Good read for those that are looking to start organics.

Evergreengardener

Agronomist,
Organic gardening is.. Organic gardening is growing plants in harmony with nature by using biologically sound cultural practices to improve the soil, promote healthy plant development and encourage a fruitful harvest. By utilizing a diverse selection of natural and organic fertilizers, as well as minerals and soil amendments, we can support this process. Feeding the soil is the foundation of organic gardening. Conventional gardening practices treat the soil as a structural medium and focus only on feeding the plant directly with synthetic fertilizers. This may diminish the soil’s natural capacity for supporting plant health because it ignores, and may harm, the essential living components of soil that plants rely on. Organic gardening emphasizes continually strengthening the complex soil environment. That promotes healthy, vibrant plant growth, and allows the plants to grow at a natural pace and produce the best tasting, most nutritious foods for you and your family. For plants to grow, they need air, water, food and a porous medium for root expansion. The food is provided by minerals and organic matter in the soil, and can be supplemented with the addition of amendments, composts, manures, minerals, natural fertilizers or by companion plants such as legumes. Besides providing plant nutrients, organic matter provides additional functions. It adds structure to sandy soils and helps loosen clay. It also retains moisture, improves aeration and feeds the beneficial inhabitants, such as bacteria and fungi present in the soil. Organic matter originates from once living sources such as plants and their root systems, mulch and woody materials, soil organisms and plant and animal waste in the form of compost. This process of renewal and decay eventually transforms organic matter into humus, a highly complex substance that is often described as the “life-force” of a healthy soil.

Composting: Mature compost is also is thought by some to be the most important factor in the enrichment of soils in both a physical and chemical sense. Besides increasing fertility compost helps the soil retain moisture and encourages the formation of good soil structure. Chemically, it makes nutrients more available to plants and feeds the soil population of micro-organisms and other creatures, thus maintaining high levels of healthy soil life. Compost is also an ideal way to recycle what would otherwise be considered home and yard waste. Backyard composting transforms waste into a valuable resource, and it reduces the amount of materials heading towards landfills.

Organic Fertilizers derived from plant, animal or mineral resources, and combined with organic matter, are ideal for enhancing soil fertility and stimulating plant growth in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. Organic fertilizers add nutrients to the soil for uptake by plants and for use by the myriad microorganisms that inhabit healthy, productive soil.

UNDERSTANDING THE NPK RATIO Fertilizers are labeled with numbers that represent the percentage of the three primary macro-nutrients – nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) – that are available in the fertilizer. These elements are listed as the NPK ratio. Each nutrient plays specific and complementary roles. Generally, nitrogen energizes vegetative growth, phosphorus produces expansive roots, flowers, fruits and viable seeds, while potassium promotes sturdy stems, plus resistance to disease and temperature stress. Most fertilizers also contain varying amounts of the secondary macro-nutrients – calcium, sulfur and magnesium – along with trace elements or micro-nutrients that also play essential roles in plant nutrition. Since organics break down at a slower rate, they release nutrients slowly with greater effectiveness than conventional fertilizer, reducing the need to reapply fertilizers as often in order to maintain soil fertility. This minimizes the possibility of “burning” plants with concentrated chemical supplies of nutrients. By encouraging soil microbial life to flourish, they improve overall soil health rather than degrade it. Since organic fertilizers last longer and release their nutrients slowly, their long-term NPK amounts will be greater and more beneficial than what is shown on the label.
 

Evergreengardener

Agronomist,
ELEMENTS FOR OPTIMUM GROWTH There are 19 beneficial elements that contribute to healthy plant growth. Three of these essential elements, oxygen, hydrogen and carbon, are provided by air and water, while the rest are absorbed by plants through the soil.

Boron (B)- stimulates cell division, flower formation and pollination.
Calcium (Ca)- raises soil pH, promotes root hair formation and early growth.
Chlorine (Cl)- is needed for photosynthesis, stimulates root growth and aids water regulation.
Cobalt (Co)- improves growth, water regulation and photosynthesis.
Copper (Cu)- stimulates stem development and pigment formation.
Iron (Fe)- stimulates the formation of chlorophyll and helps oxidize sugar needed for energy. It is also necessary for legume nitrogen fixation.
Magnesium (Mg)- aids in chlorophyll formation and energy metabolism. It increases oil production in flax and soybeans, and helps regulate uptake of other elements.
Molybdenum (Mo)- is needed for nitrogen fixation and nitrogen use. It stimulates plant growth and vigor much like nitrogen.
Nitrogen (N)- is necessary for chlorophyll and genetic material (DNA & RNA) formation, and stimulates green, leafy growth.
Phosphorous (P)-is necessary for genetic material (DNA & RNA) formation, and stimulates fruit, flower, root production and early season growth, and increases disease resistance.
Potassium (K)- produces strong, sturdy plants with thick cell walls, increases disease resistance and stimulates fruit, seed and root production.
Silicon (Si)- increases seed quantity and strengthens cell walls.
Sodium (Na)- increases sugar content and resistance to drought (in some crops).
Sulfur (S)- aids in formation of certain oil compounds that create specific odors in some plants such as onions, garlic, mustard, etc.
Magnesium (Mn)- is necessary for the formation of chlorophyll.
Zinc (Zn)- stimulates stem growth and flower bud formation.
 

