Help! Advice on living soil

[lozac123]

This is an interesting thread. Im fascinated by the concept of "living soils" even though all soils are alive.

It's also interesting that Clackamas Coot (Jim Bennett) recommends his living soil but at the same time
trashes Jeff Lowenfels and all his books. He also bashes fox farm products, and also have ridiculed
Neville and Shantibaba on multiple occasions in YT podcasts. Apparently according to him, all the hazes
are a joke, the whole Dutch scene in the 80s and 90s was a scam, all high times cannabis cups from that
era were a fake, and the real deal OG strains were always kept in the pacific northwest where he lives.

He also praises Theosophy, Blavatsky and Rudolph Steiner, paramagnetic rocks,
thats why he advocates a truckload of basalt rock dust in his mixes, even though
many soil scientists claim that it is useless. But I dont know for sure, just pointing out the discrepancy...

All I know is that I take most of what he says (and everyone else, including soil scientists) with a grain of salt.

Also his mixes tend to be all over the place. I've seen at least 3 or 4 iterations of it over the time.

The bulk mix tends to be the same everywhere I look: 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 worm castings, 1/3 aeration (a mix of rice hulls and pumice)
The amendments are what vary a lot depending on where you look.

The most popular (sold by BuildASoil) seems to be something like:
Clackamas Coot`s Mix (buildasoil.com)

1/2 cup/cf Kelp meal
1/2 cup/cf Neem meal (or a 50/50 mix of neem and karanja)
1/2 cup/cf Crab meal
1/2 cup/cf Crushed barley malt
1 cup/cf Gypsum
1 cup/cf Lime or oyster shell flour (he says avoid dolomite cos it has "too much magnesium" apparently)
2 cups/cf basalt rock dust

Now if you check his website the mix is quite different now
with a 50 to 100% difference in many ingredients and 2 of them (crab meal and barley) are now absent from
the mix. Maybe he forgot to include them...

1 cup/cf Kelp
1 cup/cf Neem
1 cup/cf Lime or oyster shell flour
1/2 cup/cf Gypsum
3 cups/cf basalt rock dust

It's also interesting the he talks down on bentonite and zeolite, which are incredible if used correctly.
Bentonite is the "strongest"of the mineral clays with a high CEC (good for nutrient retention) and zeolite is excellent
for water retention, aeration and has an even higher CEC than bentonite, in fact you can grow plants using 100% zeolite alone
plus some time-released fertilizers and a pinch of calcium (either gypsum or calcium nitrate added to the water),
so I dont know where his reasoning is coming from. I know clay doest have much business in potted soil as it tends to affect aeration,
and causing compaction, but that also depends on the amount you use. I particularly love to use it as well as zeolite in compost piles
(retains amonia and prevent its volatilization) and in my worm bin as a light dusting combined with other dry ingredients
(wood ash, lime, diatomaceous earth, gypsum etc) to provide grit for the worms as well as nutrients and increased nutrient retention.
I tend to feed all the minerals to the worms and then use their castings so everything is mineralized and ready for absortion by the plants,
but I guess theres more than one way to skin a cat.


He seems quite the character and I intend to try his mix in the future, but his attitude seems
bipolar, alternating between the old altruistic guru who wants to spread knowledge and point people
in the right directon of quality and money saving, while in other occasions he acts as the
typical know-it-all old fart (everything was better in his old days, and everthing in the present
is ruined, corrupted and doesnt even compare to his golden years).

Thanks for joining in @Virus Myth. You might also like some of the posts on my Shark shock run: https://mrnice.nl/forum/threads/im-gonna-need-a-bigger-boat.18597/


To be honest, this run I shifted away from living soil in favour of hydro for a few reasons.

These are Shark shock day 11 in bas living soil:



This is a pic from my current run, it's DaddyMac x rasp goat from heavy dayze (the guy who runs the potcast) on day 15:




There was something just missing from all of my runs, and I couldn't put my finger on it. I wasn't really getting the smells that people speak of, and was running into a few deficiencies on the living soil mix.

Looking forward to finishing this run, where I can actually compare something from the new set up from previous runs.

To be honest though, I think I might be a convert to HPS moreso, I think the led setup I had need some tweaking.

I grew some amazing herb, and several of my friends have greened out on stuff I grew with living soil, it definitely wasn't anything to do with strength. Living soil was so handy to be able to walk away and leave it for a few days without worrying.

