Additives
Aloe vera
Aloe is one of those super products that falls in line with kelp, comfrey and alfalfa- it offers an exceptional level of plant benefits in a simple format. Aloe Vera is one of the richest plant sources of saponins, and in addition to this, is a very good source of salycilic acids.
However, a little goes a very long way. Simply take 1/8th of a teaspoon and mix with 1 gallon of water. The flakes are easier to mix than the powder, so you can agitate the aloe flakes in 1 cup of water first, in a protein shake container, and shake vigorously. Then add this to the 1 gallon of water for a foliar application.
As this product contains no preservatives, do not attempt to store any material that you have mixed with water. It should be used within the same day that you mixed it up.
Storage Instructions: Store in a cool dry place and make sure no moisture can enter the bag for longer shelf life.
Hi energy fish
Hi Energy Fish 2-3-0 is a natural source of highly concentrated whole saltwater fish fermentation, containing solubles and beneficial microbes that work synergistically to increase a plants resistance to pathogen invasion through high speed seamless colonization of the soil and plant microbiomes.
This is a superb stimulator of the soil biology, containing an exceptional 70% volatile fatty acids. This greatly enhances lipid production in the plant, which is what gives your plants that waxy green appearance. Excess lipid production is one of the very best ways to increase humus production in the soil by stimulating the soil biology which in turn increase humus productions.
Can be used as a drench or foliar. If spraying on your plants, then use at a 1 to 100 ratio. Use at a greater ratio- up to 1 to 10 for drench.
WARNING- this product has an exceptional smell to it and is only recommended for use outside. This is not intended to be used in an inside grow!
Innoculatant bacterias ( Great white shark, mycos, etc )
Earth Alive Soil Activator® is a soil inoculant designed for organic and conventional agriculture and is composed of a blend of naturally-occurring soil microorganisms with a proprietary synergist. It does not contain genetically modified organisms or chemically synthesized materials.
When applied to soil, preferably at plant establishment, the beneficial microorganisms of Earth Alive Soil Activator® (strains of Bacillus and Pseudomonas) come to life, multiplying and colonizing the rhizosphere – the narrow region of soil around the roots of the plant.
The beneficial microbial population works in tandem with other active ingredients and improves plant nutrient uptake by converting the soil minerals into easily absorbable nutrients, thus promoting the plant’s health and growth.
The multiple modes of action offered by Earth Alive Soil Activator® produce more vigorous growth and higher yields, resulting in more sustainable agricultural practices and increased profitability for growers.
Synergro another icoculant
We get a lot of folk come thru who are transitioning from a hydro approach to a living soil approach. Most are busy reading, listening and learning the science behind a living soil system. But this is a steep learning curve, and does not come quickly for many. Especially when it comes to understanding the biology of their soil. So we were quite excited when we came across the Inocucor folk at the Guelph Organic Conference. They produce, in Quebec, Synergro- an exciting blend of 7 different bacteria- Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus helveticus, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactococcus lactis and Rhodoseudomonas palustris, including the champion of bacteria- Bacillus Subtilis, along with it's powerhouse brother- Rhodoseudomonas palustris, or purple non sulphur bacteria, frequently called simply psnb.
In addition to these are 3 different yeasts and fungi- Saccharomyces Cerevisae, Candida Utilis, and Aspergillus Oryzae. This creates a synergistic and very functional formula of active metabolites, amino acids & enzymes. The very noticeable result is increased productivity and resilience in plants, and a boost in your soil health. Used at a 1:100 ratio with water for drench or foliage applications, this is a very affordable and beneficial product to apply in your gardens.
Alfalpha meal ( use as a spray Read paragraph 2)
In Arabic, 'alfalfa' means 'father of all foods'. It is a member of the legume family and is a great addition to most soils as it has a complex range of nutrients and mineral content that benefit any plant or soil. When used as a top dressing, its protein and starch content, along with the varied amino acids it contains provide a nutrient surge that most plants love. This same protein and carbon content are great additions to any composting effort. Alfalfa also acts as a great plant growth regulator due to the tricontanol, a fatty acid growth stimulant that it contains.
Alfalfa is also a producer of tricontanol, which when sprayed on your plants during their growth cycles, will increase enzymatic, plant immunity and hormone activity. This auxin increases plant growth, flower development, crop height, while extending root growth and mass.
Kelp/alfalfa tea is a classic feed for your plants made of two special dynamic accumulators. Both kelp and alfalfa store nutrients that they pull out of their environment in their leaves and plant structure. The array of micro nutrients that kelp pulls out of the ocean is indeed substantial, and alfalfa is impressive in its own right. Alfalfa though also has the added benefit of a growth hormone called tricontanol, which is an auxin, or proven growth stimulant for plants. Combined into a tea and soaked or bubbled, these two create a powerhouse of plant nutrition.
Simply take 1/2 cup of alfalfa and a 1/4 cup of kelp, and soak this or bubble it in 5 gallons of water for 48 hours. If you soak, then make sure you stir the tea a few times a day. On established plants, you can apply this directly as a drench. On newly emerged plants, use at 1/2 the strength. The benefits to the plants are many, and your soil microbes will love you!
