Potting soil question

I'm a indoor grower .... next season in NE Ohio I plan to plant some of my clones outside.

I have lots of used potting soil I've dumped in a container that I use in my yard. Can I use that soil to plant my clones? It's been sitting for over a year ... (soil near the bottom) .... it will be sitting over the winter. What can I do with it to prepare it for next spring plant?

Also how should I prepare the clones for going outside without shocking them? They are use to indoors and indoor lights. Should I take them out for a few hours each day a week before I plant them outside? I plan to plant them mid to late May.

Please advise.:confused:
:smokin: :jointsmile:

How big is the container your soil is in? You could go buy a heap of worms (The one's people put in their wormfarms and putting them in the container with the soil..

As for the clones you should put them outside for a short time and build up how long you put them out for each day..:jointsmile:

You can reuse rested soil but problem with it is after being outside for a while it's most likely contaminated with insects that can flourish in an indoor environment because the predatory bugs usually don't come along. Good soil is pretty cheap so why skimp on the dirt?

You can put out your plants as soon as the temps stay above 50f. Start them in full shade then gradually give them more direct sunlight over7-10 days and they'll be fine.

And do not put worms into your pots unless you're also planning on feeding them. They will turn on your roots if that is all the can find to eat.

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Originally Posted by madeline

You can reuse rested soil but problem with it is after being outside for a while it's most likely contaminated with insects that can flourish in an indoor environment because the predatory bugs usually don't come along. Good soil is pretty cheap so why skimp on the dirt?

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No ... no .... that's not what I mean .... I want to use the soil I discard from my indoor grow ... I don't want to use it indoor again .... I want to use that soil for my outdoor grow. The clones won't be in pots I plan to plant them in the potting soil I discard from the indoor grow. Half of it has rested for over a year and resent soil will sit over the winter months.

I wanted to know what I'd need to do to prep that soil to be ready in the spring. From what I gather from your post so far I can use that soil. The reason I don't get more store bought dirt is because of my budget. I simply can't afford it at this time.

Thanks :rastasmoke:

you should be able to use it would probably try to add a couple of things to it to replinish it, like composted manure,a small amount of wood ashes or lime.

Thanks for replying .... I'll do that .... I should do that now correct?
:rastasmoke:

you could do it now or would try to do it a few weeks before using it anyway.

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Originally Posted by GrowRebel

I'm a indoor grower .... next season in NE Ohio I plan to plant some of my clones outside.

I have lots of used potting soil I've dumped in a container that I use in my yard. Can I use that soil to plant my clones? It's been sitting for over a year ... (soil near the bottom) .... it will be sitting over the winter. What can I do with it to prepare it for next spring plant?

Also how should I prepare the clones for going outside without shocking them? They are use to indoors and indoor lights. Should I take them out for a few hours each day a week before I plant them outside? I plan to plant them mid to late May.

Please advise.:confused:
:smokin: :jointsmile:

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I just retilled my out door garden. I just mixed up what was there really well. i mean really well until it was nice and loose. If you are going to keep the dirt outside then you can reuse it. Rule of thumb is once dirt goes outside it should stay outside.

about a week before you plan to actually plant them outside add in some cow poo to your soil, if it's got big clumps grind them up between your hands so it's a little finer, mix that in well and water it a couple times and mix it up again. Should be ready for anything and will grow them well. the time frame allows the nutrients to level out evenly across the whole soil plus down where the roots will need it.

As for the clones take them outside and give them a couple hours of sun light everyday, but only a couple hours at a time. too much too soon could cause big problems. then gradually work the time longer and longer. This will let them become acustomed to the brighter light. I would look at probably atleast doing this for atleast a week or too until they are outside the whole day. Not sure how hot the sun gets up there, it's really harsh down here in TX
so it may take less time to get them used to the outdoors.

Best time to do this is after the last hard frost of the season. Too soon and they freeze and die. not sure how long winter lasts up there so i can't say if May is the best time to do this. good luck and hope it all works out for you.

I usually just place them outside in full sun without any problems but they are going from under a hid inside to outside im sure from flouros to full sun would be a bigger change for the plant to get used to.