This hydro set up I am using needs watering every 24h, so that is a potch. Either way, different strokes and I am all about changing it up constantly

 

[Freedom_Fighter]

It's also interesting that Clackamas Coot (Jim Bennett) recommends his living soil but at the same time
trashes Jeff Lowenfels and all his books.

I was unaware of JB's opinion about JL, but my habit is to easily forget things that don't make any sense to me; like water drops rolling off a duck's back. Perhaps I heard him say it before but selectively deleted it, from my mind, based on it not making any sense to me, at the time. Just out of curiosity, has JB (aka CC) ever written blog articles (or a book), to refute JL? I'd like to read those, if any exist.

He also bashes fox farm products, and also have ridiculed Neville and Shantibaba on multiple occasions in YT podcasts.

Yes, I do remember him making such criticisms public in the past. They didn't impress me, to be honest, but I don't go through life looking for perfection in people and things.

Perfection is an ideal, not a reality. It's fine to strive for it in our personal life and work, as an ideal or goal, but it's highly unrealistic to expect it from others and objects. It's better to just look for the good, in people & things; to "eat the meat and throw away the bones," especially when it comes to the personal opinions of others.

Apparently according to him, all the hazes
are a joke, the whole Dutch scene in the 80s and 90s was a scam, all high times cannabis cups from that
era were a fake, and the real deal OG strains were always kept in the pacific northwest where he lives.

Everyone is entitled to their "opinions," of course, whether the good, the bad or the ugly; and they're free to express them. However, baseless slander is something more than just an "opinion"; and we can't condone or accept that, in good faith, of course. We should resist it but in a gracious way, if possible.

JB has some "issues", obviously, as do most "eccentrics" with strong opinions. We generally overlook their eccentricities if they are doing good work, generally, that benefits us & society (i.e. the cannabis culture).

It seems like CC has a shit load of "baggage" that he needs to bury, along with a few "hatchets". We can always do better in life, if we stay focused on the good and don't allow ourselves to be easily distracted by secondary negative criticisms.

He also praises Theosophy, Blavatsky and Rudolph Steiner, paramagnetic rocks,

If true, it only means that JB likes to think outside the box, which is a good thing. Doesn't mean he believes every last thing they ever taught or wrote about. Based on his character, I'm almost sure he'd disagree with Blavatsky & Steiner about some things. That seems like a given, to me.

Magnetism is definitely a thing, though, and not a theory. It's interesting, at the very least, if not beneficial to explore how it impacts the growth of plants. I don't view it as "irrelevant" to the art & science of growing good cannabis, with a good yield.

thats why he advocates a truckload of basalt rock dust in his mixes,

2 cups / cf doesn't seem like a "truckload" to me.

even though many soil scientists claim that it is useless. But I dont know for sure, just pointing out the discrepancy...

"The science" is never "settled", as we well know; but always evolving. Just because one scientist says it's useless, it doesn't mean he/she is right. As a general rule, there is good science and bad, which is why we need to exercise critical thought. Especially "post-covid" and going forward.

All I know is that I take most of what he says (and everyone else, including soil scientists) with a grain of salt.

That's fine, of course, if based on critical thought, and good reason(s). As for myself, though, I love to listen to soil scientists. For me it's frequently a mind expanding experience. Dr. James White, the soil scientist, is a "national treasure", imho:

New Insights into Rhizophagy: Plant Roots EAT Microbes ALIVE + the WHY & HOW with Dr. James F. White

Lowenfels last, most recent book, incidentally, is based almost entirely on Dr. White's published work.

Also his mixes tend to be all over the place. I've seen at least 3 or 4 iterations of it over the time.

Things evolve over time, with greater clarity and analytical testing. Can't fault that, imo.

I tend to feed all the minerals to the worms and then use their castings so everything is mineralized and ready for absortion by the plants,

As does CC. He claims that nothing goes into his soil that isn't first run through his worm bins. Not something that's really practical for most cultivators; but I understand the principle and thinking behind it.

but I guess theres more than one way to skin a cat.

For sure. Keep an open mind and have fun with experimentation.

