Thanks for sharing your recipe!! Many will benefit from that!!
hey @Alafornia is that close to your recipe? You also have a great recipe!!
hey @Alafornia is that close to your recipe? You also have a great recipe!!
Patient's 2020
- Thread starter Pat Puffer
- Start date
I began with the basic super soil recipe:
- 8 large bags of a high-quality organic potting soil with coco fiber and mycorrhizae (i.e., your base soil)
- 25 to 50 lbs of organic worm castings
- 5 lbs steamed bone meal
- 5 lbs Bloom bat guano
- 5 lbs blood meal
- 3 lbs rock phosphate
- ¾ cup Epson salts
- ½ cup sweet lime (dolomite)
- ½ cup azomite (trace elements)
- 2 tbsp powdered humic acid
I recently added 1.5 lbs of rice hulls and 24 qts of perlite. Both increase soil drainage and aeration. Rice hulls retain some water and add silica. Perlite also decreases caking of the soil (not sure about rice hulls on that). Rice hulls have a neutral pH. I had a big problem with soil caking before adding more perlite.
I also added a little more dolomite lime (roughly 1/4 cup) as the pH was a little too low and I've had cal-mag issues. Also added some oyster shell powder (roughly 1/3 cup) and just a bit of bat guano, rock phosphate, bone meal, and azomite (in fairy small amounts).
The big change I'm experimenting with now is the addition of biochar. I added a 3 lb bag of it (got mine from pacific biochar because it was pre charged - but from anyone will do and you can compost it yourself to charge it with microbiology and nutrients).
I'll have the newly amended soil "cooking" for several weeks before I'll need any. When you see my next journal (yes, you read that right) you'll know I'm working with the newly amended soil.
- Thread starter
- #24
At my old site i would do weekly updates. I figure i will keep to it.
Here is the Mango. Weird pheno that all branches wanted to grow straight up. So i tied her down and she is doing pretty well.
Here is the BcM×Bw. She is unproven and has gotten away from me this year. She ended up with way too many tops. She will be sampled and probably used for extracts.
Here is one of her bigger buds. (Haha)
Here is the Mango. Weird pheno that all branches wanted to grow straight up. So i tied her down and she is doing pretty well.
- Thread starter
- #25
I am now seeing the benefit of thumbnail attachments...
- Thread starter
- #26
To be honest i think this is half Mango. My brother grew it next my Mango which hermie. This plant smells like Mango candy.
Beautiful garden P! I hope to outdoors next year.
Damn that Harley tsu is crazy big!! gotta love that Cali sun! 
- Thread starter
- #29
I forgot to add my media to the super soil thing. I went and bought big blocks of Sphagnum Peat Moss and added Perlite until it looked right and used Garden Lime to neutralize the pH. At the time i also added amendments and let it cook. Yucca extract is added to Pro-Mix, but mine came close. Cheaper as well. Currently my Peat Moss is about 4 yrs old and i Lime it to keep the pH up, as Peat likes to dip as it ages.
Currently my Peat Moss is about 4 yrs old and i Lime it to keep the pH up, as Peat likes to dip as it ages.- Thread starter
- #30
I was doing a little research on molasses. Like, what is it really doing? Aside from maximizing our current fertilizers, it also unlocks "tied up nutrients" within the media/soil. Did you know it (molasses) can remove rust from metal? I didn't. It removes it because the molasses binds to it. Here is a snippet from some literature I was reading at Agriculture Solutions Inc. (no author available)
What can organic molasses do for my crops?
Organic molasses is a unique biostimulating material that can be a very beneficial input on your farm to promote health and vitality of your soil. Molasses provides an effective, available source of carbon energy and carbohydrates to feed and stimulate the growth of beneficial microorganisms so your soil life will flourish to create greater natural soil fertility. Molasses is loved by bacteria and, therefore, can be a catalyst for crop residue breakdown which is carried out by our bacterial friends in the soil. Because of this, we use organic molasses as a primary ingredient in our TrueBlend soil rejuvenator to speed the breakdown of crop residues after harvest.
