Green's Probiotic Method

[Green_256]

Welcome everyone!!!


In this thread I will explain what/how probiotics is/works, and a step by step on how I grow for anyone interested! I'll start off by saying I've never seen any organic method that gives this level of amazing results, with the absolute least amount of work, compared to any and all methods of growing that I've ever seen! it has truly changed my life!

I'm not starting this thread to prove how well it works, you can see that in the links below! you won't need anymore proof than that. So this thread is all about this method, how it works, and how to do it. if you still need more proof after checking the links, then I guess u better get to building one of these!

OK just a brief over view, this method is using probiotics and sips, 100% true living organics, but it's a lot more that just a sip pot, and takes organics to an entirely new level! With this method, you will not do any feedings, no nutrients, no compost teas, no fertilizer, no chems, and no top dressings once it's set up, and literally the least amount of work out of any and all methods of growing! and very very cheap! Also one the best parts, is the growth rate is twice as fast as any other organic soil methods ive ever seen. Plus it's so easy, a brand new grower could follow these instructions exactly, and have a garden looking as good or better than almost anyone here, and they wouldn't need to know anything about gardening or organics (to an extent) It's all about letting mother take control, and you getting out of the way!

I'm going to write down everything I have learned, with all the links and just about everything I've been able to find since I started researching this! I'm am no where near an expert, I did not create this or start it, but I have Fallin in love with this! I do not have all the answers, and in fact there's more that I don't know then what I do! but I will put down every bit of what I do know! hopefully together we can learn more and improve this!

I also would like to be clear, I'm not selling anything, I don't work for any of the companies that sell the products that i use, nor am I sponsored for anything! the products I choose to use, I have paid for 100% and I'm not affiliated with anyone other than myself! I just want to give back this site, and the ppl here! Bc without the great ppl here, and this site, I would not be anywhere near the grower I am today! so this is my way to pay it forward!

I hope this helps someone! so let's get into it!!!

 

[Green_256]

WHAT IS PROBIOTICS?

OK I guess I start off explaining what probiotics is, at least the best I can, and then I'll list all the links I've used to find this info, and the past few journals I've made experimenting with this, as you can see the results speak for themselves! Just in case someone is looking for proof or results you can find them in the links I'm adding below. In this thread I won't be trying to prove anything, or trying to show how well it works! just laying down the facts of what I know, and how I do this! As I've said, if your looking for proof and results, click some of the links below.

so, the definition for probiotics is below, but my understanding and simplification, is basically letting mother nature take control! the bottom is bacteria dominated, the top is fungal dominated, and together that makes the perfect environment for life to explode!

https://www.agronomy.org/science-news/probiotics-plants

and here's the video that started it all for me! I don't follow him 100% but pretty dam close! for one thing, I'm indoors, so I dam sure don't want thousands of frogs in my house lmfao!!!

 

[Green_256]

So it all starts with 2 things! first being, your living soil! you don't need to go by my recipie, any decent living soil should give amazing results! but I'll post mine below, and also some other popular mixes! I personally like the diversity that's in my mix! with that said, following any recipie blindly is stupid, plz do some research, and make sure to get your soil tested!




But a tad info about my soil, I've been recycling my soil for almost 5 years now, (maybe a tad less) after each cycle I mix it into a big tote, remove majority of the root balls (I fed them to the worms aka "frank" lol) and I add my amendments. I usually add at least 1 or 2 compost teas to my cooking soil, I find it helps and improves my cooking! I usually cook for at least 2 months! and sometimes I'll grow in a top layer of mycelium and them mix it up! just something I like to do!

my soil started off, with bags of happy frog, ffof, roots organic, roots 707 and a few other different bags of soil over the years. I've added Malibu's compost, Alaskan forest humis, other types of compost, plus my own homemade ewc, and just about everything over the years! below I'll post everything I've ever used! and then what I have most currently used!

before I post this, I must say, since doing this method, the only thing I use now, is the amendments for recycling my soil, compost, EWC, Em-1, and Gro-kashi! and also my ipm stuff. but I am still changing things, and trying different ways to improve this even more! one being adding in guanos! I'll get into that later. majority of the stuff you will see listed are no longer used, just trying to give you an idea, of all things that I have used over the last 5 years!





the second part to this method is using a S.I.P. (sub irrigated planter) this allows the life to maintain the perfect moisture, and solves one of the most common problems new growers have, which is when and how much to water. below I'll show the design I use, if you need help building it, the links above has a d.i.y. but I'll briefly cover it here!