He seems quite the character and I intend to try his mix in the future, but his attitude seems
bipolar, alternating between the old altruistic guru who wants to spread knowledge and point people
in the right directon of quality and money saving, while in other occasions he acts as the
typical know-it-all old fart (everything was better in his old days, and everthing in the present
is ruined, corrupted and doesnt even compare to his golden years).

I suspect he's forgotten more than I have ever known, or will know. Anyone who can grow 15 foot tall ganja trees that yield 7-8 lbs each, will always have my ear & respect. I wonder what kind of genetics he's collected & holding?

Cheers! FF

 

[Freedom_Fighter]

Thanks for joining in @Virus Myth. You might also like some of the posts on my Shark shock run: https://mrnice.nl/forum/threads/im-gonna-need-a-bigger-boat.18597/


To be honest, this run I shifted away from living soil in favour of hydro for a few reasons.

These are Shark shock day 11 in bas living soil:
View attachment 96944View attachment 96945


This is a pic from my current run, it's DaddyMac x rasp goat from heavy dayze (the guy who runs the potcast) on day 15:

View attachment 96946View attachment 96947View attachment 96948


There was something just missing from all of my runs, and I couldn't put my finger on it. I wasn't really getting the smells that people speak of, and was running into a few deficiencies on the living soil mix.

Looking forward to finishing this run, where I can actually compare something from the new set up from previous runs.

To be honest though, I think I might be a convert to HPS moreso, I think the led setup I had need some tweaking.

I grew some amazing herb, and several of my friends have greened out on stuff I grew with living soil, it definitely wasn't anything to do with strength. Living soil was so handy to be able to walk away and leave it for a few days without worrying.

This hydro set up I am using needs watering every 24h, so that is a potch. Either way, different strokes and I am all about changing it up constantly

Great looking garden, lozac123. Both methods have their "pros & cons", so to speak; and both have won prestigious Cups / Awards. In terms of yield potential, though, I think hydro will always have the edge over living soil, imho. In terms of nutrient density, and product shelf life, I think an organic living soil grow is the better approach.

There is an interesting anecdotal story which illustrates that, by the dude who formulated the specialty fertilizer known today as King-Kashi (formerly Gro-Kashi). His name is Alan Albin Adkisson. He's been in the farming business his entire life, and a frequent Emerald Cup judge. He use to be big on hydro and 'bottled' nutrients, in the early years, but eventually moved 100% to probiotic organic growing, in SIPs.

How that happened is quite a long story but part of it involves his brix testing of many of the Emerald Cup winners, in both synthetic & organic categories. He found that the organic & probiotic grown ones always had a much higher brix score and nutient density; which ultimately translates into more effective, better tasting medicine, with a much longer shelf life, in terms of years.

Product shelf life isn't a major concern for the small grower, who consumes, extracts & shares all of it within a reasonable time frame, but if it's going to sit in jars, on a shelf, for a couple years, or more, before it's all gone, then shelf life becomes a going concern. I've had probiotically, organic grown flower that lasted 4 years, without much loss of its smell, taste or effect. Of course it wasn't as good as the first or second year, but it was still good nonetheless.

It will be interesting, of course, to read your report on hydro-grown flower, compared to living soil. Would be cool if you could do a comparison test of the shelf life of both, to see which ages best.

Cheers, brother!

 

[Virus Myth]

I was unaware of JB's opinion about JL, but my habit is to easily forget things that don't make any sense to me; like water drops rolling off a duck's back. Perhaps I heard him say it before but selectively deleted it, from my mind, based on it not making any sense to me, at the time. Just out of curiosity, has JB (aka CC) ever written blog articles (or a book), to refute JL? I'd like to read those, if any exist.



Yes, I do remember him making such criticisms public in the past. They didn't impress me, to be honest, but I don't go through life looking for perfection in people and things.

Perfection is an ideal, not a reality. It's fine to strive for it in our personal life and work, as an ideal or goal, but it's highly unrealistic to expect it from others and objects. It's better to just look for the good, in people & things; to "eat the meat and throw away the bones," especially when it comes to the personal opinions of others.



Everyone is entitled to their "opinions," of course, whether the good, the bad or the ugly; and they're free to express them. However, baseless slander is something more than just an "opinion"; and we can't condone or accept that, in good faith, of course. We should resist it but in a gracious way, if possible.

