Plant Alchemy With KNF: Korean Natural Farming And Jadam

[Stunger]

I have mentioned in my journals of using dried shrimp brought from Asian food shops, I think it works great in the soil as a chitin source and I suspect from my usage and grows that it increases the resilience to insect pests.

 

[Azimuth]

I have mentioned in my journals of using dried shrimp brought from Asian food shops, I think it works great in the soil as a chitin source and I suspect from my usage and grows that it increases the resilience to insect pests.

Thanks @Stunger . I'd imagine it's mostly for soil born pests, yes? Mites and thrips are foliage living bugs so I would think the microbes are't as effective on them, and those are the bastards I deal with most.

 

[Stunger]

Thanks @Stunger . I'd imagine it's mostly for soil born pests, yes? Mites and thrips are foliage living bugs so I would think the microbes are't as effective on them, and those are the bastards I deal with most.

I really don't know, I tend to grab things are sound beneficial and add them without bogging myself down with too many technicalities. But I understood that one of the positives of Chitin sources in the soil was that it acted to warn the plant that hard shelled insects were about and that prompts the plant to 'prepare' itself against them, so I took that to include foliage living bugs too. If it sounds good then I add it and move on, it would be different if I had a big all year round garden that I could run controls with etc.

 

[Azimuth]

I'm returning to my weekly top dressing of worm castings in veg. I get mites and thrips about maybe 10 days after adding them so I think it's related but who knows. I add the same castings to my houseplants with no issue so maybe not, but I'll just plan on a regular soap spray on maybe a three day cycle and call it good.

The castings I'm producing now are just too good not to use so I'll just figure out how to deal with the other issues as they come up.

Azi out.

 

[Azimuth]

I'm showing a bit of a K deficiency in flower so I'll hit it with a bit of banana JLF, but I'm not going to chase it too hard as I recently top dressed with a full run's worth of the various calciums and there's the distinct possibility that a slug of it has become available and is messing with the nutrient balance of things.

I've also added a jar of the banana JLF to top off my Fruit & Flower JLF bucket and I'll increase what I give the plant with a bit more P&K. I have been giving flowering plants 2T/L of my veg mix plus 1t/L of the F&F and I'll bump the latter up to 2t/L and see how that does. The plant seems like it wants a little more but likely not all that much more. Looks pretty good, considering...

 

[jmrl]

I'm returning to my weekly top dressing of worm castings in veg. I get mites and thrips about maybe 10 days after adding them so I think it's related but who knows. I add the same castings to my houseplants with no issue so maybe not, but I'll just plan on a regular soap spray on maybe a three day cycle and call it good.

The castings I'm producing now are just too good not to use so I'll just figure out how to deal with the other issues as they come up.

Azi out.

My top dressing has been doing the same thing, mate. I have started spraying my worm box with neem and it has controlled the gnats also. That and the coffee trick have eliminated the gnats.

 

[Azimuth]

Not sure if it's wishful thinking but the K ask is looking a bit less angry today. I'm also seeing a bit of clawing on a few leaves here and there, but not seeing any tipping. Taken together that suggests to me that I have some leeway to change the ratio a bit away from the veg part and give that part to the Fruit & Flower input, and still have room to up the feeding level if called for.

I plan on keeping the same ratio last used for at least a couple more feedings just to give it some time to play out but I suspect I'll make some adjustments before too long.

Right now I'm using convenient measurements in the form of tablespoons and teaspoons but if the ideal mix doesn't fit that model I'll probably just mix up a big jug of whatever I settle on and call it a day. That's what I already do for my veg mix which is a combination of several different inputs in varying amounts and I like the simplicity of a single source input.

 

[Azimuth]

Well, we're not getting any younger and the plants aren't getting any better so I upped the feed to a full 1:20 dilution rate and switched out some of the veg nutes for F&F, so now they're equally represented.