I'm basically turning a 18g and 30g tote into a perfect pot! I cut the lid, to make the floor, I use a hydro net pot, that sits into my rez, and it becomes my wick, this is where the soil will drink as much as it wants from the rez at any time! it's a very simple design. But it's work great.




now since originally making thus thread (yes I copied and pasted, what u think I was re typing all this shit!) I have changed my design! here's a 50g sip, I built today!

 

[Green_256]

Now I'm going to try and explain the best I can to how these sips work! bc once she's set up and running, the only thing that needs to be done, is adding about a cup of Em-1, to some water and filling the rez as it runs out! in the beginning it takes about 3 weeks to dry, from topping her off! towards then end of flower, it can be around once a week! a lot of variables come into play here so it's hard to say for sure, that's just my experience.

I'm not a scientist, or a biologist, I didn't create these methods, so I don't have all the facts! what I do have is my experience, and what I've been able to observe over the few cycles I have ran and experimented with this.

but the way it works so well, from what I've come to understand is from a few main things...

1 would be the sip itself, most soil growers have the main issue of over or under watering! the sip solves that and perfects it! this allows the soil to drink as much as it wants, when ever it wants!





2 is the top is dominated by a fungus, called mycelium! which grows on top of what is basically cow shit! it also with the black cover, creates an environment very similar to the rain forest! at any time if you peal back the black bag, you can see water dripping from the top of the bag! it stays super moist 24/7! so moist, if any plant grown in a regular method stays this moist it would likely kill the plant, but not with this method, and the magic starts here!
but make sure you never top water or you could be looking at a fungus gnat problem, I've been there and done that!






3 the bottom is dominated by bacteria, which is what em1 is, it's effective microorganisms! basically life! this is where I believe most of the magic happens! em1 is the gas that makes the car run! It fills the a sip with tons and tons of life! without out it none of this works! I fill the rez with around a cup of em1, and the rest water! most hydro guys, the first thing they will say is what about an air stone! well em1 is anaerobic! if you add an air stone you are going to kill off life that's in the em1! this part I have verified, don't do it if your following this exactly the way I do it! also make sure you expand your em1, if not then it can be very pricey! but 3/4 cup can be expanded into 1 gallon! I'll get into that soon...




4 is where it all comes together! neither the top or bottom is perfect for any plant by them selves, but the middle is a perfect breeding ground, for what I'd assume to be billions of types of microscopic life! this creates one of the most important parts of this entire system! with the top being fungal dominated, and the bottom being bacteria dominated! the middle is the life of the party, literally!!!

the last part, which I believe plays the biggest role, in the super fast growth I've been getting, is the water roots! once the lady is big enough she stretches her roots right into the resovior! just like hydro, but it's living organics! that's why I drill so many holes into the bottom of my floor where my soil sits, In hopes to make it as easy as possible for the roots to stretch into the rez!
this pic is from one of my very first experiments, on this sip, I used a mesh net to hold the soil out of the rez, well I learned all it did, was prevent the roots from growing into the rez! I no longer use anything. and I even drill extra holes, as stated above.



and that's basically how it all works! nothing else to it! helps to start off with a good living soil, but from what I've found, bc of the amount of life that this things breeds! the life will correct any and everything on its own! it's kind of amazing! I had no idea when starting to experiment with these, that the life would take over like it has! but it's hard to believe without seeing it for yourself! even tho my soil has gotten way off, from all the years of adding stuff and never getting it tested, somehow these sips have corrected everything on their own! it really is impressive!!

as I've said many time before, I don't grow these ladies mother nature does, only thing I do is make sure they have water! I honestly think if 20 years from now if I was still growing and I had never discovered this, I don't think my garden would have ever looked this beautiful!


EM-1
Now I'm going to briefly cover EM-1, and how to expand it! em1 is a bacteria that will out-compete all others! and it is also one if the most important parts to this method. it's not only provides all the life needed to make this work, I keeps the rez clean and free of any of the normal hydro issues.

expanding em1 is basically getting more for your money, if you add 3/4 cup of em1, with 3/4 cup of organic molasses, that 3/4 cup of em1 can become a gallon! this makes it super cheap, but this can only be done once. although I do not know why.