JB has some "issues", obviously, as do most "eccentrics" with strong opinions. We generally overlook their eccentricities if they are doing good work, generally, that benefits us & society (i.e. the cannabis culture).

It seems like CC has a shit load of "baggage" that he needs to bury, along with a few "hatchets". We can always do better in life, if we stay focused on the good and don't allow ourselves to be easily distracted by secondary negative criticisms.



If true, it only means that JB likes to think outside the box, which is a good thing. Doesn't mean he believes every last thing they ever taught or wrote about. Based on his character, I'm almost sure he'd disagree with Blavatsky & Steiner about some things. That seems like a given, to me.

Magnetism is definitely a thing, though, and not a theory. It's interesting, at the very least, if not beneficial to explore how it impacts the growth of plants. I don't view it as "irrelevant" to the art & science of growing good cannabis, with a good yield.



2 cups / cf doesn't seem like a "truckload" to me.



"The science" is never "settled", as we well know; but always evolving. Just because one scientist says it's useless, it doesn't mean he/she is right. As a general rule, there is good science and bad, which is why we need to exercise critical thought. Especially "post-covid" and going forward.



That's fine, of course, if based on critical thought, and good reason(s). As for myself, though, I love to listen to soil scientists. For me it's frequently a mind expanding experience. Dr. James White, the soil scientist, is a "national treasure", imho:

New Insights into Rhizophagy: Plant Roots EAT Microbes ALIVE + the WHY & HOW with Dr. James F. White

Things evolve over time, with greater clarity and analytical testing. Can't fault that, imo.



As does CC. He claims that nothing goes into his soil that isn't first run through his worm bins. Not something that's really practical for most cultivators; but I understand the principle and thinking behind it.



For sure. Keep an open mind and have fun with experimentation.



I suspect he's forgotten more than I have ever known, or will know. Anyone who can grow 15 foot tall ganja trees that yield 7-8 lbs each, will always have my ear & respect. I wonder what kind of genetics he's collected & holding?

Cheers! FF

When I said a "truckload" I was referring to the standard (usually recommended dose) for field crops (1kg per square meter or 200L of soil).
My mistake for not mentioning this.

His advice for 2 cups/cf of basalt (now 3 according to his own site) is almost 16-24cups (4-6L) per 200L,
which is around 5.5 (8+)kg assuming a density of 1.37kg/L (the basalt sold by buildasoil weights 1ton per cubic yard = 729L)
In other words, we`re talking 5 to 8x more than the standard recommended dose.

One thing to note is that most soils have a CEC of 5-15 mEq/100g or cmolc/dm3 while the CEC of a soilless mix full of peat has a much higher CEC,
so perhaps it makes sense to increase all nutes because in a peat-based mix there are way more charge sites to be filled compared to a common field soil,
even though basalt is mostly devoid of plant-available nutrients and will only release them after a long time, but again, some field trials indicate
potential benefits right off the bat. Its a good example of what you just said, science is never settle, and it`s interesting to see how new information
coming from experiments and observation takes time to be accepted by the rest of the scientific community.

In the end, if it works and people are happy with it, Im all for it. The proof is always in the pudding.
All the better if science can jump in the wagon to explain why it works.

Also Im not sure why he prefers pumice when there are much better materials (even when he claims that he only uses the best of the best).
Diatomite and Zeolite are much superior IMHO. He even bashes those 2 materials when in fact both of them retain more water, also aerate
the mix and have lots of micro pores for microbial growth plus a much higher CEC, which means more nutrient retention. Just my opinion, though...
Id use pumice just to compare its performance with those mentioned materials, but sadly it's not available in my country and even if it was, the cost
would be astronomical for the quantities involved, cos it's relatively heavy and has to be shipped from overseas.

Not a big fan either of so much barley malt that he uses (not only at planting but very often as watering as well, dissolved as an "enzymatic drench").
The concept is interesting on one side, but on the other it`s a contrasense (at least to me) creating food (barley malt) and using it as fertilizer for growing food.
Im not talking about using scraps and leftovers of food consuption.
Barley malt is a (relatively) expensive food, one requiring high energy and water usage to produce, which kinda goes against his own principle
of using cheap and sustainable stuff for growing, it`s not like harvesting kelp (another food btw) from the ocean sustainably, but maybe Im just
being picky on him and taking everything he says too literally...

