The Living Medicine Cabinet

[ClosedCircuit]

I cover the scraps with a large amount of paper and dry leaves but they still manage to crawl in. I honestly think that we just have a larger insect population to contend with due to the humidity. So it is what it is. I'm going to start leaving them in my basement, which should be harder to get to for flies and what not.

I am interested in discussing worm diets IE creating ideal vermicompost.

And Roach - thanks for joining in! Pleasure to have you.

 

[TheRoach]

I had a problem with small fruit flies; Does your bin have a lid? I was checking your tutorial for the bin but I don't remember if you kept the lid on. It usually helps a bit with the bugs.
Also, I have found that ground eggshell sprinkled over the cardboard helps keeping the bugs at bay; I just take 30 eggshells or so and put them in the oven for 10-15 mins at 250 C (don't over do it cause they will stink). Once the shells are brittle I let them cool and then put in the blender/coffee grinder. I started doing this because I read higher calcium levels boost the reproduction rate of the worms, but it has the side effect of keeping the bugs at bay.
This is a great thread!

 

[ClosedCircuit]

I had a problem with small fruit flies; Does your bin have a lid? I was checking your tutorial for the bin but I don't remember if you kept the lid on. It usually helps a bit with the bugs.
Also, I have found that ground eggshell sprinkled over the cardboard helps keeping the bugs at bay; I just take 30 eggshells or so and put them in the oven for 10-15 mins at 250 C (don't over do it cause they will stink). Once the shells are brittle I let them cool and then put in the blender/coffee grinder. I started doing this because I read higher calcium levels boost the reproduction rate of the worms, but it has the side effect of keeping the bugs at bay.
This is a great thread!

Glad you are enjoying it!

I havent been putting powdered eggshell in, just crumbled. So I will start trying that. I need to get a dedicated coffee grinder for growing. gotta grind my malted barley seeds for SST as well and don't want to funk up my coffee!

I wonder how easy it is to calculate calcium input, because too much calcium in soil is also toxic. It is a tremendously beneficial element, but there is a fine line.

 

[SweetSue]

Glad you are enjoying it!

I havent been putting powdered eggshell in, just crumbled. So I will start trying that. I need to get a dedicated coffee grinder for growing. gotta grind my malted barley seeds for SST as well and don't want to funk up my coffee!

I wonder how easy it is to calculate calcium input, because too much calcium in soil is also toxic. It is a tremendously beneficial element, but there is a fine line.

I think you were away when I discovered that you don't have to brew malted barley grain Into a tea. You can simply powder it and sprinkle across the pots to water in with whatever else you might be diluting for the intended tea (kelp, aloe, fulvic, etc.). No bubbling or brewing necessary.

 

[ClosedCircuit]

I think you were away when I discovered that you don't have to brew malted barley grain Into a tea. You can simply powder it and sprinkle across the pots to water in with whatever else you might be diluting for the intended tea (kelp, aloe, fulvic, etc.). No bubbling or brewing necessary.

Good to know. I figured there were some other ways to apply it. You could probably even mix it into soil for longer term absorption. I bet hydro growers would also benefit from mixing small amounts into their reservoirs.

 

[SweetSue]

Good to know. I figured there were some other ways to apply it. You could probably even mix it into soil for longer term absorption. I bet hydro growers would also benefit from mixing small amounts into their reservoirs.

Actually, powdered and mixed in at a rate of 2 cups per cubic ft of soil supercharges the mix. I did that with the batch I have sitting in my kitchen, still unused. Add some to your next planting. It doesn't need to cook.

 

[TheRoach]

Hi guys, I´ve read that lentils are one of the foods with the highest P and K contents; I was wondering if I powdered lentils and let it compost with the soil will it be a good amendment? I have made a tea of powdered lentils with oat bran and sugar cane juice.
A little bit lost in the organic fertilization subject, any suggestions?

 

[veinz]

cucumber peel burned????

 

[ClosedCircuit]

Hi guys, I´ve read that lentils are one of the foods with the highest P and K contents; I was wondering if I powdered lentils and let it compost with the soil will it be a good amendment? I have made a tea of powdered lentils with oat bran and sugar cane juice.
A little bit lost in the organic fertilization subject, any suggestions?

I am not familiar with using lentils at all. Have you ever considered comfrey? I'm not sure how valuable it is as a source of P, but it is a high K natural fertilizer that it commonly used. You could grow it in your back yard and harvest leaves when needed.

