Do people re use soil
- Thread starter Meatman
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Oreguhnism
Really Active Member
Add goodness back into it.
I havent bought new soil in a decade.
I just keep adding lots of compost, dried stinging nettle, pee, powdered gypsum, perlite, vermiculite, aloe, etc. and let amended soil sit for a bit before using.....
Also have used in pots kind of like a perpetual no till or empty pots out into single bigger batches..both ways worked.
That is just one example.
I havent bought new soil in a decade.
I just keep adding lots of compost, dried stinging nettle, pee, powdered gypsum, perlite, vermiculite, aloe, etc. and let amended soil sit for a bit before using.....
Also have used in pots kind of like a perpetual no till or empty pots out into single bigger batches..both ways worked.
That is just one example.
I reuse my soil. It gets better over time depending on what your inputs are. Here is my current mix
Re-amend Old Soil Recipe:
Per Cubic Foot of Old Soil add:
1/2 Gallon of Premium Thermal Compost
1/2 Gallon of Vermicompost or Worm Castings
1/2 Cup Gypsum
1/2 Cup Oyster Shell Flour
1/2 Cup Basalt
1/2 Cup Kashi Blend
2 Cups BuildASoil Craft Blend
Compost for 2 - 3 weeks before use.
Re-amend Old Soil Recipe:
Per Cubic Foot of Old Soil add:
1/2 Gallon of Premium Thermal Compost
1/2 Gallon of Vermicompost or Worm Castings
1/2 Cup Gypsum
1/2 Cup Oyster Shell Flour
1/2 Cup Basalt
1/2 Cup Kashi Blend
2 Cups BuildASoil Craft Blend
Compost for 2 - 3 weeks before use.
TheSadVeryBadMadGrower
Wait...what?
I have been reusing soil for a while now. Fox Farm Ocean Forest at that too....If I use fresh soil in FFOF, I wait to feed.....if it's used soil, I run about 20 gallons of water through it. Let it sit a couple days then I feed week 1 at 25%.
H.A.F.
a.k.a. Rusty Nails
I like the consistency of new soil. I'd hate to add too much of something to a re-dirt mix and start killing crops until I figured out what I did wrong.
There are a few exceptions though. Running regs I reuse the soil from the males to up-pot the females once I find out sex.
Everything else gets moved to the raised beds or pots for the vegetable garden. I haven't bought tomato soil in years
There are a few exceptions though. Running regs I reuse the soil from the males to up-pot the females once I find out sex.
Everything else gets moved to the raised beds or pots for the vegetable garden. I haven't bought tomato soil in years
D
Deleted member 60
Guest
Thanks for that recharge recipe @J.James.
When I was growing for profit I always bought new soil. Built an entire berm at one of my old grow houses with used soil and hydroton. Fuck I hate that shit. LOL. Talk about a dead giveaway yer growing dope. Those little red balls are it....
These days.....with no real outlet for product....I started reusing my soil about 5 years ago both indoor and out. Filling 12 - 30 gallon smartpots for the outside fun takes about 40 - 1.5 cu. ft bags... so $600 or so depending on what you buy/where you buy it/if they like you at the hydro store/etc. Had to play to get things goin'....but only buy a few bags here/there now to replace what the wife steals from the pile for her flowers/etc. I usually buy just enough new soil to bed/sit the plant in at the onset....along with some mychorrizae....and we are off to the races. Was thinking about trying "Recharge" (now i'm waffling with J.James info offered).......anyone have any opinion/input here on this product? All I've really heard is good...other than the cost...but that's standard in this game.
When I was growing for profit I always bought new soil. Built an entire berm at one of my old grow houses with used soil and hydroton. Fuck I hate that shit. LOL. Talk about a dead giveaway yer growing dope. Those little red balls are it....