Just to play the devil`s advocate here, ganja is not only food, it's medicine and recreation, so maybe the barley malt gets a pass... not sure...
The fact is that I still dont have a clear opinion on this issue, but I felt worth mentioning it as most people are clueless to these type of things.


About the strains, If Im not mistaken he mentioned that he only currently grows one or two strains (The One / Blue Orca) which is a mix of Kandahar x Thai
both from the Brotherhood of Eternal Love (BOEL), but I could be wrong as this particular podcast was 4 years old. Someone even commented here a couple
years back that he`d give you free clones of his strain for those who'd pay him a visit.

 

[Virus Myth]

Thanks for joining in @Virus Myth. You might also like some of the posts on my Shark shock run: https://mrnice.nl/forum/threads/im-gonna-need-a-bigger-boat.18597/


To be honest, this run I shifted away from living soil in favour of hydro for a few reasons.

These are Shark shock day 11 in bas living soil:
View attachment 96944View attachment 96945


This is a pic from my current run, it's DaddyMac x rasp goat from heavy dayze (the guy who runs the potcast) on day 15:

View attachment 96946View attachment 96947View attachment 96948


There was something just missing from all of my runs, and I couldn't put my finger on it. I wasn't really getting the smells that people speak of, and was running into a few deficiencies on the living soil mix.

Looking forward to finishing this run, where I can actually compare something from the new set up from previous runs.

To be honest though, I think I might be a convert to HPS moreso, I think the led setup I had need some tweaking.

I grew some amazing herb, and several of my friends have greened out on stuff I grew with living soil, it definitely wasn't anything to do with strength. Living soil was so handy to be able to walk away and leave it for a few days without worrying.

This hydro set up I am using needs watering every 24h, so that is a potch. Either way, different strokes and I am all about changing it up constantly

Looking good!

Have you followed any particular Coot`s recipe (I found many variations online) and/or made any adaptations?

 

[lozac123]

Looking good!

Have you followed any particular Coot`s recipe (I found many variations online) and/or made any adaptations?

@Freedom_Fighter thank you for chiming in man, I always appreciate your comments. I have some Shishkaberry at the moment that is over a year old, and I will save some of the next run for a year for comparison. The guy's who's method that I am following has told me that he has 2 year cured bud, so whilst I am not sure that hydro will last 4 years, it'll definitely last 2. Extremely interesting with the brix, I am defoliating pretty regularly, and I am finding these plants are far more sticky than previous plants I've grown. The Issac haze I did some super cropping in before even flipping to flower, and my fingers were sticking together as if I'd squeezed a bud. To me that would suggest that they are rich in sugars as it was too early for THC, but you never know.

@Virus Myth I did indeed follow a recipe. I wanted to follow a vegetarian/vegan recipe, rather than use fish based/ blood bone base mix. Reached out to build a soil, and this was the recipe I followed:
Vegan/Vegetarian-Friendly Soil Mix
Base Components:
1/3 Peat Moss or Coco Coir
1/3 Aeration (Perlite, Pumice, or Rice Hulls)
1/3 Compost (Vermicompost works great here)
Amendments:
1 cup per cubic foot Alfalfa Meal (N source)
1/2 cup per cubic foot Kelp Meal (micro-nutrients, growth hormones)
1 cup per cubic foot Basalt or Volcanic Rock Dust (for trace minerals)
1/2 cup per cubic foot Gypsum (Calcium and Sulfur)
Extras:
1/4 cup per cubic foot Humic Acids (derived from Leonardite or similar)
1/4 cup per cubic foot Mycorrhizal Fungi Powder (for root health)
Instructions:
Pre-mix Amendments: In a separate container, mix all the dry amendments together.

Prepare Base Components: In a large mixing area, prepare your peat moss (or coco coir), aeration component, and compost.

Mix Dry Amendments with Base: Evenly spread the pre-mixed amendments over the base components. Then thoroughly mix them together.

Moisten Mix: Lightly moisten the mix with water as you go along. Make sure it's damp, but not waterlogged.

Rest the Soil: Let the soil mix rest for at least a week to allow the microbial activity to kickstart. Keep it covered and moist during this period.

Final Check: Before using, check the moisture levels and give it a good stir to make sure everything is well incorporated.

