How to compost a large amount of soil?

hi I was just wondering if y'all have any ideas on what I can do with all my used soil. I currently have 4 plants in 100 gallon pots each. I also have even more used soil piling up in my backyard, probably enough to fill up another two 100 gal pots. I have no idea how to handle all this. Only thing I can think of is buy about twenty 55 gal barrels, but that sounds like it would be a major pain in the ass. Hopefully y'all might have some sort of genius idea. Thanks for reading

I know a guy out in cali that uses one of those portable dumpsters to recycle soil. He has tarps set up on top.

bertaluchi said:

I know a guy out in cali that uses one of those portable dumpsters to recycle soil. He has tarps set up on top.

Click to expand...

I was actually thinking about getting something like that. I don't know what else I could fit all the soil in. Seems like that may be crossing the boundaries a tad bit tho because I'm in a rental house and have just enough room to keep the four plants Hidden. Plus I don't have a truck to carry big stuff like that. I wish I knew a master gardener that lived close by haha.

Just start reading the Recycled Organic Living Soil thread in the organics section and you will be well on your way to being that awesome gardener!

Why is your used soil piling up? You keep adding to it? You don't reuse it?

Rasta Roy said:

Why is your used soil piling up? You keep adding to it? You don't reuse it?

Click to expand...

Precisely lol

Will Ferrell said:

Precisely lol

Click to expand...

Sounds like a simple solution friend! Reuse your soil instead of throwing it out! Or do a no till garden where you don't move your soil ever. I reuse my soil but am starting to move towards no till.

I have a garage full of tubs of soil stacked up ready to go. Whenever I cut down, I break the rootballs out, throw em in my compost pile. The reused dirt goes into tubs, I mix in compost, and worm castings. Mix em up and store the tubs. The previously stored tubs are what I plant my new round in. The newly stored soil will sit in tubs until I cut down the next round and repeat the process.

Why don't you reuse it ?

compost pile. turn every few months for aeration.

sworth said:

Why don't you reuse it ?

Click to expand...

Because high times told him not to.

cat of curiosity said:

compost pile. turn every few months for aeration.

Click to expand...

That sounds like something I can manage. It's kinda what I've been doing, except it's literally just a big pile. I think I'll just gets some wood and make a big box flower bed type thing and just cover it with a tarp. Sounds easy enough lol. Thanks for the ideas! Seems kinda like a no brainer now lol.

sworth said:

Why don't you reuse it ?

Click to expand...

Honestly laziness is probably the main reason. It just seemed easier to buy it new. But now it got to the point where there's no more room to keep piling it up. On a good note I probably won't ever have to buy soil again haha.

I have been starting some raised beds for vegetables and am going to have to build a soil, since the top soil around here is about 6 inches deep. I sure wish I had a few truck loads of used cannabis soil going spare...

Will Ferrell said:

Honestly laziness is probably the main reason. It just seemed easier to buy it new. But now it got to the point where there's no more room to keep piling it up. On a good note I probably won't ever have to buy soil again haha.

Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat ....guna start reusing it got a huge pile of ffof that I've just been dumping filling holes with. Lol. But I'm guna try to turn it and then ammend it for next years outs

Will Ferrell said:

Honestly laziness is probably the main reason. It just seemed easier to buy it new. But now it got to the point where there's no more room to keep piling it up. On a good note I probably won't ever have to buy soil again haha.

Click to expand...

Hey, @greasemonkeymann got me composting it with lawn clippings. He said that the soil will make up the "browns" and you just have to add the "greens". I have a lawn mower with a bagger and I have about 1 1/2 acre lawn.


The blue tarp is my main mix, the stuff that is steaming is waiting for the blue tarp to finish. I bet that there is 200-300 gallons there. The pallets are my worm bin. 4 sections that 3'x3'






7x35gal totes, a 55gal trashcan, and 16gal= 316gallons

You can consider doing a no-till in some of those 100g's. Topdress with several inches of good compost and EWC with live worms, chopped comfrey leaves, a little neem cake, gypsum, kelp, etc. Moisten well and mulch thoroughly and add cover crop if you want. If you create a mini ecosystem within the pots you can let the microbes, and cover crop do the composting and tilling for you just replant in the same pots.