Changing my game to NoTill, advice much appreciated

[JengaBoss]

Warning Long Post (Wall of text)

As a long veteran of indoor hydro and as of late I am doing SOG coco bed grows with magnificent results using Bio-Diesel (Australian nutrient). I have decided that I would like to research more into being able to incorporate (or change) the coco bed to a NoTill bed.

I have been doing tons of research on it both via the internet (semi-reliable) and local organic growers (most reliable) and also plan to implement this NoTill into my daily fruit and veg gardens, so the effort to create my own mix is not a burden for an unsure thing. Oh yeah, and I have already started the steps to creating my soil mix, which I will include below.

Whats started already:

1. 3x Vermiculture bins, aka worm farms.....each farm is 3 bins high for rotation and cultivating the casings. Feeding each farm includes non-acidic kitchen scraps and defoliated cannabis leaves as needed and once a week a worm fattener recipe of: 50% chicken layer pellets, 20% wheat bran, 10% corn meal, 10% garden lime, 10% full cream milk powder. I sprinkle about a 1/4 cup of this over the remaining kitchen scraps every Sunday.
2. 3x Bokashi bins - which gets the kitchen scraps acidic and non-acidic that doesn't make it to the worm farms, our used (non chemical) paper towels, lint from the dryer, pet fur after they are brushed, and daily sprinkle of Bokashi grains. Bins get emptied onto the compost heap outside.
3. Home inoculated Bokashi grains with bran, molasses and EM-1. I do this for money saving as I use it on the compost heap as well as the Bokashi bins.
4. Re-culturing/fermenting EM-1 mixed with molasses and water and set aside for a month to ferment. doing this for both money saving as well as insurance that my cultures should die or go dormant.
5. Compost heap that I am targeting a C:N ratio as close to 40:1 without actually doing math and calculations. I just have a chart printed up with what items have what C:N ratio....so along with dumping my Bokashi bins in the pile, I have a mix of mulched up twigs, cardboard, shredded newspapers and dried leaves for the carbon component and a mix of horse, cow and pig manure (which ever is available at the time), alf alfa and worm casings for the Nitrogen. This kept moist and turned and occasionally sprayed with EM-1.

So that's where I am at with this venture. I have sourced all the base ingredients and amendments locally and will acquire closer to the time of needing them, and they include for the base; a 11 mix of Canadian Peat Moss, 7mm scoria, and my compost from the heap that I just mentioned. The amendments will be based on per cubic foot of base. 1 cup Neem cake, 1 cup Kelp meal, 1 cup Crustacean meal, 1/2 cup Gypsum, about 6 cups basalt, and 6 cups biochar.

I plan to IPM with top dressing of Neem cake and Aloe Vera as well as top dressings of Malted Barley Powder

Before I go into my questions and concerns, I will explain my current SOG coco bed set up and hopefully someone can advise for or against my plans as I intend to just replace the Coco with the NoTill soil on next grow or the grow after (pending when my NoTill compost is ready)

Currently I have 2 beds, growing perpetually. Each bed is in a 100L (26.4 gallon) thick black plastic tub with 6x 8mm holes drilled into the bottom and placed on same type of tub with matching holes in lid for drainage collection....see picture to help get idea, sorry the beds are currently blocking the view of the tubs.



In each tub is 15 clones planted in a coco/perlite mix (70/30) that sits on top of a 1 inch bed of clay balls to help drainage and have 0 veg time and straight into 12/12 lighting. So I would guess total media volume per tub to be about 75-80L (19.8 - 21.1 gallons)

I plan to fill to this 75L (19.8 gallon) level with NoTill soil mix. My concern or question to those that know or have experience at this stage is, do I use a living mulch for such a short grow time or just use a straw mulch and top dress? Also is this soil volume adequate to retain moisture as I am hoping to be watering every 2 days, as well as malted barley powder every 10 days watered in with Aloe Vera or Fulvic.

So main focus is on the question about living mulch, but I will definitely be grateful for any other advise, tips or instructions as seen necessary

Thanks in advance, but I will probably thank you again in later post

 

[bobrown14]

Can add 1 cup per cubic foot of malted barley ground fine to your soil mix.

I assume you're familiar with Coots mix and or BlueJay no-till?

I'm a big composter. Quality in quality out is whats going on in my bins.

I'm not a big fan of using paper products or animal wastes. You can look to green manures - lots and lots of plant biomass that can sub in for animal waste. Thats just me.

Animal waste takes a some time to break down properly and TEMPS are important to get rid of specific pathogens and stuff like worming agents that are bad for well worms and us hoo-mans. If you have access to already composted thats great or you gonna need a tractor with a bucket.

You're going to like your no-till set up. Even better the flavor of the final product.

 

[JengaBoss]

Can add 1 cup per cubic foot of malted barley ground fine to your soil mix.

I assume you're familiar with Coots mix and or BlueJay no-till?

I'm a big composter. Quality in quality out is whats going on in my bins.

I'm not a big fan of using paper products or animal wastes. You can look to green manures - lots and lots of plant biomass that can sub in for animal waste. Thats just me.

Animal waste takes a some time to break down properly and TEMPS are important to get rid of specific pathogens and stuff like worming agents that are bad for well worms and us hoo-mans. If you have access to already composted thats great or you gonna need a tractor with a bucket.

You're going to like your no-till set up. Even better the flavor of the final product.

So this 1 cup MBP is that an amendment to mix in the soil or as a weekly top dressing?

Yes my soil recipe is based off Coots, yet making my own compost is a colab of different readings I have come across in my research.

Thank you about the animal manure information and reminder, deep down I was aware of the animal manures needing a longer and higher temp, but forgot to take that into consideration and now back to the drawing boards for the compost heap and will use the current one for my veggie patches....ie - wasn't thinking

I guess a lot of my concern is that if I carry over this 0 veg SOG system that I currently have in coco and implement into the NoTill, is the volume of soil vs number of plants going to be adequate to retain the proper moisture with every second day waterings?

I'm even considering giving it a 1-2 week veg cycle

 

[bobrown14]

If good enough for veggies it will be good enough.

I'm not a vegetarian. lol Wait..... I'm now confused.


On the MBP - cup in the soil mix. If you already mixed soil without, np just pour a cup in and mix.

I add 2-3 tbs into the pot at up-pot (with a few other goodies) , trim the LAF --> into flower. The cup was in the initial soil mix.

I up-pot into a 7.5gal pot - that's small for no-till.

Make any sense. I'm high again. lol

I've mixed lots of Coots mixes - the humus portion can vary quite a bit.

For example;

I've used Coast of Main - lobster compost mixed in with my own vermi-compost and local found EWC with all the other stuff. What I'm running now.

Organic soil - has a lot of versatility. I've been composting long time. Now I amend my vermi-compost bins. Everything ready when plants are grow-in.

As far as manures - there are lots of local options.

I like:
rabbit berries
Alapaca poop
Sheep Shit (composted)

Green Manures:
dandelions
Comfrey
clovers