 

[Freedom_Fighter]

He also praises Theosophy, Blavatsky and Rudolph Steiner

There is an interesting anecdotal story which illustrates that, by the dude who formulated the specialty fertilizer known today as King-Kashi (formerly Gro-Kashi). His name is Alan Albin Adkisson. He's been in the farming business his entire life,

Btw, just for the record, Alan A. Adkisson's father was a life-long farmer, who practiced the Steiner method of agriculture; and taught it to Alan, who still practices it today:

BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURE : Interviews for the film on 'The Challenge of Rudolf Steiner'.

JEREMY NAYDLER interviewed for the film 'The Challenge of Rudolf Steiner'

Rudolf Steiner's Contributions to the History and Practice of Agricultural Education : Hilmar G. Moore
https://archive.org/details/rudolfsteinersco0000moor

Agriculture Course eBook : Rudolf Steiner
https://archive.org/details/agriculture-cw-327

Steiner's Agriculture Course : Full Audiobook

Understanding Dr. Steiner's Agriculture Course Part 1 : Glen Atkinson

NOTE: Atkinson's YT channel hosts dozens of videos, by him, which explore key aspects of Steiner's biodynamic (regenerative) AG philosophy.

 

[lozac123]

When I said a "truckload" I was referring to the standard (usually recommended dose) for field crops (1kg per square meter or 200L of soil).
My mistake for not mentioning this.

His advice for 2 cups/cf of basalt (now 3 according to his own site) is almost 16-24cups (4-6L) per 200L,
which is around 5.5 (8+)kg assuming a density of 1.37kg/L (the basalt sold by buildasoil weights 1ton per cubic yard = 729L)
In other words, we`re talking 5 to 8x more than the standard recommended dose.

One thing to note is that most soils have a CEC of 5-15 mEq/100g or cmolc/dm3 while the CEC of a soilless mix full of peat has a much higher CEC,
so perhaps it makes sense to increase all nutes because in a peat-based mix there are way more charge sites to be filled compared to a common field soil,
even though basalt is mostly devoid of plant-available nutrients and will only release them after a long time, but again, some field trials indicate
potential benefits right off the bat. Its a good example of what you just said, science is never settle, and it`s interesting to see how new information
coming from experiments and observation takes time to be accepted by the rest of the scientific community.

In the end, if it works and people are happy with it, Im all for it. The proof is always in the pudding.
All the better if science can jump in the wagon to explain why it works.

Also Im not sure why he prefers pumice when there are much better materials (even when he claims that he only uses the best of the best).
Diatomite and Zeolite are much superior IMHO. He even bashes those 2 materials when in fact both of them retain more water, also aerate
the mix and have lots of micro pores for microbial growth plus a much higher CEC, which means more nutrient retention. Just my opinion, though...
Id use pumice just to compare its performance with those mentioned materials, but sadly it's not available in my country and even if it was, the cost
would be astronomical for the quantities involved, cos it's relatively heavy and has to be shipped from overseas.

Not a big fan either of so much barley malt that he uses (not only at planting but very often as watering as well, dissolved as an "enzymatic drench").
The concept is interesting on one side, but on the other it`s a contrasense (at least to me) creating food (barley malt) and using it as fertilizer for growing food.
Im not talking about using scraps and leftovers of food consuption.
Barley malt is a (relatively) expensive food, one requiring high energy and water usage to produce, which kinda goes against his own principle
of using cheap and sustainable stuff for growing, it`s not like harvesting kelp (another food btw) from the ocean sustainably, but maybe Im just
being picky on him and taking everything he says too literally...

Just to play the devil`s advocate here, ganja is not only food, it's medicine and recreation, so maybe the barley malt gets a pass... not sure...
The fact is that I still dont have a clear opinion on this issue, but I felt worth mentioning it as most people are clueless to these type of things.


About the strains, If Im not mistaken he mentioned that he only currently grows one or two strains (The One / Blue Orca) which is a mix of Kandahar x Thai
both from the Brotherhood of Eternal Love (BOEL), but I could be wrong as this particular podcast was 4 years old. Someone even commented here a couple
years back that he`d give you free clones of his strain for those who'd pay him a visit.

So I have definitely heard of the one, (which in a podcast I listened to recently reckoned it was actually a nl#5xHzc!!!!!). Do not quote me on that though, I can't remember what podcast it was, and you know how this scene is like- everyone has a different origin story.

