Ok, I never do this but y’all have been more than kind. Of coarse you can find most of this anywhere on the net but I think I have a few secrets to add.
Ingredients: soil from undisturbed woodlands (get as much as you can). Soil with thick rotted leaves and bark. If you sink into it while walking, you found it. You can also find businesses to deliver but carefully inspect and ask questions about where obtained and investigate and verify. Huge amounts of coffee grounds (your own, friends & family then truckloads (in time) from Starbucks, and others). Seek out farmer granting you aged manure (just about any, rabbit, hoarse, cow and pig). Yours, family & friends appropriate kitchen clean veg waste (any others from yard and garden) adding always! Huge amounts of maple leaves chopped, weed whipped or otherwise (or other leaves but NOT oak). Old wood chips (just enough to add brown). Some branches (to add oxygen in). Turn it all regularly for a month or two then add gallons of worms (red and nightcrawlers). Water when extremely dry (worms need it to breathe). Keep turning without too much disturbance to worms (they’re eating, pooping and breading). Add any ingredients of plant life rotten or otherwise, bone meal, blood meal, black cow (these found “on sale”) tea bags, pig bread (obtained from bakery discard) & etc. The more differing ingredient type (diversification) the better. Time, heat, rain.
My piles are so large they’d take a large backhoe to turn but that’s the worms job, for the most part now. When done this way, or better, you have SUPER SOIL (my way) and in any amount you choose. And I could tell you but you’d think I’m exaggerating how big my plants get and how they produce. It’s real. This is one case where bigger is better, if you can, or find a friend or family member where you can pile and experiment. Edit: Biochar, my woods usually need cleaning and hardwood branches and some trees are burnt leaving some small burnt chips. Add them in with small amounts to the turning and you’ve just added biochar.
And this is what you get with very little to no nutes. And stanky!
New today: Not much to compare except those of indoors I’ve posted. These are out today acclimating just a while for planting in two days. Friday night for finally getting acceptable overnight temps.
Nice tips, sounds a lot like Coot’s castings. Some basalt rock dust and hardwood charcoal would really help keep the microbial life thriving and not become too fungal dominated.
Living and growing with him I can testify about the “super” in this soil. Everything loves it. He forgot to mention a few additives he picks up occasionally at stores but I’m sure you can figure it out.
We lucky we bought an old apple orchard from years and years ago they turned into cow pasture after that the soil is great…and my neighbor has chickens i told her move them next to my fence I’ll put a wheel barrow there and you can just chuck the chicken in it. Lol
We have plenty of poop. I wish you were my neighbor. Lol! I’m thinking of trying to make tea with it. Just don’t know how bad it would smell watering indoors?
Just about no tools for just about anything testing wise. Should change that. But just gathered tea run off from watering pots. Very dark brown running through coco, compost, forest floor mix and nutrients. Largely diluted (1 tsp) into 3 1/2 gal well water (water tested by Culligan as neutral w/no impurities). Will add very diluted (half strength) FF next watering (just arrived).
Thought a time or two of bagging that for sale. Literally tons of work and at least a year to finish. Ppl who do sell get ridiculous high prices for it. Usually just keep secret and astonish those inspecting my gardens. But hey, can you shut this guy up! All the time braggin. You heard some of the dumb mistakes he’s been making?
I don’t have space to make my own, so have to buy in castings when needed. Hard to find decent stuff, your locals will thank you if you have plenty to sell!
in it. Lol 