Hey Submarine Girl,
Hey Pute, I agree that indigenous microbes are usually the best bet. My main source of bioprotection is the use of suppressive soils.
I use OG BioWar
Definitely interested in changing my soil To something cleaner for my plants. Just need to find something around Virginia Beach. I used FF soil my first grow with seeds I had a couple of plants which I think now was a ph problem. I was happy with the turnout but at the time never figured out why two plants didn’t seem to take in water an nutrients. Well after that grow I put in clones from the first plants using the same soil and nutrients. I ended up with a heck of a time with small leaves during the veg cycle compared to the giant leaves of their mothers. Also I ended up with a calcium Deficiency due to low PH. I can’t help thinking that if I had more control of what I was planting in, it would have helped. Plus if I had discovered the low PH thing prior to late in flower, perhaps my yield would be bigger and of course with less rust on the leaves. Plan to read your soil article next. Thanks for sharing
If you are re-using soil, you may want to rethink that. I tried to do that and ran into pH problems that I never had before. I have read that as peat breaks down, it makes the soil acidic thus my pH issues. I now just dump my old soil in my vegetable garden where there is a lot more soil to neutralize the acidity.Definitely interested in changing my soil To something cleaner for my plants. Just need to find something around Virginia Beach. I used FF soil my first grow with seeds I had a couple of plants which I think now was a ph problem. I was happy with the turnout but at the time never figured out why two plants didn’t seem to take in water an nutrients. Well after that grow I put in clones from the first plants using the same soil and nutrients. I ended up with a heck of a time with small leaves during the veg cycle compared to the giant leaves of their mothers. Also I ended up with a calcium Deficiency due to low PH. I can’t help thinking that if I had more control of what I was planting in, it would have helped. Plus if I had discovered the low PH thing prior to late in flower, perhaps my yield would be bigger and of course with less rust on the leaves. Plan to read your soil article next. Thanks for sharing
When you reamended your soil did you add organic garden lime to the new mix?
Very nicely organized overview. Thanks.
I did not. I simply reused the soil after removing most of the rootball. Folks advised against reuse of the soil but I wanted to try it anyway and paid the price. I have fantasized about building a living soil but I am a bit lazy and have a problem with the delayed gratification needed to cook organic soils. I know a lot of people reuse soil but amend the bejeezus out of it. My concern for submarinegirl was that she was making the mistake I made. Reusing soil vs amending and reusing soil are two different worlds. Organic lime should help neutralize the pH. As I recall, like is a good buffer as well making pH swings less likely.
