Mineralizing Your Living Soil

[COorganics]

Hello 420mag,
I am currently trying to wrap my head around mineralizing my living soil mix.
I have a great soil mix already, but I keep reading on here to mineralize my soil.

I have some Soft Rock Phosphate and Azomite here at the house.
Neither is in my container (which is vegging) atm. (I bought both to amend my recycled dirt, which I am not yet using.)

So the question for all you living soil guru's is this:
Should I top dress with either or both rocks above mentioned? Add to a tea? Is there anything else I'd use to mineralize? How are you guys mineralizing your soil?

Thanks, this is the premiere online forum and I appreciate the help!!

 

[Icemud]

A good start would be to use the 6-5-3 which is 6 parts calcium carbonate, 5 parts soft rock phosphate, and 3 parts gypsum. Add in the azomite and you have mineralized soil. This would take any soil garden to the next level.

I use this mix at about 2 cups per 30 gallons of soil, I don't know if this is the correct amount, but so far so good.

 

[COorganics]

Great thanks ice,
Just what I was looking for!

Is that mix something that has to be mixed into soil and cooked?

Will top dressing work?, how about in a tea?

Thanks again!

 

[COorganics]

Keep the thread alive, like our soil!



I was thinking of mixing up some 6-5-3 with my other spike ingredients.

Curious if it would be better mixed in globally?

I kinda like to try new things slow and mellow and safe.
Hate to fry a plant with an experiment gone bad... Lol.

That being said I could just mix up some 6-5-3 and add a touch in my teas, a bit in the spikes, top dress a small section.
Sounds good.

Another thought is this, does the 6-5-3 NEED to be cooked? Globally I think I would want to.. But as a top dress, or in a spike?

 

[Icemud]

Keep the thread alive, like our soil!



I was thinking of mixing up some 6-5-3 with my other spike ingredients.

Curious if it would be better mixed in globally?

I kinda like to try new things slow and mellow and safe.
Hate to fry a plant with an experiment gone bad... Lol.

That being said I could just mix up some 6-5-3 and add a touch in my teas, a bit in the spikes, top dress a small section.
Sounds good.

Another thought is this, does the 6-5-3 NEED to be cooked? Globally I think I would want to.. But as a top dress, or in a spike?

When I first started to do high brix growing, I top dressed with the 6-5-3 and it worked rather well. I used about 2 large spoonfuls per 5 gallon pot and worked it into the top layer of the soil. On grows after the 1st one, I mixed it into the soil and cooked it for a few weeks but other times its been mixed into the soil and used right away. I would say for best results, cooking wouldn't hurt and would be the best option, but if you cant, topdressing will work too.

 

[COorganics]

Nice thanks bro

 

[ProperGreen]

@COorganics,

Soft Rock Phosphate is to use in a compost tea to the tune of about 1/2tsp per gallon according to Microbe Organics.
Azomite is Ok to top dress for sure, but I'm not really sure what purpose it would serve in a compost tea, so I don't think it'll do any good there, but you should def mix it into your soil to remineralize! It's loaded with micros!
I've used it successfully to the tune of 1/2 cup per cu ft of soil mix!
Maybe you can use more but I never have. Micros which aren't needed in quantity.
I'm trying this stuff now called Exelerite to see how it works, when usually I'd use Glacial Rock Dust and Kelp Meal for mineralization!

 

[Smelly Joe]

Another thread I'm subscribing to

Love and Light

 

[G-daddy]

High ya CO great info here. Subbed.
I am also making soil for my next grow and trying this stuff from my grow shop,

The guy said it would work sure hope so, a little of this seems to go a long way

 

[Joopman]

Subbed!!

 

[Smelly Joe]

I added Volcanic Rock Dust to my flowering ladies by means of topdressing and then watered it in. My haze had some pretty bad ph issues and the VRD sorted that out as well.

I'm currently trying to hunt down Kelp Meal but I can't find any. Really weird.

Love and Light

 

[COorganics]

A.m.azon, garden supply store

 

[Conradino23]

Don't have kelp? Try algae from your nearest stream/river. They'll work fine as well

 

[COorganics]

Do u dry it and use it?

 

[Smelly Joe]

Don't have kelp? Try algae from your nearest stream/river. They'll work fine as well

What I have is access to endless amounts of bamboo from the ocean. You think using that will work ??? Of course it'll have to sit a month or so to settle but I think it should work.

Love and Light

 

[Conradino23]

Yes, I've been doing it since last year, when I figured that paying for seaweed and kelp is ridiculous when I can source algae locally and they will do exactly the same thing. They're about 80% nitrogen basically and can be used as a dressing or decomposed into liquid fertilizer (I'm gonna go with this option this season). But don't take me for granted and google "algae fertilizer" to find out for yourself. Also, I don't know how abundant your local streams are in nitrogen, which is the main reason for algae to grow quickly. You need to check if some local plant or mine doesn't drop uranium or aluminium waste into the river, which has this green growth, because you'll get heavy metals concentration in your buds... which rock phosphate has plenty of by the way (research again).

