Reusing Soil Question

[BowHunt3r]

I just harvested my Purple Haze Auto and I want to reuse the soil for my next grow. Coast of Maine Stonington soil and amendment, with fish bone meal.
My question is can I just cut the stem off just below the soil, top coat waiting 2 weeks per instructions and leave the root ball in, or should it be removed?

Thanks

 

[Peacefulgarden]

I’ve done both and don’t recall a difference. If salt nutes maybe pull out the big stuff. What do you wait 2 weeks for?

 

[NancyWallace]

I remove the stump if its in the way of replanting. For planting seeds it doesn't matter. Pro tip: you can always preheat your top dressings in a tote with some damp soil...

 

[BowHunt3r]

I was told that waiting 2 weeks give the dry amendments time to brake down.

 

[TheFerret]

I reused my soil many times. I personally always take as much root out as possible and then re-ammend and replant. Depending on how you reammend BowHunter is right sometimes its a good idea to wait a bit as the soil can 'cook' and breakdown the nutes to make it more readily available in the soil.

 

[runxtc]

If Organic Living Soil 'I have read' leaving the roots works for aeration and nutrition during breakdown. They were also keeping microbial life undisturbed.

 

[runxtc]

If Organic Living Soil 'I have read' leaving the roots works for aeration and nutrition during breakdown. They were also keeping microbial life undisturbed.

I too have been wanting to reuse soil. As a new grower, I have not quite grokked normalizing PH and ppm accumulations. The question for me is if I have issues in a pot how do I correct them for the next grow? I am trying something different. I started tossing my soil in a pit and adding compost materials. I plan to let weather and nature prepare it for next use. I plan to cook off the life that develops in it over time in the summer then add the ingredients to create the microbial life I want. I will let the pots mature for a few weeks then add my plants. Hopefully, I am not buying soil next winter. I'll probably add some horse crap for local flavor.... LOL My concern with this is making sure pests are cooked off.

 

[TheFerret]

Sounds like a good plan

 

[Peacefulgarden]

I too have been wanting to reuse soil. As a new grower, I have not quite grokked normalizing PH and ppm accumulations. The question for me is if I have issues in a pot how do I correct them for the next grow? I am trying something different. I started tossing my soil in a pit and adding compost materials. I plan to let weather and nature prepare it for next use. I plan to cook off the life that develops in it over time in the summer then add the ingredients to create the microbial life I want. I will let the pots mature for a few weeks then add my plants. Hopefully, I am not buying soil next winter. I'll probably add some horse crap for local flavor.... LOL My concern with this is making sure pests are cooked off.

Salt based ppm’s usually wash out fairly easily and I’m working on pH stuff in my journal currently. Dolomite lime is a pretty easy/controllable way to go up and I’m testing Epsom salts for going down currently.

For salt based and organic grows I would treat it a little different. I.e. I wouldn’t consider worm castings to adjust pH for a salt nute grow but it would be great for organic grow.

 

[BowHunt3r]

I live in the woods in northern New York and am on well water. I never have checked my PH or PPM and I really dont care. This spring I'll be using soil and compost from my property adding perlite and CoM Stonington amendments and fish bone meal with some work castings. That's all, not synthetic nutes or fertilizers. All natural and as simple as you can get. Killer smell, killer taste..