I was a patreon member of build a soil for a while there and they'd regularly be giving out cuts of the one so I would imagine he's super approachable for one, especially meeting him in person.

 

[Freedom_Fighter]

he advocates a truckload of basalt rock dust in his mixes

According to the BuildASoil website, basalt is 1 part of a 3 part mineral blend, applied at a rate of a half-cup per gallon, or 2 cup per cu ft. I try hard not to unnecessarily over-complicate things. I'm not about to question the accuracy of the BAS website, which Jeremy claims is CC Approved.

BuildASoil ClackamasCoots Organic Nutrient Kit

BuildASoil ClackamasCoots Organic Nutrient Kit

Maximize your garden's potential with BuildASoil's Organic Nutrient Kit, inspired by the renowned ClackamasCoots mix. Formulated to enrich 60 gallons of soil, this blend promotes lush growth and robust health in plants. Experience the benefits of premium organic fertilization for your garden.

buildasoil.com

Also his mixes tend to be all over the place. I've seen at least 3 or 4 iterations of it over the time.

The bulk mix tends to be the same everywhere I look: 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 worm castings, 1/3 aeration (a mix of rice hulls and pumice)
The amendments are what vary a lot depending on where you look.

The most popular (sold by BuildASoil) seems to be something like:
Clackamas Coot`s Mix (buildasoil.com)

1/2 cup/cf Kelp meal
1/2 cup/cf Neem meal (or a 50/50 mix of neem and karanja)
1/2 cup/cf Crab meal
1/2 cup/cf Crushed barley malt
1 cup/cf Gypsum
1 cup/cf Lime or oyster shell flour (he says avoid dolomite cos it has "too much magnesium" apparently)
2 cups/cf basalt rock dust

Now if you check his website the mix is quite different now with a 50 to 100% difference in many ingredients and 2 of them (crab meal and barley) are now absent from the mix. Maybe he forgot to include them...

1 cup/cf Kelp
1 cup/cf Neem
1 cup/cf Lime or oyster shell flour
1/2 cup/cf Gypsum
3 cups/cf basalt rock dust

According to the above, Malted Barley is 1 of 4 ingredients in the blend, applied at a rate of 2.5 cups per cu ft of soil. That's all I need to know. Keep it simple & uncomplicated.

CLACKAMAS COOTS SOIL MIX (COMPLETE RECIPE): Season 3, Episode 5

NOTE: Coot's nutrient kit is discussed at the 8:08 point of this video. Jeremy states that the recipe has evolved and that the current BAS formulation of it is CC approved. Good enough for me. There is no need to complicate it any further than that.

About the strains, If Im not mistaken he mentioned that he only currently grows one or two strains (The One / Blue Orca) which is a mix of Kandahar x Thai
both from the Brotherhood of Eternal Love (BOEL),

Never heard of the BOEL, tbh. Is that a seed bank or some kind of medical co-op, that supplies the cuts?

From what I've seen online, CC bred The One and Swami bred the Blue Orca. Both strains look very sexy to me. I wouldn't mind running them both, if I could. There is another strain bred by CC, which Jeremy grew out in Season 3 of his 10'×10' Grow Show. Looks like a good strain, tbh, but I hesitate to say anymore than that. Check it out:

BuildASoil: DAY 49 NUG SHOTS (Season 3, Episode 21)

NOTE: At 12:03, you see CC's Pakalolo One. The Pakalolo is a 90% Hawaiian Sativa. It was crossed with The One, to make Pakalolo One.

BuildASoil: GETTING READY TO HARVEST (Season 3, Episode 22)

NOTE: See the Pakalolo One strain at the 5:30 point.

BuildASoil: SMOKE REPORT, PAKALOLO ONE (SEASON 3)

Incidentally, it seems that JB /CC once owned & ran a large tree nursery, and grew large trees for a living. I suspect he knows a thing or two about how to grow large ganja trees. I wouldn't want to ever debate him about it, or try to argue that he's doing it wrong; and that I can show him a better way. That would be a case of unbounded hubris.

 

[Virus Myth]

Never heard of the BOEL, tbh. Is that a seed bank or some kind of medical co-op, that supplies the cuts?


