Candyman

Would like to hear you guys input on this. I've been reading up a lot about compost teas (AACTs) and I'm finding quite a bit of conflicting and illogical information out there. I found out that the scientific authority on the matter is a lady by the name Dr. Elaine Ingham and I found her research and material on the subject fascinating. However, I feel that there is a great divide between what she is scientifically presenting through her research and studies and what the industry is doing with that information. For example, it seems that everyone in the industry is using molasses in their compost teas, while Dr. Ingham is usually not in favor of using molasses, as that feeds the bacteria and they are the ones that mostly multiply on the molasses, while the fungi are not fed by the molasses and don't get the chance to multiply and grow. So you end up with a bacteria heavy compost tea, which is not nearly as beneficial as a compost tea heavy in fungal growth and activity. Dr. Elaine suggest using humic acid to feed the beneficial microorganisms in compost tea and not molasses. She also has videos on how to DIY some humic acid. Then there is another point about knowing what exactly it is that you are cultivating when brewing compost teas. I came across a professional in the cannabis industry that summed up AACTs by saying that you are either busy cultivating life or you are busy cultivating disease. If you do not have the means to check under a microscope exactly what microbial life you are cultivating with AACT's, how do you know what is going onto your plants? I found this conversation on the subject and it changed my mind about AACT's. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF2EML4rWAg The main reason why I am just as uncomfortable using aact's as these people are, is I have a been a hobbyist brewer and distiller for quite a while and have a bit of knowledge on fermentations. I have also seen fermentations go bad due to contamination from outside pathogens and microbial life and what I see people do on the internet, taking raw compost and brewing that in actively aerated water for extended periods of time allowing microbial life to grow and multiply, does not sit well with this brewer. I also see a big misconception among these people about what aerobic and anaerobic fermentations are. An anaerobic fermentation has no access to oxygen at all. Usually, the fermentation vessel for an anaerobic fermentation is capped and sealed air tight and fitted with a CO2 lock or bubbler. This allows CO2 to escape without allowing any oxygen into the fermentation vessel. If any oxygen is allowed into the fermentation vessel, it cannot be called and anaerobic fermentation. This is then called an aerobic fermentation, meaning air and oxygen is allowed to come into contact with the ferment. So running an air pump through your compost tea does not make it an aerobic fermentation, it was aerobic to start off with and it will still be an aerobic fermentation without actively aerating it, unless you seal the fermentation vessel from air. Kombucha is a perfect example of an aerobic fermentation, needing access to oxygen to grow and multiply. In contrast a sugar wash for a high alcohol ferment will require an anaerobic fermentation with no access to oxygen. I'm now in the process of making my own fermented fertilizer to replace the function of compost teas and extracts. There have been many studies done on using Rum stillage as a natural organic fertilizer on sugar cane fields. It's full of minerals and is a really good fertilizer. It's very high in potassium, sulfates and calcium especially. But there is no microbial life in rum stillage after the distillation process is complete. Everything has been killed by the heat. This mineral rich stillage is though the perfect substrate to cultivate further microbial life. You just need the proper inoculant relevant to your purpose. My plan is simple. I'm going to use kombucha to inoculate and re-ferment this stillage. If my theory is sound, it should be a fertilizer bomb teeming with beneficial microbial life in high concentrate. Especially using molasses as substrate for the kombucha as that will increase lactobacilli growth instead of acetobacter growth. Should be able to use this fertilizer 1:100 dilution with water for foliar applications and 1:50 for soil. Any thoughts?

13 November 2020 I must admit I am a little disappointed by the DG Gardener's Delight seeds. So far, they fail to bring any delight... Of the 5/6 seeds that have germinated, the seed that popped first, rotted in the soil. Only two have made it above ground, while I'm still waiting for two more that are in the soil to show some action above the ground. I though about @Bakstein420 mentioning above about the hemp soil mix maybe being a bit too hot, so I took 8 seeds from my selection of Swazi hybrid bagseed and did exactly with them as I did with the DG Gardeners Delight. All 8 swazi seeds germinated within 48 hours on wet paper towel. They were transferred to cups with super hemp soil mix and by the next day all of them were showing some action above the ground. They look healthy and as expected at this point, so unless my bagseed can handle hot soil much better that the DG GD seeds, I don't see any issues with the soil mix I'm using. I wonder how old the seed from DG is? Would be nice if breeders were to date their seeds for the market... I have 2 DG Diesoline seeds on paper towel currently waiting to pop, so that I can replace the empty spots I have. It's been 48 hours, no luck yet. This was the 2nd seed to pop and first to show above the ground on the 10th. Numbered DG-GD #2 4th seed to pop, 2nd to show above the ground. Numbered DG-GD #4 The Swazi-Hybrid from bagseed, in the same soil to test germination and soil condition. 100% Success (8/8).

