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 LaChoy
Stranger
Registered: 12/06/12
Posts: 3
Last seen: 11 years, 8 months
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 Reuse soil? 
#660895 - 03/02/13 11:07 PM (11 years, 8 months ago) |
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So i had to chop 3 plants that were males and now i have this soil that is full of roots. Can i reuse this soil? Can i use it strait away or compost it? The soil is a mix of foxfarm ocean forest and light warrior. With some perlite and vermiculite.
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zzzzzz
Stranger
Registered: 02/18/13
Posts: 136
Last seen: 11 years, 7 months
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Re: Reuse soil? [Re: LaChoy]
#660947 - 03/03/13 11:34 AM (11 years, 8 months ago) |
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Yes.
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 Hawksresurrection
Registered: 12/04/08
Posts: 13,464
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Re: Reuse soil? [Re: zzzzzz]
#661697 - 03/10/13 12:41 PM (11 years, 8 months ago) |
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No! You don't want to reuse it. The roots will start to rot, which in a closed system is not ideal. So I use it for my outdoor beds.
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Dude she isn't as young as she use to be.
-niteowl
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zzzzzz
Stranger
Registered: 02/18/13
Posts: 136
Last seen: 11 years, 7 months
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Quote:
hawksapprentice said:
No! You don't want to reuse it. The roots will start to rot, which in a closed system is not ideal. So I use it for my outdoor beds.
So, Hawk, what about the roots from a cut-down hermie or male in a multi-plant per pot setup? I haven't seen any negative consequences yet from this. Then again, perhaps it's my lack of vision that stops me from seeing?
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Hawksresurrection
Registered: 12/04/08
Posts: 13,464
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Re: Reuse soil? [Re: zzzzzz]
#662929 - 03/20/13 06:22 PM (11 years, 8 months ago) |
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Or you've just been lucky.
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Dude she isn't as young as she use to be.
-niteowl
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DrGreenThumb
Registered: 08/09/08
Posts: 487
Loc: Phish Tour 
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Quote:
hawksapprentice said:
No! You don't want to reuse it. The roots will start to rot, which in a closed system is not ideal. So I use it for my outdoor beds.
I have to respectfully disagree here. I live in an upstairs apartment and replacing soil every time is just not practical (knee problems, hence the card). I've been re-using my soil mix for 4 crops now with no ill effects. The way I see it is if they grow good in it the first time then it should be a good medium and work again.
I have two friends who also grow. One reuses his soil and the other replaces it every time because he has read things like this online. The one who reuses his soil gets more consistent results and better harvests then the guy who replaces. The guy who replaces seems to have more problems with his plants (yellowing, nutrient lockout, smaller budz). All of our equipment is exactly the same and we share clones so it's a pretty good indicator that it has something to do with medium.
We've been reusing a 50/50 mix of Sta-Green Moisture Max and Pro-Mix BX. We fortify it every run with some lime and earthworm castings. The friend who replaces uses a 50/50 of Sunshine Mix #4 and Pro-Mix BX. He replaces his soil because he doesn't want the hassle of breaking up root balls. We take his soil (after one harvest) and either mix a little in with our reused soil or dump it outside for use in the spring.
Medium is expensive. I started with Sta-Green because it was cheaper and I'm soooo glad I did; my plants love that shit. It costs about $200 to fill 30 5gals. with medium. That's $1,200 a year. Reusing costs me much less; bag of lime and castings. Plus like I mentioned earlier, I can't haul all that dirt up and down the stairs here every 2 months.
This spring I will have had my medium for a year. All of it will be used outdoor this spring and replaced. I will reuse the new soil for another year (6 Harvests). All you have to do is let the root ball dry out, break it up in a big Sterilite tote, take the big roots out. Throw in a little lime and like 2 cups of castings per 5 gal., Mix and moisturize.