Ozjet68

Insanely Active Member
I will prob stay w organic myself.
It’s just simple for me . I understand it , it’s produces a little slower perhaps but it seems more forgiving from what I’ve seen. Plus because I’m away from home half the year it’s easy for the wife to just have to water while I’m away . I’m happy and you seem to be producing killer buds from your methods . What’s not to like ?
 

sfrigon1

Seed Aficionado
It’s just simple for me . I understand it , it’s produces a little slower perhaps but it seems more forgiving from what I’ve seen. Plus because I’m away from home half the year it’s easy for the wife to just have to water while I’m away . I’m happy and you seem to be producing killer buds from your methods . What’s not to like ?
Ya I'm working Soo much right now and it makes me appreciate the fact that an hour a night is enough for great bud . If I wanna make money I may eventually switch back but not till I have the time
 
D

Deleted member 60

Guest
I've grown organically for about 90% of my 30 years of cannabis growing. Went to the chems when i ran hydro for a bit but was never impressed with the product...only the weight the approach offered. Organics has given me a far greater understanding of what plants need...and how to put together a decent feed program over time. I still mix it up yearly and source different products...occasionally buying a bottle of something (organic) here/there to hit all of the bases....but overall I try to keep it simple and use as few products as I can. It's just more involved/fun to grow organically for me. Somethin is always bubblin/brewin somewhere around here.... LOL.
 

treefarmercharlie

🍆
Admin
I agree with you guys. I've loved growing, since I started, but I really fell in love with the organic growing methods. It's just so much more relaxing, the bud tastes better (IMHO), and the only negative (if you want to call it that) is longer growing cycles. I personally don't care about the extra time because I grow way more than I know what to do with as it is.
 

MtRainDog

Blümen Meister
It’s also harder to overdue things in organic soil. It’s a much more forgiving medium where you don’t need to be an absolute stickler over ph. Good amendments, and the right amount of water retention/aeration (what i call “fluffiness”) to your mix is all you need to be sucessful. Just get watering down and you’re pretty much set.

PS dont forget the calmag and/or lime agent. especially if under led’s. calmag every watering won’t hurt anything, but will surely prevent certain issues.
 

Ozjet68

Insanely Active Member
It’s also harder to overdue things in organic soil. It’s a much more forgiving medium where you don’t need to be an absolute stickler over ph. Good amendments, and the right amount of water retention/aeration (what i call “fluffiness”) to your mix is all you need to be sucessful. Just get watering down and you’re pretty much set.

PS dont forget the calmag and/or lime agent. especially if under led’s. calmag every watering won’t hurt anything, but will surely prevent certain issues.
Pretty well doing as you described and my own composted soil compilation with local seaweed rinsed in fresh water and added to the compost to break down for 6 months before use. I learnt the hard way about the Calmag thing pretty quickly under LEDs as a first time indoor grower. The feedback from this crew has been paramount to a faster learning curve 👍
 

Evergreengardener

Agronomist,
Dolomite, oyster shell and some epsom salt added to your soil mix will help you cal and mag issues, fuck bottled Calmag ( organic ain’t for everyone and isn’t the only way to grow) even the GH calmag isn’t organic. a good organic soil will buffer ph so no need for a ph pen either. If you run from clone it’ll speed up the slightly slower growing. I am water only no bottles and I just use tap water. I bubble it atleast 6 hours then just water and grow beautiful organic buds 5DBFAAE4-5935-47D4-985A-82E93A650D7D.png6000B6C9-6985-4C4B-B485-884B90CDBBB7.png9157CA25-F08A-4AF4-B81C-5BCFE84DFD11.png
 

H.A.F.

a.k.a. Rusty Nails
I go the lazy way, but still organic. Any of the base soils for weed are good, I use mainly the FFHF, and nutes that are OMRI listed (Organic Materials Review Institute). Here's my pro's and con's so far after about a year.

It's out-of-the-bag organic without the labor, soil-mixing, composting, waiting, etc.

But there is the constant buying of soil.

I am starting to recycle the soil for the plants final re-pot at flip but there is still going to be excess. If you are stuck with nowhere to use soil for outside projects, it could be a pain.

Might be weird, but instead of ammending my soil, I am going for more neutral soil. The plants I harvested ate most of the nutes in the last week or two of flower. so roots decomposing is my only real issue. I am going to mix up a tub I saved and use some Epsoma stuff to get the pH right if needed, but that's about it. If the ppm seem like it would be alright for seedlings I might not be buying much soil.
 

Ozjet68

Insanely Active Member
With my Autos I set my soil in pot then press a coke bottle into the soil to create a small depression in the middle that I fill with maybe a small cup of seedling starter soil I start my seed in , only watering the centre for the first week or two until it establishes. Seems to work fine . Just an idea 💡
 
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