Plant Alchemy With KNF: Korean Natural Farming And Jadam

[ReservoirDog]

Yes absolutely. We all lived off-grid so no stores or electricity. We canned salmon and venison all together every year and played hide and seek with helicopters all summer to get bud in our jars each October and make some cash for boat parts and solar panels. Twas a place out of time.

 

[Bill284]

edit: Happy 420, 420!

I have to put in here for the comfrey, esp. fresh poultices and salve. Many years ago I worked as a kayak guide for a true pioneer of the biz/activity and we typically took couples and small groups on deep wilderness, unsupported, 7 day trips. As the junior man, my boat would be 'pre-packed' with all the heavy essentials by base commander, Mrs. Kayak-god. Usually, she left me personal space enough for fresh socks and undies, while hubby was loaded with all the fresh baked goods. Before launch on my first big trip, I took issue with the well over 500ml (1/2 quart) of comfrey salve I was burdened with. (ugh, I still feel like a jackass). Rebuffed in no uncertain terms, I carried a little black cloud with me over the issue until our first meal break, whereupon I concocted my subterfuge. An old, repetitive-use injury was already starting to redevelop (ok, "old", relative to a 25 yr old jackass), so I figured might as well start lightening the comfrey load right then and there, and slathered it, like cream cheese, on my shoulder, my elbow,.... We ran out on day 6 of 7, at breakfast. Seriously, I was concerned enough about facing a possible revolt on the way home that I made sure the stainless 10 gauge was in my boat, such had become our dependence on the miraculous yellow sludge. My boss let me sweat it all the way to our lunch camp, before producing a brilliantly yellow toothy grin and a second jar of salve he'd guilefully taken with. Consider me hazed. That stuff made all the difference between waking without crippling pain from prev. day paddling, ready to meet adventure - or freezing into a fetal position in one's sleeping bag overnight, dreading each and every merciless mile on the next day's itinerary. The latter isn't typically a great look for guides, you understand. The paying customers usually started joking about how to possibly mainline the salve by day 3, even day 2. So, Comfrey salve, good. ReservoirDog, longwinded. I'll settle down soon, promise.

Hey @ReservoirDog Happy 420 my friend
Sounds like a great time in your life.
I really enjoy your stories very interesting life.
I made my own salve and line of personal medicinal products.
Life saving stuff when you run 50 chicks in coco.
Shipped all over the country, was popular with everyone who tried it.
Stacey has to buy the stuff now that I'm not producing anymore.
Feken OCS is expensive.

Stay safe
Bill

 

[ReservoirDog]

Mini SIP

I have a few extra clones kicking around so I thought I'd try something I've wanted to experiment with for a while, SIP's or Sub Irrigated Planters.

Same basic concept as a hempy. I took a clear 1L take out container and made a drainage hole about 1" up from the bottom, added a 1.5" layer of hydroton clay balls, filled the rest of the way with my grow mix, planted a newly rooted Blue Kush clone, and topped with a layer of worm castings covered by ALM.

Since the clay balls are filled to a level above the hole there should be a small separation between the water reservoir and the soil although the clay balls have some wicking capabilities so the roots should find access to ample water without sitting directly in it, unless they want to form water roots.

I'm getting ready to plant the outdoor garden and am planning on making a few of these in 15 gallon buckets for raspberries, blueberries and other things. I've been intrigued with the concept for a while so I figured this will give me a chance to see how they work up close since I can see through the clear (though a bit cloudy) container and better learn how the soil, roots and reservoir work together.

I also want to see if the soil stays too soggy as it sits on a hopefully moist bed of the clay balls. I plan to lightly water the top roots every 3-4 days, and for the bottom roots I'll experiment with only watering from the bottom as well as the more traditional way of dumping the water in from the top. If things get too wet I can always let the soil dry out and then refill the reservoir after sufficient drying time.

I expect it to be at least a week before the roots meander their way down to the reservoir so figured I'd start the clock ticking today.