Not only can organic molasses provide a food (sugar) source for microbes, but it also contains many trace and ultra trace minerals. This is a critical factor because a balanced and consistent supply of trace minerals is essential for microbes to survive and thrive. The micro-nutrients and other nutrients contained in molasses are available for quick uptake by your plants, simply because they are derived from a plant. This is especially important for the microbes that depend on trace minerals as catalysts in order to produce enzymes that enable critical biochemical transformations.
Organic molasses also works as a chelating agent, or organic stimulant, to convert the soil's tied-up nutrients into a form that's easily accessible to plants. Chelated minerals can be absorbed directly and remain available and stable in the soil. Chelates are known for their ability to unlock the potential of fertilizers, and many farmers are successfully using chelating agents, like organic molasses, to increase efficiency of their current fertilizer and enable dramatic cuts in normal levels of fertilizer application requirements.
What can organic molasses do for my crops?
Organic molasses is a unique biostimulating material that can be a very beneficial input on your farm to promote health and vitality of your soil. Molasses provides an effective, available source of carbon energy and carbohydrates to feed and stimulate the growth of beneficial microorganisms so your soil life will flourish to create greater natural soil fertility. Molasses is loved by bacteria and, therefore, can be a catalyst for crop residue breakdown which is carried out by our bacterial friends in the soil. Because of this, we use organic molasses as a primary ingredient in our TrueBlend soil rejuvenator to speed the breakdown of crop residues after harvest.
Not only can organic molasses provide a food (sugar) source for microbes, but it also contains many trace and ultra trace minerals. This is a critical factor because a balanced and consistent supply of trace minerals is essential for microbes to survive and thrive. The micro-nutrients and other nutrients contained in molasses are available for quick uptake by your plants, simply because they are derived from a plant. This is especially important for the microbes that depend on trace minerals as catalysts in order to produce enzymes that enable critical biochemical transformations.
Organic molasses also works as a chelating agent, or organic stimulant, to convert the soil's tied-up nutrients into a form that's easily accessible to plants. Chelated minerals can be absorbed directly and remain available and stable in the soil. Chelates are known for their ability to unlock the potential of fertilizers, and many farmers are successfully using chelating agents, like organic molasses, to increase efficiency of their current fertilizer and enable dramatic cuts in normal levels of fertilizer application requirements.
Thanks for that P!! A lot of good Information in that!!
have a great day at work!!!
you still doing the same job? Or did you jump on something a bit better. I remember you saying you were tired of the circumstances
have a great day at work!!!
you still doing the same job? Or did you jump on something a bit better. I remember you saying you were tired of the circumstances
- Thread starter
- #32
@Backlipslide i am living in a fantasy world right now. As i am in education, per say, there is no real work to speak of. I am employed and paid, but i don't have to go anywhere. Last we spoke? Hmm...depends on what i was going through at the time. This job, when happening, is pretty mentally draining. This job keeps my schedule synced up with my kids so i am off when they are. Effectively alleviating any need for child care. When the lady and i were both operators at refineries, no one was home with the kid(s). The wife and I would not see each other for a week occasionally due to our schedules. I was a firefighter as well and training on their rescue team PLUS an operator. It was too much to try and raise a family. Sooo...i am back to working with kids and at times its trying due to the cases i work with. I am probably going to retire working this job. There is a retirement associated with it so, sure. Uhh...NO. I still work the same job.
Oh! I remember. We were about to move out to the valley and get a new home. Nothing was wrong with my job. The wife couldn't make the commute while working rotating 12 hour shifts. So we squashed that idea. We stayed in town. Though we are looking in to potentially moving out to Idaho. Talk about zero tolerance for cannabis. I will end up in jail if we move there. Watch.
Oh! I remember. We were about to move out to the valley and get a new home. Nothing was wrong with my job. The wife couldn't make the commute while working rotating 12 hour shifts. So we squashed that idea. We stayed in town. Though we are looking in to potentially moving out to Idaho. Talk about zero tolerance for cannabis. I will end up in jail if we move there. Watch.
Konks Dirt Empire
Well-Known Member
Love this!Secret to being rich is act like your broke.
