Flushing the soil before you use it?

[Mellow Man]

Great board guys!

QUESTION: I often bought soil from walmart and it seemed to be too strong for my plants,the soil gave my plants a bad start,I guess the soil was to heavy with nutes? so I was wondering when I start my next crop would it be o'k to flush all my new purchased soil with water and let sit for a few days before I plant?.any harm in doing this?

Mellow Man Reviewed by Mellow Man on 08-04-2005. Flushing the soil before you use it? Great board guys! QUESTION: I often bought soil from walmart and it seemed to be too strong for my plants,the soil gave my plants a bad start,I guess the soil was to heavy with nutes? so I was wondering when I start my next crop would it be o'k to flush all my new purchased soil with water and let sit for a few days before I plant?.any harm in doing this? Rating: 5

[Mellow Man]

Don't want to sound like a smuck! but had a couple of bad starts in the past with soil,and the plants never came around until after a couple of good flush's,do many people flush their newly purchased soil? and follow up with a good fert program? I heard alot of people completely soak and flush most of the nutes from the soil before use then feed the plant with ferts,some say they control the plants and it's intakes much better any truth to this?

[luckydan]

If i grow in potting mix i look for a mix that has no nutes in it.Makes it alot easier when you add nutes you no what is there.The problem is that alot of good quality potting mix has nutes in it and you can bet some are slow release nutes wich may last longer than 3 months.So i like to by the cheapest potting mix i can find but i add some peat moss and a little sand.
To answer your main question i think flushing may help but prob wont get all the fert out.while you are flushing the potting mix it wouldnt heart to drench with a fungaside like fongalrid,this will help with any damping of probs or root rot.

[BobBong]

Flushing is the process in which you add mass amount of water to "Flush" the additional salts and nutrient build up in the soil. New soil, doesn't have this problem.

However, many soils you can use more than once. 2.. or even 3 times sometimes.. if you're reusing old soil medium. then yes, you should flush the soil before you plant another plant. New soil? there's no point in flushing new soil.