Cal Mag & Silica

[Stltoed]

I will probably always be in soil. I know for the foreseeable future I will be for sure.

Nice... seems like dolomite lime with a dash of Epsom salt would do nicely for the calmag. Silica is a little different. It takes forever to break it down to a bioavailable state, from the raw form which is why you see it as a synthetic. RAW (the company) makes a Silica, but i couldn't tell you if it carries an organic badge.

Another thing about Silica... products derived from Potassium arent available to plants. Its amazing to me how many products are like that. Silica has all sorts of issues especially in hydro.

 

[Enjoying]

Then you should think about larger pots .
Most of your nutrients comes from feeding microbes, bacteria, fungi.
Your soil is kinda like a battery and the microbes and bugs, worms etc are busy breaking all that down to plant available nutrients to charge that battery.
All those amendments need time to break down and the more alive and healthy your soil is the faster it can charge that battery.
A larger pot gives a solid healthy root system to tap into the soil and build that symbiotic relationship with the mycorrhizae.
The plant will use up to 30% of it's energy creating food in the roots for the microbes.

Or you could do a super soil type thing where you put very nutrient rich hot soil in the bottom 1/3rd of the pot, that would work in a 7 gallon fabric pot and feed some compost teas.

I add saponins to my soil in the form of Yucca Extract every time I water.

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Yeah I know the microbial life is the key for organic gardening. My grow space isn't that big (mostly due to my judgement which has lead to lack of desire to change the space I do have into useful space) but this may change because I have more motivation and am tired of not using the space I do for something I enjoy (growing plants, be it flowers, food or cannabis). I think I may have interest in a no till practice but I have a lot of reading to do on that before I make any final decisions.

Right now I am thinking a soil test because my tomatoes seemed to get a blight or some sort of bacterial/fungal infection when I grew them in the ground and if I am going to grow food on a more serious level and cannabis I don't want it interfering with anything or making anyone sick. The next step from there would be to figure out how to deal with anything that came up in that. From there I would like to do raised beds, I would just get the baby bu's again to fill them.

For re amendment I would probably get a compost bin that I can turn by hand rather than trying to make a pile and turn with a pitchfork, a few bags of baby bu's compost, EWC, kelp, malted barley, probably some craft, recycle-sil(placed that order today btw @Nunyabiz, thanks for the input) and I am probably missing a few things but I am sure that will be a good start. I would also add rove beetles and worms periodically to the beds. Maybe release some lady bugs and/or praying mantis but would probably just focus more on the dirt as I have seen lady bugs and praying antis out there in my desolate container garden.

**EDIT**
That was a good read on yucca! It looks like I have another additive to buy =]

 

[Enjoying]

Nice... seems like dolomite lime with a dash of Epsom salt would do nicely for the calmag. Silica is a little different. It takes forever to break it down to a bioavailable state, from the raw form which is why you see it as a synthetic. RAW (the company) makes a Silica, but i couldn't tell you if it carries an organic badge.

Another thing about Silica... products derived from Potassium arent available to plants. Its amazing to me how many products are like that. Silica has all sorts of issues especially in hydro.

I'll make note of this dolomite lime and epsom salt for calmag. I can not tell if the raw silica is OMRI listed or not. It seems to be made from diatomite which I think is diatomaceous earth which in my opinion is organic. I am good with companies not being labeled organic as long as they list their ingredients so I can figure out if I want to use them. I wouldn't want to pay the crazy fee that comes with the label either.

Good to know silica from potassium products aren't available to plants. I probably won't change from recycle sil honestly. I went with something else because I could get it here faster via Amazon but the plants were praying to the sun today and it reached 117 so apparently they aren't to stressed by the heat.

 

[Stltoed]

I'll make note of this dolomite lime and epsom salt for calmag. I can not tell if the raw silica is OMRI listed or not. It seems to be made from diatomite which I think is diatomaceous earth which in my opinion is organic. I am good with companies not being labeled organic as long as they list their ingredients so I can figure out if I want to use them. I wouldn't want to pay the crazy fee that comes with the label either.

Good to know silica from potassium products aren't available to plants. I probably won't change from recycle sil honestly. I went with something else because I could get it here faster via Amazon but the plants were praying to the sun today and it reached 117 so apparently they aren't to stressed by the heat.