These days.....with no real outlet for product....I started reusing my soil about 5 years ago both indoor and out. Filling 12 - 30 gallon smartpots for the outside fun takes about 40 - 1.5 cu. ft bags... so $600 or so depending on what you buy/where you buy it/if they like you at the hydro store/etc. Had to play to get things goin'....but only buy a few bags here/there now to replace what the wife steals from the pile for her flowers/etc. I usually buy just enough new soil to bed/sit the plant in at the onset....along with some mychorrizae....and we are off to the races. Was thinking about trying "Recharge" (now i'm waffling with J.James info offered).......anyone have any opinion/input here on this product? All I've really heard is good...other than the cost...but that's standard in this game.
H.A.F.
a.k.a. Rusty Nails
I think my aversion to re-using comes from trying a 'super-soil' recipe.
The $$ I spent to make this soil that supposedly needed nothing but water until harvest didn't work as advertised, and I could have bought twice to three times the new soil for the same price and zero effort or waiting.
So when I see the list of stuff to reamend the soil I just see work and $$. I get that some of the stuff you only use a little of, but the startup cost to get a bag of everything needed would be something to take into consideration.
The $$ I spent to make this soil that supposedly needed nothing but water until harvest didn't work as advertised, and I could have bought twice to three times the new soil for the same price and zero effort or waiting.
So when I see the list of stuff to reamend the soil I just see work and $$. I get that some of the stuff you only use a little of, but the startup cost to get a bag of everything needed would be something to take into consideration.
D
Deleted member 60
Guest
I'm not a fan of "super soil" or any other pre-ferted mixes. It's a loss of control just waiting to happen for my money. I can see trying such an approach in a guerilla grow situation where you can't visit often to fert/etc...but for a home grow...that just takes a buncha the fun out of it here. I like to read my plants and adjust...not watch them struggle (helplessly) cus I thought I could cover all the bases in one fell swoop and forget about it. For me...buying a few items to get it all going again is less than $100....buying new soil..as i said...is about $600. It does take some elbow grease to get it all broken up/get the roots out from last season....but I have the time...so no big whoop here.
I tested the mix from last year right out of the container this year with the new soilpH/EC pens. 6.65 pH.....450ppms. Just gonna ease everyone in with some compost tea (EWC, alfalfa meal, feather meal, steamed bone meal, fish bone meal, natural calcite, and kelp) and a heaping dose of mykos and watch the magic begin.
Still waffling on ferts for this run. That is where I spend my $$$ for the most part. A bottle of this..a bottle of that. I continually feed my girls so I go 1/4 to 1/3rd strength on every irrigation cycle rather than a fert/water/water regime. Keeps me from overferting/causing my own problems. I can be a space case from time to time. I find it easier to just put in a smaller amount than to try to keep track of it all. I water daily.....so it all blends together after a bit...LOL. I'm not the kinda guy who keeps notes and shit either. Gave that up about 30 years ago...LOL. I have a stopwatch i use when i water so i can give everyone roughly the same amount. the first few years i was just doing a count in my head but if I get good and high..which i always do before heading to the garden...I'd be watering away...in some distant thought....no count...and go..."FUCK". that or the wife would show and start talking to me while i'm trying to count. You guys who are married know about that shit though....LOL. Fuck me for tryin to have my own thoughts...LOL. What was I thinking? (literally)
Gonna be a few busy days. Weed...veggies...and a buncha flowers to transplant. Off we go..........
I tested the mix from last year right out of the container this year with the new soilpH/EC pens. 6.65 pH.....450ppms. Just gonna ease everyone in with some compost tea (EWC, alfalfa meal, feather meal, steamed bone meal, fish bone meal, natural calcite, and kelp) and a heaping dose of mykos and watch the magic begin.
Still waffling on ferts for this run. That is where I spend my $$$ for the most part. A bottle of this..a bottle of that. I continually feed my girls so I go 1/4 to 1/3rd strength on every irrigation cycle rather than a fert/water/water regime. Keeps me from overferting/causing my own problems. I can be a space case from time to time. I find it easier to just put in a smaller amount than to try to keep track of it all. I water daily.....so it all blends together after a bit...LOL. I'm not the kinda guy who keeps notes and shit either. Gave that up about 30 years ago...LOL. I have a stopwatch i use when i water so i can give everyone roughly the same amount. the first few years i was just doing a count in my head but if I get good and high..which i always do before heading to the garden...I'd be watering away...in some distant thought....no count...and go..."FUCK". that or the wife would show and start talking to me while i'm trying to count. You guys who are married know about that shit though....LOL. Fuck me for tryin to have my own thoughts...LOL. What was I thinking? (literally)
Gonna be a few busy days. Weed...veggies...and a buncha flowers to transplant. Off we go..........
