Soil life?

[Dr. Manny Bowles]

Hello,

Is there a certain "lifespan" on soil? I mean does soil become less enriched with nutrients after a few grows?
I imagine you can always add more, but is it better to start fresh every so often?
Sorry if it's been asked before, I searched and came up empty.

Thanks!

[thc is good for me]

From what i have read you should never re-use soil it works for one grow thats all.

[headband]

with all the nutes you add during veg, reusing soil would be the biggest mistake in your grow. Dont reuse soil ever

[Runbyhemp]

Of course you can recycle your soil. Plenty of people do. I do.

[mal_crane]

Many, many people on here recycle their soil. Don't ever let anyone tell you that it's against the law of growing or something. I reused the same soil for two years, you just need to freshen it up sometimes, and make sure you are using the right nutrients. Search the forums for recycled soil and I bet you'll find plenty of people who do the same.

Mal C
:fly:

[Crazy Horse]

I don't reuse. Except for my garden outdoors. All the soil I use over winter goes into my greenhouse, and the plants seem to like the soil out there in summer time.

[pimpdaddycoolz]

I reused mine this year and they are lookin BETTER THEN EVER!!!! You always want to feed your plants nutrients anyways. i use the foxfarm ocean forest and after about 3 weeks, your supposed to feed it anyways.

[smokybear]

I have also re-used soil many times before with excellent results. I always mix 3/4 fresh soil with 1/4 old soil and it's good to go. Saves you money in the end and great results. Just my thoughts. Take care and be safe.

[POTUS]

Hello,

Is there a certain "lifespan" on soil? I mean does soil become less enriched with nutrients after a few grows?
I imagine you can always add more, but is it better to start fresh every so often?
Sorry if it's been asked before, I searched and came up empty.

Thanks!

From the National Gardening Association:

garden.org/subchannels/care/soil?q=show&id=1890


Reusing Potting Soil
by Charlie Nardozzi

Although not commonly recommended, it is possible to reuse old potting soil for seed starting and transplanting. Most techniques to "clean" old potting soil are not environmentally friendly or cost effective. But recently, the California Department of Food and Agriculture has developed a soil solarization technique that is safe and effective. The double-tent system can heat potting soil to 140° F, killing weed seeds and some disease spores as well.

To build the solarization tent, lay black plastic on a solid foundation. Lay a wooden pallet on the foundation and place the old potting soil in pots, bags, or piles so it is no more than 1 foot deep. Water the soil well, and cover with a sheet of clear plastic sealed at the edges to prevent air leakage. Cover with a second sheet of clear plastic supported by wire hoops so there is a small air gap between the layers, and seal the edges of this sheet as well. Under sunny conditions with ambient air temperatures of 70%deg; F, one to two days of heating should be enough to properly treat the potting soil. With cooler temperatures and cloudy weather, treatment will take longer.

[Dr. Manny Bowles]

I have also re-used soil many times before with excellent results. I always mix 3/4 fresh soil with 1/4 old soil and it's good to go. Saves you money in the end and great results. Just my thoughts. Take care and be safe.

That sounds like a great idea. I was considering going with the FF Ocean Forest soil, I can get it locally for around $14 a bag which didn't seem toooo bad. Seems like it's got alot of the stuff people like to add into regular soil. I don't exactly have the greenest thumb so I need all the help I can get...

Thanks for all the replies so far:farm:

[headband]

i guess im not cheap:rolleyes:

[siegalsmoker]

Wow I never knew that...learn sum new everyday! Always thought you never used soil for more than one grow...Good info to know... :woohoo:

[tankdogster]

Thanks for the info :)

[trillions of atoms]

soil lasts eons. you just have to condition it after use.

[Mutt]

Don't forget to toss in some red worms. ;)
Good ole compost heap....or ya can check out our member "screwdriver" in the organic section. He posted up a great thread.
3lb (3 little birds) and -Rev (aka rollanterroy) are other's you'll want to search on the WWW ;)

[tcbud]

my husband recyles the soil, he makes a pile, and adds a bunch of steer manure, then some sand, then some soil from around the house (he takes out all the old roots tho, and screens out the rocks from the local dirt). me, i buy my soil new each season, only have two serious seasons, so may change that. i also use the ff ocean forest, when planting seedlings, as you dont want to feed them for the first few weeks. then when they get bigger containers, use the fox farm potting mix. when they go into their final home (15 gal containers) they will get some frog compost (has bat quano and mushroom compost) and some organic potting soil. and next year, the husband will start all over again.

[Mutt]

Hey TCBud,
You can leave the roots in em, they will compost as well. Keep them microbeasties all happy and full of stuff to eat. ;) Red Worms will help too. :D
Here is an awesome link you might find useful when tuning in your compost heap. ;)
http://www.primalseeds.org/npk.htm