Friday, September 27, 2013

Hooray for Poop!

Hooray For Poop!
Alternative Sources of Organic Manure


Tried and True
Everybody loves poop. Well organic farmers all do at least, and most of them have one point used it in their growing operations. The most commonly used manures currently include Guano (Bat Droppings) and Worm Castings.

Guano is most easily found for purchase in a powdered form and has many uses and proven results. There are some negative aspects to guano though including respiratory issues from the powder becoming airborne during mixing and its price because it has to be shipped from overseas.

While not necessarily thought of as manure, worm castings are the end product of a worm's digestive system. This microbe and nutrient rich material is a must have for organic growers. Veganic growers are likely to really think out their morals before passing on this animal product.

Both of these manures are quite well known within the cannabis community and were likely considered new compared to horse, pig, and chicken poo at one time, but now lets take a look at some more interesting possibilities.

Small Mammals
Oooh that little guinea pig is soooo cute! At first it is at least until it starts squealing every morning at 5 A.M. But wait a minute don't manhandle the little guy just yet! With the right set-up you could have your very own manure machine and cute/annoying pet all in one!

It turns out small herbivorous mammals such as rabbits and guinea pigs make great manure. Unlike “hot” manures that need to be composted before use, rabbit and guinea pig excrement is ready to go right away. This is because the digestive systems of these creatures are special.

In a “normal” herbivorous mammal like a cow the microbes that break down their food are found in their stomach, or stomachs, breaking down what it can and excreting the whats left.

In rabbits and guinea pigs they must let the microbes gather on their already passed stool. After this they once again ingest the stool with the microbes so that it can properly metabolize in their digestive systems. Gross but true, and because of this their poo is very nutrient rich and chock full of beneficial microbes.

At the very least a rabbit or Guinea pen could be set up above a worm or compost bin for easy supplementation. Just make part of the bottom of the hutch or pen with appropriate sized wire fence and the excrement will just fall through to your collection device.

Invertebrates

Worms reign supreme here. They are arguably one of the most important animals as far as organic cannabis farming goes. An organic soil without worm castings is hard to pull off, though if you are using a good compost it likely contains them as well. For years many have taken advantage of the great humus like leftovers of these abundant creatures.
They also are great for aerating your soil and I recommend adding them to your pots as long as you reuse your soil (or grow outdoors), keep it moist, and don't use chemical or bottled nutrients.
While so far there have been no challengers to the great worm in this category there could be a contender if they were given some time and experimented with...

Millipeds. You knoe those little brown/black striped guys with hundreds of little legs. Turns out they are great composters as well, and highly under appreciated in the cycling of herbaceous materials into available nutrients.

I got a hold of Dr. Paul Marek from the University of Arizona, one of if not THE leading millipede expert in the U.S. I brought up my questions and this is what he had to say;

Yes, I've thought a bit about this. I think the best kind are NOT the Polydesmida (the flat-backed ones, e.g. http://www.apheloria.org/Paul_Marek/Images.html). You'd be better off with the Spirobolida, especially Narceus (if you're in the eastern U.S.) or Tylobolus (if you're in the western U.S.). It really depends on your location and dryness of your compost. Desert millipedes in the genus Orthoporus (different order Spirostreptida) would be good too but they're much more dry-adapted and will not do well in humid/wet environments. (These genera are common and you can see images of them by Googling their names.)
I had a stellar culture of Narceus (the very common brown millipede in the eastern U.S.) for a really long time while living in Chicago. They really liked moist oak leaves and pieces of wood. I had them in an aquarium and kept adding leaves and other detritus, and they would eat and eat and eat - decomposing and reducing the detritus level in the aquarium.
Millipedes in general are good for breaking down bigger pieces of organic matter (like big wood chunks) into smaller pieces so that earthworms and other decomposers can take the process even further. They'd probably complement the earthworms nicely if you have larger pieces of compost the earthworms take awhile to eat. (However, there is evidence of competition between earthworms, especially introduced species, and millipedes - e.g., work by Bruce Snyder). Another thing is that some millipedes (and Narceus seems to have a broader diet) are specialists and eat only one or a few types of decaying leaves.
I don't think a lot of folks have tried composting with millipedes! I'd love to hear your experiences if you give them a try!”

