Bat Guano for Organic Indoor Gardening w/RooRman

[RooRman]

Thank's for your reply RooRman,

What amount of amendments do you add per bale of promix?

You can play with the amounts, which is the nice thing about making your own mix. This should get you started:

10-20% Perlite: for added drainage and soil aeration. Use closer to 20% for flowering mixes.

10-30% Worm Castings: for nitrogen, added micronutrients and aeration.

1-2% Dolomite lime: Pro-Mix BX Seed and Clone has this already added! So I don't add it. Basic Pro-Mix, to my knowledge, does not. Dolomite lime helps stabilize the pH of the soil. Pro-Mix is mainly peat and as the peat breaks down the soil gets more acidic. Dolomite lime is used to combat this natural lowering of the pH.

2-4% Kelp meal/Guano: For additional macro/micornutrients.

I have also worked with Rainbow mix as another added dry fertilizer. This contains mychorrizae which is a beneficial root fungus. Although it is best to age soil before use when using this as it allows the fungus to colonize the soil beforehand.

 

[ace705]

Do i still start out with the guano recommended in the feeding schedule
since the castings and guano are put in the mix?

If i use 20% perlite,20% worm castings,and 5% jamacan guano do i just
add it to 55% of a bale of promix bx?Just making sure i understand when you
mention percentage's.

I'll be using about 128 1gl grow bag's and was also wondering how much soil and amendment's i need to fill them.

 

[RooRman]

Do i still start out with the guano recommended in the feeding schedule
since the castings and guano are put in the mix?

If i use 20% perlite,20% worm castings,and 5% jamacan guano do i just
add it to 55% of a bale of promix bx?Just making sure i understand when you
mention percentage's.

I'll be using about 128 1gl grow bag's and was also wondering how much soil and amendment's i need to fill them.

Seeing as you add guano to the mix, there is no need to fertilize for the first few weeks of life. The general rule of thumb is to not feed seedlings until they have matured for two weeks, this is to prevent burning them. However, a small amount of nutrients in the soil mix will not harm them, and soil mixes like Fox Farms Ocean Forest manage to contain nutrients while remaining safe for seedlings. The secret is to not add too much, and I usually add very little in favor of feeding throughout the grow via waterings. 2-4% is the max that is recomended, you can go much lower or not at all if you wish to feed via waterings. Yet another benefit of mixing your own soil.

Ah percentages... why are stoners no good at math!?

As far as I can remember, a standard bag of Pro-Mix is 16 quarts. For instance, if we need to add 20% perlite to this quantity of soil we would multiply .20 (20% for the perlite) times 16 (amount in quarts of Pro-Mix) and we would get 3.2. This means 3.2 quarts of perlite should be added for every 16 quarts of Pro-Mix to obtain a 20% perlite to soil ratio. WHEW!

I don't know how much a "bale" of Pro-Mix is in quantity so I am at a loss with that one. Honestly, I've never had anywhere near 128 plants but recipes can always be modified for smaller or larger quantities using our good friend math.

 

[Boss]

3 cupfuls of this 1 and a half of that, a bag of this..feels good.. In it goes..

 

[Racefan]

3 cupfuls of this 1 and a half of that, a bag of this..feels good.. In it goes..

Are you still talking about growing?

 

[Boss]

You mean I can't sprinkle bat guano on my cheerios'? Man!

 

[RooRman]

3 cupfuls of this 1 and a half of that, a bag of this..feels good.. In it goes..

Rough measurment is fine with expierience. If you know what the soil is supposed to feel like you can get away with not measuring at all. However, for the first timer it is better to have some amounts as benchmarks to start with.

Sprinkling Bat crap on your Cheerios would probably taste...well...like crap.

 

[ace705]

Thank's for chatting with me Roorman,

The bale of promix is 3.8 cf and the the bag i think is 2.8 cf.

How many quart's are in a cubic foot of soil?
Is one 1gl of soil 4qt's?
Just trying to figure out how much each 1gl grow bag hold's.

Should i still put worm casting's in if i use all the flowering guano's?
Because i 'm putting clone's straight into flowering.

 

[RooRman]

Thank's for chatting with me Roorman,

The bale of promix is 3.8 cf and the the bag i think is 2.8 cf.

How many quart's are in a cubic foot of soil?
Is one 1gl of soil 4qt's?
Just trying to figure out how much each 1gl grow bag hold's.

Should i still put worm casting's in if i use all the flowering guano's?
Because i 'm putting clone's straight into flowering.

1. There are 4 quarts to 1 gallon, thats true of not just soil, but everything.

2. 1 cubic foot equals 7.5 gallons.