I'm not super hip on organics. Seems like if you are getting an element in its natural form its organic enough. But im super lazy and unwilling to make a soil with 57 components... that, and im more of a hydro guy.

If i can sell my car I will double my grow space and split it into hydro and something I call sortaganic... basically a living soil with light synthetic feeding. I have a space for a soil grow now and I compost to amend the soil, but it ain't organic

I'm a huge fan of Silica, because im a huge fan of big plants. I sincerely hope you find a product that highlights the benefits of Si, its an amazing element. I had heat issues this last season it was 102 in my shed one day with days regularly at 95 and still ended up with 50oz from 5 plants. One of those plants did 26oz

Sounds like we could be neighbors. Im in SoCal the IE, it was 115 today

 

[Enjoying]

I'm not super hip on organics. Seems like if you are getting an element in its natural form its organic enough. But im super lazy and unwilling to make a soil with 57 components... that, and im more of a hydro guy.

If i can sell my car I will double my grow space and split it into hydro and something I call sortaganic... basically a living soil with light synthetic feeding. I have a space for a soil grow now and I compost to amend the soil, but it ain't organic

I'm a huge fan of Silica, because im a huge fan of big plants. I sincerely hope you find a product that highlights the benefits of Si, its an amazing element. I had heat issues this last season it was 102 in my shed one day with days regularly at 95 and still ended up with 50oz from 5 plants. One of those plants did 26oz

Sounds like we could be neighbors. Im in SoCal the IE, it was 115 today

Just read the organic definition, it'll give you enough of an understanding. While I don't feel this is a good enough definition to use being as when animal byproducts are used they can be from animals that were fed gmo feed or given hormones and antibiotics etc thus leaving behind trace amounts of these compounds which are not organic but this is common practice in the realms where the powers that be have the say so. Same holds true for the food byproducts also imo, if it wasn't grown cleanly it shouldn't be able to be used in organics.

Hell, I am not trying to build my own soil either really but may over time end up doing exactly that. Right now my interest is in getting raised beds built, filled and a compost bin I can turn versus turning the pile by pitchfork or shovel. In this compost bin will be my amendments so come the winter months I can recharge the soil. Though with prices of these turning bins I may start and end up sticking with turning by shovel until I need to do it on a larger scale. One day I will move and I am hoping to have a green house or three for food production in which case, no, I am not trying to turn the needed output by hand.

What car are you trying to sell? I wouldn't go sortaganic just get a good soil and use compost (there are many brands you can just top dress with) EWC and a good compost tea - theres a rabbit hole for you =D Compost tea may enable you not to have to buy the 57 amendments...

I wanted some silica mostly for the heat wave that came but the plants are praying to the sun so Idk that they really need it. However, I would like to have it on hand come soil recharge time and I will give it to them once it comes because why not?

Not sure what you mean by IE. I am not Cali native (fucking implant I know) but I stay in Pasadena.

 

[Nunyabiz]

IE is Inland Empire.
Basically Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

 

[Enjoying]

Thanks! I have heard of the Inland Empire. It's about an hour depending on traffic.

 

[bobrown14]

VERY valuable information here, thanks! I guess I won't be picking and choosing and just go with what's been created as it's more balanced and as you said if I run into trouble how can anyone help. Plus it's been tested and works so why change it? I'll probably go with Craft (though now with this info about CalPhos I may still be search of something comparable) because after reading on buildasoil it seems coots may be light when it comes to the flower nutrition. But only one person said this so who knows for sure...

Notes updated with the amounts for mixing kelp, EWC, compost and malted barely. Along with 1tbs per pot of craft if I do indeed buy it. It's good to know that I have looked at enough recipes to get a feel for how much one should use when mixing things too!

I know about the Coots mix and its not "light" for flowering. I'm in my 5th YEAR with the same soil I mixed in 2016. So if its "light" it must be right!

For mixing soils pretty much standard to go 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 compost and 1/3 aeration. To that you add your amendments and your rock dusts.

The rock dusts are important. They help raise your CEC (cation exchange capacity). This works in conjunction with your amendments and compost (SOM or soil organic matter). Together with water and air is how microbes and roots get nutrients from the soil..

