Do you recycle your soil?

[SergeantGod]

Soil Growers-
Do you reuse your soil?
If so, how do you treat it so it is good for another growing cycle?

I use Ocean Forrest and Bio-Bizz.

Thanks,

SG

 

[Cannalicious]

Never. The longer your medium, the more prone it is to disease and pests. Use it for tomatoes.

 

[Hank Hemp]

I have but you are asking for trouble. Don't anymore.

 

[bird]

i recycle mine a lot and havent had any ill effects (knock on wood)

 

[facelift]

All the time. Occasionally I add new soil to the old stuff. No issues...

Just thinking about the comment above to use it on tomatoes. Like I want diseased tomatoes with pests.

 

[joe fresh]

i was wondering bout this question as well, i seen a machine at the hydro store made to cut thru roots, you just drop the compacted soil that is full of roots in the machine and out at the other end nice light soil with shredded roots. i use promix and was wondering if its ok to do this with promix, its a real bitch hauling in 20 bales of promix in the house every 2 months

 

[Euphrates]

I agree, Re using soil would be great, especially for the use of all kinds of house plants; besides, its trashy not to recycle, heh.

I've heard along time ago of people microwaving their soil ?

 

[Cannalicious]

All the time. Occasionally I add new soil to the old stuff. No issues...

Just thinking about the comment above to use it on tomatoes. Like I want diseased tomatoes with pests.

But chances are the soil is fine if the last crop was fine. I'll invest new expensive non-soil, organic mix for a cash crop. How much are the tomatoes worth? It's a question of risk vs. reward.

 

[fonzee]

I rather use new soil and add the amendments I want rather than guessing whats left in it.

 

[joe fresh]

I agree, Re using soil would be great, especially for the use of all kinds of house plants; besides, its trashy not to recycle, heh.

I've heard along time ago of people microwaving their soil ?

microwaves kill all bacteria in the soil, all bugs pathogens ect.... it completly sterilizes the soil, read all that in an article online after some fool posted a thread saying to germ your seeds in the microwave


and a properly flushed soil shouldnt have anything left in it

 

[guest2012y]

YES....and it keep getting better.
https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=16746&pictureid=342844

 

[aceofspades]

For the last 4 harvestes I have taken the soil and left it in a huge bin, I then break up all the root balls either by hand or shovel. I since have taken them to my garden, all the perite and extra soil have been rotatilled into the garden growing area, which is mainly used to grow pumpkins. The only thing that I need to add to my garden when I plant is extra nitrogen! RECYCLE your soil, even if just for house plants! If your soil was poor to begin with, like bugs and such then do not use it again, but I do not see a need to dispense of the soil!

Ace

 

[qdavid]

I have reused. Mixed results. I would suggest adding a moisture conditioning additive (among other amendments too, I didn't, muddy soil). First I removed old root balls and broke up any reaming (Edit: oops, I meant remaining clots, hahaha, I guess I could ream them. It probably might taste terrible but maybe the clots would like that... doh!) then added new FF and more amendments. Mixed results. Reused doesn't drain as well as new. One pot had soggy bottom soil, and nothing I did could cure it. I tried drilling more holes in the pots, then sticking chop sticks through the holes and trying to break up the clotting thinking that might dry it out. I tried not watering for long periods until the plant was wilting, nothing worked. The other pot (of two reused mix) was fine. Just didn't drain as well as new soil.

I did get both males and there is a lot of discussion about stress causing males, but I think the DNA or sex is determined way before that. IMHO, I think stress could cause hermies, but not just males. It doesn't make sense. Why would mother nature do that. When propagation is the primary goal of life. I'm still trying to save some of their pollen from those males by putting some branches in water, hope it works, that can be tricky, I've read. I like that nuking the old soil idea too. I bet maybe small quart size amounts for ~15 seconds?

 

[CANNATOPIA]

I reuse all my soil for Veggies. I let it cook a bit in the greenhouse & then reuse it for outdoor veggies & flowers.

 

[AcroPhobic]

Yes. I recycle indoor and outdoor potted soils. After done with potted plants I simply dump soil into my 6x6 compost pile bin I made outside and mix it up with all the fresh cut grass from spring n summer, dryleaves from fall, wood-ash, kitchen waste and garden waste. When its all said and done I have compost/soil that is loads better than those overpriced puny cubic ft bags of name brand store bought mixes.

 

[C21H30O2]

organic soil gets better with age. that is, recycling improves the soil and yield.

 

[supermanlives]

hell ya i recycle . i spend lots of money adding slow releasing ferts. i aint throwing em away. i tend to find that the soil hasnt reached it full potential till the soil has been recycled a few times. when i used chems i didnt recycle

 

[TexasToker]

YES....and it keep getting better.
https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=16746&pictureid=342844

Indeed, I occasionally will add some stuff here and there, but it is a perpetual very good soil supply.

 

[K.J]

I recycled for my first time after last grow. Just added more of the bone meal, blood meal, kelp, EWC and a tad more perlite and Sunshine's mix to fluff it up. Worked wonders. I only hope I can keep reusing it from here on with such success.

 

[qdavid]

My only issue with reusing outdoor soil on an indoor grow would be all the insects that may have laid eggs in it. But if you nuke it before reuse I would think it would kill them.