I use one of these too...cost me like 10$ and since my scrog doesn't allow me to lift pots, it is convenient to know when to water
they work well 
High Brix
- Thread starter Doc Bud
- Start date
I use one of these too...cost me like 10$ and since my scrog doesn't allow me to lift pots, it is convenient to know when to water
they work well - Thread starter
- #482
I was reading about the good that earthworms do to the soil from their excretions to the air movement in the soil and seems definitely like a valuable addition to our high brix soils
The EC/EGRS meter is definitely in one of my near future purchases, but their pretty pricy and I've only found 2 models, one by hanna for like 100$ and another by a company for 400$. I think that these will probably be the most useful tool to help us measure the soil EGRS and to keep it in the right levels...I am definitely interested in what my soil is currently reading and have a feeling that too much Na may be contributing to the yellowing that I am experiencing with my grow. It will be really cool to be able to stick in a probe and see exactly how much "energy" is going on. I read that too much energy will burn/stunt the roots and slow nutrient uptake so it is very possible. Now just to save up the money
Yeah, I think earthworms are awesome. I'm nearly certain that there are one or two very desireable "breed" of worms for vermicompost, which is what we'd be looking for, IMO. Just them be working at their leisure 24/7, enriching the soil. I'm gong to try this in large tubs.
Regarding the sodium, that could very well be the problem. The soils I had tested were all too high in sodium and potassium. My super soils before minerals were sky high in potassium too. All of that contributes to yellowing.
Too much potassium inhibits magnesium. So the grower adds epsom salt, which helps a little, then the whole plant goes yellow, because the excess magnesium inhibits nitrogen uptake.....and so on.
Same with sodium. Na+ clings to the soil as a cation, and keeps other cations that are beneficial from latching on, like NH4, which is ammoniacal nitrogen, or cationic nitrogen. So, soils high in sodium are going to have cycles of yellow plants. That's why the soil test and broadcast/amendment are so important.
That's where the beauty of Calcium Nitrate comes in. The Ca++ will help dislodge sodium (Na) from the soil and the nitrate helps green up the plants as well. But the main benefit is from the calcium and the fact that it's a cation.
Anyways, I've pretty much forgotten what I was talking about. I'm typing on one of those minicomputers and I can only see like 4 sentences at a time. So, have a great evening and try to get some calcium nitrate at the garden center if you need to.
Doc
lets say I get a clone or seed started plant from someone that is about a month old and in unknown soil and unknown nutes, and I put it in the high brix kit soil, does the .5-1 gal of soil they use screw things up any?
lets say I get a clone or seed started plant from someone that is about a month old and in unknown soil and unknown nutes, and I put it in the high brix kit soil, does the .5-1 gal of soil they use screw things up any?
- Thread starter
- #484
Not really. If it's a large quantity of soil, try this:
Pop out root ball
Score it
Dip the whole thing in a 5 gallon bucket of water and try to wash off a bunch of dirt
Innoculate with root zone
transplant
water with transplant water
spray with stress.
No problems mon.
Seed question Doc,
Occasionally I get a seed or two on a plant that hasn't been pollinated.
What causes this? Some stray male sac that I didn't notice? If so, wouldn't there be a lot more than one or two seeds? Chance of it being a hermie?
Occasionally I get a seed or two on a plant that hasn't been pollinated.
What causes this? Some stray male sac that I didn't notice? If so, wouldn't there be a lot more than one or two seeds? Chance of it being a hermie?
- Thread starter
- #486
I get those every now and then on sativa's. The seeds are empty, not really seeds at all.
I want to thank all who contributed to this thread and DocBud in particular. I have to say I have learned greatly from this thread. I have not achieved true Hi Brix but my knowledge of organics has expanded to a usable point. I am looking forward to putting this knowledge to use in my outdoor container garden of peppers and tomatos. I am using 5 gallons of soil for them each this year and am starting to cook 2 55 gallon plastic drums of soil this weekend. My recipe is this.
2 cubic ft of StaGreen or Miracle gro garden soil
2 cups of garden lime
2 cups soft rock phosphate
1 cup gypsum
1 cup ironite
1 cup epsom salts
4 cups Jobes 4-4-4
The starter tea will be made from a cup per 4 gallons of water of the Jobes 4-4-4 and 2 tablespoons Blackstrap Molasses bubbled till foamy and all 4 gallons will be used for each of the 2 cu feet of soil mixed. I anticipate great results. Other than somewhat high potassium levels you should be able to grow anything with this mix. This will "cook" for more than a month so it should be ready at last frost. I can't hardly wait. I may add perlite or floor sweep (montmorillonite clay version) at a 4 parts cooked soil to 1 part perlite or floorsweep to help with drainage but will go with it uncut also and see where that leads me. How far off from Hi Brix I can't say but it is worlds better than anything I have tried before.
2 cubic ft of StaGreen or Miracle gro garden soil
2 cups of garden lime
2 cups soft rock phosphate
1 cup gypsum
1 cup ironite
1 cup epsom salts
4 cups Jobes 4-4-4
The starter tea will be made from a cup per 4 gallons of water of the Jobes 4-4-4 and 2 tablespoons Blackstrap Molasses bubbled till foamy and all 4 gallons will be used for each of the 2 cu feet of soil mixed. I anticipate great results. Other than somewhat high potassium levels you should be able to grow anything with this mix. This will "cook" for more than a month so it should be ready at last frost. I can't hardly wait. I may add perlite or floor sweep (montmorillonite clay version) at a 4 parts cooked soil to 1 part perlite or floorsweep to help with drainage but will go with it uncut also and see where that leads me. How far off from Hi Brix I can't say but it is worlds better than anything I have tried before.