 

[bobrown14]

I'll make note of this dolomite lime and epsom salt for calmag. I can not tell if the raw silica is OMRI listed or not. It seems to be made from diatomite which I think is diatomaceous earth which in my opinion is organic. I am good with companies not being labeled organic as long as they list their ingredients so I can figure out if I want to use them. I wouldn't want to pay the crazy fee that comes with the label either.

Good to know silica from potassium products aren't available to plants. I probably won't change from recycle sil honestly. I went with something else because I could get it here faster via Amazon but the plants were praying to the sun today and it reached 117 so apparently they aren't to stressed by the heat.

In a proper soil mix you wont need "cal/mag' products. I don't use dolomite lime for this reason.
Ca: Mg ratio is about 2:1 I like much more Ca in my soil mix. So basically with dolomite you're adding in too much Mg there will be sufficient Mg in your soil organic mater or compost. Anything that composted has Mg in it. You want to add extra Ca in the form of Oyster shell flour/Gypsum dust/Crustacean meal that sort of thing. Kelp meal will have plenty of Mg in it for growing cannabis. No need to add.

You wont need cal/mag.

What is potassium and how can we source an organic form of it? Or maybe a better way to say it is how can we find a sustainable form of it or a form of potassium that isn't made by a petrochemical company or mined.

Potash - "The name derives from pot ash, which refers to plant ashes soaked in water in a pot, the primary means of manufacturing the product before the industrial era. The word potassium is derived from potash."

Hardwood fire = ashes and even some charcoal - can add this to your soil and/or your compost bin. Potassium. and free. Cost ya a match.

 

[Enjoying]

I know about the Coots mix and its not "light" for flowering. I'm in my 5th YEAR with the same soil I mixed in 2016. So if its "light" it must be right!

For mixing soils pretty much standard to go 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 compost and 1/3 aeration. To that you add your amendments and your rock dusts.

The rock dusts are important. They help raise your CEC (cation exchange capacity). This works in conjunction with your amendments and compost (SOM or soil organic matter). Together with water and air is how microbes and roots get nutrients from the soil..

I may go Coots when it's time to amend and add some rock dust or something. I will have to read the ingredients first so I don't push something over the edge.

I think I would go coir over peat for environment purposes. I know soil/dirt is a mix of clay, sand, organic matter and something called tilth(maybe this is the rock dusts you refer to) that I need to read more about. I would love to figure out a good mix of clay, sand or the like, with compost. The last two are easy and I could probably just go get clay from my back yard - I would need to get t tested for bacteria, fungus and see what the nute levels are in it first though.

Do you know the ideal CEC level of a a good dirt or what the range is for cannabis? I have an idea to mix composts because I would like to get some comfrey in the mix. I am sure there are other things I am missing but Baby Bu's will be a good start, throw some comfrey in and I am still reading about various things. I know alfalfa and clover are good too. Bu's has alfalfa, I would need to check on clover.

 

[Enjoying]

In a proper soil mix you wont need "cal/mag' products. I don't use dolomite lime for this reason.
Ca: Mg ratio is about 2:1 I like much more Ca in my soil mix. So basically with dolomite you're adding in too much Mg there will be sufficient Mg in your soil organic mater or compost. Anything that composted has Mg in it. You want to add extra Ca in the form of Oyster shell flour/Gypsum dust/Crustacean meal that sort of thing. Kelp meal will have plenty of Mg in it for growing cannabis. No need to add.

You wont need cal/mag.

What is potassium and how can we source an organic form of it? Or maybe a better way to say it is how can we find a sustainable form of it or a form of potassium that isn't made by a petrochemical company or mined.

Potash - "The name derives from pot ash, which refers to plant ashes soaked in water in a pot, the primary means of manufacturing the product before the industrial era. The word potassium is derived from potash."

Hardwood fire = ashes and even some charcoal - can add this to your soil and/or your compost bin. Potassium. and free. Cost ya a match.

Is 2:1 the ratio you like or do you like more Ca? I understand that you want at least a 2:1 ratio of Ca:Mg but you said you like more Ca so it made me wonder if you go for something higher than 2:1. The down to earth fertilizer I use has a lot of crustacean matter in it, it's stinky! If you use a lot of marine material will you not reach unhealthy levels of salt at some point?

I have been debating adding ashes to my soil for awhile. I am unsure why I haven't honestly.