Using Soil That Has Been Stored In Rubbermaid Trash Cans.

[mike hunt]

I mixed up three batches of soil, that I never got around to using. I stored them in 6, 32 gallon rubbermaid trash cans. Two of the cans have a light moldy, skunky, cat piss smell to them.

Im sure that I didnt do the soil beasties any favors by storing the soil how I did. What can I do to make sure the life in the soil comes back?

Thanks, MH.

 

[Seamaiden]

If they have a pee odor to them that's ammonia (N) going into the atmosphere. If it were me, I'd pull the soil out and mix in a new inoculation of microbes, turn it a few times.

 

[slap14]

I've had that happen in trash cans before to the point it smells like an outhouse. I just just dumped it out on a tarp for half a day raked through it every couple hours and put it back in the trash can. Did that a couple more times and it went back to that nice fresh soil smell.

Good luck

Slap

 

[mike hunt]

I emptied out the cans on tarps and spread them out. Turned them for a few days, and put the soil back in to the cans. Seemed to help with the pee smell. Almost thinking about picking up a big smart pot or two and storing the soil in those.

 

[Psychonaut47]

Adding Soft rock phosphate before storage would have helped...I have the same situation that doesn't smell that bad yet but thank you for reminding me I should turn everything and add more from the leaf mold pile...

 

[Homesteader]

FYI- Cooking soil respirates A LOT. You could easily get to a dangerous amount (5000 ppm) CO2 in an insulated garage enough activity and decomposition going on.
https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/threads/free-co2-via-soil-respiration.83634/