I NEVER PH ANYTHING IN MY GARDEN EVER!!! NOR DO I CHECK IT!!!

with one exception. I do have ph test strip that go from 2-5 lol only made for testing the ph of my em1, when I'm expanding it! bc it's alive, and it's anaerobic, when expanding it, I actually ferment it for about 2 weeks, you can Google for much better info on this, in the pic below u can see a batch fermenting! that cap on top is a burping cap, if you use a regular cap, and seal it, and forget to burp it, it will explode! so be warned.

GRO-KASHI, AND MYCELIUM

now, mycelium is the fungus that grows on top of your pots! to get this I sprinkle on some grokasi, and this starts the mycelium growth. and this is how the top of your sip will become fungal dominated. sadly I Dont have a ton of info on this, and it does look kind crazy. but it works. and is also a must for everything to work together perfectly.

 

[Green_256]

Alright so now, everyone should have a decent idea of what's going on, and hopefully starting to understand about probiotics, and the sip pots! if not, well shit if I know! as I said in the beginning I'll try to explain the best I can, and I'll share everything I know! If you still don't understand well join the club, bc I'm still learning as I go!

now I'll explain how I set it up, I'm also including new methods I plan to try this cycle and my exact method to getting these results...

so usually around a month before I plan to plant a girl into the sips, I start getting them ready. the first step is very simple, just fill her up with your living soil. I do like to pack the "wick" very tightly with the same soil. (the wick is the part that sits submerged in the rez and wicks the water up through the rest of the soil) it's fairly simple.



I like to set them up early bc it gives the microbes and life of the soil a chance to get settled in and make themselves at home. honestly I would say the longer they sit and wait the better (to an extant) don't be stupid and sit it out for 10 years or something. I'd say around 2 months max, 2-3 weeks preferably, anything else would just be wasting, bc it still has to be watered with em1.

once the soil is in, i fill up the rez, and place an empty pot to hold the place of the plant that will be there. then I take some of my homemade ewc, mix it with some bu's compost, and put down a nice thick layer. now I haven't tried this part yet, but just had the idea, next chance I get I'm going to add some Mexican guano (high N) to the mix of ewc and compost. I'm sure that would help add even more diversity! THERE WILL BE THREE TOTAL TOP DRESSINGS LIKE THIS, this is the first, the second will be done when a lady gets planted, and the third and final will be around a week or 2 before going into flower. at that point your no longer in charge... lol



right after that I like to use Gro-kashi, I have tried other brands and wasn't as impressed. if you want to save money you can make this yourself (same for Em1) but I do a nice layer of gro-kashi across the top, this is what promotes your mycelium to take off and start growing.




at this point I just cover it with a black trash bag, make sure the lids on tight to hold it down! and your done.



when you pull back the black trash bag (after a few days at least) you will get your first glimpse of the mycelium growth, don't freak out, it's very good stuff, and it all plays a part in this system.



so now once the sip has been set up and it's been a few weeks, it's time to place a lucky lady into her new home. I like to dust the hell out of the hole, and bottom of the roots with some mykos and azos, there is tons of brands you can use, those are just what I like to use! I find it works well, and isn't very expensive.



now just go ahead and remove the empty pot that was placed down, as a place holder and drop your lady in! don't forget to add the mykos and azos (or any type of root mychorrizia) this will be when your doing your second layer, of compost ewc, and growing in mycelium again.

at this point, I will repeat the steps above one more time right before i decide to flower, to make a total of 3 layers, or 3 times. this gets your lasagna layer going. and it is how your lady will get all of the nutrients needed for the rest of the grow. after that final third dressing, you will seal that black bag, and won't open it again until after harvest. at this point, you will not feed, top dress or do anything to the soil! FROM HERE ON OUT, YOU ARE NO LONGER GROWING THIS LADY, MOTHER NATURE IS! SO HANDS OFF! your only job is to fill the rez when it goes dry, mother nature will handle everything else! (this is after that third layer is down, and I like to do this about a week or 2 before going into flower)

if you wanted to you could do a very very light top watering with some homex or anything that helps transplant shock, it isn't needed but can help if your rough when transplanting or something happens for any reason! BUT I STRESS THE LIGHT PART, as I've mentioned before, if you top water, you are asking to have a fungus gnat problem! I've learned this first hand. I recommend to not use this if you don't have too, it's only for those that are rough as hell, and destroy to roots trying to transplant.


