Recycling moldy soil?

S

Steelsurgeon

Active Member
I have a few 10 gal containers of fox farms ocean forest that was previously used. It has been sitting in the containers for about 4 months now. I was going to reuse it so i thought i would rinse it good with water. One of the containers is a fabric pot and seems to have a white mold from about the mid ways down. The regular plastic pots didnt seem to have the mold although i didnt dig all the way to the bottom. Dumped about 15 gal of water in each container and was going to let them sit out in the rain for a couple of days before dumping the soil out on a tarp and letting it kinda air our before putting it in 5 gal smart pots. So the issue with the mold, will several good flushings get rid of it? Soaking and drying outside of the container? Scrap it and buy new, which i was trying to avoid?
 
Labs Dexter

Labs Dexter

Well-Known Member
Steelsurgeon said:
I have a few 10 gal containers of fox farms ocean forest that was previously used. It has been sitting in the containers for about 4 months now. I was going to reuse it so i thought i would rinse it good with water. One of the containers is a fabric pot and seems to have a white mold from about the mid ways down. The regular plastic pots didnt seem to have the mold although i didnt dig all the way to the bottom. Dumped about 15 gal of water in each container and was going to let them sit out in the rain for a couple of days before dumping the soil out on a tarp and letting it kinda air our before putting it in 5 gal smart pots. So the issue with the mold, will several good flushings get rid of it? Soaking and drying outside of the container? Scrap it and buy new, which i was trying to avoid?
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I'm not sure about the moldy soil if you should use it...
But I re used some of my soil mg root boost potting mix, and I leeched well the stuck it in the tent to dry... then soaked it again but with magne-cal + and in the tent again to dry.... And used it for my last grow nearly finished. I can say it was good to start with but find your self feeding it extra compared to recent grows.. Well I did anyway.
Hope it helps
 
Carl Spackler

Carl Spackler

Well-Known Member
The "mold" is likely mycelium. These are the fruiting bodies of active fungi and are totally harmless and, in many cases beneficial to the microbes in your soil. The microbes break down organic/synthetic fertilizers in to useable forms for the plant. As long as soluble salts aren't building up, soils can be used indefinitely. Your idea on watering/flushing may be warranted to remove excess salts but I wouldn't lose any sleep about small amounts of residuals left over from previous grows. Anecdotally, I have soils that been used for dozens of grows. I simply don't buy soil any longer.
 
ISK

ISK

Well-Known Member
mold is deadly....anything with even a hint of mold is out the door into the garbage....I won't risk my health for a few bucks
 
ISK

ISK

Well-Known Member
AlbinoAcorn said:
You know you breathe in mold spores everyday, they're in your house. Do you eat blue cheese because that's got mold.
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yes and penicillin is mold, but under a controlled environment... go ahead and grow in mold infested soil, I'm just saying it's not worth the risk
 
S

Steelsurgeon

Active Member
I cant get pictures on here right now but what it looke like to me is a very heavy layer of powdery mildew. Can pm form in the bottom of a container like that? I also find it kind of odd that it was only in the fabric pot and not the plastic ones
 
vostok

vostok

Well-Known Member
Carl Spackler said:
The "mold" is likely mycelium. These are the fruiting bodies of active fungi and are totally harmless and, in many cases beneficial to the microbes in your soil. The microbes break down organic/synthetic fertilizers in to useable forms for the plant. As long as soluble salts aren't building up, soils can be used indefinitely. Your idea on watering/flushing may be warranted to remove excess salts but I wouldn't lose any sleep about small amounts of residuals left over from previous grows. Anecdotally, I have soils that been used for dozens of grows. I simply don't buy soil any longer.
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Carl Nailed it..!
this mold M_Fungi is very important to the roots of any plant, google it myconzai..?

you could encourage it at every step, washing ain't goona do poop, but flush the nutes outta the dirt,

as you will find out, simply mix well allow to dry and consider adding(amending)

some good shit like from a horse/cow/goat etc, then allow it to sit for as long as you can

add bulk sand or perlite like 20% to prevent any root compaction issues later
 
S

Steelsurgeon

Active Member
vostok said:
Carl Nailed it..!
this mold M_Fungi is very important to the roots of any plant, google it myconzai..?

you could encourage it at every step, washing ain't goona do poop, but flush the nutes outta the dirt,

as you will find out, simply mix well allow to dry and consider adding(amending)

some good shit like from a horse/cow/goat etc, then allow it to sit for as long as you can

add bulk sand or perlite like 20% to prevent any root compaction issues later
Click to expand...
Based off my descriptions above how sure are you thats what it is?
 
Lord Kanti

Lord Kanti

Well-Known Member
Steelsurgeon said:
I have a few 10 gal containers of fox farms ocean forest that was previously used. It has been sitting in the containers for about 4 months now. I was going to reuse it so i thought i would rinse it good with water. One of the containers is a fabric pot and seems to have a white mold from about the mid ways down. The regular plastic pots didnt seem to have the mold although i didnt dig all the way to the bottom. Dumped about 15 gal of water in each container and was going to let them sit out in the rain for a couple of days before dumping the soil out on a tarp and letting it kinda air our before putting it in 5 gal smart pots. So the issue with the mold, will several good flushings get rid of it? Soaking and drying outside of the container? Scrap it and buy new, which i was trying to avoid?
Click to expand...
Throw it in the compost and let God sort it out.
 
Dr. Who

Dr. Who

Well-Known Member
Hmm, ten gallon containers.
Break up the root balls and pitch the main stem left overs.
To every 1.5 cf add 30% perlite.
1/2 cup Dolomite
1/2 cup Garden Gypsum
1/2 cup Organic tomato fert (FF or Tomato tone) (You do not need to add any minerals as they are good for a year of use before having to re-amend with them)

Mix well and "cook" for 2+ weeks and use......I've found re-amending takes less "cooking" to be effective.

If this soil was used with synthetic's = pitch!

Doc
 
hotrodharley

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
Put it in the oven at 450 and clear out of the house. Small batches. Nothing will survive that and it produces or uses no toxins.
 
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