Your outdoor plants are monsters! Personally, I like the full size pics where you see the sheer size of the plants with the blooming vegetation in the background without having to open each one. I am a guest though, it's your journal, dealers choice!
Ahh yes, that sounds familiar. I remember you saying your job was mentally draining, and you guys were thinking of moving. Then the next time I stopped in at George’s site, I remember you saying you guys decided not to move.@Backlipslide i am living in a fantasy world right now. As i am in education, per say, there is no real work to speak of. I am employed and paid, but i don't have to go anywhere. Last we spoke? Hmm...depends on what i was going through at the time. This job, when happening, is pretty mentally draining. This job keeps my schedule synced up with my kids so i am off when they are. Effectively alleviating any need for child care. When the lady and i were both operators at refineries, no one was home with the kid(s). The wife and I would not see each other for a week occasionally due to our schedules. I was a firefighter as well and training on their rescue team PLUS an operator. It was too much to try and raise a family. Sooo...i am back to working with kids and at times its trying due to the cases i work with. I am probably going to retire working this job. There is a retirement associated with it so, sure. Uhh...NO. I still work the same job.
Oh! I remember. We were about to move out to the valley and get a new home. Nothing was wrong with my job. The wife couldn't make the commute while working rotating 12 hour shifts. So we squashed that idea. We stayed in town. Though we are looking in to potentially moving out to Idaho. Talk about zero tolerance for cannabis. I will end up in jail if we move there. Watch.
right now, I drive just over an hour to get to work. The drive in the morning suck, but I prefer to drive an hour one way for work, and be home with my wife and kids every night rather then working a camp job, where I’d be home 6 days a month.
Idaho ehh? Never been, but I hear good things about Idaho. That would be a major change.... going from Cali to Idaho... lol let’s hope you don’t go to jail lol!!
On the plus side, you’d be just below Alberta!!
or I guess I should say British Columbia.
- Thread starter
- #35
Another week down. Here are the plants this fine Friday. 
The Mango has really impressed me this year. I have inbred my Mango seeds to have more and others have had great success with her. This is my 2nd true grow with her. I kept her as a Bonsai. Her colas are 1'-2' and she smells of Mangoes and Puppy Breath (odd). She is getting a sweeter smell to her. The BcM×Bw behind her was thrown in due to her structure. She is totally a beast at growing. I let her end up with too many tops and her energy is not as focused as it could be. A wind storm blew threw and whipped her tops around. I had to run bread tie around her about half way up to keep her supported. She is doing better. She doesn't have much smell yet but she is greasy, if that makes sense. She is going to run the limit of the season due to her late blooming and strong Sativa heritage. 
The Mango up close. 
The BcM×Bw. She has a LOOONNNNG way to go. 
Here is the BlackWater bag seed. Her smell is shifting again. No telling what she will end up smelling as. 
Here is a BlackWater bud. (Excited)Here is the Harley-Tsu. 
She got beat up by the wind. Some of her buds are flopped over and that's where they will stay. She has less than a month left and...that's that. The AC/DC is laying flat and i placed my net too soon. I am not a vet at this and i am still tweaking certain aspects of my grow. Timing is everything. 
Here is an AC/DC bud. 
Here is a Harely-Tsu bud.
The Mango has really impressed me this year. I have inbred my Mango seeds to have more and others have had great success with her. This is my 2nd true grow with her. I kept her as a Bonsai. Her colas are 1'-2' and she smells of Mangoes and Puppy Breath (odd). She is getting a sweeter smell to her. The BcM×Bw behind her was thrown in due to her structure. She is totally a beast at growing. I let her end up with too many tops and her energy is not as focused as it could be. A wind storm blew threw and whipped her tops around. I had to run bread tie around her about half way up to keep her supported. She is doing better. She doesn't have much smell yet but she is greasy, if that makes sense. She is going to run the limit of the season due to her late blooming and strong Sativa heritage. The Mango up close. The BcM×Bw. She has a LOOONNNNG way to go. Here is the BlackWater bag seed. Her smell is shifting again. No telling what she will end up smelling as. Here is a BlackWater bud. (Excited)Here is the Harley-Tsu. She got beat up by the wind. Some of her buds are flopped over and that's where they will stay. She has less than a month left and...that's that. The AC/DC is laying flat and i placed my net too soon. I am not a vet at this and i am still tweaking certain aspects of my grow. Timing is everything. Here is an AC/DC bud. Here is a Harely-Tsu bud.