It doesn't look like the K deficiency is progressing much, nor is it improving so hopefully I'm close and the changes made can push me over the line. Still the best looking plant that's gone this far into flower with many more big leaves than I'm accustomed to but still a couple of weeks to go before droughting.

 

[RedskinnedRhino]

No time for a photo op?

 

[Azimuth]

No time for a photo op?

Don't do photos for security reasons. I paint a mean picture with words though, don't you think? Lol.

 

[Azimuth]

So, at 1:20 dilution rate on my JLF nutes I'm getting some slight tipping of the fan leaves so that seems to be about max strength, but I'm back to showing a bit of an N deficiency so I adjusted the nute mix from 1:1 to 2:1 veg:fruit&flower with the hopes that there is still enough K to address the issue I had with the last plant while at the same time increasing the N from the veg mix to address this current problem.

It will take a couple of weeks to tell if I'm getting closer but I'm clearly not quite there yet.

I'm also now feeding everyday with the SIPs and in the process have significantly underestimated how much JLF I would need, so this coming season I'll have to increase production on that front. I do think I'll have enough to limp to the finish line this time before the coming season's crop starts coming in though.

I'll see how it goes but I may end up having to prioritize what goes where since there may not be enough for JLF, plus crumbles, plus worm bin, plus compost pile, but if that is the case I'll plan on increasing the base plantings to provide for a larger harvest of those inputs the following year.

 

[Azimuth]

Still having the K issue - it seems to begin at about the 4th week of flower mark, so I'm going to try swapping out my Fruit & Flower mix for straight Banana JLF. I don't seem to get P issues so focusing on K, rather than P and K, hopefully will move things in the right direction.

 

[Azimuth]

After listening to the Kis Organics podcasts 123 and 124 at the suggestion of @Keffka , I'm going to scrap my existing WCA from eggshells and make up a new batch using Oyster shell powder.

It was stated that eggshells, for whatever reason, don't release their calcium very well even when ground into a powder, but Oyster shells should be much better. So I'm going to give it a go.

Anecdotally, I've stopped using my eggshell WCA as a foliar because the calcium deposits were clogging up my sprayers, so some calcium seems to be getting released, but sounds like the Oyster shell is a better option.

The guest on the podcast is apparently a repeat guest and he said he was going to test various Jadam concoctions with real science so I'll have to keep an eye out for a future episode with him.

Thanks, Keff!

 

[Keffka]

After listening to the Kis Organics podcasts 123 and 124 at the suggestion of @Keffka , I'm going to scrap my existing WCA from eggshells and make up a new batch using Oyster shell powder.

It was stated that eggshells, for whatever reason, don't release their calcium very well even when ground into a powder, but Oyster shells should be much better. So I'm going to give it a go.

Anecdotally, I've stopped using my eggshell WCA as a foliar because the calcium deposits were clogging up my sprayers, so some calcium seems to be getting released, but sounds like the Oyster shell is a better option.

The guest on the podcast is apparently a repeat guest and he said he was going to test various Jadam concoctions with real science so I'll have to keep an eye out for a future episode with him.

Thanks, Keff!

No problem! As soon as he started talking Jadam I thought of you. I also learned that I’ve apparently been pronouncing Jadam wrong. I’ve been saying Jay-damn instead of Juh-Dahm

Bryant Mason is also on episode 108 understanding soil fertility and episode 72 understanding heavy metals, cover crops, and water ph. Episode 32 covers KNF with Chris Trump, although you may already know that one.

I sent Bryant Mason an email the other day asking for a link to the JADAM measurements he was referencing but haven’t heard back yet. I don’t necessarily doubt what he’s saying but I’d like to see numbers.

Also, in my mind, if calcium deposits are clogging your sprayer, they’re not being broken down far enough to make the extract work worth your time. Like you said, obviously it’s being broken down a little bit, but I wonder if it’s going to be from you grinding the shells up. Since the WCA isn’t breaking it down further it’s getting stuck in your sprayer.