now I have noticed the last few times I've ran this exact method i have had some slight issues in the very beginning between the time I plant in the lady, and when I do my second layer! as explained, my ladies seem to take about 2 weeks to get acclimated to the soil. now I am very highly sure that this is only bc my soil has gotten out of wack over the years and I need to have it tested, and it takes some time for the life in this method to fix it. if your working with a great living soil, you shouldn't have this issue.

well bc of the fact my soil have gotten way out of wack, I've been doing foliar sprays of micronutes for the first 2 weeks after planting into the sip. I have 2 that I've used both worth very well, and I don't have a preference just yet, one is called tm-7 and the other is called 13-essentials, both are pretty much the same thing, and have all of the needed macro, and micro nutrients! I've found this solves any problems before there is one! and gives the lady and the soil, some time to get to know each other lol. recently I've been leaning towards tm-7 to be my favorite.


THAT'S IT, NOTHING LEFT TO DO
from this point on, all you do is fill the rez and enjoy watching the flowing cycle! mother nature will handle everything! Crack a beer sit back, and make sure to get some good pics! this method of growing has completely smashed every other plant in my garden! and I can't stress how much this has changed my life! I think the biggest thing I learned from using this, is I'm a garbage grower! and no matter how much I tried to learn, I can never match mother nature. and I honestly think that us as humans and farmers, thinking and believing that we can do a better then nature at its best is laughable at best! with every cannabis farmer in the world, and all our years of experience added together, we still don't even have a fraction of experience that good ol mother nature has!

but don't take my opinion! go find out for yourself! it's super cheap, and anyone already running soil and organics, you have zero excuse not to at least give it a try! I'm already sold, the results truly speak for themselves! now I seriously doubt this would convince any hydro guys to switch! at least not yet! my goal is to get a bunch of like minded ppl here, so we can discuss and perfect this, at that time, I think one day we can beat the growth rate if hydro! to an extant!

but I hope this helps someone! and hopefully you have enjoyed this!

 

[Green_256]

OK guys, that's everything I know about this, and all the info I've been able to find over the years! If anyone has questions plz feel free to ask, I made this thread for the sole purpose to show and explain this method the best I can!

if anyone plans on giving it a try, plz feel free to post your builds and results here! hopefully together we can improve on this, and maybe make it even better! I'd do appreciate anyone trying and willing to help me with this! but I must finish with saying if your only here to troll, no one here wants to hear it! I've worked very hard to share this info, plz just take a hike, if that's the reason your here!

but everyone plz feel free to post, discuss. or ask any questions you may have! my entire reasoning for doing this, is so we can get more info together, and hopefully one day, perfect this even further! so go ahead post your builds, your results, anything you got!

 

[Green_256]

here just a shit ton of beautiful pics, that's I've taken from my probiotic sips!


also want to be clear, I've changed my design alot! this first pic is the newest design, as I make more, I'll get more in depth on how I build it, but it's simple, big hollow hose in the bottom, fill the rest with vermeculite, then put your soil on top of it! still using em1 in the rez, and grokashi on the top, sealed up with a black plastic bag!

 

[Jedi Mind Tricks]

Very cool write up, thanks for taking the time!

 

[shimz]

Thank you for this! Well written and thorough. I want to try this but it would take a lot of rearrangement to say the least.

 

[Bruno8437]

@Green_256 - With the new design, where are you locating the drain hole? I would think that it would be into the perforated drainage pipe and half to 2/3rds of the way up to maintain an air gap (2-3 inches up from bottom on a 4" pipe).

 

[Hotwired]

Great job! Well explained.

 

[smokieokie]

@Green_256 I really like the idea
of this, got almost everything to start mine. So a few questions if you don't mind., 1. Why the change to larger style sip with pipe? 2. Would you think it would be ok to exchange alfalfa meal from your mix with composted horse and rabbit manure? Thanks again, will be following closely.

