The re-use of our soil

[vonforne]

But you plants would look better if you add new organic materials between crops. You could also add Oyster shells, Alfalfa, Azomite, Humic Ore, Sul-Po-Mag. And one of the most over looked things is the free Silica in the Azomite.

I have one here in Europe that is 48% Silica.

V

 

[JackTheGrower]

Mushrooms on the coffee?

Interesting.. No I don't remember seeing the photo.

LOL I am listening to KVMR's world music fest and there is a song called the "Decomposition Blues." Playing. Link

 

[vonforne]

Hold your cookies

 

[jaykush]

i remember that coffee shit photo lol.

 

[JackTheGrower]

Oh I was expecting Button Caps..

yes Fungus happens and it is bad to breath.

 

[vonforne]

Jack, I have no photo of the mushrooms. That is an ole experiment I ran a few years ago.

I had mushies on the worm bin but turned it yesterday and added worms from another bin.

LOL I was wondering if you would swing in here JK. I think of you every time I see that photo.
V

 

[Kalicokitty]

Ok, I have been re using my soil for several years now, doing a couple cycles, throwing half out and replacing with new, adding EWC's and lime with each reuse.
But I have been reading a lot and know I can be doing much better with it.
So, with that in mind I bought a big 49 Gal tub and am going to throw all my old soil in there and let it sit for 4-8 weeks-????? more???
I would like to get a simple, basic list of things I should add to it while its sitting, how often to stir, how long to let it sit, etc....
Kinda of an all in one newb to recycling correctly post.

The soil I use is currently happy frog(their organic popular stuff, at my store anyway)
and I add about 25% additional perlite to it, and some extra lime, plus EWC's.

It has been cycled a couple times now, I use PBP grow and bloom, and that's pretty much it.

SO, I have my big bin that I'm going to throw it into, and would like some ideas/opinions on what else I should put in with it.

 

[jaykush]

first off poke some aeration holes in that bin. bottom, top, sides.

adding EWC is a great start after each grow. as far as amendments go you have a ton of options, mainly what you can get cheapest to meet your needs. what do you have available?

if you add a lot of amendments, the longer you can let it sit the better. during this time things are "broken down" and "locked up safe" for later use instead of being "free" and at chance of leeching when you water. ph balances, and soil structure improves in this time as well( don't turn the soil). so come planting time the soil is nice and mellow, biologically active and ready to go. if you keep a perpetual system going where one batch of soil is growing, while the other is curing. then when grow 1 is done you switch over the two. now one is re amended and curing and the fresh soil is growing.

 

[jaykush]

first off poke some aeration holes in that bin. bottom, top, sides.

adding EWC is a great start after each grow. as far as amendments go you have a ton of options, mainly what you can get cheapest to meet your needs. what do you have available?

if you add a lot of amendments, the longer you can let it sit the better. during this time things are "broken down" and "locked up safe" for later use instead of being "free" and at chance of leeching when you water. ph balances, and soil structure improves in this time as well( don't turn the soil). so come planting time the soil is nice and mellow, biologically active and ready to go. if you keep a perpetual system going where one batch of soil is growing, while the other is curing. then when grow 1 is done you switch over the two. now one is re amended and curing and the fresh soil is growing.

 

[Kalicokitty]

Excellent, thank you.
I was thinking about getting a second bin and having a perpetual system liked you mentioned, as far as whats available, there's a huge grow shop not far from me that has a pretty good selection of stuff, so I imagine the more common things would be there.

So i put the amendments(once decided on) in and mix the whole thing up and let it sit for about how long do you think?
I guess I'm a bit lost on the curing part, how does that differ from the growing, and how long is recommended for that?

I like the idea of recycling, and defiantly not hauling endless bag of new soil into the house.
After 4 years of growing I'm at the point where I want to really start fine tuning things, and getting the most out of what I'm using.

 

[jaykush]

So i put the amendments(once decided on) in and mix the whole thing up and let it sit for about how long do you think?
I guess I'm a bit lost on the curing part, how does that differ from the growing, and how long is recommended for that?

yea that's basically it, once you get the amendments or a "Game plan" down. its all downhill from there. i would say at a minimum let the soil sit 2 weeks, even that is cutting it. the longer the better, i have had soil sit for 6-7 months before using it before. just say the longer the better there is no set time length. and if you do the perpetual system right. it will be at least as long as it takes for you to veg and flower out your plants, which i have no clue about. but even at the shortest time to do a grow its more than enough time.

 

[SuperSizeMe]

Hold your cookies

That's a thing of beauty

 

[pine boy]

I smell dirt ^ lol

 

[rogerw]

All I do is add some worm castings, microhaze and a little shit compost. Leave it set for a week or so . Check ph and you can keep doing this over and over. Bugs would be the only stopper for me like mites.

 

[Wooderson]

I have recycled my soil using the 3lbs instructions, after about a month of "cooking" I have notice a little white worm in the mix! Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

 

[Stoned Crow]

I smell dirt ^ lol

Yeah, nothing better than seeing what's growing in the compost pile!!

 

[fabvariousk]

Throw away dirt after one use?!
It is dirt. After people throw this away they buy more of it right?
I just shake out the roots throw it in my mixin' trough with some more dirt and
use it.
It is dirt.

 

[Tactical Farmer]

I know a guy who uses GH Lucus & has to toss the ocean forest soil every time.

After 10 years can you imagine the volume of waist

 

[h.h.]

I don't see Ocean Forest, or any preloaded soil.as the best choice for reuse.
I use Drip Clean with any nutes, flush out the soil, then rotate it between grows.
He's probably just ol' school or has a lot of money.

 

[Tactical Farmer]

If he used something like Earth Juice & EWC with it then it would turn into some good re-useable stuff.

That big n' chunky perlite in there ain't cheap - whata shame