If you can remember, tag me when you use your new oyster extract. Do you have a ppm meter?

 

[Azimuth]

I do have one, though almost never use it. In fact, the last time I did was to check something for @Gee64 . Come to think of it it might have been the ppm's of the WCA!

I don't use it because I have no reference point on what the numbers tell me. If I were using a bottled nute with instructions on using it at a certain ppm number then maybe that would be helpful, but for the Jadam stuff I usually stay around the suggested dilution rates which are probably the same concept, at least mosty.

 

[Azimuth]

Also, in my mind, if calcium deposits are clogging your sprayer, they’re not being broken down far enough to make the extract work worth your time. Like you said, obviously it’s being broken down a little bit, but I wonder if it’s going to be from you grinding the shells up. Since the WCA isn’t breaking it down further it’s getting stuck in your sprayer.

You think it's not breaking down enough? I figured once the calcium got liberated into the ACV that was the calcium becoming available and it wouldn't get appreciably better even with more time.

I don't think of it like compost where the breakdown is ongoing.

 

[Azimuth]

After listening to the Kis Organics podcasts 123 and 124 at the suggestion of @Keffka , I'm going to scrap my existing WCA from eggshells and make up a new batch using Oyster shell powder.

It was stated that eggshells, for whatever reason, don't release their calcium very well even when ground into a powder, but Oyster shells should be much better. So I'm going to give it a go.

Anecdotally, I've stopped using my eggshell WCA as a foliar because the calcium deposits were clogging up my sprayers, so some calcium seems to be getting released, but sounds like the Oyster shell is a better option.

The guest on the podcast is apparently a repeat guest and he said he was going to test various Jadam concoctions with real science so I'll have to keep an eye out for a future episode with him.

Thanks, Keff!

I got the new 'True Living Organics' book by The Rev, just out this week and he has a couple of bubbled waters he recommends, one using dolomite lime for cal/mag and another using Langbeinite (0-0-22 ) which may be an answer to my K issues in early flower so I think I may give that a try.

I still think I'd ultimately like to address the deficiency through my compost/worm castings but either of those options would be many months out.

Great book btw, and a very good update to his prior edition, this one covering composting, worm bins, new watering ideas, and more in addition to his grow style. I'm only just starting the read but have seen enough to suggest anyone with an interest in growing organically to pick up a copy.

He even had a suggestion for a liquid grow using a bagged soil like Fox Farm's Ocean Forest soil, and I'd imagine that the Coast of Maine soil would work as well. Not quite TLO, but pretty close according to him that relies on only two inputs, Alaska brand fish fertilizer and Fox Farm brand Big Bloom.

I use Fish Amino Acids in my mix which is mostly the same stuff and I know it's a favorite of @Gee64 's as well.

 

[Azimuth]

** Azi's VG Infused, Microwave Gummies **

There are lots of gummie recipies going around so I thought I'd share mine, inspired by @bluter and @Carcass .

- This recipie makes sixty (60), 3.5 ml gummies

Ingredients
- 3 oz (1/3 cup) of liquid (includes infused vegetable glycerin (or coconut oil), plus water/fruit juice)
- 3 oz packet of regular, flavored Jello
- 1-3 quarter ounce packet(s) of gelatin

 Directions
- Add all ingredients to a microwave safe container and mix well
- Let sit 10 minutes to let the gelatin "bloom" or absorb the moisture

- Microwave 30 seconds on high
- Stir well

-Microwave another 30 seconds on high
- Stir well

- If needed, Microwave another 10-15 seconds

- Stir well, and pour into gummie molds, re-stirring periodically to keep everything mixed well.

- Refrigerate 60 minutes or overnight

- Remove gummies from molds and coat with a 20:1 mix of sugar:citric acid for a sour tang, or corn starch

- Store in freezer or fridge


 Notes

- The microwave makes this so fast, easy and consistent, batch to batch.