I just wanted to briefly re-emphasize this advice for significant airspace between the media. Soggy, anaerobic disappointment is sure to follow if not heeded. I have a 27 gallon planter with a 10-12 gallon reservoir on the workbench at the moment that I'll be showing off v. soon on the new grow journal I'm launching today. I'm going to do a side by side with a dwc unit of same size and strain (not clones this time, unfortunately) and while I won't be feeding it Jadam this run, Jadam is why I created this SIP - as it is core to my campaign to develop a virtually-no-cost MJ grow system, for indoor and out, that people can use to free themselves from the Marijuana Industrial Complex by using Jadam ferts and pest management tools. This plant is our birthright and I've not suffered the slings and arrows of government repression, nor advocated these many years only to, under the guise of decrim and recreational legality here in my birth country, watch them fob it off to corporate leaches as just another flavour of corporate welfare. (breathe, R-Dog, breathe man)

Soil's charge, even base quality, is not nearly so important in a SIP setup - provided the liquid reservoir contains full nutrient requirements and capillary action may reliably take place. For Pete's sake, sawdust can accomplish that! If we can develop a Jadam-style "grow', "flower" and bud hardener nutrient recipe from fermented weeds and flower heads of plants ubiquitous around the world, then (I believe) we will have accomplished something profoundly positive for the mental and physical wellbeing of humanity. As the great man said, "free your grass, and your mind will follow!" Or maybe he said, "ass"... meh, fugghit, either, both, suit me fine.

Your quest is noble my dear Azimuth. Humbly, I offer my sword to the fellowship.

 

[Azimuth]

Thanks, RD.

I do have a gap between the reservoir top and the soil bottom. My experiment is to see if a void is needed as part of that gap, or if separating the two, but still allowing good wicking action makes a difference.

So, if we are mimicking nature, are we mimicking a cave structure with a large void but some connecting rock and soil material down the sides, or is it more like soil sitting atop a gravel bed that has a stream or creek running through it several inches down?

Does it matter? Is one better or worse than the other and why? My first version, and the easier of the two to build, is like the gravel bed and the second more mimics the cave structure. The creek version still has air gaps between the stones and pebbles, but no large air void which presumably would help root prune as part of its process.

But even in the cave version, there is a connector piece that wicks the water up from below, so I would expect the roots to heavily populate this piece and for that section at least to more mimic the creek bed.

 

[ReservoirDog]

My expectations are merely that at this point, and that's where the value of your process and the translucent planter comes in. As you illustrate in your threads, whatever the physical principles at play it's important to know specifically what they are and not just call it a day when a good design is stumbled on. The "next advance" depends on understanding the current one.

From what I understand, and look, I have no qualifications other than those of a (very) former journalist who covered science and medical stories from time to time, creating a perceptible gradient of moisture within the growth matrix is key to triggering the gene expression that signals development of a hydrotropic morphology. Given that we are not using a permeable pot type that would (in unknown capacity) help counteract runaway capillary wicking, it is critical that we understand exactly how much volume and or surface area the direct contact wick ought to contain. That, I intuit because it's obvious (lol), will be primarily a function of our matrice's exact hydrophilic/phobic nature.

I predict that if simply spread atop a gravel layer we, obviously, dramatically reduce our reservoir capacity, damaging a significant advantage over traditional potting. Second, even if separated by an impermeable layer with holes, it will complicate and then prevent adequate control of the wick rate, launching a process that will instead lead to runaway wicking and in short order the matrix will instead be wicked into the gravel "voids", as it were. This reverse wicking will then overpower any ability a drain placed in the top layer of the reservoir might have to try and correct the process. I think hempy growers routinely encounter this and are thus limited in pot size and shape. However much of this you might observe and record should be invaluable.