 

[Green_256]

@Green_256 - With the new design, where are you locating the drain hole? I would think that it would be into the perforated drainage pipe and half to 2/3rds of the way up to maintain an air gap (2-3 inches up from bottom on a 4" pipe).

not actually doing a drain hole, just watching the fill hose and making sure not to over fill it!

@Green_256 I really like the idea
of this, got almost everything to start mine. So a few questions if you don't mind., 1. Why the change to larger style sip with pipe? 2. Would you think it would be ok to exchange alfalfa meal from your mix with composted horse and rabbit manure? Thanks again, will be following closely.

I changed the design bc I'm now working on a cbd farm, and boss man wants hundreds built, maybe even thousands, and the original design would have taken me years! this design I can pump out fast as hell!

as for the alfalfa, I don't see why not, but I'm getting ready to head back to the farm, here soon I'll get a break and I will work on this thread some more! I promise guys!

 

[smokieokie]

not actually doing a drain hole, just watching the fill hose and making sure not to over fill it!

I changed the design bc I'm not working on a cbd farm, and boss man wants hundreds built, maybe even thousands, and the original design would have taken me years! this design I can pump out fast as hell!

as for the alfalfa, I don't see why not, but I'm getting ready to head back to the farm, here soon I'll get a break and I will work on this thread some more! I promise guys!

Right on, sounds like you're gonna have alot of work. And how do you think the vermiculite will work out? I've had a large bag sittin around and didn't know what to do with it lol. If it works for you I'll have a use for it. Thanks again for all your work.

 

[Green_256]

yeah man, running a cbd farm with the goal of 10 thousand plants, and unlimited funding, so I'll be running any and every experiment you guys can think of! just really busy today, I'll get into all that very soon promise!

here a list I already plan to run experiments on, it's not all and a few days old, alot has been added since writing this!

 

[Main Cola]

here just a shit ton of beautiful pics, that's I've taken from my probiotic sips!


also want to clear, I've changed my design alot! this first pic is the newest design, as I make more, I'll get more in depth on how I build it, but it's simple, big hollow hose in the bottom, fill the rest with vermeculite, then put your soil on top of it! still using em1 in the rez, and grokashi on the top, sealed up with a black plastic bag!

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Very nice man. I’ll be following along

 

[Green_256]

hey guys, here's a few more pics of the new sip designs, I will get more into depth I promise, just so dam busy with this big ass farm, it's killing me, but no worries bc were making tons of these!

 

[Green_256]

we're also using chz cloth and zip ties in the ends of those black tubes, so the vermiculite can't fill the hoses, and take away our rez space! we're using a 2" pvc pipe as a fill tube, and I'm still using the same elbow and grommet to check the water lvl!

but this new design will fix my problem of trying to get water roots! from the pics of the breakdown from my gg4, I discovered I had literally almost zero water roots! the floor held them out the rez! here's a few pics, it may be hard to tell what your looking at, but picture this, I ripped off the black plastic, then I flipped into my 50g tote that I recycle my soil in! so it's technically upside down...

 

[Green_256]

here's some more pics, these show more of the root structure, and how they all stayed above the rez, with the exception of very very few!

and just so I'm clear, the holes that I drilled a shit ton of into the bottom floor, bc I thought it would give me the "water roots" I was looking for, was a complete failure! it didn't do any good, and literally out of maybe 50 or 100 holes, roots only went through one hole! and it wasn't very many! so that design is completely garbage! hints the reason I have changed my design! pics below

 

[Green_256]

so now that I've explained how my original design was not a complete failure, but I was giving credit of all my fast growth, to what I believed to be the water roots, well as you can see above, I didn't even have any! maybe a few, but no where near what would be needed to take the credit!

so that says a few things, for 1 the amazing growth and results, had to be from the probiotics! which is amazing!

the second thing it tells me, if this new design is able to give me those water roots I been after, then it would seem to reason, that once I achieve that, the results should be even better! and possibly faster! if this works out, then I may take @Heisenbeans up on that offer to run a small comparison with me! lol I may not beat your growth heisen, but for what it cost me to grow mine, and that absolute minimum amount of work! if I can get even close to your growth rate! well shit that speaks volumes!!! I mean shit am I wrong?


old design vs new design!