anyone do this ?? I never have due to the un-used "salts", ect in the soil __ read some thing reguarding it "The roots of the harvested plants are chopped up and added back to the soil - reason: the micro-organism are very high and one dosen't want to throw- away all these living cultures. Thoughts ??? gettting "new" soil for every grow can be very pricy (FF Ocean Blend & Happy frog = at least $50.00 +) But soil is one of the three necesary thing needed in cultivation Genetics and lighting being the other 2 (Genetics, Lighting and Medium)
Re-cycling growing medium
- Thread starter Hawkman
- Start date
Skunky Dunk Farms
Cannabinoid Receptor
I don't reuse anything indoors.
We go through10+ bags of soil every 12 weeks or so around here and all of it goes in our vegetable garden.
We have dead clay soil here, this addition of our used soils to the garden has made it more like a forest floor.
Everything, roots and all get tilled in.
We go through10+ bags of soil every 12 weeks or so around here and all of it goes in our vegetable garden.
We have dead clay soil here, this addition of our used soils to the garden has made it more like a forest floor.
Everything, roots and all get tilled in.
I reuse my clay balls. I'm going to start adding my old coco to my vegetable garden in the spring to increase aeration.
Soil isn't necessary, only a medium, like in your title.
An inert medium like coco is inexpensive and reusable(I don't re-use since it's cheap and buying is easier than separating the coco and the root ball). and allows precise control of the amount and type of nutrients your plants receive.
Soil isn't necessary, only a medium, like in your title.
An inert medium like coco is inexpensive and reusable(I don't re-use since it's cheap and buying is easier than separating the coco and the root ball). and allows precise control of the amount and type of nutrients your plants receive.
Rhacodactylus
In Bloom
Yes I often recycle the coco, especially if I see that the root system of the plant didn’t fully colonized its pot when chopped, and then mix it 50/50 with new one when transplanting.
Before harvesting I flush for about 5-7 days max.
i usually remove all the bigger roots, leaving the smaller ones, and put everything back into the coco bag, left opened (I use myco’s and bacto’s) for min. two weeks.
First time I did this it was unintentional; I prepared a bag using the same method and planned to trash everything in the garden. Forgot about it for about two months (luckily left in a cool dark and dry place) and I was quite surprised to see that there was no bad smell at all, just a slight good organic smell , coco had turned out almost black. Can’t explain it but you just had a nice feeling when taking it in your hands, good stuff.
I guess it could be the same with soil.
Before harvesting I flush for about 5-7 days max.
i usually remove all the bigger roots, leaving the smaller ones, and put everything back into the coco bag, left opened (I use myco’s and bacto’s) for min. two weeks.
First time I did this it was unintentional; I prepared a bag using the same method and planned to trash everything in the garden. Forgot about it for about two months (luckily left in a cool dark and dry place) and I was quite surprised to see that there was no bad smell at all, just a slight good organic smell , coco had turned out almost black. Can’t explain it but you just had a nice feeling when taking it in your hands, good stuff.
I guess it could be the same with soil.
GthaEnigma
Canna-Arborist
There are many growers using ROLS that have been in same soil for years. Most are running modified coots mix. I have been using the same soil outside for years. I just keep the microlife happy and pop in plants.
This is what I do, but it's mostly a space thing. I don't have anywhere to store the old soil indoors while prepping it to reuse, and after all my pest issues I'm sure as heck not storing it outdoors. So all of my root balls just go into the compost pile for the veggie garden. I've been looking into ROLS though. It sure would be nice to spend less on soil and nutrients.
Recycle, and reuse for sure imho.
All soil gets reused here, always stays inside, minimal pest issues that way. Still have the soil from my first grow. Lmfao.
I haven't bought any soil/medium for quite awhile, have around 200-250 gallons worth of it I cycle through over and over.
I do all ROLS with mine, there's always a few totes cooking away.
All rootballs and plant materials get dumped into a large tote with other reused soils, amended with what i feel they were lacking in, along with a few other always added ingredients like EWC.
Then it gets shelved for a month or two, and I let nature do it's thing.
Its a very dark, soft and fine mixture, very earthy and pleasing to smell. At this point though I can't say what its composition is. Lol.
The times I have added new material to the mix it's been 1/3 peat with some coco, 1/3 good organic compost, and 1/3 lava rock/perlite for aeration.
For IPM of the new mix I spread that all out on a tarp on the garage floor after mixing, then hose it all down with a spino drench, and or final stop to kill any eggs n shit in the new batch.
