# soil recycle question



## depetreono (Sep 29, 2011)

I'm just about finishing my frost grow and I'm looking to recycling my soil. No plants have suffered from any sickness or bug infestation so I feel safe enough to attempt this. I was planing on mixing my left over ff happy frog with my used soil in a bin. I was going to put in the falling leaves and possibly some of the left over roots removing the main mass. I would like to get a proffesionals opinion on how I'm attempting this and what I might do to improve this.


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## coloradodreamn (Sep 29, 2011)

I am the recycling nut bro.  i am on my third round at the moment recycling my super soil.  

what you wanna do is focus on getting all the roots out. give the root-ball a real good shaking.  i get ALL the dirt off the root-ball.  All you have to add back into the soil is a little fine dolomite lime. POWDERED.  i add a cup of lime per cu ft of soil.  i add about 4-5 cups to a 32 gallon garbage cans worth of soil.  then you should be golden. don't mix your dead leaves into a mix you are going to be planting in right away.  i toss all dead leaves and roots into an outside compost pile...


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## 4u2sm0ke (Sep 29, 2011)

on my 12th run Now...like Coloradodream said..but Not to woory if ya dont get all the I wouldnt place the spent leafs in there if you plan to use it in near future...I use a 1/4 inch chicken wire over a 32 gal garbage can...after Harvest I sift the dirt through the cage...add the ammendments  and place lid on...do this untill filled..I then take and dump into compost roller and turn every day for 2 weeks..then back into GC..and ready for use...works for me..and saves   ton of $$$


take care and be safe:bolt::bong:


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## depetreono (Sep 29, 2011)

So what is it about the roots that's is so crucial to remove them. It I get the root ball out that's good enough rite? So just add powdered lime and i should be good..is that to adjust ph?? I figured since we add nutes the soil itself wouldn't need to much added in. Plus I grow Shiva wich tends to be nutrient sensative. Especially to nitrogen.


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## 4u2sm0ke (Sep 29, 2011)

it took me a whileto figure out my mix..I only remove the root MAss..the rest degrades...amendments are used because they was spent in the grow...Stya organic my frined..the weed is way easier..IMO..


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## coloradodreamn (Sep 29, 2011)

4u2sm0ke said:
			
		

> it took me a whileto figure out my mix..I only remove the root MAss..the rest degrades...amendments are used because they was spent in the grow...Stya organic my frined..the weed is way easier..IMO..




My kinda grower right there.  i also make a super soil mix where i add nothing but water to the soil throughout it's whole life.  i add only dry amendment and let it sit for a month before use.  so it's a little different.  adding some dry amendments cant hurt though.

it becomes a crazy addiction to improve it each time. at least for me it has.  it all started with a little high N bat guano i bought...then i bought some worm casting...then some high P bird guano...then i saw a thread on Super Soil.  i think it was Subcool's also at the same time i saw a HT article with the same information.  

I bought a Radale's composting book and it was all over from there...read that baby front to back then chapter by chapter as i need to...this was 3 years ago. now i have tweaked my mix so that i can get what some of you hydro grower get for yields...watering 2 times a week...

My Super Soil mix costs me under $200 with the cost of 7 bags of roots organics soil included.  amendments cost me around $100.  $25 for the castings and most of the other ones i use i can get a 5 lb bag for under $10 each.  

when i recycle it...it doesnt cost me anything.  i have enough dry nutes left over from the first time.  it really is so simple...only having to water...no PH pens or TDS/PPM meters...nothing. make sure your water isnt freezing cold and you are golden.:hubba:


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## depetreono (Sep 29, 2011)

So Colorado since I add nutes in every other feeding and ff happy frog is pretty much my base soil do you think ill be good with that. I'm not trying to get into super soils. When I get a couple grows under my belt with soil I was considering a very legitimate hydro set up which with my little knowledge I don't want to invest that kind of money just yet. Unless I like soil to much to give up. With my approach what should I add into the soil if anything. I don't want to deprive my plants nor over saturated with nutes. Will adding nutes with feeding be good enough or do you think my soil will be depleted. I want my babys to be all they can.


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## depetreono (Sep 29, 2011)

And smoke is that all you add is powder lime when you recycle.


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## coloradodreamn (Sep 29, 2011)

Yeah bud just lime outta cover ya as far as dry amendments go.  thats primarily to buffer the PH. and add a bit of calcium.  some plants are absolute calcium hounds...thats where Roots Organics CalMag comes into play also.  my fav, and only fully organic calmag thats made. what kind of nutes are you using?  most nutrient's i've used...which is a bunch...calls for about once a week or so to fertilize.  

I really hope its all organic...and if you can i would switch to Roots Organics Soil...it has a ton of trace nutes and enough N to get you through Veg no problem...


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## 4u2sm0ke (Sep 29, 2011)

depetreono said:
			
		

> And smoke is that all you add is powder lime when you recycle.


 

No...I add worm casts..Alphafa..bone meal..guano .....then turn in composter:hubba:


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## depetreono (Sep 29, 2011)

I use general organically line up. Ended up just getting the sample pack. And i add ff big bloom bc its made with guano and castings to keep the microbes happy. I figure when I'm finished ill use earth juice.  Idk yet. I keep it all organic. The sample pack has a calmag suppliment. Haven't noticed any defficancy so far. And yeah I feed with every other watering. I keep a close watch on them. I'm actually harvesting this crop this weekend.


