oh the strange happenings

[Dubbaman]

Well as many of you know i broke my moisture and pH testers a couple of weeks ago when i stepped on them and fell into a flowering plant So i went and got a new set of these important meters, just a standard single stake moisture meter and a rapidtest pH (soil) meter that also measures fertility. Checked all of my potters as directed on the package and found that many are just about spot on So i have no ideas as to why some of my seedlings and veglings were showing dry burnt and brown spots on them, I'm still under the impression that some of that mixed in potting soil was too hot and got to them and they will grow out of it. Here is the interesting thing though i tested my used soil (stuff from harvested plants) that I'm planning on reusing here in the future it had a pH of 5.5 and was over fertile :spit: this i dot get how can a soil be under pH but over fertile and in your opinion what should be done to it before it can be used again for growing more plants in it. i was thinking of adding some dolomite lime to it after i flush it out well :holysheep: the flush to leach out the over ferts and then add some lime to raise the pH back to 6.5ish. any thoughts

 

[BenDover]

I would just toss it out, personally. Start over with a mixture of peat moss, perlite, and vermeculite.

 

[Dubbaman]

Wow :shocked: 47 looks and one reply :rofl: :bump:

 

[timdog4]

I would rather know exactly what is in my soil. But if you insist on reusing, I would flush to get all the nutes out and test ph an adjust accordingly. I think once the nutes are out, the ph will go up.

 

[octobong007]

How im planning on doing mine(don't know if it right or wrong and would take any feedback).. I take my old soil.. flush good, let it dry a few days so it's easier to handle.. one part old soil to one part new soil to one part perlite.. i've done this in the pass with no probs.. but who knows might just be luck... hope all goes well( lime is a must.. I usually get soil with lime already added)

 

[That crazy vancouver guy]

yer better off to start with fresh soil in the first place. don't just toss the soil, however, reuse it in your compost. it makes an excellent filler with all the other organic stuff in the pile. outdoor compost, man. I also use it to level out the yard.

 

[Dubbaman]

however, reuse it in your compost. it makes an excellent filler with all the other organic stuff in the pile.

don't have a pile as of yet, but i plan on starting one here soon got many trees in the yard and all them leaves and such will make nice additives.

I take my old soil.. flush good, let it dry a few days so it's easier to handle.. one part old soil to one part new soil to one part perlite.. i've done this in the pass with no probs

I did think of this too, Great minds think alike :rofl: yesterday i took some fresh top soil and mixing it with some of the old used soil (that has been sitting and drying out) do a 50-50 mix and added some per lite. Did a test on it and it came out as a pH of 6.7 I was pleased enough to to ahead and mix every thing i had together MG, top soil, old soil, and per-lite mixed it all even amounts(soil) into tubs and mixed tested and the result was a 6.8 pH and was fertile according to the meter i got now so I'm happy with it for the time being. whats strange is that some of the THxS1 that i have going was planted in just old soil and they look great,i mean really fantastic. I'm working on pics of them, i can use the web cam but i have to get the older kids out of the house first

 

[BenDover]

Glad you got it all figured out! From the sounds of it you shouldn't have a problem at all. I would just keep an eye on the Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium, and of course the pH.