Re-amending organic soils

[Autofacade]

Hi guys and gals, thanks for stopping by.
So my plants run in containers with organic soil that is amended a good couple of weeks before use and add compost teas to get it all cooked. I get good results from this.

I'm wondering if there is any secret ingredients that people have noticed was a game changer whilst growing the same way?

Also how much do people re-amend each run? I'm starting to think if I keep ammeneding the same amount everytime I complete a run at some point my soil will become too hot. Ive spoken to a couple people and we have come to the conclusion that soil tests are the only way to go but im hoping that someone might have a rule of how they ammend and what they ammend and how often?

 

[Stunger]

A good question as I am in the same boat and can't help asking myself what amendments I could make that will turn my soil up a notch. So I am interesting in responses to this too.

Last season I amended in an organic seafood fertilizer that contained, Oyster/Mussel shell flour, Salmon/mussel meal, kelp, dolomite, humates, sheep dags etc. I was attracted to it when I came across an account of someone boiling up a big pot of green lipped mussels and later tipping the water out which subsequently caused the vegetation there to bloom. I got over half a pound per plant last grow which was much better than the previous year. All subjective of course.

Currently I am considering amending in some crushed dried shrimps which I would have to wash out the salt first, for the benefit of Chitin which sounds like a very useful additive that so far my soil would have been missing. I am unable to find insect frass or crab meal here in NZ. I was told a first hand account by someone, when living in Malaysia and carry a big sack of dried shrimp that burst and was left on the ground, and subsequently the bamboo that was growing there, grew the best it had ever grown.

I also run a worm farm which pretty much without fail I've always added some 'worm wee' when watering the soil.

 

[Autofacade]

A good question as I am in the same boat and can't help asking myself what amendments I could make that will turn my soil up a notch. So I am interesting in responses to this too.

Last season I amended in an organic seafood fertilizer that contained, Oyster/Mussel shell flour, Salmon/mussel meal, kelp, dolomite, humates, sheep dags etc. I was attracted to it when I came across an account of someone boiling up a big pot of green lipped mussels and later tipping the water out which subsequently caused the vegetation there to bloom. I got over half a pound per plant last grow which was much better than the previous year. All subjective of course.

Currently I am considering amending in some crushed dried shrimps which I would have to wash out the salt first, for the benefit of Chitin which sounds like a very useful additive that so far my soil would have been missing. I am unable to find insect frass or crab meal here in NZ. I was told a first hand account by someone, when living in Malaysia and carry a big sack of dried shrimp that burst and was left on the ground, and subsequently the bamboo that was growing there, grew the best it had ever grown.

I also run a worm farm which pretty much without fail I've always added some 'worm wee' when watering the soil.

The seafood festival sounds great and I think whats been aimed for there is the high amount of calcium that is in the shells (crustacean meal) I have also heard the story of the fermented shrimp a few times so defo spot onto that!

If you can't find insext frass you have a couple of options look up and see if you can get ecothrive charge. Its a product that consists of insect frass and chitin. If not I have heard there is another way although a little more expensive. Simply go to a well.stocked garden centre and get yourself some dried mealworm. Used alot here to put out in bird feeders. You can crush these up and what you end up is similar to insect frass.

Dammit wish you were over here Im always in need ot castings and worms lol! Cheers for the input!

 

[Autofacade]

Here is a list of ammendments I use or have used into this soil:

Worm casts
Bat quano (high phosphorus)
Seaweed meal/kelp meal
Chicken manure
Activated biochar
Epsom salt
Crushed oyster shell
Blood meal
Bone meal
Fish blood and bone
Horn and hoof
Volcanic rock dust
Insect frass
Bokashi
Palm tree ash
Dolomite
Alfalfa

If anyone can see a crucial whole as to what my soil could be lacking I need to know about it haha!

The other biggest question is, it's great to have a super soil mix problem is what do you need to replace each run or every other run so on? To keep your plants performing run after run?