Incidentally, it seems that JB /CC once owned & ran a large tree nursery, and grew large trees for a living. I suspect he knows a thing or two about how to grow large ganja trees. I wouldn't want to ever debate him about it, or try to argue that he's doing it wrong; and that I can show him a better way. That would be a case of unbounded hubris.

BOEL (brotherhood of eternal love) was into drug dealing and/or smuggling in the 60-70s, hash, opium, thai sticks , that kind of thing.
Containers of it. It was also known as the hippie mafia back then.

Not saying he`s definately wrong about his mix, Im learning new things everyday, and when Im wrong I actually
feel happy in being corrected cos this means I am improving and steering towards the right direction.

Im just pointing out a few things that are inconsistent or unusual to me, and also that he`s been changing his mix over the time,
which means it can be improved (or else why change it?) and Im trying to figure out the reasons for the changes.

Plus, if science can be wrong and be corrected, why not some of CC`s ideas?

I`d love to debate him on many topics, not as an ego battle (I couldnt care less about it), but just because I could learn a thing or two in the process.
It`s clear he knows a lot of stuff, but just like everyone else he falls short on a few topics for example barley, malts and malting and brewing in general,
So what? No one can know everything and Im the first one to plead guilty in that regard, but I do believe that everyone's ideas can be debated
and many of them even improved.

On a sad note, it appears that he suffered a stroke a few months back. Last podcast I watched featuring him (4 months old) he mentioned it and that he
was still using a walker/cane (if my poor english skills arent betraying me...)

 

[Freedom_Fighter]

BOEL (brotherhood of eternal love) was into drug dealing and/or smuggling in the 60-70s, hash, opium, thai sticks , that kind of thing.
Containers of it. It was also known as the hippie mafia back then.

I see. Thanks for clarifying that. It makes sense, then, that the building blocks for 'The One' were most likely sourced from the BOEL. I'm inclined to believe that, for now.

Not saying he`s definately wrong about his mix, Im learning new things everyday, and when Im wrong I actually feel happy in being corrected cos this means I am improving and steering towards the right direction.

Cool. That's a fairly healthy attitude. I admire your passion for the science, actually. We can always use more open-minded 'scientists', actually; who are willing to challenge the status quo, and do the heavy intellectual lifting.

My comment wasn't intended to discourage free thinking and public debate; but merely to imply I anticipate that's a debate I could never win, with him. He'd very likely tie me up in knots and force me to tap-out early, for my own good.

There is more than one way "to skin a cat," as you observed, but not all as equally efficient. Perhaps his formula can be tweaked & improved a bit; but for most of us, organic growers, we're just happy that Jeremy is there for us, to streamline the process for us, and doing a very fine job of it, I might add; but I realize not everyone is able to order from him, due to logistics of one sort or another.

Im just pointing out a few things that are inconsistent or unusual to me, and also that he`s been changing his mix over the time, which means it can be improved (or else why change it?)

True, more or less; but I'd prefer for CC to explain his evolutionary process and the reasons for the changes; rather than me just indulge in a lot of guesswork about it. Maybe he's already explained it all in a past podcast. If you're ever able to track one down, like that, please share the link to it.

and Im trying to figure out the reasons for the changes.

Plus, if science can be wrong and be corrected, why not some of CC`s ideas?

True. Science is an evolutionary process; and always needs to be chequed and re-checked; in order to guard against the hazards & pitfalls of "bad science."

I`d love to debate him on many topics, not as an ego battle (I couldnt care less about it), but just because I could learn a thing or two in the process.

Maybe you could email him or Jeremy to find out if he's planning to do another podcast soon, with Jeremy; and then send Jeremy some questions to run by him. Or whoever his next podcast might be with, depending on his health.

It`s clear he knows a lot of stuff, but just like everyone else he falls short on a few topics for example barley, malts and malting and brewing in general,

So what? No one can know everything and Im the first one to plead guilty in that regard, but I do believe that everyone's ideas can be debated
and many of them even improved.

True, there is always room for improvement, as a general rule; as well as healthy, constructive debate.

On a sad note, it appears that he suffered a stroke a few months back. Last podcast I watched featuring him (4 months old) he mentioned it and that he
was still using a walker/cane (if my poor english skills arent betraying me...)

Damn, that is some serious bad news. Thanks for the update. I hadn't heard that. I hadn't planned on buying BAS's 'CC Soil Kit', this year, but now I will, just to help CC out a bit. Cheers!