I have some curiosity over how much modern 'force feed' methods and constant breeding selection for bud size and other qualities might have reduced the plant's ability to phenotype for environment and in particular this moisture gradient triggered morphological response. Moving forward it might be interesting to see if landrace strains are better suited to a "more natural" and pronounced moisture gradient-type matrix. It's possible that I might find, were I researcher capable of such things, that I'd underestimated the advantage in evolutional time-on-the-clock that flora has over earth's fauna, an advantage so extreme it account's for a single marijuana taxonomy to thrive, contemporaneously, among radically different biomes such as dwc tanks, aeroponic chambers and soil beds. I was too exhausted to launch my new journal tonight but will tomorrow and illustrate my SIP design then.

 

[FelipeBlu]

I think hempy growers routinely encounter this and are thus limited in pot size and shape.

?

 

[ReservoirDog]

Yes, thank you FelipeBlu, I meant my qualifier quite literally, that my observation alone of hempy grows over the years, thus far, has developed a nagging kind of pseudo-hypothesis that I'm seeing pot shapes and sizes slightly narrower and taller, or I should say relatively so, than soil grows, revealing overall surface area of the root growth matrix (cocoa let's say) direct contact with the reservoir (perlite) to be a limiting factor. I'm of course curious discover if I've made any kind of insight there or taken yet another step into a blind alley. It's meaning, even if I had, is likely to be even more difficult to ascertain but Azimuth's taking steps. No doubt the inventor of Octopot has insight here.

 

[ReservoirDog]

?

Yes, thank you FelipeBlu, I meant my qualifier quite literally, that my observation alone of hempy grows over the years, thus far, has developed a nagging kind of pseudo-hypothesis that I'm seeing pot shapes and sizes slightly narrower and taller, or I should say relatively so, than soil grows, revealing overall surface area of the root growth matrix (cocoa let's say) direct contact with the reservoir (perlite) to be a limiting factor. I'm of course curious discover if I've made any kind of insight there or taken yet another step into a blind alley. It's meaning, even if I had, is likely to be even more difficult to ascertain but Azimuth's taking steps. No doubt the inventor of Octopot has insight here.

As of course do you, Mr. Blu, as Hempy grower and renaissance man, er, person. Damn, my Foot-Mouth disease appears untreatable...

 

[FelipeBlu]

It’s true that hempy was initially used for a lot of 2 liter soda bottle SOG grows and the shape was more narrow and high. But limits of size and shape have been stretched (like 20 gallons of perlite in a tub). I am starting to think that wider and lower might work better for me.

Anytime the media transitions from a fine-grained material to a coarser-grained material, a perched water condition will be created. This is why putting gravel in the bottom of a pot for drainage does work. It just reduces the volume available to the roots. If a dry period is permitted, the plant will drain the perched water. Eventually, the roots will populate everywhere when it’s drinking daily.

I think that a homogeneous perlite hempy replicates a soil to groundwater hydrologic profile pretty well. The reservoir represents a fluctuating to non-existent water table (to the plant it might as well be 12-feet deep when the reservoir is empty). And the perlite wicks up moisture from the reservoir and provides plenty of oxygen - roots grow where there’s moisture and oxygen. If allowed, especially with a period when the reservoir is left empty, the perlite will still be moist and roots will eventually populate even the reservoir when the plant is drinking every day.

 

[Azimuth]

And how about coco? Why do you prefer perlite to coco? Many growers, including the original Hempy, have switched over.

 

[FelipeBlu]

I like perlite because I have experience with it - maybe I would like coco too - I just haven’t tried it yet. I’ve tried pumice and like it too.

Hey, I’m a geologist - I’m probably always going to go for the rocks.

 

[FelipeBlu]

If I were to use coco, I would probably try to sift out the particles smaller than 1/8” to reduce the perched water height as much as possible so the coco wouldn’t stay too saturated. I do that with perlite and pumice also.

 

[Azimuth]

I've kind of lost track of the perched water table idea given I try to have my plants drain their water every three days or so, but it doesn't alsways happen. I should revisit the concept. So, it's the very small particles that lead to that PWT?

 

[FelipeBlu]

So, it's the very small particles that lead to that PWT?

