Do you reuse your soil?

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BigB 420

Well-Known Member
I've been thinking about storing my soil after the season ends and using it again next year.

Can I reuse soil if I've been pouring fertilizer in it all summer?

I'm guessing I should add some amendments to it if i decide to keep it. not sure what or how much, or if its even needed.

Also, any suggestions on how to store soil over the winter? Big trash cans maybe? Pile it in a corner of the yard and throw a tarp over it?

Thanks.
 
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Dyna Ryda

Well-Known Member
I reuse my soil all the time, but I don't stop growing during the winter. I have a little experiment going right now. I have one clone in completely used soil and one in new soil, they both look really good but the one with used soil Is slightly better.
 
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BCJohn

Member
I may be new to growing MJ but I garden. That means soil is never thrown away. It is a living system. As long as you provide it with what it needs it will keep producing for as long as the earth is here.
 
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BigB 420

Well-Known Member
Thanks guys. Any tips on where/how to store it? I grow in fabric pots and I would like to pack everything away for the winter in my garage.
 
MonkeyGrinder

MonkeyGrinder

Well-Known Member
It's no big deal. Just grab a couple giant totes. Drill some holes in the bottom. Dump all your soil into em. You're keeping yours indoors so I'd let it get as dry as can be before bringing it in. Also beware of critters in there. Dumped a few pots out and low and behold I disturbed an ant colony that decided to post up in there after weeks of not using it. I'm thinking they were harvesting the root structures that were left behind after chop.
I'm just going to leave mine out in the big containers and let them get rained on through winter. It should wash out any access stuff in it and leave it pretty neutral for next year. I just use chems for mine so it won't be that big of a deal. It'll be going back into pots after being mixed with whatever soil I pick up for next years run.
 
Andrew2112

Andrew2112

Well-Known Member
I have heard of people throwing their used soil (with the roots still in it) into trash cans and then putting worms in it and they will eat the roots while depositing nutrient rich castings. My advice for reusing soil is to make sure it is revitalized with compost. Also I would add neem cake as a slow release fertilizer/root pest prevention.
 
420mon

420mon

Well-Known Member
Mon is on his 3rd year with same coco, not really an issue since mon puts everything into it and it gets flushed out before harvest, then add stuff to it again before planting new......If you take care of your soil/coco you can keep using if you are having problems then toss it.

Things Mon adds to coco b4 planting again, dolomite lime, hygrozime, "Heavy Harvest" time release NPK of 17-17-17, "Cal-Mag" and "Grow More" alfalfa meal that is organic NPK of 2-0-0 it is also time released with watering, mon like this better than stinky fish stuff and it last about a month before need to add more. Don't need anything else til flowering then mon use Hawaiian bud and bloom.
 
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BigB 420

Well-Known Member
Good info. Thanks guys. I have some fresh compost left over from top dressing (maybe 1/4 of a yard) and about half a box of neem seed meal I can mix in as well as some left over worm castings.

I like the kiddie pool ideal. Totes would work well also.

I figure it needs to breath some so I will put some holes in whatever I use.

Maybe I can find some worms to toss in as well. My garage is a carport that's open on the from so it's only partially indoors.
 
Andrew2112

Andrew2112

Well-Known Member
BigB 420 said:
Good info. Thanks guys. I have some fresh compost left over from top dressing (maybe 1/4 of a yard) and about half a box of neem seed meal I can mix in as well as some left over worm castings.

I like the kiddie pool ideal. Totes would work well also.

I figure it needs to breath some so I will put some holes in whatever I use.

Maybe I can find some worms to toss in as well. My garage is a carport that's open on the from so it's only partially indoors.
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Good on you with the neem cake, it helps increase earthworm activity by like 25% or something, and it adds micronutrients to the soil.
 
doublejj

doublejj

Well-Known Member
No, I can't take the risk. I have too much involved to take a chance on soil. Dirt is cheap, and I have to sleep at night. If I re-planted in old soil, I'd be up all night wondering? For a few $$'s I can sleep a lot better knowing I've given them the best start I could. :leaf: Besides, I got my wife one of these ez-loaders a few years ago, & she can empty a pick-up load of soil in a snap! Got to love her......she will draw a crowd at the landfill! lol!:clap:
 

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Sunbiz1

Sunbiz1

Well-Known Member
BCJohn said:
I may be new to growing MJ but I garden. That means soil is never thrown away. It is a living system. As long as you provide it with what it needs it will keep producing for as long as the earth is here.
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When you contain organic soil over the summer, no matter how hard you try...there are always a few pests leftover come Fall.

These are usually in the form of fungus gnat larvae...would love to recycle my organic blends but not willing to risk an instant bug battle before Thanksgiving.

:peace:
 
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TWS

Well-Known Member
Sunbiz1 said:
When you contain organic soil over the summer, no matter how hard you try...there are always a few pests leftover come Fall.

These are usually in the form of fungus gnat larvae...would love to recycle my organic blends but not willing to risk an instant bug battle before Thanksgiving.

:peace:
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But you can get them from new soil and even new bagged soil. I think though it can be The stores cleanliness or the vendor. This one store I bought from I got root aphids twice in Roots organic. How do I know this ? Had them when I first started a new season indoor grow and got them shortly after the solo cup stage. Got rid of them in the teen pot stage and cloned to Rockwool before flower. Went to get more soil for the clones, Roots again from the same place and got them again shortly after in the solo cup stage again. Got Fox farms for my next batch and no root aphids. I did see flyers in the store when purchasing there. seen them in home depot too.
 
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BigB 420

Well-Known Member
Yeah I've always had a few fungus gnats in new bags of soil. I always spray the soil Surface with neem for a while to kill them off. Surprisingly the truck load of soil I got from an outdoor soil yard didn't have any.
 
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