CBD Auto EmmyStack In AziSIPs, GeoFlora, Sweet Candy, Dynomyco, Roots Organic Soil +

[CBDMed]

Ush...
How is this going to work??
If I pack those solids in there, it will bury three stems. In my training, that is a big no-no, as it can cause crown-rot.

 

[InTheShed]

I still don't understand how deep less than half a cup of GF is on top of a 5 gallon bucket. It can't be anywhere close to burying that those branches.

Also, feel free to leave an inch of free space around the trunk if you want to protect it.

 

[CBDMed]

I still don't understand how deep less than half a cup of GF is on top of a 5 gallon bucket. It can't be anywhere close to burying that those branches.

Also, feel free to leave an inch of free space around the trunk if you want to protect it.

Thanks for your kind persistence. Since I cannot seem to find the right words, I am guessing I will have to show you.

@Bill284 slopes his top layer slightly AWAY from the plant, so that drainage goes to the outside. That is what I tried to do initially, but that slope is long gone now.
No matter how you shape the donut of residues, when you flood irrigate the top of the SIP, the donut hole in the middle of the plant is going to take a LOT more liquid than the rest of the plant. So it will NOT be an even distribution.

I got different watering cans with a round shower head last week that I can maybe use in the SIPs instead of the ones I have been using, but it promises to be slower. But with the different shower head, maybe it can work?

There are already a zillion fungus gnats. If I put the residues there will be more fungus gnats. How does one deal with the fungus gnats if you are trying to keep the granules wet, so they will decompose?
When I tried to scratch the granules into the EWC layer before, two of the plants wilted, so I do not want to go scratching things in now (because I believe it would probably damage roots).

 

[InTheShed]

The idea now is not to grow roots toward the outside of the pot, which I believe is the idea behind Bill's mounding in the middle, so that's a problem you can solve with the next grow (which is to leave room for your top dressing when you build the pot to begin with).

At this stage you want the GF spread evenly across the top so, when you water it, it will evenly dissolve and reach all the roots from center to edge. You definitely don't want the water running to the outside edges, bringing the GF with it, along with all the soluble nutrients it provides. That would leave most of your roots starved.

Can you evenly spread the correct amount of GF (for the amount of soil you have above the res) on top of the soil so we can both take a look at what the real problem is? Up to this point we're spinning our hypothetical wheels!

 

[InTheShed]

For fungus gnats you want BTi (called mosquito dunks or bits in the states). Carcass uses them successfully with his instructions here:

It only takes about 1/8 of a dunk to treat 5 gallons of water (or 2 grams of the Bits)
Let the water sit for 24 hours after adding the dunk, so the good bacteria can populate the water, then just water as usual
Just keep re-adding water to the 5 gallon container as you use it-1 treatment is good for 3 weeks or so
Use the treated water every time you water the plants.
It'll take a week or so, but soon, you'll be gnatless!

 

[CBDMed]

The idea now is not to grow roots toward the outside of the pot, which I believe is the idea behind Bill's mounding in the middle, so that's a problem you can solve with the next grow (which is to leave room for your top dressing when you build the pot to begin with).

At this stage you want the GF spread evenly across the top so, when you water it, it will evenly dissolve and reach all the roots from center to edge. You definitely don't want the water running to the outside edges, bringing the GF with it, along with all the soluble nutrients it provides. That would leave most of your roots starved.

Can you evenly spread the correct amount of GF (for the amount of soil you have above the res) on top of the soil so we can both take a look at what the real problem is? Up to this point we're spinning our hypothetical wheels!

I can spread it, but right now I am making a tea, because it was explained to me that I should scratch it in real well, and there is no way to scratch it in without damaging the feeder roots.

So I thought to make a tea, and then spread the residues, and hopefully they will break down over time, if I keep them moist. Hopefully the fungus gnats will not figure out a way to harness the SIP with a line, or I am afraid they might pick it up and move it away elsewhere!!

(There is no possibility of rotting the solids separately for a week, and then spreading the rotted solids, so it dissolved down and in better?)

 

[InTheShed]

Don't scratch it in if you are afraid of damaging the roots in the top quarter inch. And don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

 

[CBDMed]

For fungus gnats you want BTi (called mosquito dunks or bits in the states). Carcass uses them successfully with his instructions here:

It only takes about 1/8 of a dunk to treat 5 gallons of water (or 2 grams of the Bits)
Let the water sit for 24 hours after adding the dunk, so the good bacteria can populate the water, then just water as usual
Just keep re-adding water to the 5 gallon container as you use it-1 treatment is good for 3 weeks or so
Use the treated water every time you water the plants.
It'll take a week or so, but soon, you'll be gnatless!

Uff.
Looks like that one has to be reshipped (which takes two months, by which time this grow will be over and I will probably be on supersoil).

 

[InTheShed]

Are there no Colombian suppliers of BTi? It's used the world over for mosquito control.

 

[CBDMed]

Are there no Colombian suppliers of BTi? It's used the world over for mosquito control.

Good question. I will have to look. Very often they do NOT have the same products, or use them in the same way.
In my prior place, they recommended spraying under the counters and things with RAID to kill mosquitoes.
(I did not do that.)

 

[InTheShed]

"Bti has been used worldwide as a biological pesticide since 1980 for mosquito control."

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwii0vLT9ZyEAxUoke4BHXiKDQsQFnoECDMQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fagr.wa.gov%2Fgetmedia%2F18168cc9-9661-4823-81ca-d94c669480d1%2F119-BiopesticideRegistrationGuide-Bti.pdf&usg=AOvVaw2syAVW7jG7wTYAe5ZhPpZu&opi=89978449

That's a long time!