Grow medium has all kinds of bacteria, molds, trichoderma, mycorrhiza and the like in it. These are important to the the plant and feed off (break down) the old roots in the medium and convert them into useful nutrients for the plant and the microbiology in your medium. If your roots rot you have bigger problems than reusing your medium.
I see 2 large gardens and about 50 healthy ladies that say you can reuse your medium. Not everyone replaces it.
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“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” -Dr. Seuss
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Hawksresurrection
Registered: 12/04/08
Posts: 13,464
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And eventually they could definitely run into problems, or they might not.
Are they using any products to help break down the roots? Besides something like PCH biopack
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Dude she isn't as young as she use to be.
-niteowl
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zzzzzz
Stranger
Registered: 02/18/13
Posts: 136
Last seen: 11 years, 7 months
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Quote:
hawksapprentice said:
Or you've just been lucky.
Oh, I'm lucky, all right. It's just that my luck normally doesn't swing in the positive direction.
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Hawksresurrection
Registered: 12/04/08
Posts: 13,464
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Re: Reuse soil? [Re: zzzzzz]
#663102 - 03/21/13 02:44 PM (11 years, 8 months ago) |
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Since you can't go up and down stairs easily, have you thought of switching to hydro?
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Dude she isn't as young as she use to be.
-niteowl
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NSFWMainer
Maine-iac
Registered: 04/17/12
Posts: 67
Last seen: 11 years, 5 months
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Lol. I know the feeling dude. I know the feeling.
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Angus
Trailer Park Supervisor
Registered: 01/31/09
Posts: 194
Loc: Middle east coast
Last seen: 10 years, 7 months
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Re: Reuse soil? [Re: NSFWMainer]
#665582 - 04/10/13 05:57 PM (11 years, 7 months ago) |
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Yes, you can compost it..or screen out the roots out of the soil, re-amend and reuse.
If you really feel like doing some reading on the subject; cruise on over to breedbay and check out posts by user 'HASHISH'
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I used to grow pot. I still do grow pot, but I used to grow it too.
*Seedsharer*
You got my cheez whiz, boy?
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420milehigh
neo-shaman
Registered: 03/08/13
Posts: 32
Last seen: 11 years, 4 months
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Quote:
hawksapprentice said:
No! You don't want to reuse it. The roots will start to rot, which in a closed system is not ideal. So I use it for my outdoor beds.
if your roots are rotting it is because you keep your soil too moist, let it dry out almost fully before watering again... you'll get denser buds and more THC, also re-used soil has a TON of good stuff in it especially if you cycle your soil so it sits for a couple months before re-use... I also add some composted horse and chicken crap to my soil and feed the plants every week with High nitrogen bat guano in veg and high phos in bloom, my soil is HEALTHY... I honestly don't believe soil goes bad EVER
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anything I post is either a complete work of fiction or a straight up lie... don't believe anything I say
"any fool can criticize, condemn and complain... and most fools do" Benjamin Franklin
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Hawksresurrection
Registered: 12/04/08
Posts: 13,464
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You are not understanding what I said. The roots from the old system are going to rot and decay, regardless of how much you water it.
You're beliefs are you're beliefs. There are ways to reuse the soil, and recycle them. But it's different from just replanting in the same soil again and again, without doing anything to it.
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Dude she isn't as young as she use to be.
-niteowl
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SmokeSomeHash
Littlest pee pee on da block
Registered: 02/26/13
Posts: 1,555
Loc: murica
Last seen: 8 years, 9 months
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Compost it.
I get lazy and replant every now and then...sometimes it works...sometimes it doesn't
For sure though its not as good as fresh soil.
I use a 55 gal compost tumbler to compost my soil for like 2-3 weeks before re using...longer in winter.
I recharge it with more compost but again...takes a few weeks to do it right. I usually dump em into my outdoor beds like hawk.
Does more good in the ground anyways where the worms can break shit down faster.
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420milehigh
neo-shaman
Registered: 03/08/13
Posts: 32
Last seen: 11 years, 4 months
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Quote:
hawksapprentice said:
There are ways to reuse the soil, and recycle them. But it's different from just replanting in the same soil again and again, without doing anything to it.
