reusing medium!!

I haven't bought soil in several years. I don't even bother to remove many of the smaller roots from the previous grow as they will decompose pretty quickly. I do take the time to flush the soil with plain water to help remove residual salts that can build up over time and finally check the pH. I'm not sure there is a limit to how many times this can be done.

I use recycled potting soil for my outdoor grow. I mix 1/3 native soil, 1/3 bumper crop soil builder, and 1/3 used soil and it makes a great mix. Indoors I'd just mix in some compost and worm castings before reusing. It's a lot cheaper to buy one bag of bumper crop than it is to buy several bags of soil.

The bumper crop I mentioned has chicken manure, kelp, oyster shells, micros, castings....all the goodies MJ likes.

Hey hey,

Very interesting....I always thought you needed new dirt...but i don't actually grow in soil very much.

I grow DWC and re-use the hydroton and the netpots. I bought a 50lbs bag about 3 years ago it still has about 48lbs in it. Some of my net pots are almost finished from ripping roots out but 50 cents for 3 years is pretty good..

Cheers,
SilverSerf

I dont recommend using old soil with the guts sucked out of it and prob fungas gnat larvae in the old soil for the most valuable plant in the world. New soil and perlite every grow and wash the pots with a bleach/detergent/water mix.

Also you use the same nutes in old soil as in new soil and the new soil will be streets ahead, the old soil one will be yellow, sickly, deficient and stunted.

*BUDS said:

I dont recommend using old soil with the guts sucked out of it and prob fungas gnat larvae in the old soil for the most valuable plant in the world. New soil and perlite every grow and wash the pots with a bleach/detergent/water mix.

Click to expand...

Surprised it took 3 pages for someone to finally say this. I don't reuse my soil either.

I can def. see both sides to this, where it can be good and bad at the same time. Id like to hear more opinions. I do agree with the naturals soils guts being taken out of the older soil. But that the same time you could just start your nutes out earlier since theres not as much in re used soil. Id say if you flush soil out very well after your grow and remove roots you should be fine. but at the same time Id like to say I like the Natural kick your getting out of brand new soil.

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w518/Carl_Spacklers/6ed2d19c.jpg

*BUDS said:

Also you use the same nutes in old soil as in new soil and the new soil will be streets ahead, the old soil one will be yellow, sickly, deficient and stunted.

Click to expand...

So is this theory based upon facts and/or experience or pure conjecture as I suspect? Soilless mixes,(such as the ones in question i.e. Foxfarms, Sunshine pro-mix etc) have mycorrhiza beneficial bacteria that has been added by the manufacturer(s) in small amounts. These bacteria are essential for healthy root development and enable the plant to breakdown basic macro/micro-nutrients (NPK) into a useable form. With re-use, these bacteria multiply exponentially making nutrient availability and dramatically improves the efficiency of amended nutrients. I suppose if I ever had a "fungus gnat" problem they would be transferred to the next grow and I would dispose of the media but, to date I've never seen them in any of my grows. I have some clones that are soon to be moved in to their final containers, maybe I should do a control study to test this theory but based on my 3 decades of grow experience I call bravo sierra. Hopefully you can see the plant in the link at the top...grown in 100% recycled soil approximately 6 yrs. old

i just started reusing my soil because it dawned on me one day, .... reduce, reuse, recycle. mother nature likes it when you do that and i have also done a side by side with some of my reused soil and some fresh ocean forest in a completely organic environment and the reused soil kicked the new soils ass. i don't think i would reuse if I was still using synthetics, unless i flushed the piss outta it. It's just one of those things you can do that IMO makes the grow a lot more easy. soil gets heavy having to tote a bunch from the store to the crib every 2-3 months.

you talk of taking the "guts" out, lol, your funny. i have a huge bucket where all my spent guano/castings go into after i brew my teas.... i forgot to mention that. every harvest I also take a good handful or two ( no measurement neaded ) of the spent goodness and mix it into the harvest soil. It then sits into a tote for about a month of so to break down a lil and replenish what was took during the flower. It kicks new soils ass. I use rainwater. i've done a side by side so thats all the info i need. the plants love the reused soil. I rip out the main rootball and lemme tell ya there are still a lot of roots when i toss it in the tote, but when i open the tote a month later the roots are a thing of the past, the beasties will break them down quite efficiently. I am also pissed that i went out and bought a digital ph reader back when i was using synthetics as i never ph anything anymore. Nature has a magical way of balancing your ph. The ph reader now probably has an inch of dust on it. If going organic, ph readers are a waste of paper. when io first started this game I often would read peoples quotes saying to K.I.S.S. ..... I feel now i have a better grasp on what they mean.

Carl Spackler said:

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w518/Carl_Spacklers/6ed2d19c.jpg
So is this theory based upon facts and/or experience or pure conjecture as I suspect? Soilless mixes,(such as the ones in question i.e. Foxfarms, Sunshine pro-mix etc) have mycorrhiza beneficial bacteria that has been added by the manufacturer(s) in small amounts. These bacteria are essential for healthy root development and enable the plant to breakdown basic macro/micro-nutrients (NPK) into a useable form. With re-use, these bacteria multiply exponentially making nutrient availability and dramatically improves the efficiency of amended nutrients. I suppose if I ever had a "fungus gnat" problem they would be transferred to the next grow and I would dispose of the media but, to date I've never seen them in any of my grows. I have some clones that are soon to be moved in to their final containers, maybe I should do a control study to test this theory but based on my 3 decades of grow experience I call bravo sierra. Hopefully you can see the plant in the link at the top...grown in 100% recycled soil approximately 6 yrs. old

Click to expand...

you my friend, are cool I have been inocullating with mycorrhizae only once during the veg stage once they get up-potted to their permanent flower home. But yea, i only innoculate them with some sporage once. On my observations I have noticed a big difference in feed uptake so i will continue to do so. grow on brother

Carl Spackler said:

http://i1079.photobucket.com/albums/w518/Carl_Spacklers/6ed2d19c.jpg
So is this theory based upon facts and/or experience or pure conjecture as I suspect? Soilless mixes,(such as the ones in question i.e. Foxfarms, Sunshine pro-mix etc) have mycorrhiza beneficial bacteria that has been added by the manufacturer(s) in small amounts. These bacteria are essential for healthy root development and enable the plant to breakdown basic macro/micro-nutrients (NPK) into a useable form. With re-use, these bacteria multiply exponentially making nutrient availability and dramatically improves the efficiency of amended nutrients. I suppose if I ever had a "fungus gnat" problem they would be transferred to the next grow and I would dispose of the media but, to date I've never seen them in any of my grows. I have some clones that are soon to be moved in to their final containers, maybe I should do a control study to test this theory but based on my 3 decades of grow experience I call bravo sierra. Hopefully you can see the plant in the link at the top...grown in 100% recycled soil approximately 6 yrs. old

Click to expand...

Thank You! I saw those same comments last night but was to tired to post everything that was wrong with his statements. +Rep for sharing the truth. I guess that guy has problems with fungus gnats he needs to get rid of every grow. Maybe not the best idea he be giving advice. LMAO!