Bin Left Outside - Can I Still Make Soil In It For Indoor Grow?

[HazePhase]

Hello,

I made a batch of soil about a month ago and the bin has been left outside since then.
There is still ice in it and some water and ground so the weather has been very cold... doubtful of any bugs but i don't know.

I am going to be making more soil tomorrow and will be using this bin and I was wondering if this would be safe or how i should clean it or what not as I am limited to the outdoors without a hose due to the cold weather.

Any tips would be great as I don't want to ruin my entire grow over the new soil.
I am probably over thinking things but please enlighten me.
Thank you everyone!!!!

 

[Gardenseed]

It's up to you. Trust your gut. If it works out you saved 10$ worth of dirt. If you get bugs(priceless) then you learned a lesson.
Do or do not, there is no try- yoda

 

[HazePhase]

It's up to you. Trust your gut. If it works out you saved 10$ worth of dirt. If you get bugs(priceless) then you learned a lesson.
Do or do not, there is no try- yoda

Not sure the $10 comment unless you are referring to the bin.
I don't want to just throw it out and waste it and add more garbage - which is why I am doing organic no-till - better for the earth

Hmm... well worst case I will wash it and let it sit somehow... bring it to the outdoor car wash

 

[bobrown14]

Soil left outside will be fine... pests are pests. They wont get into your soil in the winter time.... likely they are already there... its part of nature.

Just curious, why are you worried?? We have a lot of outdoor gardens... in soil that is outside?

 

[HazePhase]

Soil left outside will be fine... pests are pests. They wont get into your soil in the winter time.... likely they are already there... its part of nature.

Just curious, why are you worried?? We have a lot of outdoor gardens... in soil that is outside?

Sorry catching up on threads
I ended up using Bleach and cleaning it and drying it before using it.

I am doing indoor no till garden

 

[Ancient3328]

In my experience the bad bugs will only go after actual plant material. Fingers crossed that doesn't change lol

 

[bobrown14]

Sorry catching up on threads
I ended up using Bleach and cleaning it and drying it before using it.

I am doing indoor no till garden

Bleach leaves a residue that feeds molds.... not sure why you thing you need to "clean" your soil??

I've been growing in soil for a very long time, I've never needed to clean it before use. I don't thing bleach is a very good cleaner in general, for a lot of reasons.

My compost piles are full of all sorts of insects flying and crawling.. they don't come along with the finished compost. Doesn't happen... not in the 40+ years I've been composting it hasn't.

If you're concerned about pests in your container gardens, may I suggest starting and continuing with a weekly IPM routine that you foiler on.

You will get pests and usually its mites, they attack weak plants. and plants that are stressed first as all invasive insects do.

Several things you can do ...

Add in Neem Cake Meal and Karanja meal to your soil mix... add in a good supply of Si (silica/silicon) - can use Si in your IPM foiler.

In a healthy living soil, the good beneficial microbes take over and crowd out the bad microbes.... its just the way it is. Cleaning the soil with bleach or whatever, you likely killed off any beneficial bacteria and fungi and most if not all the living stuff we want in the soil and left a bleach residue behind.

Doubt anything will grow in that soil, MAYBE mold but that will take a few months to get going. I'd toss that soil in the compost bin and start over.

BTW been in no-til here for quite some time... never cleaned any soil.... never heard of that... cept in mushroom farming where they sterilize the grow medium (horse manure and straw).