- Thread starter
- #488
I hope your "Garden Lime" isn't dolomite lime. You'll have yellow plants with all that magnesium. I know,....sounds funny, but it inhibits nitrogen and calcium uptake. Make sure your lime is high calcium limestone, 90% or better CaC03.
Way too much epsom salt too.
HighWaterMark
Well-Known Member
Not really. If it's a large quantity of soil, try this:
Pop out root ball
Score it
Dip the whole thing in a 5 gallon bucket of water and try to wash off a bunch of dirt
Innoculate with root zone
transplant
water with transplant water
spray with stress.
No problems mon.
DocBud,
Which Root Zone Product do you inoculate with? This stuff?
- Thread starter
- #490
I don't know what stuff you're talking about, but I use a product made by International Ag Labs. They have several.
The lime is the 90 plus percent pure stuff (CaCo3) you reccomend in the 6-5-3. I don't know about the epsom salt amount being too high as a cup per 15 gallons (2 cu. ft.) of StaGreen is just around a tablespoon per gallon. I have had zero problems during testing. If there might be a problem what would a proper amount of epsom salt be per gallon? By the way it takes three 2 cubic foot bags of soil to fill a 55 gallon plastic drum, leaving 12inches or so from the top. I mixed one drum yesterday by putting the described amounts on top of each 3 cu. ft. bag and stirring it in then screwing a lid on the drum and rolling it around a bit after putting all three bags in. Currently temps are in the 40's so should I wait till a couple of warmer days are forecast before putting the tea in it?
- Thread starter
- #492
Great news about the limestone. "Garden Lime" means different things to different people.
I'm going to assume you're shooting for some elevated brix levels with this mix, so everything I'm going to say is based on that, not whether or not the plants are green, etc.
The calcium/magnesium ratio is critical. 10 to 1 is perfect, 7 to 1 is the low end of the bar. Epsom salt will inhibit nitrogen uptake and calcium uptake. The reason people add it and it seems like it works well is because:
1.)they really are deficient in magnesium---very rare with modern potting soils
2.)they have too much potassium and/or sodium, which inhibits magnesium uptake. This is probably the cause 99% of the time.
I struggled quite a bit with this at first, because I was always dealing with mild Mag deficiencies in my organic grows. I'll never forget the first time I mineralized and didn't add any Mg.....and my mag deficiencies went away. The worst I get now is a bit of cupping on the top-most leaves.
I would add no more than 1/4 cup per cubic foot. You can always water with it if you need it later, but you won't. The soil has enough mag already, and by stimulating the biota with the minerals, they'll mine it out of there for you.
REmember, we're not feeding NPK to the plant. We're feeding the soil. Happy soil will take care of the plant.
- Thread starter
- #493
Here are some pics. The short bushy thing is a cross that I've named Gypsy. It's very warm, upbeat smoke with sativa tendencies, even though it grows a bit indica like.
Wow Doc! quite the update friend.
I am loving it. Been doing a fair amount of reading on the High brix style.
I am going to be getting a bale of promix soon. I want to run 9 in 5 gallon pots like I am running now. would one kit and one bale be sufficient or would I need to get two bales and two kits? Will let you know when im ready.
Is granular gypsum ok to use if I pulverize it for the 6-5-3?
should the rock phosphate be powdered as well?
Hope not to bother you with these questions.
I am loving it. Been doing a fair amount of reading on the High brix style.
I am going to be getting a bale of promix soon. I want to run 9 in 5 gallon pots like I am running now. would one kit and one bale be sufficient or would I need to get two bales and two kits? Will let you know when im ready.
Is granular gypsum ok to use if I pulverize it for the 6-5-3?
should the rock phosphate be powdered as well?
Hope not to bother you with these questions.
- Thread starter
- #495
Questions are always welcome. I was hoping to close this journal down but then I posted my update on the "wrong" journal, so here we are.
You would just squeek by with 9 5 gallon pots and one kit. Definitely use the worm castings, as it will increase the volume of soil just a bit. One kit should do the trick!
Both the gypsum and SRP are most likely pelletized with a binding agent like mollases. I'm pretty sure they'll go soft and milky in the water, especially when humic acid from the roots starts happening. So, no problem, no need to pulverize them!
Am I missing something?
I didn't think we needed the 6-5-3 along with the kit, do we Doc?
I didn't think we needed the 6-5-3 along with the kit, do we Doc?
no i threw us off topic for quick question to doc sorry hash hound.
- Thread starter
- #498
Nope! The kit has all the minerals in the right ratio. Everything is included, no need to add a thing!
sachinmishra
New Member
I read this Bud Doc! Loved to see it Nice post Awesome images added to your blog.
Well heck I have already mixed 90 gallons of mix at the 1 cup per 2 cubic feet amount. The next 90 gallons will be 1/2 cup per 2 cu. ft. of soil, or I might not add any and see what happens. By the way awesome crystal covered buds!
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