Can you reuse soil after a harvest?

[Garbage_bear]

I just watched a Youtube about some organic outfit in Colorado(I think.) It was all living soil. A HUGE outfit. All indoors. They had hundreds or thousands of these beds probably 4'x8' of living soil. They had marigold plants and such growing next to the cannabis. The dude said that he was on his 60th something run with re-using soil! It was fascinating. I wish I had the link.

 

[Poekie]

Have been recycling my soil for over a decade now.
My biggest help ?
Worms, they do most of the work, they are fabulous.
After harvest, around november, i leave the old soil outside on a big pile.

Adding lots of manure (friend with horses, neighbour with sheep), algae, guano, bonemeal and bloodmeal, some ashes from woodfire, some humus and leaves that i find under a big algarrobo tree(carob), and thats about it.

I grow broadbeans on top of the pile, they add nitrogen to the soil, and grow well here in the winter.
Also grow lots of Marygold against nematodes.

Never had any problems.
Stays wet from rain and gets warm from sunshine in spring, ready to use when i start planting outside around June.

Even when i moved to another place i took my soil with me, aint leaving it behind...

 

[elusiveshame]

some ashes from woodfire

Would pellet stove ash be good? How much do you add?

I have a smallish pile outside right now myself, so maybe I'll attempt to use that in a pot or 2 this year.

 

[Poekie]

Would pellet stove ash be good? How much do you add?

I have a smallish pile outside right now myself, so maybe I'll attempt to use that in a pot or 2 this year.

Not sure about pellet ash, i would also like to know...
I add just a small amount of woodash, as it does raise the pH.

 

[simonkay]

The whole point to organic growing is to reuse the soil. Really good soil is developed over years and if your growing organically its a waste to throw it out after each grow.

on a large scale soil testing is done and amendments are added based on results.

im not an organic guy so im not the guy to help you with this. I have a lot of respect for those who do organics right and build their soil structure year after year

Hi bro, would you mind helping me find a good recipe for potting soil that i can use nutes with, i was gonna import some ff happy frog in but the shipping is so much i need to make a similar soil to eventually use with liquid nutes. Any help is always appreciated

 

[Aqua Man]

Hi bro, would you mind helping me find a good recipe for potting soil that i can use nutes with, i was gonna import some ff happy frog in but the shipping is so much i need to make a similar soil to eventually use with liquid nutes. Any help is always appreciated

You want a soil to use with synthetic nutrients? Or organic amendments? im not much of a soil guy but have used peat

 

[simonkay]

You want a soil to use with synthetic nutrients? Or organic amendments? im not much of a soil guy but have used peat

For now ive only grown with synth nutes, i normally brought soil for cannabis from grow shops in UK but in Mexico we just got home depot generic stuff and alot of gardening centres using unbranded soils. I want to grow in airpots under LEDs and figure on my first few runs ill be safer with nutes whilst i learn more about organics , the original plan was to import ff happy frog and go 50/50 with amendments. But import& shipping doubles the price so i gotta make my own copy down here. Any help is always appreciated

 

[Aqua Man]

For now ive only grown with synth nutes, i normally brought soil for cannabis from grow shops in UK but in Mexico we just got home depot generic stuff and alot of gardening centres using unbranded soils. I want to grow in airpots under LEDs and figure on my first few runs ill be safer with nutes whilst i learn more about organics , the original plan was to import ff happy frog and go 50/50 with amendments. But import& shipping doubles the price so i gotta make my own copy down here. Any help is always appreciated

Yeah im not that knowledgeable on the who soil mix thing. I have used peat/perlite with synthetics.
i do use soil and amendments in the garden but thats a whole nother story.
ppl here with much more knowledge on this than i have

 

[RootsRuler]

Hi bro, would you mind helping me find a good recipe for potting soil that i can use nutes with, i was gonna import some ff happy frog in but the shipping is so much i need to make a similar soil to eventually use with liquid nutes. Any help is always appreciated

Hey Brother! I may be more of who you need to query as I have a few dirt grows under my belt.

As far as soil mixes the hardware store stuff will be fine as long as you don't buy one that has been fortified with this or that and is sterilized for pathogens. Brands like Miracle Gro amend stuff into the soil that may not be conducive to maximizing your yield. If you want to make your own soil you really want to start with a blank canvas basic potting mix so that no surprises jump out at you midgrow.

- 3 parts organic starter soil
- 1 part perlite
- 1 part worm castings
- ½ cup greensand
- ⅓ cup guano
- ½ cup dolomite lime

Mix it all up and soak it with water for a couple of days and let it run off and dry back this way the mix isn't too hot. I would try and collect the runoff as this can act as a sort of tea. Of course you won't know how hot it is so I would try it out a little at a time on your plants to see how they react.

DO NOT use with seeds or clones as this mix will be too hot for them and will burn them. I would reserve some of the basic mix and use it to dilute the soil you'll use for seedlings and clones. I'd go 1/1 hot to basic mix for seeds and clones.

 

[RootsRuler]

You can also add blood meal, Epsom salts, rock phosphate, dolomite, bone meal and azomite. These promote the volumes of potassium, nitrogen and phosphate your plant will need during it's life but will also make your soil hotter so you need to be careful you don't go overboard. It's all about balance which is why most just go to store bought like FF or RO or HF.

 

[simonkay]

You can also add blood meal, Epsom salts, rock phosphate, dolomite, bone meal and azomite. These promote the volumes of potassium, nitrogen and phosphate your plant will need during it's life but will also make your soil hotter so you need to be careful you don't go overboard. It's all about balance which is why most just go to store bought like FF or RO or HF.

Thanks bro really appreciate the help, im gonna try and price up some gaia green hopefully order that and maybe dilute the soil a bit more with coco and vermiculite and top dress