I let it dry some and then add in the amendments like bone meal, kelp, gypsum, lime, alfalfa meal, crab meal, etc, and remix well. Finish loading totes about 3/4 full, wet them good, and shelve them for a month or two to cook.
I've tried some no till plantings as well, taking the fresh harvested plants pot, and transplanting a new rooted clone right next to the old root ball with great results. Always top dressing a week or so later once it's established itself some.
Have found I prefer ROLS, and shredding them into totes though. I like to see how the root structures formed as I disassemble the old root ball for reuse. All root materials gets turned into the soil for new compost.
I've found this method to be easy for me, inexpensive for materials needed, and can grow some darn good herbs.
All soil gets reused here, always stays inside, minimal pest issues that way. Still have the soil from my first grow. Lmfao.
I haven't bought any soil/medium for quite awhile, have around 200-250 gallons worth of it I cycle through over and over.
I do all ROLS with mine, there's always a few totes cooking away.
All rootballs and plant materials get dumped into a large tote with other reused soils, amended with what i feel they were lacking in, along with a few other always added ingredients like EWC.
Then it gets shelved for a month or two, and I let nature do it's thing.
Its a very dark, soft and fine mixture, very earthy and pleasing to smell. At this point though I can't say what its composition is. Lol.
The times I have added new material to the mix it's been 1/3 peat with some coco, 1/3 good organic compost, and 1/3 lava rock/perlite for aeration.
For IPM of the new mix I spread that all out on a tarp on the garage floor after mixing, then hose it all down with a spino drench, and or final stop to kill any eggs n shit in the new batch.
I let it dry some and then add in the amendments like bone meal, kelp, gypsum, lime, alfalfa meal, crab meal, etc, and remix well. Finish loading totes about 3/4 full, wet them good, and shelve them for a month or two to cook.
I've tried some no till plantings as well, taking the fresh harvested plants pot, and transplanting a new rooted clone right next to the old root ball with great results. Always top dressing a week or so later once it's established itself some.
Have found I prefer ROLS, and shredding them into totes though. I like to see how the root structures formed as I disassemble the old root ball for reuse. All root materials gets turned into the soil for new compost.
I've found this method to be easy for me, inexpensive for materials needed, and can grow some darn good herbs.
Rozgreenburn
"The Philosopher, is Stoned"
I purchase organic Promix for my seedlings and clones as my mix is too hot for them. My main medium has been the Rev's TLO super soil. Like @JL2G, I am still using my original soil. My mixing, composting and amendments are all done inside. I always let my remix 'cook' for at least 30 days before calling it ready to use. I have a good sized shelf full of organic amendments, half a dozen worm bins and 50 lbs EWC, and perlite & vermiculite. So in all honesty, I probably buy 4 CF of organic soil per year to make up for losses.
Before I switched to living soil and organics, I think I filled every hole in my 3 acre yard!
Before I switched to living soil and organics, I think I filled every hole in my 3 acre yard!
Gweedo's Growroom
Yoda Fired Up
This is about exactly how I treated my organic soil from last run, I remixed in some fresh coco/peat/perlite, re amended with gypsum and bio live in healthy quantities then watered in every Benny I have, tribus original,recharge,microbe lift kelp 4 less humic/fulvic/kelp to help chelate things and some enzymes to get everything cooking, smells amazing and will be gettin used next run in some 8s instead of 5s, ran out of gas early in the 5s lol
TreeFarmerCharlie
In Bloom
I grow organically, and reuse my soil, but I have enough soil so the soil from the last harvest sits and cooks during the next grow.
Imho id get a couple of each size and see before you fully invest. Here's my take on the sizing doing all organics.
I used to run all 5 gal black felt bags as the final pot, and like you they ran outta gas.
Had to really stay on top of keeping them top dressed up, and keeping liquid organic nutes on hand to add in during flower.
MO from seed is usually doing about a 4 to 6 week veg in a 2 L, and up pot 2 to 3 weeks before flowering them out.
Tried 7 gals, better, but same thing happened. I've found a minimum of 10's do great for me with just running out of steam at the end when they should fade out anyways.
I'm thinking I'll pick up something in the 20+ range one of these days, and see how that does for me. Especially for long flower plants.
15's are the biggest I've ran, and they seemed to go full cycle of the average plant with no issues. Have a shit ton of the heavy thick black felt 10 gals, got them for cheaper than dirt, a whole tote full of new ones. Lol.
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