If any of those names are a little confusing your not alone. That aside it definitely seems like millipedes are something worth experimenting with.

Here are a few other links if you want to look further into Millipedes;

A site with a bunch of millipede varieties
http://shop.bugsincyberspace.com/Millipedes_c7.htm

-BDBuds


Polyculture and Companion Plants

Polyculture and Companion Plants

For many years farmers have planted their crops in monoculture (one crop) styles. Such practices cause many problems for the farmer and the environment but the loss of diversity, a keystone in a healthy natural system, is one of the worst.

For example, let's say I have a field of cannabis in a monoculture. No other plants are within miles of my cannabis field. Then one day a mass of cannabis eating bugs comes by and begins ravaging my crop. No other plants means no predatory bugs so the only resort is chemical warfare. This is an oversimplified example but you get the picture.

Polycultural gardens (many types of plants together) have a much higher likelihood of taking care of themselves, resulting in less work for the farmer if properly planned and allowed to mature. I'll break the polycultural garden (other than your main crop) down into groups.

Nitrogen Fixers- These plants are primarily in the “Legume” family and include beans, clover peas, baptisia, and a few trees like yellowwood and locust. These plants take in atmospheric nitrogen and deposit it in the soil through small nodules on their roots, essentially fertilizing your soil. Farmers use these plants when they “cover crop” a field to help rejuvenate overused soil.

Beneficial Insect Attractors- These plants (usually when in flower) will attract all the good little bugs that eat the ones you can't stand. A few great plants for this are Fennel, Tansy, Dill, Chamomile and Sunflowers.

Pest Repellers- Will keep pests (bug or animal) away from your garden, they include; Lavender, Mint, Nasturtium, Daffodils and some types of Marigolds (others can the opposite so be careful.)

Dynamic Accumulators- Plants that take nutrients from deep in the soil and deposit them on the ground when they die back in fall/winter. The plants in this category supply much of the other required nutrients and micro nutrients the plants need to thrive. Good candidates are Dandelion, Comfrey, Nettles, and Burdock.

Cover Crops- Pretty much what the name implies. These plants are generally shallow rooted, cover the empty spaces in your garden to prevent evaporation, and provide some other type of benefit (like nitrogen fixing.) Good cover crops are barley, clover, or cranberries.

Buffing Plants- These plants supposedly increase production of essential oils to plants within root contact, possibly providing other benefits as well. Chamomile and Nettles are the top two in my book as they have multiple uses.

Bringing these ideas to the indoor garden is something that is still a bit of a topic within the organic soil community. A good guild (group) of plants for indoors could be;

Clover for mulch/nitrogen fixing, chamomile for extra production and beneficial insects, and perhaps a lavender plant for pest deterrent. The lavender has no need to be planted in the same container as your cannabis.

The concerns with indoor application are whether companion plants have enough time to start producing results within the lifespan of a typical cannabis plant, and that many plants will wither once the cannabis canopy blocks out their light. Also some plants may not react well to the various light cycles, or could overpower you cannabis if not enough room is given.

For the best indoor results try mounting lights on the sides of your grow room, using larger pots, and running your soil no-till (as in not removing the soil from the pot.) Make sure to have a nutrient rich and microbial active soil before trying a no-till run.


-BDBuds

Organic Living Soil

Organic Living Soil

In a day and age when we have access to “Grow Shops” on every corner here in Michigan it is easy to get a bit lost in it all. Shelf after shelf of seemingly magical potions, to supply your babies with all the desired results of dankness.

While there are good products out there, which when used properly can have awesome results, the complexity is not necessary for someone who is willing to relinquish control a bit and hand it over to the natural biology of the soil.

A good starting medium is sphagnum peat moss. It is a great moisture retentive product and while you might have been told otherwise , there are microbes just waiting to come to life in it. There are some issues with it being a nonrenewable resource but if you recycle your soil it negates this problem.

The next 1/2 to 1/3 of the soil should be garden compost. I have my own homemade compost that I use but you can source this from garden stores or nurseries if needed.