Fulvic acid
Fulvic acid is one of the most important tools that should be in everyone's plant health tool kit. When used as a drench, or better yet with your foliar routine, it is essentially an 'amplifier' which increases the efficiency and impact of the other nutrient components that are delivered along with it.
Ful-Power is made through a biodigestion, or fermentation process where microbes convert insoluble humic substances into the soluble, low-molecular weight fraction [LMW], or the fluvic fraction. The high-molecular weight fraction [HMW] is left behind in this process as a humic fraction. This HMW humic material is too large to be absorbed by the plant, and is used instead as a soil conditioner.
The LMW fluvic fraction however is small enough to penetrate the leaf, cell and even the mitochondria within the cell, so it is called a 'bio available' fraction. The fact that it readily will pass through the plant cell wall helps it to grab onto plant nutrients and pull them along through the cell wall as well- delivering these nutrients directly into the cell structure where they are required. This improvement in uptake alone means that you should consider reducing your nutrient application by 10-25%.
Because of this low molecular weight, fluvic acid is an excellent addition to all foliar feeding routines, as it helps the other components penetrate into the cells, amplifying their effect and improving their efficiency.
High brix top dressing
There is an inevitable nutrient loss from any soil that has the harvest removed- the nutrients that were taken up by the plant are simply lost when the plant material is not composted back to the soil that the plant came from. Consequently, a 'reamend' of the soil is recommended. We have created our own reamend mix for just this purpose.
'Brix' is a measurement that can be made using a brix meter and a drop of the leaf sap from your plant. The meter is able to calculate the degree of refraction of light passing through the meter, and this calculation can be directly related to the mineral/sugar saturation found in the sap- which in turn points to the overall plant health.
By increasing the macro and micro minerals that are available in your soil, you can see an increase in your brix readings in your plants. A higher brix reading translates into a higher nutritional content and better overall plant health.
Our High Brix top dressing is a blend of Volcanophos rock dust, Huplaso basalt, fish bone meal, feather meal, insect frass, kelp meal, alfalfa meal and GrowSil.
As a reamendment, use at a rate of 1/4-1/2 cup per cubic foot of soil. Sprinkle over the surface of your soil and scratch into the top 4" of the soil.
Insect frass
Insect frass is a very interesting product. Frass is to insects what castings are to worms- it is the waste product left over from the consumption of vegetable matter by insect populations. The term ‘frass’ has German roots, and means ‘devouring like a beast’, which points to the ravenous devouring of vast amounts of plant material, resulting in a type of well rounded compost produced by herbivore digesting insects.
In searching for the best frass source we could find, we settled on a product that is the result of a black soldier fly operation, the larvae of which are one of natures best recyclers. These larvae are fed traceable, pre consumer waste food from farms and processors. Over 30% of the world’s food is wasted before it reaches the end consumer, and this is processed by the larvae into a sustainable, 100% organic product that provides diverse amino acids and beneficial microbial populations.
It is harvested and then run through a hammer mill, producing a very fine textured product that readily breaks down into a bio available form for the plants uptake. This also allows it to be water soluble, which benefits fertigation and hydroponic practices. When mixing soil, use 1 cup per cubic foot of soil. It can be used as an amendment by sprinkling a bit over the top of the soil every few weeks while the growth is building. It can also be used as a tea: add ½ cup of frass to a gallon of dechlorinated water and use this to drench the roots of your plants within two hours of mixing.
1 lb is approximately 4 cups
K mag
K-Mag is a unique OMRI approved product that is made up of a readily available sulphur, potassium and magnesium that are blended in balanced proportions. It is 100% water soluble and goes to work immediately, yet dissolves slowly, resisting rapid leaching from the soil. Because it is a neutral salt, it will not change the soil ph.
Perlite
Perlite is nessisary when growing to make sure there is enough air in the soil. enough air is needed for propper microbial life activity. it doesnt break down very fast so it is good for living soil growers or even synthetic growers.
Might i note perlite is very dusty when your pouring it and try not to inhale any of the dust as its a irritant and will make you cough.
Pumice
Pumice is a relatively light weight volcanic, porous, stone material that is popular on the west coast to provide aeration to soil mixes. Because it is a stone material, it does not break down in the soil. Its porous nature allows it to suck up and hold onto moisture, while permitting excess water to flow through the mix easily.
In reality, it is much like perlite, in that perlite is similarly created by subjecting a volcanic stone to heat, which causes the trace water contained in the perlite to expand, "popping" the perlite like popcorn.
Growing Tips
The Difference Between Growing with synthetic bottled nutes and Organic living soil is basically with synthetics you feed the plant. with living soil you are feeding the roots, that in turn feed the plant, and the use of salts vs no salts
Living soil is different and better because when you feed the roots they litterly talk to the plant and see what it needs, and feeds it exactly that.
when you feed synthetically and it feeds the plant directly your force feeding the plant, kind of like how livestock is fed. so it gives possibilities of giving to much of a certain nutrient. thus leading to nutrient burn or lockout.