 

[CBDMed]

Yes, found them, thanks!
They will take 2 or 3 weeks to get here, but they are available.

 

[InTheShed]

By the way, when I flush the built up synthetic nutes from my soil in flower, I dump 2 gallons at a time on top of my pots and it fills the cloth pot to the rim, burying the trunk. Within a minute or two it has run down and I can pour in another 2 gallons.

Your plant will be fine with the small amount of GF on top and then watered until you hear it drip into the res.

Let's see a pic of the 1/3 - 1/2 cup of GF spread evenly across the top of that pot. Humor me!

 

[InTheShed]

So I thought to make a tea, and then spread the residues

GF does not recommend trying to dissolve their product:

"We don't recommend mixing our product in water as it doesn't dissolve completely. For per-gallon pot-size usage and instructions we have a feed chart and calculator on our site How To Use Geoflora — Geoflora Nutrients that you can check out!"

Since you don't know what does and doesn't dissolve, you have no way of knowing what your plants are getting.

 

[CBDMed]

By the way, when I flush the built up synthetic nutes from my soil in flower, I dump 2 gallons at a time on top of my pots and it fills the cloth pot to the rim, burying the trunk. Within a minute or two it has run down and I can pour in another 2 gallons.

Your plant will be fine with the small amount of GF on top and then watered until you hear it drip into the res.

Let's see a pic of the 1/3 - 1/2 cup of GF spread evenly across the top of that pot. Humor me!

Love you, Shed! Haha, please may I humor you in the morning?
I know GF says not to brew their stuff, but the concern was that since I cannot scratch it in without damaging spreader roots, it might not dissolve properly.
Azi says to mist it. I can try that. There will be fungus gnats galore until the Mosquito Dunks get here in 2-3 weeks (just in time to use them for a week, and then the grow ends, haha!)

So the thought was to make tea (to get the most bennies), spread the solids, and keep watering it ever couple of days, to keep it moist. And use corks if I have to, lol!

RIght now I am running on fumes, and it is time to get ready for sleep. If nothing crazy happens in the morning, I will try to spread the solids and let you know.

(It would be GREAT if there was some way to break down the solids SEPARATELY, and then add the broken down goodies in a week!)

 

[InTheShed]

I think someone oversold the scratching to you!

"GEOFLORA APPLICATION: Top dress x oz per x gallons of growing media once every two weeks with the appropriate formula, and water thoroughly. For amending, apply at the same rate prior to transplant, then top-dress after two weeks."

 

[Azimuth]

I can spread it, but right now I am making a tea, because it was explained to me that I should scratch it in real well, and there is no way to scratch it in without damaging the feeder roots.

So I thought to make a tea, and then spread the residues, and hopefully they will break down over time, if I keep them moist. Hopefully the fungus gnats will not figure out a way to harness the SIP with a line, or I am afraid they might pick it up and move it away elsewhere!!

(There is no possibility of rotting the solids separately for a week, and then spreading the rotted solids, so it dissolved down and in better?)

Why the constant need to reinvent the wheel? Geoflora has been used successfully by many using the standard instructions. All you are doing with your various changes is introducing new variables with unknown impact that may create other problems that have to be chased down and resolved.

I'm with Shed. Topdress the Geoflora per the instructions, water them in gently (maybe by misting) and then water as usual down the fill pipe.

Once you get it running successfully, experiment to your hearts content. I'm all for experimenting and do it all the time, but I try to do things the recommended way first so I have a baseline to compare the impact of whatever changes I make.

 

[CBDMed]

I think someone oversold the scratching to you!

Well, I think he (Azi) was trying to help.

"GEOFLORA APPLICATION: Top dress x oz per x gallons of growing media once every two weeks with the appropriate formula, and water thoroughly. For amending, apply at the same rate prior to transplant, then top-dress after two weeks."

Right. But there was the question as to whether it would get watered well enough, since most of the water for SIPs goes down the fill tube. So the thought was to make tea, and then spread the residues.

For full disclosure,

Don't scratch it in if you are afraid of damaging the roots in the top quarter inch. And don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

What would be GOOD and save TIME would be to put the solids in the garden, and then hit the girls with some mushroom compost tea in the off week. And then I get away from the time, and the corks, and all that.

BUT! I will humor you tomorrow, by trying to spread the residues, to make for the PERFECT application! (That is, if nothing happens and I do not get nailed on time, hahaha!)

 

[Azimuth]

I think someone oversold the scratching to you!

Well, I think he (Azi) was trying to help.

When I think of 'scratching a top dressing in' I'm more generally trying to mix it throughly with whatever is being used as a mulch, compost in my case. I spread an amendment on top of the compost and use my fingers or a tool of some sort to mix it and the compost up and then I mist it in well.

I am  not trying to disturb roots or dig it in to the top layer of soil. I want the microbes and worms and other critters to spread it lower for me.

The misting wets the compost which holds the moisture in that layer and is gradually absorbed by the drier ingredients. I generally mist daily to keep that layer moist but not enough to wet much below it.

Once a week (and only once a week) I water from the top using my calcium water but that's because I want the calcium to filter lower across all of the media periodically, but most of my watering goes down the fill tube.

 

[InTheShed]

BUT! I will humor you tomorrow, by trying to spread the residues, to make for the PERFECT application! (That is, if nothing happens and I do not get nailed on time, hahaha!)

If it takes more than 30 seconds to measure and evenly apply GF to that pot, something has gone wrong! Less time than it takes to pee in a bottle.