Spoiled in Cali!
She looks so good i hate it LOL!
- Thread starter
- #38
If anyone has followed y'all know i am in search of a cheap All Purpose with low numbers, like a 2-2-2. I ran my BlackWater on my Bonsai nutes. It kicked butt! Now i am out an Kellogg's isn't making anymore. Sooo...desperate times...
I found a thread by Terroir Seeds' (gardening) Stephen Scott. It describes how to brew your own fish emulsion. Given my need for a cheap All Purpose and seeing what the BlackWater is doing, i may just try this. Letting sardines rot in a mixture of Kelp & Molasses w/compost. Stir for a month. Strain floating solids. Pee-Yew! The results are undeniable with the BlackWater. My Bonsai's are hungry. I am redneck enough.
-copied from Terroir Seeds site-
...
Fish Emulsion Feeds Your Plants
Fish emulsion has been a go-to product for the organic and natural home gardener for years now, as it has proven its effectiveness in feeding the soil and plants with biologically available nutrients while increasing soil and microbe health. The main drawback to commercial fish emulsion is the cost and the smell. While we can’t do anything to help you with the fishy smell, we can help you make your own fish emulsion that will not only save you a lot of money in product and shipping costs, but just might make a better product than you can buy! This homemade fish emulsion will almost always supply more nutrients than commercially available, but also supplies much more beneficial bacteria from the brewing process. In order to ship, commercial emulsions have little to no active bacteria, because they make containers swell as they continue to grow!
All fish emulsions are good organic nitrogen sources, but they also supply phosphorus, potassium, amino acids, proteins and trace elements or micro-nutrients that are really needed to provide deep nutrition to your soil community and plants. One of the benefits of fish emulsion is that they provide a slower release of nutrients into the soil without over-feeding all at once. It is usually applied as a soil drench, but some gardeners swear by using it as a foliar fertilizer as well.
Adding seaweed or kelp to the brewing process adds about 60 trace elements and natural growth hormones to the mix, really boosting the effectiveness of the fish emulsion. The seaweed or kelp transforms the emulsion into a complete biological fertilizer. Beneficial soil fungi love seaweed. Dried seaweed is available at most oriental grocery stores. The amount you need to add will depend entirely on your soil needs. If you are just getting started in improving your soil, add up to a cup of dried seaweed or 2 – 3 cups fresh. If your soil is doing pretty good then add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of dried seaweed and up to 1 – 2 cups fresh.
Making Your Own Fish Emulsion
Fish Emulsion Ingredients
To make your own, obtain a dedicated 5 gallon bucket for this project. Trust me; you won’t want to use it for anything else once you’re done! Buy 10 cans of herring type fish such as sardines, mackerel or anchovies. Sourcing these from a dollar store or scratch and dent store makes perfect sense, as you don’t care about the can and aren’t going to eat them.
Zeus with Compost
Rich, well-aged compost is a key ingredient to great fish emulsion, as it has lots of active microbes and other biological life which will help kick-start the fermentation of the fish. A good compost hunting dog is not required, but really helps. We’ve found the Doberman breed to be very helpful in finding just the right compost! Dalmatians do a pretty good job as well.
Adding Compost to Bucket
Fill the bucket half full of well-aged compost, aged sawdust or leaves, or a combination of all three. You are looking for the dark brown, crumbly compost that smells like rich earth.
Adding Water to Compost
Add water to about 2 inches from the top…
Adding Sardines
add in the cans of fish, rinsing the cans with the water to make sure you get every last drop of the “good stuff”. The juices or oils in the can will breed beneficial microbes and supply extra proteins.
Blackstrap Molasses
To supercharge the brew, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of blackstrap molasses to provide sugars and minerals to the fermenting process. The sugars also help control odors. Next, add the chopped or powdered seaweed to the mix. If you need extra sulfur and magnesium, add 1 Tbs Epsom salts.
