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organic Organics 101

CAPCOM

CAPCOM

Ok.
Something to think about has come.

I am already committed to this year's grow as it was originally intended. But, if I were to go organic next year, what do I need to start doing now and what will I need to acquire to be ready?
 
I don't know much, but if I were to take away the "organic" label and call it farming the old fashioned way, only at home on a small scale, I'd say composting would be the #1 most important part. Build a good, rich compost bin, and the worms will come and just add to it.
 
If you think about it, organic is really just the way everything used to be done...
 
At my PC now. question posted late last night from my phone after spending an hour reading the thread (how to get plants out of nutrient lockout).
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/46953-getting-plants-out-of-nutrient-lockout/
 
"This is why I try and educate people to going organic in their growing.
Nutrient lockout? pH? PPM? All irrelevant if you have a healthy soil food web.
Something to think about."
 
 
D3monic said:
Composting?
Click to expand...
Are these
 
KrakenPeppers said:
Worm farm?
Click to expand...
Questions?
 
Start saving all of your organic waste:  Lawn clippings, leaves, kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, etc.
Compost your bulk materials (grass and leaves)
Worm compost your fruit and veggie scraps (except citrus)
BSFL compost your citrus, meat, bones, spaghetti, bread, (whatever)
 
LET THE COMPOSTING THREAD BEGIN!!!!!!  :dance: :woohoo: :dance:
 
Bonus topic BSFL bins!
 
CAPCOM said:
At my PC now. question posted late last night from my phone after spending an hour reading the thread (how to get plants out of nutrient lockout).
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/46953-getting-plants-out-of-nutrient-lockout/
 
"This is why I try and educate people to going organic in their growing.
Nutrient lockout? pH? PPM? All irrelevant if you have a healthy soil food web.
Something to think about."
 
 
Are these
 
Questions?
Click to expand...
 
Sorry.. just falling in suit with he previous post =).. I would also recommend a worm farm to  go with the compost bin and a rain water tank..
 
It all starts with the soil. Composting is the best way to begin, I agree.

In the Fall, gather lots of leaves, shred (or not), and till them into the soil along with your scraps of veggies, coffee grounds, manure if you can find any. Letting all this feeding the soil for 6 months will definitely help the microbes and worms in the soil. Then in the Spring start over with a compost pile.

Good for you going organic. It's not easy, but will be rewarding.
 
Phil said:
I don't know much, but if I were to take away the "organic" label and call it farming the old fashioned way, only at home on a small scale, I'd say composting would be the #1 most important part. Build a good, rich compost bin, and the worms will come and just add to it.
 
If you think about it, organic is really just the way everything used to be done...
Click to expand...
 
I was thinking more along the lines of a dedicated system to syphon off the worm juice... Peppers love the stuff..
 
CAPCOM said:
At my PC now. question posted late last night from my phone after spending an hour reading the thread (how to get plants out of nutrient lockout).
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/46953-getting-plants-out-of-nutrient-lockout/
 
"This is why I try and educate people to going organic in their growing.
Nutrient lockout? pH? PPM? All irrelevant if you have a healthy soil food web.
Something to think about."
...
Click to expand...
 
I did the same thing with that thread last night. I was going to comment, but figured it would be better to let that thread be buried by inactivity.
 
This is the proper way to get a topic pinned (but it might need editing for that). If it trends long enough with good, well thought-out information, it might be the catalyst to creating those new forum sections people are asking for.
 
This is where PMD should share all his organics material in a comprehensive/hand-holding/teaching way.
 
Big ups CAPCOM!
 
     Towards the end of Summer, start looking at Menard's for sales on organic fertilizers like Tomato-Tone. That stuff is gold for container and in-ground gardening and for making compost out of leaves and other carbon-rich substances. 
     Last fall they had it (or a similar product - different brand) on sale for 50% off. I think folks were looking at me weird as I filled my shopping cart while muttering "mwuahahahahah...". 
 
I think of it as "gardening the old fashioned way on the cheap".  Use what is available for free like worms, leaves and grass clipping as mentioned.  It is also important to plant a variety of crops.  Colorful flowers and native weeds/flowers will bring in the beneficial bugs to even out the war.   Dandelions, dock and other deep root plants will break up the soil and bring up deep nutrients.  Off season cover crops like radish, mustard and others keep the soil teaming with life.  I have more weeds than grass in my lawn but I can plug a plant pretty much anywhere in the yard and it will grow without ever needing water or fertilizer.  I occasionally water them in a hot dry spell if needed.  Most of the time they will out perform the ones in the garden that I worked my butt off.     
 
Moving on. I can grow year round in my zone (Zone 10). I'm also forced to grow only in containers. Potting up obviously gives the roots more nutrient rich soil to grow into, but at some point the plants are potted in their final containers. Eventually, all the nutrients in that container will be consumed and depleted if I'm not adding something that has some sort of nutritional value for the plant. Will regular feedings with AACT be enough to keep my plants in containers healthy? If there are other things I should be adding, what are they?
 
I'm talking about keeping a plant healthy for several YEARS and staying organic in it's original soil. Can this be done short of ripping it out of the container, doing extensive pruning to both the roots and branches, and re-potting in fresh soil? 
 