The final essential base medium is worm castings. Can't say enough about EWC. Crawling with beneficial microorganisms or “benies,” and full of great nutritional benefit. Most people will have to buy this from a garden store. Though starting a worm bin is pretty easy it takes time and space.

Then you need about 35-50% of your soil to be aeration ingredients. Good candidates are perlite, rice hulls, or crushed lava stone.

After this base mix there are numerous soil amendments to add, and as long as it's organic it should be alright for the microbiology, but I'll give a few heads up tips on things not to use or to read up on first before using.

Things to avoid: Lime of any kind, bloodmeal, bonemeal (except fish), Epsom salts, any bottled liquid fertilizers, and anything synthetic/chemical as it will kill your microherd.

Things to add: Mycorrhizae, Crabshell meal, Neem meal, Kelp meal, Alfalfa meal, and Rock Dusts. Most of these can be added at about ¼ cup per 1 cubic foot (around 7-8 gallons of soil) unless otherwise noted on packaging. The rock dust can be up to or exceeding 4 cups/cf.

Other additions/options: Fish meal or Fish Bone Meal, Oystershell Meal, Biochar, and Karanja Meal (neem replacement.)

After everything is mixed very well water slightly and let sit for 30 days or more. If available water with a compost or microbe tea.

By no means do you need all of this to start with. Just make the base soil with EWC, Compost, Sphagnum, and Aeration material. Then get whatever you can of the other ingredients and run it as directed above. Add necessary amendments when you recycle.

Remember to treat this soil as a living thing not a dead medium. The soil should remain moist, the dry/wet cycle is a fallacy and will result in loss of microbiology. “Teas” are a big plus here as well, since they feed your “bennies” and bolster their numbers.


-BDBuds

Homemade Botanical Teas

Homemade Botanical Teas

Most gardeners nowadays are very familiar with the compost tea idea. It's hard to find a good gardener without their five gallon bucket, or if they're lucky or rich a nice Vortex style brewer.

Microbe “teas” are great and should be used by everyone interested in a healthy soil ecosystem, but your bubbler and bucket can be used for another technique too, botanical teas.

There are many types of plants that can be used to brew a botanical tea. Many of these plants are Dynamic Accumulators, meaning that they take up one or more type/s of nutrients from the soil and store them. A couple common types of these plants you can likely find in your backyard are Dandelions, Stinging Nettles, and Burdock (Burrs,) Alfalfa, Yarrow, and Comfrey.

So taking a tip from nature and speeding it up a bit is very simple. The recipe will vary slightly depending on if you are using fresh or dried material.

The most commonly found dry materials (meals) in the hydro store are Kelp or Alfalfa. Get your 5 gallon bucket and a bubbler. Add ¼ cup Kelp meal and 1 cup Alfalfa meal. Let it bubble. After a few days you can use this mixture on your plants. Dilute in half if you want a foliar spray.

Fresh material uses the same preparation except it's a little harder to measure. Generally if you fill the bucket a quarter or so up with plant matter that should be plenty. If your cannabis react poorly than dilute or make it weaker the next time. Stirring the concoctions multiple times daily is another option to bubbling, but do yourself a favor and drop 30 bucks at the pet store.

There are other benefits to be gained from homemade teas besides nutrition though. Largely these would be fungicidal or insecticidal properties that we take from the plant along with their nutritional benefits.

Some plants that fall into this category are, Lavender (Especially flowers), Tansy, and Fennel, and Mustard.

Care should be taken to dilute these extracts properly with water or you will burn your plants. Start with a low dose 1:60 or so and work your way up if necessary.

Some fermentation is alright as it is part of the decomposition phase,but it should also be noted that if these extracts sit for too long they will begin to ferment too much which could possibly damage your plant if not diluted. Also while the nutritional benefits will continue to be available after 36-48 hours , the insecticidal and/or fungicidal aspects will begin to deteriorate.

Botanical teas are a great way to save some money on bottled nutrients, and are a good start sustainable veganic gardening practices. What's better than using weeds to grow your weed?

-BDBuds