Nutrient burn or lockout is alot harder/ next to impossible with living soil as long as you have a healthy rhizosphere ( root zone ), and a soil mass that is dense in microbes.
Now on to salts and why they are bad.
Have you ever noticed that white build up on the side of your Fabric pots? i say Fabric pot cuz if your not using one you should be, go buy yourself one now. its very good for oxygen. more oxygen means healthier roots, healthy roots mean healthy fruit. THE BIGGER THE ROOT THE BIGGER THE FRUIT, remember that.
anyhow that white build up is salt, salt isnt good for you, imagine what it does to the health of your soil and or plant. sometimes salt buildup can even cause nutrient lockouts. one of the most common nute lockouts it will cause is a calcium look alike. to get rid of salt build ups you have to flush like crazy. its really not healthy, use ORGANIC AMMENDMENTS and you will never have a salt issue.
Watering Twice
This may seem silly to some even to wonder why one should water twice. but helps you avoid issues in the future, especially if you grow cycle is more then 3 months long veg to end of flower.
water once, cover the whole surface, dont just water where the plant is. This ensures good microbe life throughout ur soil, it prevents any dry spots to happen in the soil. if dry spots happen it could cause a calcium deficiency.
then water a second time about 30 minutes later. this is because sometimes you water the roots direct the water to go a certain way. so by waiting to water chances are the water will go down a different path then the first time.
SST/Teas
Barley (Hordeum vulgare)
Sprouted barley grains contain are very high in enzymes and gibberellins, as well as many vitamins, minerals, amino acids and nutrients. As well as the growth-promoting effects of gibberellins, barley SST is principally applied in order to establish and maintain the enzymes in the substrate. These enzymes help to digest dead roots, keeping the substrate and root zone in good health, as well as potentiating the soil food web and improving nutrient uptake. Some of these enzymes, specifically chitinase enzymes, have been shown to have an inhibiting effect against fusarium, a pathogenic fungus that causes great losses in agriculture as well as in cannabis gardens.
If whole barley grains are difficult to find then malted barley is a good substitute. Because the grain has already been sprouted as part of the malting process, this is a much faster method and will only need to be steeped, or "bubbled" in water for a few hours to make a natural enzyme tea, although freshly-sprouted seeds will always be more effective. To use malted barley add 2 tablespoons per gallon of water. Apply this or Barley SST once a week during vegetative growth and then give a top-up application roughly halfway through the flowering period.
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)
Rich in enzymes, vitamins, proteins and, most importantly, triacontanol, a potent growth-boosting plant hormone which increases photosynthesis by raising chlorophyll levels, increasing root mass, alfalfa seed sprout tea is a powerful plant stimulant that's perfect for the transition into flowering, when it helps to maintain close internode spacing and increase root mass. It can also be used in combination with Corn SST during vegetative growth and flowering as a general growth booster. More care must be taken with alfalfa as it is very powerful indeed and we recommend to either start the process with half the amount of seeds or to dilute in double the quantity of water before application.
Corn (Zea mays)
Corn or maize sprouts are high in enzymes, minerals and nutrients, and also very rich in cytokinins, a plant growth hormone which promotes lateral budding, branching and the development of thicker stems leading to improved nutrient transport and the capacity for heavier crops. It can even be used at twice the strength to control height, resulting in really squat, bushy plants, perfect for growing spaces with reduced headroom. Organic sweetcorn grains are the most common source of corn to use for sprouting, but all maize grains are easy to germinate and some growers even seek out heirloom varieties like Blue Corn to ensure their SST is GMO-free. Corn SST is best applied in late vegetative growth and up to the fourth or fifth week of flowering.
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Teas
atleast once every Growth stage you shuld be using either a SST ( seeds sprout tea ) by itself or along side a LAB ( lactose acid Bacteria ) mixture. Use the Lab after you have applied your monthly organic Top dressing as it will help with the decomposing matter.
SST. a SST is any seeds that sprout just alittle bit so you see the little white root as shown in the picture below. Once is has sprouted you grind them up with a blender and water, then you add to you Water source ( Hope its a bubbling water jug, i use 64G garbage can ) add some brown sugar if you want to really make it fancy. and bam you got yourself a SST.
a SST gives your plants alot of good enzymes that helps with hormone production and root development. the Brown sugar is good for the microbes in the tea, it will help multiply them. though it will not multiply ENZYMES.
LAB
a Lab is to help the breakdown of organic matter in soil. its basically a accelerator. instead of waiting say 2 weeks for organic matter to break, it could make it one.
To make it you get some starch water which can be easily made. when you go to make rice and you rinse you rice, instead of throwing that water down the drain collect it. so let rice sit in water for a few minutes, then collect the water. simple as that.
After that you cover your collected contain of water with a breathable top. let it sit for about 3 days till it starts to smell sweet. then your done that part
Next you need to add Milk. at a 1:10 part ratio. so 1 part water and 10 parts milk. Cover and Let sit for another 3 days. you will see the milk collect at the lop and make a cheese. you will know when its done when it smells like cheese. DO NOT UNCOVER till done. when its done take the cheese out and add mixture to your water source. at a 1:1000 Ratio.
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