cooking soil for an apartment grow

[pheed]

How does one go about cooking their soil mix when growing in an apartment. This would be in my bedroom, and I don't really like the idea of open containers of decomposing stuff. Can the containers be closed? What kind of containers do people use for cooking soil?

Thanks for any tips...

 

[soursmoker]

Hey bro I know how it is to not get a response and feel like you are being ignored so I will try and help you out...

but you gotta help me out and give me some details...

how much soil are you trying to cook in total?

I used plastic Rubbermaid totes/bins.. seemed to work fine... I haven't cooked a new batch of soil in a while though... I have just been reusing the same soil for a while now...

but I didn't cook that much soil... so if you are cooking a large amount that might not work...

 

[Easy7]

I think your talking about composting, not using an oven. There is no need to compost soil, that is already composted.

What are you adding that you want to break down? A lot of organic additives are water soluable, thus quickly used. Having benificial bacteria and fungi helps non-soluable materials break down...this is composting.

I used to use a plastic bin, to store soil. Don't let it get to warm with microbial activity, or you can start a fire. Manure fires are common, due to the heat from microbial metabolic activity. Stir often, keep a good dose of microbes and water, should compost quickly if it's not raw plant matter.

Don't store in huge piles to avoid a fire.

 

[ThaMagnificent]

Subs Supersoil thread...

 

[pheed]

I would only be mixing about 10 gallons at a time, and I'd probably split that between two containers. It's Foxfarm Ocean Forest, that I'm amending with bat guano, wood ash, kelp meal, lime.

 

[BOMBAYCAT]

I usually recycle about less then 5 gallons of soil less mix at a time from old root balls that I toss in a Rubbermaid (or other) storage container that I get at WalMart. I mist the mix some but I have heard of people getting it too wet and growing mushrooms of the non-magic kind. I have always left the lid on and never noticed any smell or heat. The storage container is in the basement and stays cool down there.