Stirring Compost and Sardines
Stir well and cover with a lid to control the odor, but not tightly as it will build pressure as it brews.
Be Careful!
NOTE – Make sure that flies do not get into the bucket or you will have a marvelous breeding ground for maggots! One solution is to drill several holes in the lid for the bucket and glue screen mesh on the inside of the lid, allowing air flow but keeping those pesky flies out. Remember, you are brewing the most delicious aromas the flies have ever smelled!
Let it Ferment
Let it brew for at least 2 weeks, a month is better. Give the contents a good stir every couple of days.
Once it has brewed for a month, it is ready for use!
There are a lot of ways to use this brew, so be creative. Some folks will strain off the solids, put them in the compost pile and use the liquid as a concentrated “tea” to be diluted with water. Others keep everything together and stir the mix well before taking what they need. What you have is a supply of bio-available nutrients in a soluble form.
Use as a Soil Drench and Foliar Fertilizer
For a soil drench, use 2 – 3 Tbs per gallon of water and apply to the roots on a monthly basis during the growing season. 1 Tbs per gallon of water makes a good foliar fertilizer. Just make sure to apply it by misting during the cooler parts of the day, not drenching the leaves in the heat. Half a cup per gallon will give your compost pile a kick start.
This brew will keep for at least a year, but you might want to make fresh each season. If you need less than 5 gallons, halve or quarter the recipe. It will smell, so store it where the odor won’t knock you out. I don’t trust the “deodorized” fish emulsions, as to remove the odor, some component of the fish product was removed either physically or chemically and is no longer available as a nutrient
I found a thread by Terroir Seeds' (gardening) Stephen Scott. It describes how to brew your own fish emulsion. Given my need for a cheap All Purpose and seeing what the BlackWater is doing, i may just try this. Letting sardines rot in a mixture of Kelp & Molasses w/compost. Stir for a month. Strain floating solids. Pee-Yew! The results are undeniable with the BlackWater. My Bonsai's are hungry. I am redneck enough.
-copied from Terroir Seeds site-
...
Fish Emulsion Feeds Your Plants
Fish emulsion has been a go-to product for the organic and natural home gardener for years now, as it has proven its effectiveness in feeding the soil and plants with biologically available nutrients while increasing soil and microbe health. The main drawback to commercial fish emulsion is the cost and the smell. While we can’t do anything to help you with the fishy smell, we can help you make your own fish emulsion that will not only save you a lot of money in product and shipping costs, but just might make a better product than you can buy! This homemade fish emulsion will almost always supply more nutrients than commercially available, but also supplies much more beneficial bacteria from the brewing process. In order to ship, commercial emulsions have little to no active bacteria, because they make containers swell as they continue to grow!
All fish emulsions are good organic nitrogen sources, but they also supply phosphorus, potassium, amino acids, proteins and trace elements or micro-nutrients that are really needed to provide deep nutrition to your soil community and plants. One of the benefits of fish emulsion is that they provide a slower release of nutrients into the soil without over-feeding all at once. It is usually applied as a soil drench, but some gardeners swear by using it as a foliar fertilizer as well.
Adding seaweed or kelp to the brewing process adds about 60 trace elements and natural growth hormones to the mix, really boosting the effectiveness of the fish emulsion. The seaweed or kelp transforms the emulsion into a complete biological fertilizer. Beneficial soil fungi love seaweed. Dried seaweed is available at most oriental grocery stores. The amount you need to add will depend entirely on your soil needs. If you are just getting started in improving your soil, add up to a cup of dried seaweed or 2 – 3 cups fresh. If your soil is doing pretty good then add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of dried seaweed and up to 1 – 2 cups fresh.
Making Your Own Fish Emulsion
Fish Emulsion Ingredients
To make your own, obtain a dedicated 5 gallon bucket for this project. Trust me; you won’t want to use it for anything else once you’re done! Buy 10 cans of herring type fish such as sardines, mackerel or anchovies. Sourcing these from a dollar store or scratch and dent store makes perfect sense, as you don’t care about the can and aren’t going to eat them.