 

[David Bowman]

FYI, if you drink coffee, the used grounds are high in N as well.

 

[COorganics]

Cool idea

 

[Icemud]

I wanted to share this as it was very valuable info. The source is a newsletter from "The Lab" which is not the actual name of the source, but they are in a non-legal state and so they don't want to tie into our industry... So for now, we will call them. "The Lab"

The Best Soils In The World Are...

1. Volcanic

Nothing beats volcanic soil. Period. From the grape growing region in Italy around Mt. Vesuvius to the fruit growing region of America's Pacific Northwest. Volcanic soils grow the best tasting coffee, tea, asparagus, fruit, the most fragrant flowers, and the best quality wheat.

What makes volcanic soil so special? Volcanoes are an awesome force of nature. They are also a foundational source of minerals to nourish and replenish worn out soils. They represent a bountiful supply of new minerals ready to assist you in growing better crops.

What is it about soils derived from volcanic ash and tephra (falling rock particles) that makes them so productive? I believe it is the spectrum of minerals that range from the major minerals to the secondary minerals, to the trace minerals all the way to rare earth elements. They all play a role in stimulating soil biology and supporting the plant and animal kingdom.

Volcanic action is the base supply of earth minerals that make up soil. To enrich soil capable of growing high quality crops, we need to replenish the supply by adding volcanic rock powders.

2. Rich in Calcium

Calcium rich soils are highly productive. Unfortunately calcium is leached out of the root zone by percolating water. That means regions with higher rainfall, such as in the South and East, show low levels of available calcium. Poverty soils are low calcium while highly productive soils have more calcium.

Certain regions of the country are known for their high calcium levels. One of these areas is Southern Texas. Here is an experiment you might enjoy with your family. Buy some grapefruit from each of these states: Texas, Florida and California. Now squeeze the juice of each and do a taste test. If you have a refractometer, check the brix. I am pretty sure you will find remarkable differences in taste and quality. You might end up doing what I do--only buy grapefruit from Texas.

Why is calcium so important in soil? One reason that often gets overlooked is the impact of available calcium and the proliferation of plant roots. There is an almost linear relationship between available calcium and roots. When calcium is low, there are relatively few roots. As available calcium increases, so does the mass of roots. In addition to the main roots, there are now finer rootlets branching off the side of the main roots. When available calcium levels go beyond 1,900 lbs. on the Morgan test, something amazing happens with the roots--they now produce a profusion of fine root hairs. These fine root hairs are continuously growing and dying off.

What is so important about plant roots? The more roots, the more rhizosphere. The more rhizosphere, the more microbes are supported in the soil. And that leads us to our last type of soil. The best soils in the world are...

3. Teaming With Microbes

Microbes live off the sugars or plant residues produced by plants. They use this energy from plants to digest the rock minerals they need to proliferate. As they reproduce they also die and leave their minerals available for plant uptake.

Many growers make the mistake of only thinking "How can I grow a better crop of ____." Instead, they also need to be thinking, "How can I get my soil teaming with microbes?"

The answer is to create the right environment for soil biology by creating a volcanic soil well endowed with calcium. Supplying microbes is helpful, but it must be done in the context of adequate mineralization.

Most people have never seen a volcanic soil well endowed with calcium, broad spectrum trace minerals, and teaming with microbes.

Would you like to see this in action with your plants? Today you can!

After countless hours of study and experimentation, I am pleased to offer a product that can help transform your soil into a volcanic soil rich in calcium and microbial activity.

By using 1 tablespoon of Transplant Formula at planting, this tomato plant is showing a blossom cluster with 12 tomato blossoms. Many other clusters show 9, 10 and 11 tomatoes.

Tomato plant with blossom cluster of 12 tomatoblossoms

Transplant Formula contains:

3 different calcium powders supplying calcium sulfate, calcium silicate, calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate
5 different volcanic rock powders supplying silicon and nearly a whole periodic table of elements
4 microbial packages supplying live microbes to populate a growing rhizosphere around plant roots
4 biostimulant carbon sources to push biology in high gear.

As an extra punch, Transplant Formula also supplies quick acting enzymes to jumpstart the whole process.

Here is another segment of the newsletters...

To support biology I am doing 4 important things:

1) Create a housing complex for bacteria. This comes in the form of powdered charcoal. I intend to add a certain amount every year.

2) Provide a plentiful supply of rock minerals in the soil. The yearly soil test and broadcast makes sure the soil has an abundance of calcium and volcanic rock minerals. Bacteria can't proliferate well if they do not have the minerals needed to build their bodies. Calcium is especially important for the proliferation of soil biology.

3) Provide live soil bacteria and fungal organisms in the soil. I supply live bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi by using Transplant Formula. Additional fungal species come from inoculating each bed 1 time with a shovel full of hardwood forest soil before applying the last ingredient. Hardwood forest soil provides a whole host of fungal decomposers, the white rot fungi, but they do not tolerate a high nitrogen environment.