10 November 2020 Quick update. The first seed that popped is still below ground. The second seed that popped was first to break the soil. 5 of the 6 seeds has popped. 2 Are still on the paper towel while the other 4 are in the soil. First...

07 November If all goes to plan, it's about two weeks before I will transplant the seedlings to their fabrics pots outside. I decided to mix the soil today and let it sit for the period leading up to transplant. I used a 150l rough tote for mixing everything. The mix consisted of 1 x 5kg coco coir brick, 90dm outdoor potting soil, roughly 15dm vermicastings and 15dm compost from my own bins. I eyeballed the vermiculite and topped it off with some Bio Ocean pellets and about half a cup bone meal. The total water used to hydrate the coco coir was 60l of tap water, to which I added 1000mg of ascorbic acid for chlorine and chloramine removal and let it sit for a while. Ph was tested to be in neutral range Update on the seeds: The first seed that popped on the 5th and got transferred to germination mix, is still underground. I usually plant them very shallow with taproot down and only the slightest of soil covering. I would have expected to see some action above the ground by today. 2 Other seeds also popped and have the taproot peeking out, but I'm going to hang back maybe a day with them before putting them in the soil. They seem to be a bit slower to respond than what I'm used to. Still amazes me to see how much water a single 5kg coco coir brick can absorb. This is 1 brick and 60l of water.

Thanks bud. BUO advertise their Super Hemp Soil to be used as a germination mix as well. I'll keep an eye on it anyway, since it is my first time using it.

Hey everyone, I'm keen on doing a bit of an experiment and thought it would be a great way to get going on the forum. I'm doing an outdoor living soil type grow with some local genetics from Daggafontein. Their Gardener's Delight Mix. I'm so used to growing bagseed, I thought it would be a good start to dip my toes into some better local genetics. I also got some of DG's Diesoline and Candy IV seeds, but that grow might only happen next season. Got a few things going already this season. So, some general info about the grow. Like I said, I want to experiment with a living soil type of grow. I'm used to soil and organics, but only recently have I started to focus on beneficial microbial life and their role in growing strong and healthy organic plants that are pest and disease resistant. I have a few shops close by that stock Bark Unlimited Organics range of products. They are local to me and easily available, so to keep things simple, I will try and stick with them. I'm going to use 12 liter and 20 liter fabric pots and fill them with a mix of coco coir, BUO outdoor potting soil, homemade compost (hot + cold), vermicastings from my own worm bin, vermiculite, some bone meal and some Bio Ocean pellets from Atlantic Fertilizers. For a mulch layer I'm using BUO Bark Chips. The only other stuff I intend on using for this grow is some liquid kelp + probiotic mix for foliar and my own compost extract. For pest control, I plan on using neem oil with some selected essential oils, diatomaceous earth (also for the silica content) and castile liquid soap from PureSimple. Water ensured to be chlorine and chloramine free and PH adjusted to be between 6 and 7. So let's get this show going shall we? 04 November 2020 I picked 6 random seeds from the 20 Gardener's Delight Mix seeds (GDM) I got from Daggafontein and into the shot glass with some proper water they went. They were left for about 5 hours in the glass before transferring them to a paper towel. 05 November 2020 After about 30 hours since going into water, one of the seeds popped and the taproot was showing. I decided not to wait with this one and transferred it into a 8cm plastic cup filled with BUO Super Hemp Soil and some compost extract to wet and inoculate the medium and then I misted the surface of the soil until properly wet. I'm going to keep the seedlings indoor for the first two weeks about. I'm also going to add supplemental light to extend light hours. I'm using a 250w MH for this purpose as it's what I have. Excited to see what this grow will deliver...

Hello everyone, Candyman is the name. No, not the movie, rather my fondness for those particular terpene profiles. I'm from Ptown and have been growing my own stash on and off for about 15 years now. Mostly outdoor grows from bagseed, but I have dabbled a bit with overseas genetics and indoor hydro back when there was no such thing as grow tents available. Times have changed and so have Cannabis. Looking forward in sharing and learning a lot of new things. Cheers