Frequent summer power outages are what makes me shy away from photos for indoor.
Power of suggestion. If I get a successful harvest this way, you can bet I will “project” the desired qualities as being there. LOL
After all, memory is kinda subjective.
They usually back on quick unless it’s Hurricane damage. Singing River, Dixie Electric and Alabama Power are the worst as they sell alot of power out of state and those issues become local issues when there’s a storm elsewhere.
Get you a little generator and there’s no worries. They are a dime a dozen after Hurricanes.
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I live in a rural town with it’s own utilities. Not sure where they source power from and they have improved the infrastructure tremendously since moving here about 10 years ago. Used to be frequent outages every time the wind picked up. Lots of trees still brush the lines and it is seriously haphazard in design but they get better every year. Our overall services are stellar though. Need something(ANYTHING)hauled away? Just put it curbside and within 3 days or so it is gone. Easy peazy lemon squeezy.
This place is pretty active and seems like a great group of people!
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You maybe complicating the concept of soil? Soil is composted of organic material and minerals. The soil is broken into a few basic types, loam, peat, clay and sand.
In general, a rich loamy soil is ideal for cannabis with a ph of near 7 or neutral.
I grow only heritage or landrace strains outdoors and use a blend for my base soil. The blend is material that is readily available and as inexpensive as possible.
I sourced a local farmer that has dug drainage ditches in a cottonwood bog. This is packed full of organic material. I also use compost that is quite mature in orser to improve drainage. And a smidge of peat to hold moisture. The ratio is basically 50/50 blend with the compost and bog soil and a shovel full of peat per wheelbarrow.
The bog soil is rich in clay and tends to pack after several waterings… hence the compost.
Grows great dope! I also use seaweed and kelp with humic acid in my waterings and tras made of various things like comfry left to stew in a bucket of water for a few weeks.
For the most part all I have to do is water em… when buds start to form I feed them with Ghia Green flower food.
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Oh, definitely. LOL
I am just exploring the idea of micro nutrient differences in specific areas.
For instance, Chilton county Ala. is/was well known for excellent peaches, locally we are widely known for our tomatoes, Vidalia county Ga. with the world recognized onion variety, Napa Valley Ca. for grapes the list goes on.
What is it about a specific region and certain crops? Got to be something in the soil 'cause the sun is constant as is air quality to a large degree. Some mysterious combination known only to Mother Earth, this is my way of asking her politely to reveal a sliver of knowledge.
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Yeast for one is region specific.
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That is basically what I am looking for. A good combo of local materials. I know that some is not even a consideration as it would be waaay off on Ph levels for cannabis. Cypress is readily available in all stages of decomp but I suspect it would be toxic.
Lovely looking trees BTW all ladies appear happy.
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Ok… here is a plant that grows very easily, and I think you all should be growing it and reading about.
This is comfrey, its called a dynamic accumulator, it accumulates NPK from you soil and into its plant parts.
I harvested the leaves off these plants a couple times now. Take a 5 gallon pail with lid and loosely fil it with leaves. Let this sit with the lid sitting on top for about 3 weeks in a sunny place. Stir with a stick now and then. It stinks really bad after a couple weeks. You can strain the rotted leaves out of this. I place chicken wire over a 55 gallon drum and an old towel. Pour the contents of the 5 gallon onto the towel to strain. Fill the 55 galon drum with water and you have the best NPK fertilizer in the world. Better than poop… better than store bought NPK… all natural and organic. Pretty much the ideal food for weed.
Your plants will be green and super healthy
You can stretch the tea out if you use half and add more chlorine free water. The tea is mixed at a rate of 10:1 water. Do NOT use it straight! Its pretty powerful… smelling too!!
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When I consider a soil, I think about where it comes from. Conifers tend to be acidic, hardwoods like birch, aspen, cottonwood, maple, alder and many others deposit their leaves each year to rot on the forest floor, and they are usually pretty close to 7. You can find areas where marker plants such as thistle grow, anywhere that grows well, cannabis will too. In nature, plants only grow where the soil and conditions are right. If you only need a yard or so, perhaps you can find a place in nature that grows birch trees? Scrape the leaves off the top and dig down until the black soil disappears, that is the thickness of the top soil, that soil can be screened and will make ideal natural soil for growing cannabis.
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You are talking about a hodge-podge of stuff. you cannot dial in a formula when you are throwing all kinds of leftovers, and such into a pile unless, you send it to state ag testing to get an analysis. In my area, this service is available for 7$ a test. Once you know the NPK ratio and 2ndary nutrients, you iwll be able ot divide pile into 3, and amend with some idea of where you are and what you want.
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Yes, I guess it is comparable to trying to make a perfect pizza by heaping on toppings. Bad idea in practice.
I have settled on a trio of simpler mixtures just as an experiment to quiet my twitchy mind…Light potting soil based
Grow journal is forthcoming.
Wow going out to collect leaves. Comfry grows prolifically on my land.
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Did you get a chance to google it?
Are you referring to my soil mix? Yeah I suppose you could say that @latewood , however the results speak for themselves. Many of the hippies in this area have been mixing soil in this fashion for years with similar results. However, if anyone is not willing to research their local soils and what works for specific crops, by all means do go to your local AG and inquire, maybe take some samples and have them tested.
My suggestions are not written in stone especially for the varied soil tyoes the world over, merely a suggestion that cannabis is a very forgiving plant and usually local soils can be made to work adequately or even very well for cannabis.
With the addition of natural ammendments such as comfrey teas, worm castings and worm pee and water, and a host of other readily available natural elements, pot can grow incredibly well.
And I still stand by my assertion that any soils that a food garden will do well in should grow pot adequately or even very well.
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Yes, didn’t know about the fertilizer from it. I make a muscle, joint balm. Sounds great thanks.
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Oh yeah! Its a dynamic accumulator… a type of plant that is essentially a miner of the soil. It sequesters nutrients in its tissues.
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I never said that mixing old with new and compst teas etc. did not work. I said’ “If you truly want to dial in and know what is in your soil…do this…”
Of course you can mix all your used stuff. I have always promoted that. your way can work for you, but cause others to struggle. Until you truly know the results of what you make your soil out of; It might be advisable to get a soil test, and begin your amendments in a more informed way. Also; I am an old hippy…LOL 
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