If I just made less cu. Ft. It would of exponentially been cheaper. Big grows, big munnies. Who knows, once i get the fabric pots inside the tent, i might be crazy enough to just do one 20 gallon at a time. $200 for local shopping- 3.8cu.ft. compressed peat, 10lbs kelp, 5lbs crab, 5lbs fish bone, 5lbs alfalfa, 5lbs neem, 1cu.ft. pumice, 1 cu.ft. lava rock, 1cu.ft. compost $100 for buildasoil- 40lbs basalt, 1lb yucca, 10lbs powder gypsum $35 for Brut Worm Farms- 1cu.ft. EWC $38 for Wakefield Biochar- 1cu.ft. Biochar $26 for Northern Brewer- 10lbs Unmilled Malted Barley So $400.. always exaggerate my round up xD Still trying to get the cheapest source for barley straw. I got time for that. All laid out. Sent from my SM-G986U1 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
How much more life can ya get out of it? Surprised you haven't moved on to LEDs Sent from my SM-G986U1 using Grasscity Forum mobile app
Soon on those leds. I bought the hps used with bulbs. Still running after a couple grows. Got a 100w spider farm to try and im using it for the veg cabinet.
Everything has arrived, time to get dirty tomorrow! look at me I can read and am intelligent so thats means im right and ur wrong
Oh wow that signature, thought i deleted that lol woops look at me I can read and am intelligent so thats means im right and ur wrong
Mixed the soil in a 100gallon fabric pot. Its exactly filled to where I thought it would, glad my measurements were all legit. 80% filled. Will be cooking in that 100gal. Wanted to take pictures at every step of the soil process but just wanted to get it done asap and not waste time. Ill take pictures when I go to mix the barley in. Totally screwed up and didnt blend the barley to powder in the processor, so another thing to mix in. Out of roughly 80gallons of soil, it took 5 gallons of yucca water to moisturize it enough to clump. It was really JUST the right amount of water. Used a pump sprayer while continuously mixing every crevice and layer. No dry pockets, no pockets of unmixed amendments. Couldve possibly used a tad more water but only had 5gal atm. Once i add the barley, ill add that tad of water+Recharge. Then the cook is on! Temp probe on its way, gonna log and graph the composting heat. Tired as fuck. Soil looks well aerated with that pumice and bigger lava rock. Possibly could add more pumice *shrug. Peat looks sufficiently mixed with the compost, ewc, and biochar. Fluffed the peat by hand for hours, making it powder basically. Have a lot extra of all amendments, peat, and , biochar, so more for the next batch someday. All by hand, nails are hating me. Despite it all, by far the best time ive had growing without even growing ha. Will be doing soil tests in the form of planting bag seeds weekly until a sprout thrives. Hoping it all lines up. Then a soil test to logan labs. Results, post, GROW.
Look moist enough? Pictures suck, cause it definitely is moist enough xP. Mixed in the barley, watered with recharge, about 3 more gallons.
Soil nearly at 120f and fungus starting. Kinda worried how much it dried out on the top in the past two days, so trying to get a mulch layer asap. Thinking im gonna use bags of mulberry leaves, itll be free. Watered a bit just to moisten the dry areas. Could tell its still plenty moist just below. Probes were on opposite ends, 16inch stems. Soil will be ready on 4/20, didnt realize that until now. Lol. Till next time
Wow, that’s hot! ( best Paris Hilton voice possible) You must have added the alfalfa and fish products?
Lmao, i can hear it perfectly 1/2cup alfalfa and 1/4 cup fish bone per cu. Ft. So yup! Gonna let it keep that heat for a couple more days then mix around to cool down and let it ramp up again.
Temps today still 120f. Letting it sit for a few more days. When I remix it and put the mulch layer on it, hoping itll kick up to 140f.
Do u have to turn it? I hear a famouse lady on soil composting say u must turn it to cook the edges and allow air inside air allows good bactera to grow and they liv in heat. But bad ones die. Fungal grows starts as temps drop. Fget her name all the notill farmers talk about her am baked cant think
Yupyup, turned it after 3 days of 120f. After i turned it, it never got back to 120f. Went to 90-100 for 2 days, then i turned it again and its chilling at 80f since. I thought it would take longer, which is why i planned to cook it for 2 months. TURNS OUT THIS RECIPE DOESNT EVEN NEED A LONG COOK AT ALL. Wish i figured that before I put alfalfa hay and some fresh leaves in it. Now I gotta wait for that to break down. Pile heated up a smidge to 85f cause of the alfalfa hay. Worms coming soon
Cleaned up, organized, and setup some stuff. Watered the pile with recharge, tossed it up. Took a slurry to test pH, did it a couple times, all came out to 6.7-6.5. Ill keep testing it. Fuck dolomite xP Starting to look into Logan Labs so i can prepare sending a sample once the alfalfa hay breaks down some more. Yeehaw
I got a bunch on hand, im definitely gonna use it as mulch . Ive read of people using a "green" and "brown" layer for mulch (related to c:n ratios), do you believe its good advice? I figure the alfalfa hay already has an ideal cn ratio despite it varying from leaf to stem. Not trying to get too concerned about cn ratio cause its still being researched in its entirety.