Proud Marine Dad said:
No thanks I am done with pepper growing and this forum. Good luck though.
Click to expand...
 
Whoa, did I miss something?
SumOfMyBits said:
Moving on. I can grow year round in my zone (Zone 10). I'm also forced to grow only in containers. Potting up obviously gives the roots more nutrient rich soil to grow into, but at some point the plants are potted in their final containers. Eventually, all the nutrients in that container will be consumed and depleted if I'm not adding something that has some sort of nutritional value for the plant. Will regular feedings with AACT be enough to keep my plants in containers healthy? If there are other things I should be adding, what are they?
 
I'm talking about keeping a plant healthy for several YEARS and staying organic in it's original soil. Can this be done short of ripping it out of the container, doing extensive pruning to both the roots and branches, and re-potting in fresh soil? 
Click to expand...
 
If you want to stay organic long term in pots maybe you could start using compost tea, that way you wont need to put new soil in.  Also top dress with compost and change the compost out every so often when it is "spent"
 
pepper_rancher said:
 
...

 
If you want to stay organic long term in pots maybe you could start using compost tea, that way you wont need to put new soil in.  Also top dress with compost and change the compost out every so often when it is "spent"
Click to expand...
 
Thanks. I can see roots growing into a top dressing if left too long, but I can see how root pruning and replacing just this top portion of the container would be far easier than going all Bonsai Extreme, which can be lethal to a plant. This has been helpful.
 
pepper_rancher said:
Start saving all of your organic waste:  Lawn clippings, leaves, kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, etc.
Compost your bulk materials (grass and leaves) Into bins in a remote location?
Worm compost your fruit and veggie scraps (except citrus) This may be common verbiage for and organic grower, but please define.
BSFL compost your citrus, meat, bones, spaghetti, bread, (whatever)  Again, BSFL? What does this stand for?
 
LET THE COMPOSTING THREAD BEGIN!!!!!!  :dance: :woohoo: :dance:
 
Bonus topic BSFL bins!
Click to expand...
I understand that Google is a great asset in finding out what is the current unknown, but I would like to be able to read all my questions answers here. Remember the thread title, Organics 101.
Up till now I guess I have been doing some of the things mentioned like grass clippings and yard waste. The only problem is I have been throwing these items right into the garden with sometimes negative results. Among them is high moisture retention. Do these need to be composted in a bin type system of can this be accomplished, On the ground?
 
Also mentioned above are three separate composting types. Bulk, Worm and BSFL. I take it that these need to be maintained separately? I imagine heat generated from the bulk compost not being favorable to the worm compost is one reason.
 
The BSFL compost is one that I guess, raises the eyebrow the most right off. Spaghetti? Bones? Citrus? What cant be thrown in it and how long before it can be utilized?
 
CAPCOM said:
I understand that Google is a great asset in finding out what is the current unknown, but I would like to be able to read all my questions answers here. Remember the thread title, Organics 101.

Up till now I guess I have been doing some of the things mentioned like grass clippings and yard waste. The only problem is I have been throwing these items right into the garden with sometimes negative results. Among them is high moisture retention. Do these need to be composted in a bin type system of can this be accomplished, On the ground?
 
Also mentioned above are three separate composting types. Bulk, Worm and BSFL. I take it that these need to be maintained separately? I imagine heat generated from the bulk compost not being favorable to the worm compost is one reason.
 
The BSFL compost is one that I guess, raises the eyebrow the most right off. Spaghetti? Bones? Citrus? What cant be thrown in it and how long before it can be utilized?
Click to expand...
 
I don't know about BSFL or worm composting, but here's all you need:
 
1. Buy a large, contractor/heavy duty outdoor garbage can and cut the bottom off. Now flip it upside down so the wider part is on the ground and the cut bottom faces up. Drill some 1/2" vent holes up and down the sides.
2. start filling it with grass clippings, eggs shells, coffee grounds, veggie scraps, dead/dry (or green) leaves. All of your dead or trimmed plant matter, too.
3. Once it's full, let it sit a week (or two)
4. lift the can off of the pile and move the empty can next to the pile. Then with a pitchfork, start shoveling the pile into the empty can, top of the pile goes in first, thus turning the pile.... do this once a week or once every other week. You'll see it start to break down.
 
Be careful, also, because the decomposing matter creates heat... and if you have a large pile, it makes LOTS of heat. Smaller bins will not make enough heat to melt the plastic or keep out the ants, so be careful there, too. Ants won't settle there if you keep turning it regularly, though.
 
Eventually, it will all break down, and you can keep adding organic matter as it decomposes. You'll start to see LOTS of worms at the bottom of the pile. That's when you'll know it's on its way. Eventually, it will all break down into good, nutrient rich soil perfect for growing medium.

I had one of these given to me awhile back, but I no longer have it.
 
http://www.hayneedle.com/product/eco115cubicfeetcompostbin.cfm?redirect=false&srccode=cii_23393768&cpncode=45-56596476-2&source=channel_intelligence_amazon_hayneedle
 
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