Yep

 

[Azimuth]

Interesting. I guess I never knew the detail of it. I just worked in a "tilt the pot after watering" practice when I water which seems to clear the excess pretty well, but never really learned why and how the PWT developed.

 

[Azimuth]

Saw my stinging nettle and some dandelions popping up in the lawn this weekend so that was my cue to get my JMS Bucket going. For the next few weeks I'll do a full 5 gallon bucket each week since I want to prep my outside garden soil for the vegetable seeds I also started this weekend.

I took a 5 gallon bucket, made two small holes near the top big enough to slide a wire coat hanger through and hung a 1 gallon paint strainer bag from the coat hanger wire. In it I put my baked potato, a bit of sea salt, some leaves and sticks I found in the woods with some white stuff growing on it (the mycelium) and a big spoonful of my worm castings and filled it with rain water. I massaged the bag to release some of the goodies into the water and left the bucket in my outside garden covered with a lid.

I'll check on it daily but fully expect it'll be next weekend at the earliest before I see the tell tale signs that it is ready.

***********
Still no sign of the comfrey from last year. At the end of the season I dug it up for the roots and replanted a couple of the more robust ones. It is supposed to be almost impossible to get rid of once it is planted because it is propagated by root cuttings, but I'm wondering if somehow I've found the secret.

I did plant my stinging nettle and one of the comfrey roots in pots at the end of last season so I can more easily harvest the roots each year, so now I guess I just have to wait and watch for the early signs that I didn't somehow manage to kill off my comfrey planting.

It's been about a week since I started my JMS bucket. I checked on it late yesterday and it is all foamy goodness so I'll be spreading it around the garden today and then will start a new batch.

I'm kind of surprised it's done as well as it has since temps have been in the mid 30*F at night and 55-65*F during the day.

Also, I'll probably will reassemble my trellis system to get ready for the vining crops whose seeds I'm trying to germinate.

 

[FelipeBlu]

Interesting. I guess I never knew the detail of it. I just worked in a "tilt the pot after watering" practice when I water which seems to clear the excess pretty well, but never really learned why and how the PWT developed.

This is good practice. What you’re doing by tilting is increasing the depth of the water. This added weight of water helps gravity overcome the surface tension holding the water between the particles. By tilting 45 degrees, you can probably reduce the perched water height by roughly half.

The smaller the particles - the greater the surface tension - and the higher the perched water.

 

[ReservoirDog]

Thanks so much for the discussion, all. Very thoughtful and thought-provoking.

Azumith, I just started my first fish hydrosolate (sp.) by following the easy instructions I found here Homemade Fish Fertilizer | Unconventional
Pretty dang easy. I happened to use some local spoiled oysters and clams and corn syrup. Mmm-mm good! Supposed to not stink in a month. That seems like water into wine, just my sort of miracle really.

My unconventional, really-raised veg beds are finally done and swallowing up my greenhouse plants like a champ! I might've made it a bit hot with three years of vermi-castings and 5 years of leaf mould, a couple teas, and my lactus bac. (over a few weeks), however my tester lettuce is still alive and thriving so perhaps not.

it's about 35ftx4.5ft widex2.8high, I used a lot of cardboard as filler, whole pieces down low with some old firewood logs etc, then dead-earth from a local dealer, abt 7 sq. yards, then a layer of small cardboard pieces, then18inches leaf mould, worm castings and my best saved up reclamation earth from around the house on top. I spent $400 CAD on dirt/mulch (3/4 the mulch is for where I killed off the remaining green lawn with cardboard overlay this winter, so maybe just $300 for garden earth/mulch strictly). $150-200 on zinc-dipped wire mesh that covers full bottom secured to both sides to keep rodents out and that's all. Bare bones financially, no wood or construction materials of any kind. It's almost three foot high and entire sidings are cardboard wrapped in this 1/2 sq. mesh, well wrapped, I mean mesh on outside of cardboard. The other retaining physics come from an eclectic collection of posts and stakes collected from... places that weren't using them. Actually, a lot from finished public construction sites nearby that didn't clean up after themselves really well. Also had a running collection, including rock dust from projects I've been collecting for this garden nigh a decade. I really need the bed's deck up high to enjoy the gardening because my phys. condition often makes the traditional 'grovelling' excruciating. I hope I'm still able to maintain healthy brix in this odd design, I certainly won't be lacking for O2. I'm going to be raiding this behemoth for a few gal. of soil to grow in my SIP planters indoors, small amounts to enliven the cocoa, perlite, worm castings and well aged evergreen woodchips. It should be able to spare it.