Edit: If you want a high potassium additive (I wouldn't overdue it because potassium can block out other nutrients at high levels) during a grow you could also use coconut water. This grow is going to use primarily coconut water and malted barley SST as my drenches. I wont be doing any compost teas save for maybe once in the beginning to get the soil going, once again at the beginning of flower, and once the plants have been harvested and mulched to keep the soil community thriving during the lull period.

 

[TheRoach]

There is no comfrey in my area! The coco water sounds interesting! I'm also very interest in the malted barley SST

 

[ClosedCircuit]

The potential of Russian comfrey (Symphytum officinale) as an animal feedstuff in Uganda

Where do you live? You can order comfrey by mail FYI.

Borage is another good easy to grow natural fertilizer.

 

[TheRoach]

Borage is available here. I knew about the comfrey seeds. I wanted to make an comfrey unguent but after finding I had to order the seeds online I desisted. Well I guess I can convert my vegetable garden into a nutrient extraction operation.

 

[ClosedCircuit]

Borage is available here. I knew about the comfrey seeds. I wanted to make an comfrey unguent but after finding I had to order the seeds online I desisted. Well I guess I can convert my vegetable garden into a nutrient extraction operation.

I would heavily consider the addition of comfrey to your garden. It is a nitrogen fixing plant that develops extensive roots system which will help to hold water in your garden and cycle nutrients that most veggie crops cannot reach (comfrey develops impressive tap roots). Use its leaves as mulch to improve the top humus layer in your garden.

 

[TheRoach]

Well I really wanted to buy comfrey anyway, you can also make a salve with it (good for scratches and minor cuts). So many new things for the garden. I recently downloaded a paper on the propagation of mycorrhiza in the roots of lentils and oat (but it can be done in so many other plants) I thought you might like to give it a look.
Best wishes!

 

[ClosedCircuit]

Thanks Roach I'll check it out!

 

[ClosedCircuit]

Quick update

I'm caulking my cab to seal it up and eliminate my light leak issue...but the fumes are kind of worrying me. I'm not sure how long they will stick around. Its kind of scary to think of growing in there/ My plants would absorb it.

 

[TheRoach]

Why dont you use a hot silicon pistol? There will be no fumes that way.

 

[ClosedCircuit]

Why dont you use a hot silicon pistol? There will be no fumes that way.

Light passes through hot glue. The only dark colored (so no light passes through) caulk they had was this exterior weather sealant.

I let it sit up a couple days and it all but faded. but I just finished up the rest of the caulking last night and this morning and was reminded how bad it is. I've got my mini fan on in there so hopefully it wont be too bad come veg time.

 

[Radogast]

Sorry for not being around guys. Just got back from Japan - which was amazing in every way - and then got food poisoning on the flight back So, I've been dealing with jet lag and just generally feeling completely out of it. But I'm feeling better now! I ordered my seeds from Midweek Song two days ago so hopefully I'll get them some time late this week or early next week. They take mastercard, so they have newly devoted patron in me!

360grow its good to see you in here! My hugelkulture project is being held up by H________s. They are going to finally ship the seeds tomorrow now that I am back...which means that I still have to sprout everything and then finally plant. They really screwed me guys. Its really one of the worst experiences I have had shopping online - and with such a recommended vendor...I am extremely disappointed to say the least. The only reason I may use them in the future is because of their selection. At least I got them to refund me my shipping fee after a couple heated emails... I'll just copy and paste the last email I sent that got me my partial refund...



The rep I was speaking to was Laura...I think I may have also spoken on the phone with her prior to the email. All she kept saying was, "I really don't know what to say." How pathetic is that? And on top of that trying to use the size of their operation as an excuse. I can sympathize with the challenges of working for a small business, but to simply leave it there and offer no closure is absurd.

Anyways...I got composted horse manure from my parents' farm that I will be mixing into the soil and possibly digging up a new bed. My friend is a little wary of all the work I wanted to do so I will have to tame it back some. She is after all only renting the property so I understand. I can't wait until I get my own little slice of land so I have the freedom to do what I want! Ahhh someday right?

I went with Horizon Herbs for the first time this spring. I called them on the phone after about 8 days and they were just sitting on my order 'I don't know how this was missed, your order will be shipped express tomorrow.' The shipment arrived in 2 days after the reminder phone call. I was disappointed because I had called before entering my order on their website because couldn't order 1oz of seed on their website, so they told me to add 1 oz as comment and I ordered through the web. - - Next time, I will just order over the phone.

Their selection is awesome, but the way my germination rates are going (from all seed vendors) I dont know if I can try seed starting 3 years in a row. I'm growing a while lot of nothing outside from a whole lot of seeds.

 

[SweetSue]

Well that's disappointing. Do you suspect the seeds or your property challenges? Likely a combination of both, eh?