Question about soil

Hello

I'm using self-made soil mix that consists of soil+peat+bat guano+worm castings+lava rocks ( layer at the bottom and some added into the mix for even better aeration ) I only water during veg and water with bat guano during flo.

I've been wondering lately whether I can recycle my soil after plants have finished flowering so I wouldn't waste all those beneficial micro-herds that made their home there. What should I do with the roots that stay in the mix ? Should I try to remove them or on the other hand - leave them there to rot and create more fertilizer ? If yes , how long should I wait ? Should I let the soil rest for , let's say , a month , and then plant new growth there or maybe it can be used instantly ?
One more question - I noticed that after around 3 weeks of new soil being used ( 3rd week of vegetation ) the layer of green moss appears on the uppermost layer of the soil. I've always considered it a good sign , a proof that the life in my pots is well and happy. Am I right ? Or maybe I miss something here.

Any input would be appreciated.

I reuse my soil for about a year. I just amend it each time.

http:// https://www.rollitup.org/organics/665524-hyroots-rols-no-till.html

http:// https://www.rollitup.org/michigan-patients/583341-so-who-here-growing-true.html

try those

Yes! You can and should recycle that soil!

Leave the roots in there, but bust up the root balls. Add additional compost (at about 5-10% or so by volume), plus additional amendments at about half or less of the quantities you added the first time. Don't add any additional lime.

Moisten that down to "wrung out sponge" moisture level, and let it sit for at least a month. I recommend turning (mixing/fluffing up) the soil a couple times during the first week or so to make sure it stays well oxygenated.

Thank You !

Urban Grower recommends using and enzyme concentrate like Sensizym to help break down old roots and turn them into nutrients for the plant faster than what nature does

Urban Grower is in the business of selling products like Sensizyme. Of course they are going to recommend using them...

The old roots break down just fine on their own if you add some good compost. There are no visible roots in the soil after about 3-4 weeks. And you're FEEDING your soil microbes rather than bypassing them by adding enzymes to do their job for them.

I tear out the root ball . and break up sol so its all loose again . then add new dirt if needed. most of the time the root ball is the entire size of the bag this soil should not be used. worn out. only reuse it if the root ball is only like 25 % of the bag. and if so you need to get a rooting enhancer so you can get bigger roots so you get bigger yields. so basically im telling you if your re using soil in every pot then your not doing some thing correct. 99 % of the time . in smart pots 5 or 7 gallon pots. mine are root bound. I have to beat the bag slam it on the ground or let the dog rip the bag apart or he will rip me apart lol to get the dirt out of the bag. bigger roots bigger yield in soil . my opinion only

SpicySativa said:

Urban Grower is in the business of selling products like Sensizyme. Of course they are going to recommend using them...

The old roots break down just fine on their own if you add some good compost. There are no visible roots in the soil after about 3-4 weeks. And you're FEEDING your soil microbes rather than bypassing them by adding enzymes to do their job for them.

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Truth. Only reason for the enzymes like hygrozyme is hydroponic systems not organic soil.

kinddiesel said:

I tear out the root ball . and break up sol so its all loose again . then add new dirt if needed. most of the time the root ball is the entire size of the bag this soil should not be used. worn out. only reuse it if the root ball is only like 25 % of the bag. and if so you need to get a rooting enhancer so you can get bigger roots so you get bigger yields. so basically im telling you if your re using soil in every pot then your not doing some thing correct. 99 % of the time . in smart pots 5 or 7 gallon pots. mine are root bound. I have to beat the bag slam it on the ground or let the dog rip the bag apart or he will rip me apart lol to get the dirt out of the bag. bigger roots bigger yield in soil . my opinion only

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Dude! Soil does not get "worn out". Nutrients get used, so you add more. It only gets better, not worn out... When was the last time you heard of an organic farmer stripping a layer off his fields because the soil was "worn out".

