Gold Header Ad
reserve your ad hereWhen growing cannabis all-natural TLO style, one of the strategies is called Micropond. In our second question today, we will look at that dynamic. For more info on the True Living Organics style of Micropond growing, check this out: TLO Micropond Growing – the Next Level | Skunk Magazine.
Alright then, earthlings, let’s rock and/or roll with today’s “Letters” to Rev…
True Living Organics Growing, Question #1: Worm Farms and Freezing Temps?
FROM: Cole B.
“Hello, Rev. I have had my stacked worm farm now for a few years, and I just love it. I recently had to move, and my worm farm has a
new location in a garage with no power. I realize I can’t use gas heat in there without good venting, and I do not have any good venting options. I am about to be hit with below freezing temps (20’s or so) for about a week, and I’m panicking. What can I do? Thank you so much, Rev, I first got my farm on your recommendation and couldn’t be happier.”
Rev’s Answer to Q1
Howdy Cole. Yup, I have just the thing for you. I have a worm farm in a shed myself that is not heated, and once a year or so, I can get a hard freeze where temps stay around or below freezing for several days. In the photo above, you can see some hand warmers in a 2-pack. You can get these anywhere basically that has camping gear or online.
In the photo on the right, you can see my worm farm with the heat packs in action, and I use one pack per side. I also use a tray flipped upside
down on top to help shield the worms from light up on top and hold in a bit of extra heat. I attach the heat packs two trays down from the top. My temps were also in the upper 20s for a few days last year, and this was fine. If my temps were low 20s, I would have likely used two heat packs per side.
The heat packs aren’t expensive and well worth the investment, considering it is literally life or death for your worms. Worms can handle a couple of cold nights below freezing as long as the daytime temps warm them up to above 55 degrees or so between those freezing nights. During a hard freeze event, I normally change out the heat packs every 8 hours or so. If I replace them earlier and the old packs are still generating heat, I just add the new ones next to the older ones.
True Living Organics Growing Question #2: Micropond?
FROM: Arnie
“Hi,
I’ve gone with your Micropond style using lime, crab meal, alfalfa, and a little bone meal. I top-dressed with a little DE, granular chicken guano, crab meal, and alfalfa meal. They have 4-weeks left to go, and they all look insanely fantastic! Should I keep using the same or change over to kelp or alfalfa meal only?
I read your article about using bee pollen, for a top dressing, I think. Should I do that now? I look forward to hearing from you.
Cheers.
Arnie.”
Rev’s Answer to Q2
Hey, hey, Arnie. Okay, first off, all I need to caution you on the amounts of the bone meal and the lime you are using. Be careful here. If you have used too much, you will be seeing the downside about 2-weeks before harvest. Tiny amounts of those two things are fine, but too much can build up over time, causing problems just before harvest.
I would switch over to just kelp meal when you hit three weeks until harvest. You like to see your plants cannibalizing themselves for the last 4-weeks (see photo to the left), so don’t worry about that. I’m glad you are seeing THE POWER of Micropond True Living Organics (TLO) growing style amigo; grow on!
True Living Organics Growing Question #3: Moldy soil?
FROM: T.
“Hey, Rev,
I just opened up my composter after a month of cooking a new batch of soil. One part was in a clump with white moldy-looking stuff. The composter is in my basement lately due to weather.
Do you have any thoughts or concerns on this matter? I’d hate to have ruined my soil, but I would really hate killing my new seedlings.
Thanks in advance for your help!
T”
Rev’s Answer to Q3
Decomposition causes a ton of CO2 to be released. The only concern (slight) that I see is the lack of ventilation in the basement. Outdoors is
best for a compost tumbler or someplace that has some venting/air exchange. That being said, you have no worries, per my experience here.
Many kinds of molds are involved in decomposing (cooking) your soil and all-natural additions. They aren’t interested in messing with your plants in a negative way—they’re just there for the soil stuffs. However, if your soil mix comes out of the tumbler on the wet side, just spread out however much you are going to need on a tarp. Wait a day or two before transplanting, because wet soil is bad for transplanting with. It should be just barely moist.
Your soil/compost can get a little wet outdoors in a tumbler in the rain, but that won’t hurt it at all. Just make sure you have a way to dry your soil out mostly before using it. You don’t want to be able to make “mud balls” out of it in your hands. It should be dry-ish before use, slightly moist.
Afterword
True Living Organics is such an elegant style of growing that is cheaper than synthetic or bottle-fed organic growing, not to mention much higher quality. Cannabis grown using bottled organic nutrients is way-way better than synthetic grown for sure, but all-natural TLO style rules them all baybee!
Go visit Kingdom Organic Seeds and check out La Smush! It’s in the Gamblers’ section. Heh heh, are you an indica head? If so, you are for sure going to be a La Smush head LoL ? I’m outty for now, but I’ll be back next Tuesday right here for another article. L8r G8rs.
– REv ?
Gold Scrolling Footer Ad
reserve your ad hereI'm The Rev, and I have been with SKUNK for about a decade now. I hail from Southern California, spent mucho time in Northern California, and now reside in Southern Oregon; always coastal. I am an all natural style cannabis grower and I have written a couple books on the subject - check out True Living Organics 2nd Edition on Amazon - I have been growing for over 45 years, and I have been breeding cannabis for over 30 years. Check out kingdomorganicseeds.com to see some exotic selections. Growing connoisseur cannabis is what I teach mostly, growing it in living soil without using liquid organic nutrients to feed the plant. I am also a highly skilled synthetics grower, hydroponics, aeroponics, DWC/SWC/NFT, Ebb and Flow, and soilless, but I cringe when smoking synthetic grown herbs, so for the last 15 years or so I preach the artisan style of all natural growing, specializing in container growing. Cheers and welcome aboard.