How do you clean your medium???

I thought I would start a thread on how everyone cleans there medium of choice. Anything from small to large scale, from clay pebbles to lava rock.

I use alot of pebbles and lava rock. There for I re-use alot of it. Some people buy new every time.....I can't do that. It is not a money thing.....well it is......I just do not want to spend it! So I wash mine and re-use.

I start by boiling it in a large pot that is connected to a Propane tank. It is done outside, here are some pics of the pot.....


This is the insert that goes inside


I bring the water to a boil....add the rocks......let it sit for like 20-30 minutes. Remove the inner sleeve....



I then dump them into another tub......boiling gets them disinfected....but will leave some dead roots on them. Once dried....they usually just fall off, but I did not let it dry properly last time I stored it. No biggie....

Once all is boiled, I bring them to a large screen which has 1/4" holes that is connected to 2x4's. The one in the pic is a small version of my larger one. It is at another property..... So I am using the smaller one for the tutorial.
I then take the hose and start at one end and spray the rocks and work my way down till all is sprayed off. This ensures me that all the roots from past grow are gone and all is 99% clean.




Thats it. I have used the same Clay Pebbles for the last year and a half. It takes all day by myself......1/4 of the day if partners help. We usually will cook on the grill and just hang out eating...smoking...and cleaning medium!!

Hog- I notice you use both the small pepples and the larger lava rock... Do you find there is any difference between the two when you use them in your buckets? The reason I ask is because those big lava rocks look a lot easier to clean in between rounds and have been looking mighty tempting lately.

My method consists of filling a trash can full of my used pebbles, dumping a small portion at a time into a oversized bathtub near my growroom and cleaning them with chemicals. I use a mix of bleach and commercial strength H202, and then have a screen similar to yours where I can rinse the final roots away. I dig the huge boiler! If only my nosey neighbors couldn't see into my backyard!

HOG,

I use basically the same method as you..only inside, and then I bake it on 500 F on sheet pans till it's completely dry. No wet time while still warm so no fungi or mold gets a chance.

Cool thread...thought I was the only one doing this

Say HOG, you’ve posted something here that is mighty interesting to me, I’ve got ton’s of used lava rocks that don’t know what to do with yet? Until now. I just have one little problem, I to just like shorts have nosey neighbors, hell if they were to see me grilling out they would come and see what’s cooking? Lava rocks!! Lol. But man you sure have given me lots to think about and some great idea’s, wish I were able to do this. thanks for sharing.

hey shorts..... I just mixed them together.....lava rocks and Clay Pebbles this washing. I used to keep them seperate..but that was a pain in the ass.... So now I just mix it all together. I am going to do a 50 GWS drip run today.....using lava and pebbles. Should do great together.

I bought the Lava RTock at HD....all dif sizes in the bag. WASH THE SHIT OUT OF THE LAVA ROCK BEFORE YOU USE FOR FIRST TIME!!! I still had lava rock granuales in the bottom of my buckets after the initial wash.

pistillwhipped.... sounds good....so long you kill the bad stuff!!

BigToke.... I have a very private back yard. My nieghbors are old people and like to be left alone....as do I. Its a perfect combo!! If any of us need anything, we are more then willing to help out. Most of the time we just wave and small chat across the yards.

Grillin and cleanin medium... couldnt ask for a nicer day

Of course you would have to keep your helpers entertained with a few blunts of the chronic.... They need their spinach.

bartender187

yes of course..... I am a Licensed Joyologist!!!

Just don't get so High that you get the clay pebbles and beans mixed up!!

Well, I clean my soil of excess fertilizer and roots. I have successfully reused the same soil for two years with only occasional, easily fixed problems



First, I have a tub. It's lined with a piece of my old waterbed liner. I have made more pieces of my growroom out of that thing.....

I digress.



Next I have a screen basket I made myelf out of some rabbit fencing I use for my garden. A few diagonal snips and some bending togethe of the cut ends along with a bit of duct tape and it's all set. Those are 12" wood dowels as handles



My soil is thoroughly flushed using hot, warm and cold water. Hot and warm water better dissolve out the excess salts remaining in the soil. I stack the planters you see here three high to make the water do as much work as possible, expecially the warm and hot. I probably run the same amount of soil in all three planter through each one, in this case, about nine gallons. Flushing the soil is a thousand times easier with a dedicated three tub commercial sink in the room

{IMPORTANT!}

Do not attempt soil flushing with roots removed. If you do, the soil and conditioners like perlite will separate and a muck will form in your drainholes that impedes water flow. You should flush the soil in the original planter as is within three days of harvest and remove roots soon thereafter. Waiting will allow the roots to soften up, tear apart and go through your screen. This pic is after flushing



I use my little rake to break it up and spread it out in the screen, and then I just shake and slide until the soil falls through



My pic of the rootball didn't come out at all, but you can imagine it's a large, one piece mass with the end of the cut stalk on one end. This shot shows some of the residual roots in the screen. It takes about 20 seconds to screen a plant



Add the rest of the dry soil in th reclmation box (notice the liner being used. Tough stuff) and stir occasionally.



When my perpetual harvest is in full swing, the box dries out the soil in about the two weeks between harvests. My clone mother light is attached to the direct underside to keep a constant warmth from the ballasts in the soil.

Caprichoso.. awesome!! Re-using soil..... great idea. May need to try that

I made my first Ebb & Flow table with a liner from a waterbed. That is great rubber material to have around :wink:

Where did you pick up that propane boiler? Fleetfarm or someplace? Let me know HOG i would greatly appreciate it. Thanks again Jubei

Same Soil

Same Soil

I've used the same soil now for over two years and no problems, just add some fert and good to go!

what are you using for your micro nutrients like boron and all that shit?

Hogs "boiler" looks to be a turkey fryer to me ?

Hydroton.....
Bleach is the miracle cleaner! I use it to clean & disinfect everything. 10% bleach solution. 1 part bleach added to 10 parts water.
I wait until they are completly dry.
1- rinse pebbles in a strainer w/ hot water for several minutes
2- soak in 10% bleach solution
3- rinse w/ hot water
4- soak in plain water
5- rinse again w/ cold water

If I'm reusing immediately, I just use em. If not, bake to dry and store. Of course, this is the 1st time and so I just used em!!

I grow in canna coco and reuse my medium, 70% coco and 30% perlite. After cutting my plants off at the base, I leave the medium in the container and flush with water and add Cannazym to the medium. I leave the root system intact and after a week or so, the medium has dried and the roots can easily be removed from the container and its ready for the next grow.
GS

Thanks for posting this!!

Hogs "boiler" looks to be a turkey fryer to me ?

Click to expand...

You got it babba.....A good friend cooked some Turkey's in there a few times. Since I have borrowed....and kind of stained the inside a little.. He said to just keep it for cleaning medium. :friends:

turkey fryer? I though HOG was cookin up some meth in the backyard at 1st glance.

Yes another very good thread .. everything should be recycled , Master Soma reccomends it very much

and you dont see mother nature throwing away her soil .. she just make's the leaves fall from the tress & grass and weed's to grow that eventually die & fertilize the soil ..

so recycle everyone !!!

peace & respect too HOG

I recycle my soil in a way.....in that it goes out on the garden, my garden, whole load of gardens, lol.