I do agree it isn't smart to just keep re-planting in the same soil time after time, without doing anything to the soil... but nutrients don't rot so I do a "lazy" compost I guess, and it works great for me JMHO
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anything I post is either a complete work of fiction or a straight up lie... don't believe anything I say
"any fool can criticize, condemn and complain... and most fools do" Benjamin Franklin
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710dillweed
Stranger
Registered: 10/20/13
Posts: 2
Last seen: 11 years, 1 day
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if u re amend your soil with fungi/bacteria or can create a living soil like outdoors u can reuse it a few times...trichoderma and enzymes break down dead roots and other waste and turns it into food... I recommend trying a living soil it takes time to create but u would be surprised how awesome it is.. www.biotabs.eu is my sponsor in Holland look into it
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710dillweed
Stranger
Registered: 10/20/13
Posts: 2
Last seen: 11 years, 1 day
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Log in to view attachment
there are ways to make soil better with age. if u don't use synthetics u can... I don't like explaining but if ur interested look into it...symbiotic relationship with all bacteria/fungi/enzymes/fulvic and humic acids...all waste is converted to food
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Doc
stoner
Registered: 03/27/11
Posts: 186
Loc: New Caledonia
Last seen: 10 years, 1 month
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I've reused soil, both by sifting it out and just straight repotting with fresh roots in there, the roots do rot, but I always figured since I've never had soil or root diseases that the rotting of the roots would actually provide ideal material for the new roots to use to grow. I don't know if this is true but it would seem like if any bacteria broke down the roots that the new plants would use all those carbs and whatever else is in those roots to grow. But there may be noxious gases and other wastes that harm your plant. I actually just repotted on into a bucket full of used peat and perlite without even breaking it up or sifting it, the plant is doing horrible...so I definitely won't recommend it unless your in a pinch. One thing to consider is flushing the old soil with some Dawn, or other dish soap that is mild and free of chemicals, or a proper flushing agent if you really have to reuse it.
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No one is free when others are oppressed
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NaturesWayGenetics
Stranger
Registered: 07/20/15
Posts: 2
Last seen: 9 years, 4 months
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Re: Reuse soil? [Re: zzzzzz]
#786086 - 07/20/15 12:21 PM (9 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
zzzzzz said:
Quote:
hawksapprentice said:
No! You don't want to reuse it. The roots will start to rot, which in a closed system is not ideal. So I use it for my outdoor beds.
So, Hawk, what about the roots from a cut-down hermie or male in a multi-plant per pot setup? I haven't seen any negative consequences yet from this. Then again, perhaps it's my lack of vision that stops me from seeing?
I'm going to have to disagree with anyone who says soil can't be reused! This is pure nonsense.
If you couldn't reuse soil, would the earth and all that had lived on it be dead? NO because Root Decay is an essential part of the life cycle.
To Reuse your soil and soilless mediums, Simply Compost it for a month at a temp of 70 degrees Fer. with all the usual amendments that you put in your soil along with lime to help break down old roots and buffer the soil for an easier to manage PH %
I realize that since this post was started a lot has changed in Marijuana cultivation.
But let's stop the spread of misinformation on this and all other Canna related sites. Some People are New to growing and want responsible and correct answers to their questions. These types of sites are known to be filled with way too much mis-information.
Please Respond to my poll on this subject
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SmokeSomeHash
Littlest pee pee on da block
Registered: 02/26/13
Posts: 1,555
Loc: murica
Last seen: 8 years, 9 months
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Great first post. I reuse soil, coco, even rockwool. So does our local university. 70 degrees is low though. Properly made compost needs to be hot enough to kill harmful bacterias. I have my compost bin out in the 100 degree sun right now and the internals get up to like 160.
A great organic potting mix is 1:1:1 coco, perlite, compost so anyone saying re used soil will rot containers just isnt doin it right.
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