Would you say the same is true of using a straw layer. I haven’t had any real bug issues yet, but I don’t want to tempt fate. I liked having it because it seems to help keep the top from getting crusty and really helps with erosion from watering but I suppose I could just be more studious about watering.
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Never had an issue with running a straw mulch layer. I water slowly and divide it into 3 sessions with a 15-30 min joint break in between.
I’m running a straw layer with the cover crop so that it truly is just drying out at the top
You don’t want the top and middle to dry out. That’s where the micro heard is working on the amendments. It the bottom that needs to dry out. I keep it wet every day up there. Just like the morning dew outside.
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Do you suggest a misting everyday?
Im in a large wooden pot and air flow is a little bit of a concern of mine, I drilled a couple holes about midway and underneath the pot so hopefully this will help dry but not too fast. I was having success in that pot until i found out it was a herm so im sure its good.
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Yes. The straw will keep the top couple inches moist if you do.
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My cycle is- Full water. Mist top. Mist top and get a bit deeper. Full water.
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Thats that moister than an oyster method
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never heard that
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Thanks for the info. I had kinda been headed that way for a while. I need to go get a sprayer from the hardware store. I have been using a half gallon can and giving each a splash then coming back in 5 min. Since I have an irrigation system already I was thinking about setting them up with a pint a day or so on the auto water. @Budbrother do you mind if I tag you in my journal. If you have the time I would love to pick your brain about some issues I’ve been having outside.
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Tag away.
I had a Blumat running. I removed it due to pH issues it causes me. The rez was impossible to keep pH’d right. It drifted way to high overnight. Like start 7.3-4 pH’d down to 6.4 and next day was 7.6-8 range.
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Build a soil makes a good cover crop blend. I used cover crops when i ran my 25gal pots… i started the cover crops earlier than my beans and tilled in a round before transplanting. Then planted another round. The worms helped break down everything also. Cilantro is another good herb to use as a detterent.
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I just ordered buildabloom from them and had their crop blend in the cart until I found the brand above for half the price. Not the same blend but hoping for good results.
Do you have any tips for their buildabloom? I’m running autos and the pots 25 gallons, I know many factors are at play in a decision but let’s say if the soil was “ideal” would I only have to top dress once? And when? I know top dressings take time to break down but I have worms and creepy crawlers that should expedite that.
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BaB is nice when you need a quick bump in P or for young’ins.
Top dresses are done 2 wks before needed for stage so they are becoming available when needed. This all depends what you are using for amendments. This will show you flowering demand weeks.
I start my transition top the week before I flip. After 3 wk ish transition, I redo wk1 for wk 3. Wk 3 I do my wk5 top
If running sativa then you use less and repeat weeks to account for the longer flowering cycle
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So by this chart the bloom would be perfect around the 3 week mark? I know everything is ppm(I think you explained to me on another thread) but how do you know which nutrients are part of that ppm? That’s where those numbers confuse me and the ppm of the buildasoil fertilizers. I did just purchase this (I know you recommended one only $20 more but this one can do both ppm and ph)
Hopefully that will be a good enough meter to tell. Once I do a slush and determine ph/ppm do i just need to ph the water I water with and everything else should fall in line? I read it’s a 1:1 ratio soil to distilled water but I don’t want to keep taking handfuls out every week from my pot.
Not really any tips, sorry. Im a on a whim type guy. Lets see if this works… i dont have a repeated way of growing except sticking with organics and Coast of Maine Stonington Blend as a base. I will say tho. You want red wrigglers in your container if youre going to throw some worms in there. There are many varieties of yard worms, but red wrigglers are the best for composting. Different poops for different roots right?
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I regret not buying a “cannabis made” organic potting soil because I have no base to start from, would’ve taken out a lot of guessing. I actually have my own vermicompost out back and have added my worms. Walmart sells some monster red wrigglers for fishing that I’ve added in the beginning.
Back to your poop comment though I’ve read some people use their human waste in backyard compost EUGH.
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Yeah man, its pretty gross, BUT, if it came down to feeding the family, dont think i wouldnt try it
I don’t measure PPM in organics. It’s a worthless endeavor. The meter can’t distinguish available vs unavailable.
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Damn that’s a good point since feeding the soil, saved me a bit of headache.
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