Reusing medium - poor technique

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VinnieV

VinnieV

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Hello all!

This week was my first attempt at reusing my mapito (rockwool / coco coir blend) - my system is a flood and drain room, feeding from the bottom. I use the canna aqua range.

On the last two weeks of harvest I flushed with good old water and some h202.

Then I dump the medium in another pot to ‘turn it upside down’ since the top stays dry throughout the majority of the flower cycle.

My mistake was - I just flushed by feeding from the bottom, the same method used when I typically feed.

BUT (face palm moment) with the medium turned upside down, some residue of the flower nutes must have remained in the medium, and behold my horror:

Reusing medium   poor technique
Reusing medium   poor technique 2
Reusing medium   poor technique 3


I clearly fecked it!

Now of course the first thing I done was flush with water and then does with 1/4 strength veg nutes (2 weeks to flip) and they have peeled back up, reaching toward the light slightly, certainly not dropping like they were!

But I don’t know if this stress is more hassle than it’s worth. Should I put the girls in the compost and reset - or carry on... anyone else experienced this?

I could certainly do with some advice on recycling growing medium!

Looking forward to your feedback lads - head thoroughly hung in shame!!
 
MIMedGrower

MIMedGrower

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I think you just showed why to avoid recycling growing mediums. I want to start fresh.
 
VinnieV

VinnieV

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I think you just showed why to avoid recycling growing mediums. I want to start fresh.
This also could be wise. And possibly the route I end up taking after trying a full medium soak with h202.

Not in a legal state so the less bags I carry in and out the better!
 
VinnieV

VinnieV

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This also could be wise. And possibly the route I end up taking after trying a full medium soak with h202.

Not in a legal state so the less bags I carry in and out the better!
I should also add I’ll be using a generous dose of cannazym after a good soak and flush along with my usual nutes
 
cemchris

cemchris

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anytime when using an ebb & flo setup you need to flush nutes/water through the top of the medium at least once a week if not more. If not you will get a buildup at the water level. If this is over a course of a whole grow without anything going in the top you will have a pretty significant build that flushing a couple times won't take care of.
 
VinnieV

VinnieV

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anytime when using an ebb & flo setup you need to flush nutes/water through the top of the medium at least once a week if not more. If not you will get a buildup at the water level. If this is over a course of a whole grow without anything going in the top you will have a pretty significant build that flushing a couple times won't take care of.
That makes total sense.

Quite hard to water from the top as I run my room Dutch style and it’s not possible to get access, particularly with the net up.

I’ve come across a few seasoned pros on here that reuse medium (racker comes to mind but I’m aware he’s been inactive a while) in the same set up - so if I can dig up a solution I’d certainly be interested to give it a try. It’s not unheard of they’ve reused the same medium for a year... 😅
 
VinnieV

VinnieV

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I always heard you can rinse and reuse coco.
I have done this successfully previously! I would just soak in a mild bleach solution and up the cannazym during flush to drench the medium and help break down dead roots after clones were transplanted...

I don’t see why the same principle wouldn’t work with mapito. I guess the trick is in taking into consideration the watering method...
 
VinnieV

VinnieV

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As cheap as coco is tho I have never seen a reason to unless you are using the $30+ a bag of biobizz stuff lol or are in big ass beds/pots. Not like you actually have any loose coco in a pot after a grow with a 3 gal or less. Usually just solid root mass.
Again the main reason is safety really. Not legal where I am - so carrying 37 bags of medium into the space every 3 months is unnecessary risk :/

Still trying to dive deeper into best practice for recycling!
 
stanknkatz

stanknkatz

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Again the main reason is safety really. Not legal where I am - so carrying 37 bags of medium into the space every 3 months is unnecessary risk :/

Still trying to dive deeper into best practice for recycling!
You might consider going to fiber based brick coco instead of using that chunky husk coco I see in your pots. Lot easier to "stealth" into your house with no one noticing, just put them in a bag and nobody's the wiser.

When I first started in coco I used that chunky stuff. After I made the switch to fiber, I never looked back.
 
VinnieV

VinnieV

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You might consider going to fiber based brick coco instead of using that chunky husk coco I see in your pots. Lot easier to "stealth" into your house with no one noticing, just put them in a bag and nobody's the wiser.

When I first started in coco I used that chunky stuff. After I made the switch to fiber, I never looked back.
Thanks for the advice! I’ll start researching the product now. What does your method for prepping for the next round look like?
 
stanknkatz

stanknkatz

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What does your method for prepping for the next round look like?
K.I.S.S.
I hydrate it in a big old plastic tub lined with some 60 mesh silkscreen from the shop with ro water, squeeze as much liquid as I can from it, fill my pots and drop a plant in it. I never re-use, like @cemchris said, stuffs too cheap to not get new. Also avoids problems like not having rinsed the old stuff enough not to mention working harder than a 1 legged man at an azz kicking contest flushing all the old stuff.

I don't charge it with anything. Until they get established I give them light feedings of alaskan fish oil hand watered. Because it just will not burn them. Couple weeks in I flush again and start using an coco perfect, again, less is usually more, and keeps me from burning the snot out of them. Plants will tell me if they need more.
 
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