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Originally Posted by GrowRebel

No ... no .... that's not what I mean .... I want to use the soil I discard from my indoor grow ... I don't want to use it indoor again .... I want to use that soil for my outdoor grow. The clones won't be in pots I plan to plant them in the potting soil I discard from the indoor grow. Half of it has rested for over a year and resent soil will sit over the winter months.

I wanted to know what I'd need to do to prep that soil to be ready in the spring. From what I gather from your post so far I can use that soil. The reason I don't get more store bought dirt is because of my budget. I simply can't afford it at this time.

Thanks :rastasmoke:

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Oh, my bad. Yes, used soil is still good stuff and nothing to be wasted. I toss mine out onto the compost pile and by next summer is ready for spreading around the outdoor garden. Nothing much needs to be done for this but it is best to not let the soil dry out too much. It'll lose its moisture retention ability and water will just drain through. If you can add organic vegetable waste, all the better. But if it were mine I'd keep the compost pile all natural and free of animal wastes other than a little cow, horse of chicken manure.

Yes, I plan to do as you suggested. I went out today and checked on my holes. I made sure they were deep enough.

The lid is off the soil container so it gets water when we get rain or snow. I will start throwing veg. matter in now ... in the spring I will buy the smallest bag of cow shit I can find and mix it in a couple of months before I transplant the clones. The container is pretty big .... one of those big plastic storage container you can get at K-mart.

This will be my first outside grow and I am looking forward to it!:rastasmoke:
:jointsmile:

It'd be better if you got the manure into it as soon as possible so it gets a chance to "settle down" and into the soil. Fresh manure tends to burn young plants and it takes several months to break down so it's usable for them.

Hey GrowRebel:jointsmile:
I'am from up there and yes you can reuse the soil.If you dont have snow or the soil is not frozen add the cow poo and cut it in the soil.Leave it till the last frost of winter.As spring comes along spread lime over the soil and tillup the soil real good.You do this about one week before you plant.The cow poo put back some of the beneficials to the soil.If you dont believe me take a ride down to the Amish farms.They grow All there crops outside and do not use chemical fertilizer.The small amount you are useing just use 1/3 cow poo to 2/3 soil.In the spring add 1 Table spoon lime to each gallon of soil.You will do real good outside.Your not going to harvest till mid oct. growing out doors.
Merry Chrismas and Peace:weedpoke:

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Originally Posted by madeline

It'd be better if you got the manure into it as soon as possible so it gets a chance to "settle down" and into the soil. Fresh manure tends to burn young plants and it takes several months to break down so it's usable for them.

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I'll see if I can find some now .... might have to check the hardware or garden store. If not I'll keep an eye out until I find some .... should be able to soon after the holidays.
Thanks

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Originally Posted by crazywill

Hey GrowRebel:jointsmile:
I'am from up there and yes you can reuse the soil.Your not going to harvest till mid oct. growing out doors.
Merry Chrismas and Peace:weedpoke:

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Alright a fellow Ohioan .... :smokin: So you get good results from growing outside? Any trouble with the plane that look for weed in the fall? Mid Oct. is when I saw the plane too.

How did you do with all the rain we got last year?
Thanks for the info.
:greenthumb: :bonghit: :areindeer: :noel:

You should sterilize old potting soil before you use it again. To do this, put the soil in a well draining container (not a thin nursery pot) and poor boiling water into it. Let the water drain, and poor some more boiling water into it.

This will kill any diseases that may have been living in the soil. Now you can replenish that soil with compost, or by mixing it with some new soil.

One more thing...

Remove the bigger pieces of old roots that are in the soil. You don't have to get every little piece, just get the bigger ones.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention...

If you're going to be moving clones from indoors to outdoors, you need to do it gradually so that they "harden off" and adapt to the new environment. Living indoors they have a pretty relaxed and comfortable lifestyle. The outdoor world is much more stressful, and if they don't get toughened up they will likely die.

couple things to do to make your 'used' soil good again-
-A bit of lime to get the pH back in shape
-If I were you I'd water it with a product called Soil Syrup or anything else that has humic acid in it. Conditions the soil and buffers the pH.
-If you have a compost heap with leaf humus in it, mix your soil with that.
-Add some composted cow maure and kelp compost if you can find it to refresh the nutes and stimulate beneficials