Old ST1R
Grow Yer Own Stone
Exactly! Super soil and/or its ingredients aren’t cheap! I think liquid nutes are cheaper, and as @stiickygreen pointed out, more fun and appropriate for an indoor grow.
Sparrowhawk420
Insanely Active Member
No disrespect to Subcool, he's a legend, but that's cos' 'supersoil' was totally out of balance in the 1st place, re-cycling it would've been a nightmare................
H.A.F.
a.k.a. Rusty Nails
Something as "simple" as adjusting the pH (and it fluctuating as the soil ages) is enough of a turn off for me.
H.A.F.
a.k.a. Rusty Nails
I tried FFOF - too hot.
FFHF was good,
I got some FF LuckyDog cheap in bulk, but it was a little too perlite-heavy for my style of growing. Mixed it with the FFHF until it was all gone and it was OK
Tried Roots Organic Greenfields and had about the same results as with the FFHF. Also had two bags at different times that weren't mixed for shit. They had large rocks and sticks, and each was coated with a little wet mud-ball of something. Like they put the dirt in a cement mixer and don't screen it or something.
Switching back the FFHF for a bit and then who knows.
FFHF was good,
I got some FF LuckyDog cheap in bulk, but it was a little too perlite-heavy for my style of growing. Mixed it with the FFHF until it was all gone and it was OK
Tried Roots Organic Greenfields and had about the same results as with the FFHF. Also had two bags at different times that weren't mixed for shit. They had large rocks and sticks, and each was coated with a little wet mud-ball of something. Like they put the dirt in a cement mixer and don't screen it or something.
Switching back the FFHF for a bit and then who knows.
Sparrowhawk420
Insanely Active Member
Yeah, I've gotta admit, there's a learning curve to it and you've ALWAYS got to ADD new compost, peat(or coco) and aeration. The key is good compost and not over amending, the micro-organisms should look after the ph.
H.A.F.
a.k.a. Rusty Nails
Another factor that may be unique to me (or a few) is that I am testing seeds. Not only does that make my seed expense zero, but I already have lights, tents, ventilation, etc. Soil and nutes is my only expense. Because I get a free pack of seeds to run and am expected to produce a plant worthy of a photo and a decent smoke report, I don't want a lot of extra variables.
As far as the ROGF soil, I posted pics of what I found on here somewhere. It was good soil, and the plants I have grown in it have been fine. But if their ingredients are so scientifically engineered to do whatever, I'd like to at least know they mixed it up enough that one bag has the same stuff as the next.
Don't get me wrong, I know all soil has sticks in it, bio-char and whatnot. Rocks? Maybe small chips of whatever, but not actual rocks. It was the fact that each one was found in the middle of a large ball of compacted peat/guano/whatever - which was not mixed into the soil
crimsonecho
Self-Proclaimed Don Quixote
Lots of great input. I reuse soil but for seedling i keep a bag of light mix. reused soil gets heavier over time and while mature plants or established cuts do fine in it, i have seen seedlings struggle with it. So i germinate in little pots filled with biobizz light-mix. But yeah, i reuse all my peat based mixes.
LordKoos
Member
At one time I re-used soil when I was growing to sell, but now it goes into my wife's outside garden beds when I'm done with it indoors. The soil in our area needs a lot of help as it's alkaline clay so it's a win-win. I've been having really good luck with the Ocean Forest and Happy Frog soil mixes, the OF is pretty hot so I do about 1/4 to 1/3 of that and the rest Happy Frog with some added dolomite lime and azomite. The plants love it.