Zeus with Compost
Rich, well-aged compost is a key ingredient to great fish emulsion, as it has lots of active microbes and other biological life which will help kick-start the fermentation of the fish. A good compost hunting dog is not required, but really helps. We’ve found the Doberman breed to be very helpful in finding just the right compost! Dalmatians do a pretty good job as well.
Adding Compost to Bucket
Fill the bucket half full of well-aged compost, aged sawdust or leaves, or a combination of all three. You are looking for the dark brown, crumbly compost that smells like rich earth.
Adding Water to Compost
Add water to about 2 inches from the top…
Adding Sardines
add in the cans of fish, rinsing the cans with the water to make sure you get every last drop of the “good stuff”. The juices or oils in the can will breed beneficial microbes and supply extra proteins.
Blackstrap Molasses
To supercharge the brew, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of blackstrap molasses to provide sugars and minerals to the fermenting process. The sugars also help control odors. Next, add the chopped or powdered seaweed to the mix. If you need extra sulfur and magnesium, add 1 Tbs Epsom salts.
Stirring Compost and Sardines
Stir well and cover with a lid to control the odor, but not tightly as it will build pressure as it brews.
Be Careful!
NOTE – Make sure that flies do not get into the bucket or you will have a marvelous breeding ground for maggots! One solution is to drill several holes in the lid for the bucket and glue screen mesh on the inside of the lid, allowing air flow but keeping those pesky flies out. Remember, you are brewing the most delicious aromas the flies have ever smelled!
Let it Ferment
Let it brew for at least 2 weeks, a month is better. Give the contents a good stir every couple of days.
Once it has brewed for a month, it is ready for use!
There are a lot of ways to use this brew, so be creative. Some folks will strain off the solids, put them in the compost pile and use the liquid as a concentrated “tea” to be diluted with water. Others keep everything together and stir the mix well before taking what they need. What you have is a supply of bio-available nutrients in a soluble form.
Use as a Soil Drench and Foliar Fertilizer
For a soil drench, use 2 – 3 Tbs per gallon of water and apply to the roots on a monthly basis during the growing season. 1 Tbs per gallon of water makes a good foliar fertilizer. Just make sure to apply it by misting during the cooler parts of the day, not drenching the leaves in the heat. Half a cup per gallon will give your compost pile a kick start.
This brew will keep for at least a year, but you might want to make fresh each season. If you need less than 5 gallons, halve or quarter the recipe. It will smell, so store it where the odor won’t knock you out. I don’t trust the “deodorized” fish emulsions, as to remove the odor, some component of the fish product was removed either physically or chemically and is no longer available as a nutrient
- Thread starter
- #39
Well that last post isn't blowing smoke. I need more sardine cans. (Hahaha) i am starting this "brew your own fish/kelp/molasses" fertilizer. I have reviewed MegaCrop's ingredients and they have the "science" down. Chitosan, Aminos, and chelators. There's more but it's spot on. Geo-Flora is what i would be running given all i use is found in their ingredients. They got the wisdom down. I need a simple 1 shot thing. Some would say hey...not possible. They need this then and that when they need it. I would've agreed. 
This plant has only received Kellogg's All-Purpose fish/kelp/molasses (2-2-2) and is making me take notice. Strain dependent? Perhaps. That is why i need to brew my own and see. Can a simple one bottle/Tbsp run a plant from start to finish. That bud up there says yes. 
I need a low number fert AND organic for my Bonsai ladies n boyz. I am about to start some seeds i made this year and i need a cheap fert that will suffice. As i said, Geo-Flora is hands down what i would use. MegaCrop has the science and delivers. I desire low budget..."scoop this" and done. Sounds like MegaCrop? Hell yeah! I see your plants and i can't wait to try some. Free sample? ...okay I'm in. Mean time, my Bonsai's need a good nute. I don't see me buying stuff to get them by. Saw stuffed crust pizza. Loved it, made my own. Chicken coops? Needed 1, made my own. Needed soil for weed? Made my own. Need nutes...you can see where this is going. Need a grow box? Made my own... My indoor will get it's own thread. I have been looking at the MarsHydro 1000? 15"×13" drawing 150? For $150...sure would be nice to replace the HPS in my box...
