I was just wandering, as I never grow yet, when you harvest a plant, do you leave the roots there is the soil and put another plant or you need to remove some of the roots before planting again ?
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I was just wandering, as I never grow yet, when you harvest a plant, do you leave the roots there is the soil and put another plant or you need to remove some of the roots before planting again ?
it is a good idea to get out the main roots(dont need to get all out). rest serves as good organic mater
it is best to compost the old dirt to put benneficials back in the soil and to rebuild to a better quality.
another good thing to do is to put about 50% nutes back into the soil because the majority were used but not all.
good luck
If you're going to reuse spent soil, you'll also want to do a heavy flush on it to wash away some of the salts that may have built up over time. Another good idea would be to put the soil inside a black trash bag, and leave it sitting out under the sun for a few days. The heat should kill off any pests that may still be in there that could potentially infest your next crop.
i re-use my soil, but for my other garden....after-nug soil works GREAT on melons, strawberries,cucumbers and jalapenos!!!!
I've started collecting spent soil in a big 55gal drum in my basement for this exact same purpose. Next year, I plan on starting a good sized herb and veggie garden in my back yard. My biggest question: I've done a good bit of container gardening, but never produced, well... produce. Is it common to use perlite as a soil conditioner for outdoor veggie gardens? I don't want my neighbors thinking I'm weird, or weirder than they already think I am.Quote:
Originally Posted by SnSstealth
i would build up a bed for the garden and that will help prevent over watering. dont really use perlite for outdoor bed gardening, if you need improved areation use a humus/mulch mix. if you need to bring soil in try a local garden center and get a premium mix. most will have humus, dirt, compost, and some will have manure in the mix.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Clandestine
good luck on your dirts:D
Hey, thanks for the reply. I should have been a little more clear, the soil that I'm keeping in the drum is spent indoor soil that already has the perlite in it. I just thought it might look weird if used outdoors, as I didn't think most outdoor gardeners used it in their soil mixes. Thanks for the advice on the bed, though. That's something I will definitely be doing. :thumbsup:Quote:
Originally Posted by texas grass
I use spent soil in raised-bed or other outdoor container gardening where a good rainfall will flush out the excess salts. Remove as much of the root mass as you can first, and burn it or compost it offsite- root balls may be used as evidence should the unthinkable happen.
Indoors, choose fresh unused soil to avoid weed seeds, pests, unwanted fungus, and fertilizer salts.
Well as I think about a grow in an appartment, so I may just change the dirt after each harvest and dump the old dirt in a near forest... Well that good to know to figure out the cost of my growing operation. If you have any other idea, tell me. Thank you all for these nice answers.
If you want to use your soil agian, (and correct me if i am wrong)
you can use enzyme's that will eat the old dead roots so to speak.