3. Worm castings are very low in Nitrogen and a better reason for using them is for the micro-nutrients and soil aeration they provide, rather then concentrating on the insignificant amount of one macro-nutrient (Nitrogen).

Based on this, I would still use worm castings in a flowering mix regardless. Also, to measure quarts easily I use the large chinese take-out containers from when you order a quart of soup.

 

[ace705]

Thank's for all your help Roorman,

I have one last question for you,do you have any experience with
Silver Pearl?It seem's to be a fussy bitch.

 

[RooRman]

Thank's for all your help Roorman,

I have one last question for you,do you have any experience with
Silver Pearl?It seem's to be a fussy bitch.

Silver Pearl

Plant height: Medium Plant
Stoned or high?: Stoned INDICA
THC level: Medium THC
Flowering Weeks: 7/8
Yield: 400/500
Harvest Month: 9/10

Silver Pearl is a wonderful strain that's a three-way hybrid of Early Girl, Skunk #1 and Northern Lights. It was developed in the early 1990s. An indica/sativa mix, Silver Pearl produces buds that are covered in trichomes. These buds, while potent and crystally, are not as overpowering as some of the other White strains. Silver Pearl is though, a very healthy and strong plant which usually finishes early. This makes Silver Pearl a great first-time grower plant.
Silver Pearl's taste is skunky but not too much. It's actually refreshing and light.

Since the high yields are highly coveted for the commercial market, Silver Pearls is excellent to grow with great indoor and greenhouse results.

The buds of Silver Pearl will have results similar to that of the frosted, resinous characteristics of the Northern Lights strains, and will also have both the sweetness and calyx-to-leaf ratio of Early Pearl and Skunk. Silver Pearl is also the winner of the mixed Indica/Sativa category at the Cannabis Cup. Silver Pearl will soon become a classic-just like it's parents are!
- Cited from 77seeds.com

I had to look this strain up. I have no personal expierience with it, but any strain containing NL is typically fairly easy to grow. What sort of porblems are you having? Maybe you could start your own thread for furthur help with this particular strain and any problems you are having.

 

[ace705]

The silver pearl i have must have more sativa in it because it get's the
donkey dick's on it.It came out kinda leafy and fluffy.I have 2600 watt's
of HPS over a 4'x8' area so that cant be it.The kush i had in there with it
was dense.I thought maybe it reverted back to veg but the kush did'nt.

I was using foxfarm ocean forest,planting mix, light warrior,and 30% perlite.
Also jamacan and indonesian guano.The pearl seem's to yellow real easy so
i gave it a little grow big around the 3rd week.The mother pearl seem's to want a lot of nitrogen or it will go down hill in a hurry.

Thank's for helping me like this,i have been growing for just over a year
and do allright with the kush but the pearl is pissing me off.I may have a
weak mother to start with.

 

[RooRman]

...I may have a weak mother to start with.

That sounds like an adequate guess. Perhaps the particular phenotype you are dealing with is not the best one within this strain. I would consider starting more seeds of this strain and selecting one that looks more promising as a new mother.

 

[ace705]

Thank's again for all your help RooRman,i'm going to mix up some soil with your
advice using some promix,perlite,and worm casting's they sell around here in
30lb bag's.

Wish me luck.

 

[Arising Green]

Hope you don't mind me bumping this great thread, but I've got some questions! lol

I really like the sound of that all in one Guano kit since I want to try organic teas.
But I see no mention of using an air pump/air stone to aerate the guano and H20?
Is this not required? If yes, please let me know.

If not, (keeping the 30 day expiration date in mind and since I have multiple plants
in multiple stages) could I stir up different strength guano teas and keep them
labeled in gallon jugs? So they are ready to rock when I need them?

Regarding EWC, I have these 'pellet shaped' EWC I get from Wal-Mart in a gallon jug.
They do dissolve in H20 but was wondering if these should be handled differently
than the EWC that come by the bagful?

And finally, would the guano tea kit provide all necessary nutrients (without having
to incorporate more nutes) for the plants at all stages? I'm thinking of using either
a 50/50 perlite/compost or 50/50 perlite/peat/lime.

And finally, lol, suppose I needed/wanted to add molasses or other organic goodies,
would they need to be bubbled for 24 hours or so? Or just shake, stir, wait, repeat?

 

[RooRman]

Excellent questions...

Hope you don't mind me bumping this great thread, but I've got some questions! lol

I really like the sound of that all in one Guano kit since I want to try organic teas.
But I see no mention of using an air pump/air stone to aerate the guano and H20?
Is this not required? If yes, please let me know.