I'm officially launching my first ever, personal, indoor hydro grow today! Guys, an aside, federal recreational legalization is even better than you hope it will be. I applied for a medical-approved increase of the 4 plant minimum up here, and am now approved for 60. 60! Oh! Canada! Told them I juiced 'em raw!

I've a nice DIY dwc in 5x5 that I've been running veggies through as dress rehearsal while I struggled, mightily and expensively, to acquire seeds. But I'm really confident in that system and environs now and have almost 2 mos experience running it with veg. so I lost a lot of money to no-show seeds, but at least the time was well spent. The seeds I did receive look tiny and iffy, frankly, but we're gonna press through and see what's what. I'll tag you guys in to the new journal I start today/morrow, it's about as far from my veggie garden's ultra-low cost, zero tech approach as possible. I try to have a flexible mind and spirit. I always thought dwc would make an excellent classroom for me, and I'm not overcommitted to anything except growing at this stage.

I'll leave some pics on this post of my SIP. The dual sizes plastic totes is the feature of the design and let's you carry the weight of the planter on the reservoir planter's rim instead of a false floor held up from below. We'll see, I've got a 2nd 5x5 flower tent in a separate room now for organics only, to keep pests etc from my dwc tent. We'll see. Any and all critiques and criticism welcome, please. And anything and everything pertaining to the subject of this thread that may apply to my "High-Brix-Veg-Beds" is really welcome. New ground for me, all of this, really.

Thank you for your gracious and patient indulgence in permitting me to post here Azimuth. I find it useful to have info about the individual and grow situation both, so I present my context as a means of reducing the distance between us and making comms more useful. I respect totally your requirement to keep your cards close to your chest for security. Completely. In my introduction, I disclosed how prohibition's repressive criminal law changed my life before it had really started, in negative ways that will never totally be healed. I hope you live to see that change,180 degrees. The sense of freedom, the absence of fear, regret and even shame, is truly magnificent. This WAS worth fighting for... even more than I thought it would. Anyway, this 'roadblock' appears to have helped develop a very succinct and clear info-sharing style that makes up for the absence of photo illustrations.

Another novella from ReservoirDog. Sorry, not sorry. I'm going to attach pics in a separate post, hafta go to my phone...

 

[Azimuth]

I'd be surprised if your mix is too hot. The worm castings and leaf mold are mild enough that you could actually start seeds in them, but they do need some aeration particles mixed in to not smother the roots.

The fish fertilizer you made is good stuff. I make a fish amino acid but same idea. Mine is just equal parts of fish and sugar by weight, a little worm castings, and then left to ferment. A little goes a long way.

Looking forward to your journal.

 

[Azimuth]

I make my Fish Amino Acid similar to how Chris Trump makes his in this video. I used fresh bluefish that a fisherman buddy of mine gave me. It's a deep sea, dark blue fish which is supposed to be the best fish to use for the FAA.

I let it sit for probably nine months before I started using it. Then I strained some into a big glass jar to use when I water and let the rest sit. It's been probably 18 months so I'm sure it's done breaking down, but I'll probably only strain the rest when I run out of the bottled stuff on my shelf.

A little goes a looong way. Dilution rates are suggested at 1:1,000 so every gallon of FAA produces 1,000 gallons of fertilizer for your plants. It's a very good source of nitrogen.