4) Feed the soil biology a source of energy. This is one of my most exciting experiments. I have been using Ramial chips. These chips are hardwood twigs and branches less than 3 inches in diameter that have been chipped and shredded several times. The consistency is like fine sawdust but it isn't sawdust. Sawdust comes from the stem wood of trees and is not what I am suggesting.

After applying the shovel full of forest soil I then apply 2/3 inch of ramial chips. These are evenly worked into the top 4 inches of soil. No nitrogen is applied. This is best done ahead of dormancy in the fall but can be done in the growing season. If applied in the growing season I wait 2 months before planting a crop to avoid a nitrogen deficiency. It is important to keep the beds moist during this time. As ramial chips decompose they become a source of energy for biology just like plant sugars from roots are a food supply for biology. Only, in this situation, biology is not dependent on the roots.

These chips have not been composted. That means they have a lot more energy to feed soil biology. Composting is a biological process where energy is dissipated and minerals are concentrated outside of the soil.

Instead of losing this energy to composting, ramial chips keep this energy and release it directly to the biology in the soil. Energy transfers within trophic chains of soil biology. It is not in the form of soluble nutrients. Consequently it cannot be detected with a conductivity meter. What I am observing is that plants do get the energy from biology. I am looking to see if I get a crop failure by not applying nitrogen.

Please don't copy my approach--it is only one experiment based on the strong condemnation of using nitrogen by Julius Hensel and others.


Dr. William Albrecht was a preeminent soil scientist during the last century. He did a lot of field and animal studies. I am particularly intrigued by one experiment he performed on soybeans. He planted 2 groups of soybeans: 1 group in high calcium soil, and the other in calcium deficient soil. 10 days after germination, both set were gently uprooted and had all the soil washed off the roots. Then both groups were replanted back into calcium deficient soil. The seedlings that grew for 10 days in calcium rich soil looked better all through the growing season and they yielded significantly better.

Germination and growing in high calcium soil for only 10 days had a surprising impact on plant health. This is kind of like prenatal nutrition for people. It pays big dividends for years to come. This experiment highlights how important it is to achieve high calcium in your garden soil.

Calcium is critical for:

Volume of yield
Healthy cell walls
Prolific roots that support soil biology
Crop quality

The bottom line is that if you want to garden for nutrition you must have an abundance of available calcium.

Let's look closer at why calcium is such a kingpin. All nutrients applied to soils or in soils have an effect on the soils ability to raise a crop. These nutrients are divided into 2 types of energy--those that increase the growth of stalks, stems, and leaves, i.e. growth energy, and those that increase the growth of flowers, blossoms, and pods being set, i.e. reproductive energy.

To get the best growth you need all nutrients at appropriate levels and close to the right ratios. It is especially important to have the right ratio of growth energy to reproductive energy.

Consider the scenario where a tomato grows awesome vines all summer but doesn't put on any flowers or tomatoes. This does happen, and the cause is an insufficiency of reproductive energy. Consider another example. Compost (a reproductive fertilizer) is applied to lawns at a heavy rate. What do you observe? Lots of dandelions (a reproductive crop) and grass that is only 3 inches tall that pushes up seed heads. The reproductive fertilizer shifted the physiology of the grass from growth into reproductive mode.

Here are the growth energy nutrients and reproductive energy nutrients for quick comparison. Remember you want both sides roughly the same. It is very similar to running a teeter-totter. Both sides need to be close to equal weight.

Growth Energy
Sodium/Chlorides
Nitrates
Potassium
Calcium

Reproductive Energy
All Trace Minerals
Ammonial Nitrogen
Phosphates
Sulfates
Silicon
Magnesium
All Organics/Carbons

So let's ask a few important questions. How much sodium/chlorides should be in soil? Not much. A few lbs. per acre is sufficient. How much nitrates should be available per acre? Not too much. We list 40 lbs. per acre on our soil test. Call it 10's of lbs. per acre. How about potassium? Potassium is needed anywhere from 100 to 500 lbs. per acre depending on the crop. Normally it is needed somewhere around 200 lbs. per acre. Call potassium hundreds of lbs. per acre.

What is left on the growth energy side? Calcium! How much calcium is needed per acre? 1,000's of lbs. per acre. How much growth energy does a few lbs. of sodium chloride provide? Very little. How about the 10's of lbs. of nitrates? Only a small amount. What about the 100's of lbs. of potassium? Some. And lastly the 1,000's of lbs. of calcium? This is the vast majority by far. Here is the take away.

Calcium is the main growth energy element that all reproductive elements work against to create energy is soil. This is why Calcium is King!

Do you want trace minerals to work for you? Make sure you have plenty of calcium for that to happen. Do you want liquid fish or ammonium sulfate to work for you? It will happen when your soil is well endowed with calcium.

To garden for nutrition you must equip your soil with an adequate supply of calcium.

Tomorrow we discuss the strategy of raising calcium in your soil and look at the specific forms of calcium in the marketplace.

 

[COorganics]

I'm going to have to look into volcanic rock powders I can purchase to amend my next batch of soil.