How or do you guys reprocess your soil

[CaptainLucky]

Excuse me for possibly sounding stupid for a moment, but why would watering to runoff eliminate the need to rinse extra salt from the soil in a chemical nute grow ? Is there some science to that ?

If you’re watering to runoff isn’t that leaching the soil from the build up nutrients ? CL

 

[Sueet]

If you’re watering to runoff isn’t that leaching the soil from the build up nutrients ? CL

Well, Idk, that is why I asked. I don't see how a minimal runoff amount equates to not needing to rinse out salts at some point. It isn't like every drop of liquid that comes out is fully saturated with dissolved salt and then the soil filled with loose (free from the salt bonds) nutrients - That would be mayhem and chaos I think, for the microbes.

I guess my thoughts about it are that the salts stay where they end up, and yes they do slowly gravitate down, but then the plant calls for the encapsulated nutes it is holding and then ..... the salt just stays there? I guess watering with plain water to a significant percentage may (as someone stated) reduce the need for rinsing/flushing - but it can't be an actual replacement I don't think, unless it is a very easily rinsable substrate like maybe all perlite or something.

All that said, I could be dead wrong, please do correct me if so, I hate being wrong

 

[CaptainLucky]

Well, Idk, that is why I asked. I don't see how a minimal runoff amount equates to not needing to rinse out salts at some point. It isn't like every drop of liquid that comes out is fully saturated with dissolved salt and then the soil filled with loose (free from the salt bonds) nutrients - That would be mayhem and chaos I think, for the microbes.

I guess my thoughts about it are that the salts stay where they end up, and yes they do slowly gravitate down, but then the plant calls for the encapsulated nutes it is holding and then ..... the salt just stays there? I guess watering with plain water to a significant percentage may (as someone stated) reduce the need for rinsing/flushing - but it can't be an actual replacement I don't think, unless it is a very easily rinsable substrate like maybe all perlite or something.

All that said, I could be dead wrong, please do correct me if so, I hate being wrong

You make a strong case and to be fair I don’t know how long it takes for a build up to be detrimental to a plant because I haven’t experienced it yet. But I think in the future just to be safe I will try flushing it before I reuse it. CL.

 

[Slapalottapuss]

I have been using the same 3 promix bales for going on 5 years. Dump my used containers into a 55 gal can. When it’s full I dump that in a big kiddie pool. Mix in dry amendments, 60 pounds of worm castings and mix thoroughly. Put back in 55gal can. Pour 10 gal of water over it then forget about it for at least 60 days. Look at my plants. They’re in mix that is on its 5 run.
Edit to add. I’m under excessive LED and still barley have red/purple stems or petioles. It happens with some for sure genetically. That is few and far between though.

 

[Treeibus]

Thanks for all the great feedback on this, its been a while since if been able to check anything internet related, and i do apologize for that. the soil I have is FFOF soil to begin with and fertilized with down to earth 4-4-4 and 2-8-4 the problem is I've let it completely dry out i do have great white ... what would be my first steps going about this process I'm having problems getting started

 

[Wastei]

If you use chemical fertilizers, sooner or later you will have to leach the mineral salts out of the soil or it becomes toxic. My pot soil lasts 2 seasons but my houseplants go a lot longer before leaching the soil. I soak the pot in a sink or tub of lukewarm water filled to about an inch below the soil surface and let it stand for 45 minutes to an hour. Then open the drain and after it empties slowly pour water, in the amount of 4 times the volume of the pot, through the pot to drain off the mineral salts. You'll see all sorts of brown "tea" looking runoff. Or you can use something like Florakleen and use less water. Leaching is flushing on steroids.
After that I let the soil drain off and dry a bit, then re-amend with earthworm castings, alfalfa meal, feather meal, bone meal & garden lime, maybe a few other goodies and let it cook a couple months.

This is only ever true if you're overfeeding.

OT: I reuse my coir about four times. First let it sit in plain bleach solution for 12 hours and rinse and then 24-48h in Ca/Mg solution.

 

[Dankman_420]

Mine goes in my outdoor veggie garden

 

[Treeibus]

I have been using the same 3 promix bales for going on 5 years. Dump my used containers into a 55 gal can. When it’s full I dump that in a big kiddie pool. Mix in dry amendments, 60 pounds of worm castings and mix thoroughly. Put back in 55gal can. Pour 10 gal of water over it then forget about it for at least 60 days. Look at my plants. They’re in mix that is on its 5 run.
Edit to add. I’m under excessive LED and still barley have red/purple stems or petioles. It happens with some for sure genetically. That is few and far between though.

This sounds like something I'm going to try and your plants speak for them self's, i only have one question when u say mix in dry amendments what exactly are u talking about and how much ? i have worm castings

 

[Slapalottapuss]

Thank you

I use
1 bale ProMix HP
50-60 (depends on bag weight) pounds of high grade worm castings. (I use mountain gate organics brand)
Doc buds “first run” amendment (pic below)
I add in Nute Pack from OGbiowar

Mix all of that thoroughly then put in a container. Rolling trash cans are perfect for me. Make sure it is insulated from the ground, I put it on a square of rigid insulation.
Then I dump in at least 5 gal of plain H2O, let that absorb then add up to another 5 gal of water or a weak tea mixture. Put a lid on it and let it sit for 30 days minimum.

 

[Treeibus]

Thank you

I use
1 bale ProMix HP
50-60 (depends on bag weight) pounds of high grade worm castings. (I use mountain gate organics brand)
Doc buds “first run” amendment (pic below)
I add in Nute Pack from OGbiowar

Mix all of that thoroughly then put in a container. Rolling trash cans are perfect for me. Make sure it is insulated from the ground, I put it on a square of rigid insulation.
Then I dump in at least 5 gal of plain H2O, let that absorb then add up to another 5 gal of water or a weak tea mixture. Put a lid on it and let it sit for 30 days minimum.

Thanks that helps a lot simple and easy thanks a lot!!

 

[grayeyes]

First I barely use nutes; found even at half strength I always find burned leaves. Second I do what a mentor told me-leave most of the roots in there. Break it up and add maybe some charcoal, some ashes and some cheapie 'garden soil' which usually has stuff that has started to decompose. I have done this for years. Maybe add some fresh FFOF.

This year in addition to the ashes I think I'm going to add some worm castings.

 

[bluter]

i run my outdoor sub irrigated hydro garden on the same media yr after yr. 2/3 promix hp and 1/3 promix garden media. i add a little perlite, don't really keep track, usually i toss a couple hempy root balls in that i've broken up for the perlite.

every year i turn the media over, sometimes add a little. it gets fed from the bottom, 25g of MC in 5gal tap water. same mix all season. each bin holds about 3 gallon from dry. it occasionally gets top watered with plain water and of course there is rain.

we're going on 3 yrs now and i've never had issues with the media being used over.

from a bit earlier this yr. we often get two harvests out of them in a season.

 

[CaptainLucky]

I use organic garden lime, bokashi, frass and @DYNOMYCO and wet it to activate it. Usually within 24 hours I have a nice coat of white fungus growing on top of it. Mycelium. CL