- I use Vegetable Glycerin as my infusion vehicle instead of the more traditional coconut or olive oil, and decarb and infuse in the Instant Pot to infuse the glycerin as Bluter did in his VG post for making tinctures. Tastes better and, since it's a weak sugar, it mixes with the jello sugar much better than oils that tend to want to float to the surface rather than stay mixed in.

- I use apple juice instead of plain water but many juices will work and help further mask the cannabis taste. But, no tropical fruits like pineapple, guava, mango, kiwi, papaya, fig etc. as those are said to interfere with allowing the gelatin to set up.

- I like to have my gummies at a targeted strength. If I want 10 mg gummies using a 15% strain in vegetable glycerin assuming a 75% efficiency of extraction my calculation is:

60 gummies × 10 mg ea = 600 total mg needed ÷ 0.15 strain strength ÷ 0.75 extraction rate = 5,333.33 mg or 5.33 grams of flower. I chop it pretty finely and put 2 grams of flower into each tablespoon of carrier, so the 5.3 grams of chopped flower into 3T of the VG.

- I use one packet of the gelatin. Two or three will make them firmer and more like commercial gummies and will also increase the end product quantity by about 15 extra gummies per packet. One packet makes them closer to firm jello and also makes them melt in your mouth easier, which I take advantage of by letting them dissolve under my tongue to get a bit faster onset than I'd get by swallowing them like a traditional edible.

- Gummie molds come in various sizes, I have 1, 3.5, and 5 ml sheets. I like wider, shallower patterns rather than the more traditional bears as it is much easier to remove the finished gummies from them. I don't rub them down with oil or spray them with oil as some do as they are able to be removed easily enough after firming up in the fridge for a bit.

- Rolling them in the sugar mix or corn starch helps keep them from sticking together and helps them last longer in storage. I like the sour tang as well which helps offset the sweetness of the sugar in the jello.

So, that's how I make mine. Next up I'm going to try CBN gummies to help with sleep. I'll double decarb some THC flower to get the THC degraded into CBN, the sleepy time cannabinoid.

 

[Bode]

Great recipe, Azimuth!! Thank you. Happy Smokin'

 

[Azimuth]

I got the new 'True Living Organics' book by The Rev, just out this week and he has a couple of bubbled waters he recommends, one using dolomite lime for cal/mag and another using Langbeinite (0-0-22 ) which may be an answer to my K issues in early flower so I think I may give that a try.

I still think I'd ultimately like to address the deficiency through my compost/worm castings but either of those options would be many months out.

Great book btw, and a very good update to his prior edition, this one covering composting, worm bins, new watering ideas, and more in addition to his grow style. I'm only just starting the read but have seen enough to suggest anyone with an interest in growing organically to pick up a copy.

He even had a suggestion for a liquid grow using a bagged soil like Fox Farm's Ocean Forest soil, and I'd imagine that the Coast of Maine soil would work as well. Not quite TLO, but pretty close according to him that relies on only two inputs, Alaska brand fish fertilizer and Fox Farm brand Big Bloom.

I use Fish Amino Acids in my mix which is mostly the same stuff and I know it's a favorite of @Gee64 's as well.

After reading through The Rev's new TLO book I'm starting to wonder if my K issue is really a pH issue.

He puts a lot of emphasis on his water, specifically his calcium water made by bubbling dolomite lime water in a bucket for a day, after starting out with very low ppm RO water. That got me thinking because I've switched to mainly rain water and I'll bet its pH is way below neutral. Far enough below that maybe it's affecting the ability of the plants to uptake Calcium and Magnesium which in turn is affecting the K uptake in early flower.

That would make sense since my castings and compost  should have enough of all that stuff for at least the first half of flower. So maybe it is something else like pH.

I went to test my water and the tap is 88 ppm, and the rain water more like 9. Then on to test to pH next but that pen needs a new battery so I'll have to pick some up. Rain water can be acidic so it will be interesting to see what it tests out to.