.
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@ReikoX what’s your sweet spot for steeping the barley tea, we talking an hr or 2 or do you steep the full 4 hrs and no more? How about aeration- you running bubbles too or just the soak?
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Honestly, now I just top dress with the malted barley and water in with the fulvic, aloe, and silica.
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Nice, still once a week? Recommendation for amount to use top dressed on 7 gal pot?