From a soil reuse perspective, it makes no difference what "percent full of roots" your pot is. Pot's full of roots? That's EXCELLENT! It means that your soil was healthy! Why toss healthy soil when you can make it EVEN BETTER for the next round by composting all those roots into the soil?

when a farmer is getting 3 thousand dollar value on plant. he or she does not worry about saving 10 % of the soil .I will speak from your prospective mr ounce or less yes reuse soil , or your fucked. because you don't have cash to get new. im speaking as a pro farmer not some closet grow . but next time ill post both . for a farmer that grows personal use, and a grow operation . some body getting max yields . I for get most of you only veg for 2 weeks then flower. all the info I posted about the soil is from a 3 month veg 6 foot final height flowering.

kinddiesel said:

when a farmer is getting 3 thousand dollar value on plant. he or she does not worry about saving 10 % of the soil .I will speak from your prospective mr ounce or less yes reuse soil , or your fucked. because you don't have cash to get new. im speaking as a pro farmer not some closet grow . but next time ill post both . for a farmer that grows personal use, and a grow operation . some body getting max yields . I for get most of you only veg for 2 weeks then flower. all the info I posted about the soil is from a 3 month veg 6 foot final height flowering.

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How much you yield, or how big your plants grow is irrelevant. Throwing away dirt that gets better with time is nonsensical. I don't care how much money you claim to make.

I was going to bite my tongue after your first swing and miss ....

Ya... I got sucked in, so here we go....

I am not a cash cropper. I grow for my own personal use, and to share with a few close friends. Making money from my crop is a non-issue; that's why I got my masters degree in engineering and found myself a profitable career.

I've experimented with many different methods, and thrown away more soil than I like to think about. Some methods yielded more, some less, some produced higher quality, some lower. The method I've settled on now yields the best quality product that I have ever produced, and it just keeps getting better each round.

I'm not interested in a dick measuring contest. I don't care how big your plants grow or how much money you're making off them. I'm just flat-out not going to be impressed by numbers. I'm happy with the results of my organic methods, and so are those I share with. THAT's the part I care about, and that's why I like to share my methods with like-minded farmers.

Cheers,

-SpicySativa

kinddiesel said:

I tear out the root ball . and break up sol so its all loose again . then add new dirt if needed. most of the time the root ball is the entire size of the bag this soil should not be used. worn out. only reuse it if the root ball is only like 25 % of the bag. and if so you need to get a rooting enhancer so you can get bigger roots so you get bigger yields. so basically im telling you if your re using soil in every pot then your not doing some thing correct. 99 % of the time . in smart pots 5 or 7 gallon pots. mine are root bound. I have to beat the bag slam it on the ground or let the dog rip the bag apart or he will rip me apart lol to get the dirt out of the bag. bigger roots bigger yield in soil . my opinion only

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if soil got "worn out" from too many roots (lol) farmers would have to buy a new field every year...

The sad part is that conventionally farmed, mono-cropped fields DO "wear out" to the point where they can't sustain plants even with large quantities of fertilizer salts. That's a whole other tragedy...

Luckily that's not a problem us organic farmers have to deal with.

Hey I get 6 foor plants from 2 month veg and in recycled living organic soil. My dumbass reused soil that wasn't amended and in veg it was okay but now in week 4 of flower and deficiencies are appearing, no biggie, ill re amend and keep using all the soil I have. Spicy sativa and stow know their shit. Im averaging 3 zips a plant now and im still a noob to it all. Im not using 8k watts either, wish I could.

kinddiesel said:

when a farmer is getting 3 thousand dollar value on plant. he or she does not worry about saving 10 % of the soil .I will speak from your prospective mr ounce or less yes reuse soil , or your fucked. because you don't have cash to get new. im speaking as a pro farmer not some closet grow . but next time ill post both . for a farmer that grows personal use, and a grow operation . some body getting max yields . I for get most of you only veg for 2 weeks then flower. all the info I posted about the soil is from a 3 month veg 6 foot final height flowering.

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Horsehockey! I consider myself a commercial grower, albeit not at the legendary level you'd have us believe you're at, I veg for more than 2 weeks, and I recycle soil. It isn't about the money saved, it's about the bacterial/fungal culture in the soil. You think that folks who keep a ball of sour-dough around to make bread do so to save money? It's an organic mindset that you'll probably never get your mind around. Lets see you pull around 7 lb off 72 plants on a 4' x 8' table with 3 1K lights. And believe me, at what I get for a pound here, that pitiful yield is well worth the effort when you can do it every 60 days. I am that (dry weight) ounce or so per plant kinda guy, I just get mine with lots of little plants. Unfortunately, there really is no way to back this up, but I'd put anything I grow against whatever you do for quality and potency. Why the attacking of recycling?? Something is wrong with "closet growing" ?? Shit, now here I go....sucked in too......Oh, and yeah, it's perspective, not prospective!

You can be Anheuser Busch all you want, I'll still be Sam Adams. Making the same bank off of less of a better product.

Is jolly farmer soil ok to use ? First time grower