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## nouvellechef (Sep 30, 2011)

Whoa. You guys go light on the amendments. I dose the soil with a full recipe each and every recycle. $50 for 18cf of mix. I just can't believe they would run another 18 week cycle with the previous ammendments. But I also see you supplement if needed, or do anyhow. I don't add anything else. Just sucrose doses.


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## 4u2sm0ke (Sep 30, 2011)

was waiting for your response  *nouvelchef*...Much respect my friend


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## depetreono (Sep 30, 2011)

This is my first recycling of this soil so more has not been needed yet. That's why I startaed this thread. I don't want to recycle soil and have crazy deficiencys


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## nouvellechef (Sep 30, 2011)

depetreono said:
			
		

> This is my first recycling of this soil so more has not been needed yet. That's why I startaed this thread. I don't want to recycle soil and have crazy deficiencys



Kool. You will luv it when done correctly. Make it hot. You really cannot overdue it to a point. But can certainly under do it. Then you will be on here in the sick plant section and all pissed cause da girls look sad ):

My recipe is on here somewhere and some pics. Follow that and you won't look back. GL


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## Wetdog (Sep 30, 2011)

nouvellechef said:
			
		

> Kool. You will luv it when done correctly. Make it hot. You really cannot overdue it to a point. But can certainly under do it. Then you will be on here in the sick plant section and all pissed cause da girls look sad ):
> 
> My recipe is on here somewhere and some pics. Follow that and you won't look back. GL


:yeahthat: 

Ya know NC, you ought to write that up *AGAIN* (yeah, I know  ) and we bug Hick to sticky it.

I reference it all the time, and constantly had to search, till I finally figured out how to copy it to my desktop.

It would be a good thing and you could just do a link instead of typing it out for the 47th time. 

Wet


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## depetreono (Oct 2, 2011)

So chef since I'm technically not "building" my soil as you do from basically scratch. What would you ; or anyone else, recommend be added to keep the pep in my soils step. I don't think I need an overly hot soil bc I do feed with every other watering. 
Thank you for any feed back


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## coloradodreamn (Oct 2, 2011)

nouvellechef said:
			
		

> Kool. You will luv it when done correctly. Make it hot. You really cannot overdue it to a point. But can certainly under do it. Then you will be on here in the sick plant section and all pissed cause da girls look sad ):
> 
> My recipe is on here somewhere and some pics. Follow that and you won't look back. GL



I'm really glad you came to the light. i remember when you were a die hard DWC guy hanging your bulbs bare, vertical.  and we had some heated arguments on yield and taste, hydro versus soil, and we never came to a conclusion....but i see you are in the dirt now and i like you even better:hubba:


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## coloradodreamn (Oct 2, 2011)

If you are using the General Organics Line then you should be good homie with just the lime...def use that cal/mag regardless if you are seeing a deficiency.  marijuana plants use a ton of calcium bro. it should almost be a macro nutrient honestly.  I dose with the calmag weeks 2-6.  without calcium you can have other deficiencies.    

adding other amendments...you really need to know what you are adding before you start throwing stuff in at whatever ratio.

although a little worm castings and High P bat guano couldn't hurt


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## depetreono (Oct 2, 2011)

The calmag is in every feeding which is every other watering. Were to I get lime at. Just a hydro shop bc I don't recall seeing any there but ill have to look again.
And I honestly don't know how much of what to add to revitalize my used dirt. That's why im asking all you knowledgable individuals.


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## coloradodreamn (Oct 2, 2011)

1 cup of fine dolomite lime per 1 cubic foot of soil.  ask your hydro store owner to order you a 50 lb bag of it. lasts forever and it's cheap.

BAM


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## depetreono (Oct 2, 2011)

What does the lime add. I always thought lime was for adjusting ph. But I also don't know a whole lot.


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## nouvellechef (Oct 2, 2011)

coloradodreamn said:
			
		

> I'm really glad you came to the light. i remember when you were a die hard DWC guy hanging your bulbs bare, vertical.  and we had some heated arguments on yield and taste, hydro versus soil, and we never came to a conclusion....but i see you are in the dirt now and i like you even better:hubba:



Always played in dirt. 



			
				depetreono said:
			
		

> So chef since I'm technically not "building" my soil as you do from basically scratch. What would you ; or anyone else, recommend be added to keep the pep in my soils step. I don't think I need an overly hot soil bc I do feed with every other watering.
> Thank you for any feed back



Read thru this. Get you a jumpstart.

http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54332


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## BBFan (Oct 3, 2011)

depetreono said:
			
		

> What does the lime add. I always thought lime was for adjusting ph. But I also don't know a whole lot.


 
Calcium and magnesium are macronutrients.  Lime adds both, though more calcium than magnesium.  It also "buffers" your medium- making it neutral.

I like to leave a lot of the roots (fine feeders) in the soil- they're loaded with benficial fungi and break down pretty quickly.


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## depetreono (Oct 3, 2011)

Sounds good. I'll keep up with what I was doing and just removing the root mass and leaving the rest in there. I'll need to hit the hydro shop for some lime. Thanks for the help guys. Wish me luck.


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## Wetdog (Oct 7, 2011)

depetreono said:
			
		

> Sounds good. I'll keep up with what I was doing and just removing the root mass and leaving the rest in there. I'll need to hit the hydro shop for some lime. Thanks for the help guys. Wish me luck.



Check out Lowes or HD or a feed store for the lime. I get mine at Lowes and it's >$5 for a 40lb bag.

Wet


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## depetreono (Oct 7, 2011)

I went to hydro store and paid 5 for 5 pounds.


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