Organic Soil Mix

[JohnBell]

Okay heres what I got:

I am useing FoxFarms Ocean Forest pottinig soil and I want to start reuseing it. What I would like to know is what to add back to the soil to replinish the N-P-K and also micro nutes. I guess I would need to add something to help stablize the PH also. I will also need to know amounts of what to add.

I use 3 gal. pots to grow in so I guess I would mix 9 pots worth 27 gal in a big trash can and mix everything in it. I know you all cant be exact but a good guidance would be apprciated. If you reuse soil post your recipe please

 

[sunnyside]

why are you wanting to resuse the soil??? I have heard people talk about reusing their soil, and I just dont know why you would want to.

 

[JohnBell]

Well The thought of buying it every 30 days is one. Disposal is another I run a clean shop so Im not worried about pest ect. I guess we should ask why I would not want to reuse it. Or why you would would not reuse it is it bad to reuse soil?

 

[sunnyside]

Well The thought of buying it every 30 days is one. Disposal is another I run a clean shop so Im not worried about pest ect. I guess we should ask why I would not want to reuse it. Or why you would would not reuse it is it bad to reuse soil?

Nutrient imbalance?
development of fungus?
insects eggs from last year's grow? even the cleanest shops get bugs

There are others, but I think the best reason is that you will be working on the plants for five months or more. you need to dot the I's and cross the t's to get the best results. Too many things can and do go wrong using the same soil.

 

[JohnBell]

I guess I would still like to reuse the soil and take a chance. If you have any sugestions I would apprciate it. What do you use as a soil mix?

 

[sunnyside]

GENERAL PURPOSE GROWING MEDIUM

PRO-MIX 'HP' is a "High Porosity" professional growing medium designed for the cultivation of horticultural greenhouse plants. The lightweight and high-porosity characteristics of this formulation provide conditions necessary to establish plant growth, especially when growing situations require high air-capacity and low water-retention media. PRO-MIX 'HP' is ideal for use with water sensitive crops, propagation of plant cuttings and/or low-light growing conditions.

COMPONENTS:

Sphagnum Peat Moss (65 - 75 % by volume)
Horticultural Coarse Grade
Dolomitic Limestone
Calcitic Limestone
Wetting Agent

CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

PRO-MIX 'HP'is a "High Porosity" professional growing medium designed for the cultivation of horticultural greenhouse plants. During the course of crop production, it is necessary to initiate a fertilizer program. The fertilizer program selected should consider water nutrient content, crop type and stage of plant development. It is essential to begin fertilization within 7 days after planting and maintain fertilizer applications throughout the course of crop production. To insure plants receive proper nutrition, it is advisable to periodically analyze fertilizer solution, nutrient content of growing media and plant tissue throughout the production cycle.

pH Range: 5.5 - 6.5 (1:3, v:v water)
Electrical Conductivity: 1.3 - 2.0 mmhos / cm (S.M.E.)

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
PRO-MIX 'HP' is a peat based medium formulated to provide high air-capacity and low water-retention for use with water sensitive crops. Increased aeration results in reduced incidence of water-related diseases for healthier root systems and improved plant performance. PRO-MIX 'HP' is lightweight, porous and suitable for general greenhouse use.

Pro mix isnt expensive either 15.00 for 3 cu feet
I dont mix anything in with my soil like blood meal or bone meal. I like to add my fertilizers in when i water.

 

[JohnBell]

What do you fertilize with and how often?

 

[cough_cough_eer]

got this recipie off marijuana.com

got this recipie off marijuana.com

I've used this mix with very good results . I mixed it in 5 gal buckets and never added any ferts for the whole grow. The only problem I had and I dont know if it was the soil mix or just my bad luck, but everytime I used this mix (twice) I got spidermites.
marijuana.com has a very good organic section with lots of recipies.






30-50% good quality potting soil (not pre-ferted)
30-50% perlite
10-20% worm castings
10% compost

Per gallon of soil mix:
1 tablespoon each: blood meal, bone meal
1.5-2 tablespoons: kelp meal
2-4 tablespoons rock phosphate (grind to powder if possible)

 

[valk]

I've always used Scotts Sphagnum Peat Moss in a 60:40 ratio w/perlite. After reading BOG's mix, I started adding bone and blood meal as well. I fert with every watering, using age old organics grow/bloom formulas as well as adding a tblsp of epsom salts with each water.

I've seen fantastic results with this mix, although I just found a local place with PRO MIX, so I may go with that this time around.

I too am looking to recycle soil as my living arrangements don't permit composting or anything other than putting bags of soil and clippings out with the trash, which I'm not comfortable doing with such nosey neighbors.

 

[The Hashasin]

Hiya John,
Some good medium choices there from the guys. Though they are not answering your question directly about soil recycling! I can give you my two penneths/cents worth.

I recycle soil and it's Efficlient I will not go into great detail about my own feed regime everyone has there own preference! The most important thing as sunnyside quite correctly highlited " Good advice " though everyones own location, enviroment etc... etc... comes into the equation as far as bugs and mould go. To sterilise your own soil is the way to go 1st you must make sure that you remove as much dead matter as possible from the medium! IE old root trace etc there are a few products available commercialy. These break down the old plant matter and render them inert during your grow. As long as you have carefuly monitored your feeding regime and exhausted most of these traces during the final 2 weeks, usualy in flower then flushed your medium should be in theory quite neutral? You then have to think about sterilising your old medium. It has too be baked at a temp of 150 Dg F in an oven or other kiln type process. That should then kill of any bactereial/fungal growth that may be present in your old medium! Then you have to flush your soil in a nutral PH water. Check the PH of the medium after and if you have to up it or down it! add the required amount of acid or alkaline product. Of course you that adding nutes etc shifts ur PH levels some more than others. So thats my 2 penneth worth, I hope it may have given you some insight and helped?

I am now changing on next grow to Coco medium after following the advance of the Coco Growers in there Coco grow Journals and reading up a lot on the technichal side of it. And the Coco can be reused as long as it's not Coco peat I believe. So hey good luck on your soil recycles and I will be watching your Journals... About Soil Recycle IMO it's not worth the time and eb=nergy required to prepare it for reuse again. I don't find the usual argument farmer's don't through there soil away valid! That's a whole different ball game. With massive efforts required Agriculture growing is not commparitable to our hobby in the home enviroment.

 

[badmf]

This is quite opinionated, but you can use soil again, of course farmers do it, so you can too. Understanding your soil will make you a better grower. Adding vermiculite/perlite and composting is amending soil if you're indoors and haven't had any insect problems then why would you suddenly get them? They aren't going to just appear out of nowhere, right? Either by going with a pre-mixed organic or chemo nute or adding the individuals such as bone meal, blood meal etc you can use it. I have been using the same soil for eight years, great grows each time! I flush out the bloom nutes at the end and pour hot water over it too. I have a LaMottes soil test kit(30$) and check the n-p-k ratios, ph etc. No problems. Can you imagine farmers digging up their fields each time, no, they do practice crop rotation to re-fertilize it during off seasons, the others are chemically dependent. I was using M&R out of Canada at 10 bucks a bag(its 15 now!!), if you have any decent sized grow this is an un-necessary expense if you add back what the plants use each time, jmho.