Re-using soil

[RustyBud]

I have 4 5-gallon bags of soil (Fox Farm Ocean Forest) that I used on my last grow. I also used Gaia Green products and was quite happy with the results.

My question is, what do I have to do to recondition the soil and make it useful again? Do I treat it as though it's an inert medium and start from scratch, or should I be allowing for residual nutrients left in the soil? Is there a way I can tell?

Thanks in advance

Steve

 

[Gator]

Give it a good flush,add a little bit of perlite and ewc and start another run

 

[Gingerbeard]

Depends a little on which of the GG products were you using at the end of harvest.
If you reuse a medium, chop it up and let it sit for a couple months to let the roots dry up. Chopping will help the dry and add a little compost to the mix. The drying will help break down the root ball so you are not growing into what is probably nigh on root bound already. Drying will also help get rid of any nasties that may or may not be in your soil.
And add perlite.

 

[Gator]

Great minds think alike a

 

[Gator]

these are heading there to, reuse the soil next year

 

[bdeegan]

Gaia says you can re-amend soil with 3tbs to 1 gal soil ratio. I am new to Gaia and reusing soil but what I’m doing is using a solo cup of untouched old soil to start the seed in. The rest of the soil I mixed 2tbs/gal and will top dress 1tbs/gal at 3 weeks.

Hope this helps

 

[Smallgrow]

I use KIS amendment pack to reuse soil between runs , build a soil has one too I believe. Use as directed to bring back old soil. I’ll have to check my notes but I think this falls tent run will be the 5th cycle with this soil