Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
REV'S TIP
Dolomite lime is the only lime to use in TLO growing. Avoid any others.
This is because Dolomite lime buffers the soil mix rather than just raising the pH like any other lime
will do. Dolomite lime likes to take pH up, but no higher than 7.0 as a rule of thumb.
Blood meal and bird and bat guanos
are powerful nutrient sources, and the N-P-K ratios are usually
about 15-0-0 for blood meal, and 12-8-2 for bird and bat guano. These are essential additions for a super
natural living soil mix. Blood meal can be as dangerous to use as it is powerful, so have great respect for
the amount of damage this can cause if you misuse it. Guanos are only slightly less dangerous for all the
samereasonsasbloodmeal.Theseelementsbothcatalyzelargepopulationsofmicrobiallife,andyouwill
needtocookanysoilmixthat contains these duetotherapiddecomposition that happenswhile themicro-
bial life has these high power sources of nitrogen to feed off. This reaction is the same one that happens
in compost piles when high nitrogen is added; even additions like grass clippings or alfalfa have enough
nitrogen to really get things cooking big in a compost pile, and all the decomposing will happen very fast
with true heat from all the motion of the micro-beasties feeding and colonizing.
Blood meal is a great soil addition but one that needs to be used with care
As far as levels go, even ½ a tablespoon of blood meal in a gallon of soil mix will overdose most can-
nabis plants if it is not cooked first. The same approximate measurement applies to guanos, as they are
only slightly more forgiving. I like to use these elements in layers and zones as well as spikes. Again, it
is very important to cook it first in a soil mix when mixed globally, because otherwise it can really cause
big problems with nitrogen overdoses, and actual heat generated by the microlife, not to mention things
like pHfluctuations. Youwill readin topics aboutbloodmeal lasting 6monthsinasoilmix,andinaTLO
living mix it might last 2 months, but only for 1 month of that will it give massive nitrogen release, in
my experience. Organic matter tends to decompose very quickly in a TLO environment, and bat and bird
guanos only really rock the nitrogen for about 3 weeks and last about 4 weeks total. There are, of course,