It certainly couldn't hurt to mix it that well. I however simply leave the top off of the bucket, or cover it loosely.

If not, (keeping the 30 day expiration date in mind and since I have multiple plants
in multiple stages) could I stir up different strength guano teas and keep them
labeled in gallon jugs? So they are ready to rock when I need them?

I would not cap the jugs. As you assumed, it does need to aerate some. But yes you could pre-mix it provided you use it all within a month.

Regarding EWC, I have these 'pellet shaped' EWC I get from Wal-Mart in a gallon jug.
They do dissolve in H20 but was wondering if these should be handled differently
than the EWC that come by the bagful?

Sorry. I don't do hydro.

And finally, would the guano tea kit provide all necessary nutrients (without having
to incorporate more nutes) for the plants at all stages? I'm thinking of using either
a 50/50 perlite/compost or 50/50 perlite/peat/lime.

Bat guano takes a while to break down into the soil, so I usually use it in conjunction with another organic fert. with smaller numbers. This way you have something for instant and long term feeding. Because there are so many different varieties, bat guano is suited for all stages of growth. Also, your mixes sound good just take it easy on the lime!

And finally, lol, suppose I needed/wanted to add molasses or other organic goodies,
would they need to be bubbled for 24 hours or so? Or just shake, stir, wait, repeat?

I have used unsweetened pineapple juice, I just mix it in with the water.

What can I say... I'm all about "low-tech".

 

[Arising Green]

Awesome, thanks for the quick response!


I just got the idea of using only one 5-gallon bucket (aerated) with a 'souped up' organic tea that I could use on all the plants and dilute as necessary for younger plants. Would that work even with plants in different stages? (..Just trying to come up with an efficient method) Or perhaps having a Veg and Bloom tea bucket would be better?

Sorry. I don't do hydro.

Actually, I don't do hydro. (Unless using an air pump to aerate a tea is hydro?) I was just wondering if these pellet-shaped, hard EWC that I have will 'bubble' without clogging up the air-stone. I image the guano dissolves well in the water without worry of clogging, either? And can you give me an estimate on how long a Guano kit would last? I imagine quite a bit @ tbsp/gal..

Bat guano takes a while to break down into the soil, so I usually use it in conjunction with another organic fert. with smaller numbers. This way you have something for instant and long term feeding. Because there are so many different varieties, bat guano is suited for all stages of growth. Also, your mixes sound good just take it easy on the lime!

Would a small ratio of blood meal (veg) and bone meal (bloom) be adequate?
I know I could get those amendments locally.

Sooo...how does this sound?
Medium: Perlite-Compost-Blood Meal-Bone Meal
Tea: Guanos, molasses, liquid seaweed, EWC, Fox Farm Big Bloom, Budswell, chamomile, lime

I can't wait to get some frothy tea's going! lol.

 

[RooRman]

I would use seperate veg. and bloom mixtures. Make to seperate teas and use the mexican bat guano for veg. and the jamaican for flowering.

I'm sorry, but I still don't know what EWC is. Looks like you could teach me something.

Follow my instructions with regards to the temp. of the water and the bat guano should dissolve very well into a tea. Too much cold water means it will mostly stay in solid form, this is not desireable. I imagine the airstone will only help incoporate the gauno better.

The bags of guano are quite large and with a maximum dosage of 4 tbls. per gallon it should last you a long time. The kit contains 4 bags, one of each type.

You can play with the soil mix and tailor it to your specific needs. So far your mix sounds good, but I would mix a small amount of lime into the soil not feed it in the tea.

 

[Arising Green]

Excellent, thanks again!

EWC - Earth Worm Castings. lol, (no wonder I wasn't making sense.)

So I went to my local garden shop today and I shit-you-not they had the Sunleaves
Guano kit..! The lady informed me they just got the kit in and it's doing very well. She
also said their new Fox Farm products are sold out! Guess there's more pot
growers than I assumed...that is to assume anyway..

Need to grab an air-pump/air-stone yet then I'll be set...but Wally World was sold out..? Kinda strange.

Again, thanks RooRman.
I'll post pics up in my journal if you care to see what happens!

 

[RooRman]

...EWC - Earth Worm Castings. lol, (no wonder I wasn't making sense.)...

Oh man, you certainly confused me with that abbreviation!

Once again, I would use the castings as a soil amendment and not in the tea.

Also, your Sunleaves guano kit should come with a feeding schedule to get you started. This can also be found on the Sunleaves website here Sunleaves :: Sunleaves International House of Guano . If you have anymore questions, don't hesistate to ask.