The Ultimate Growing Competition

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H.A.F.

H.A.F.

Well-Known Member
QUESTION

Someone mentioned recycling soil, but I don't remember who or I would just bug them. I had been saving mine for vegetables, but was hesitant to reuse it for weed. One example is that I had a slight gnat problem, and pH problems with the grow, and wouldn't want to doom a new plant.

What do you do to rejuvenate the soil? Does it need to be pasteurized or cleansed in any way? Does it need to be slurry tested and amended to get the pH right? Any info would be helpful. So far I have just busted up the root-balls and sifted most of the roots.

Thanks.

Oh, one last pic of those two. Maybe another one in a week. The "autumn" leaves have already curled, so my hunch (that you guys probably already knew but I figured out on my own) is that if the leaves have enough sugar, they don't curl. IMG_9835.JPG
 
J.James

J.James

Well-Known Member
H.A.F. said:
QUESTION

Someone mentioned recycling soil, but I don't remember who or I would just bug them. I had been saving mine for vegetables, but was hesitant to reuse it for weed. One example is that I had a slight gnat problem, and pH problems with the grow, and wouldn't want to doom a new plant.

What do you do to rejuvenate the soil? Does it need to be pasteurized or cleansed in any way? Does it need to be slurry tested and amended to get the pH right? Any info would be helpful. So far I have just busted up the root-balls and sifted most of the roots.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
J.James Soil Recipe:

1 Part Base (Coco Coir, Peat Moss, PittMoss)
1 Part Aeration/Drainage (Pumice, Rice Hulls, Grow Stones)
1/2 Part Premium Thermal Compost (Compost is the single most important ingredient, Don't be cheep.)
1/2 Part Vermicompost or Worm Castings

Per Cubic Foot of total soil volume add:
1 Cup Gypsum
1 Cup Oyster Shell Flour
1 Cup Basalt
3 Cups BuildASoil Craft Blend

Mix and plant right away or tuck away and let compost for a couple of weeks first.

Re-amend Old Soil Recipe:

Per Cubic Foot of Old Soil add:
1/2 Gallon of Premium Thermal Compost
1/2 Gallon of Vermicompost or Worm Castings
1/2 Cup Gypsum
1/2 Cup Oyster Shell Flour
1/2 Cup Basalt
1/2 Cup Kashi Blend
2 Cups BuildASoil Craft Blend

Compost for 2 - 3 weeks before use.
 
H.A.F.

H.A.F.

Well-Known Member
J.James said:
J.James Soil Recipe:
Click to expand...
I'll save this with the other recipes I have found and probably try it at some point ;) so thanks.

What I meant was like from the 2 plants that I just harvested I have enough soil to re-use. I have a handful of clones going, and if nothing else it would be great to keep the recycled stuff at least to fill solo cups.

My soil was a 50/50 mix of the Fox Farms Happy Frog and Lucky Dog. Not too expensive, but I re-use hooks and twist-ties LOL
 
J.James

J.James

Well-Known Member
H.A.F. said:
I'll save this with the other recipes I have found and probably try it at some point ;) so thanks.

What I meant was like from the 2 plants that I just harvested I have enough soil to re-use. I have a handful of clones going, and if nothing else it would be great to keep the recycled stuff at least to fill solo cups.

My soil was a 50/50 mix of the Fox Farms Happy Frog and Lucky Dog. Not too expensive, but I re-use hooks and twist-ties LOL
Click to expand...
You would need to flush the soil of salts, do this just like you do a plant flush until you get low PPM runoff. Also over the 3 weeks you compost your old soil down, it needs to stay moist. 10% water by soil volume is the perfect amount added weekly. This would be too hot for seedlings unless you compost it down.

I find that my medium is the most expensive part of my grow
 
H.A.F.

H.A.F.

Well-Known Member
J.James said:
You would need to flush the soil of salts, do this just like you do a plant flush until you get low PPM runoff. Also over the 3 weeks you compost your old soil down, it needs to stay moist. 10% water by soil volume is the perfect amount added weekly. This would be too hot for seedlings unless you compost it down.

I find that my medium is the most expensive part of my grow
Click to expand...
BINGO!
That's why I take the "cheap" way out. I got a recipe that had about a dozen ingredients from worm castings to mico's, and the complete mix was about $200 between amazon and other suppliers. Ended up with enough to fill 4 five-gallon pots, and burnt the shit out of the plants because I did something wrong - or they forgot to post some crucial step...

Anyway, would you recommend peroxide at any point, or neem oil to ensure that no buggies are left? If I keep it moist they'll thrive, but it's dry now.
 
H.A.F.

H.A.F.

Well-Known Member
Random stoner post while waiting for a reply :bigjoint:

If you ever need to mask the smell of drying flowers in your home - whether due to the annoying mother-in-law visit or your parole officer ;) - don't light incense, scented candles or spray Axe body spray (for you young-un's) - slow cook something :)
IMG_9838.JPG
 
J.James

J.James

Well-Known Member
H.A.F. said:
BINGO!
Anyway, would you recommend peroxide at any point, or neem oil to ensure that no buggies are left? If I keep it moist they'll thrive, but it's dry now.
Click to expand...
You can use H2O2 when you flush the salts out. I add Neem Meal to my worm bin so its already in my mix via the Warm Castings but you could also add it to your soil at 1 cup per sq foot, It can be hot when it breaks down so you may need to compost it down long before you use it for seedlings or young growth stages.

Edit - The Craft Blend has Karanja Cake in it and is almost identical in properties to the Neem
 
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Big Perm

Big Perm

Well-Known Member
I don't want to brag, and knock on wood...but I have never one time had a bug problem, ever. I don't do anything to prevent it except keep stuff clean. I never mix indoor and outdoor. And no plants from outside come inside. All of my air is filtered. I also freeze any food before it goes in the worm bin to kill off eggs. I toss a brick of frozen food in there, bury it and it cools them down as it melts. They love it.
In soil my main trick is to bottom feed. Bugs nest in the top layer, and if you top feed it's a perfect environment for nesting critters. But if you bottom feed the top layer stays dry and bugs don't like it.
 
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Kushash

Kushash

Well-Known Member
Mysturis420 said:
#115 got a problem and honestly idk what it is I have all clones of the same strain going with the same feeding schedule and all but 2 plants are near perfect heres the pics

This is how most plants look View attachment 4347612 View attachment 4347613 View attachment 4347614 and then theres 2 plants showing these problems View attachment 4347615 I've decided to do a good flush and then I will return to normal feeding hopefully all goes well I'm not to worried to be honest I dont see bugs or anything of the sort happy growing guys
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Hi Mysturis420!
Not sure what your problem is but the random brown spots on the leaves resemble a calcium deficiency.
If it is it could be a deficiency or a lock out of calcium.​
 
J.James

J.James

Well-Known Member
Big Perm said:
The holy grail of a soil mix is one that will take you start to finish with just water. Most, if not all, of us are still in search of it.
Click to expand...
J.James said:
I am still watering 32 oz of RO water per plant every 3 days.
Click to expand...
Hmmm... Curious.....

Edit - You know @Big Perm that it's not the soil mix that keeps us from this, But pot size. I find that in a 15 gallon pot most nutrient issues disappear no matter what soil brand or mix it is that I use. ​
 
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H.A.F.

H.A.F.

Well-Known Member
Big Perm said:
I don't want to brag, and knock on wood...but I have never one time had a bug problem, ever. I don't do anything to prevent it except keep stuff clean. I never mix indoor and outdoor. And no plants from outside come inside. All of my air is filtered. I also freeze any food before it goes in the worm bin to kill off eggs. I toss a brick of frozen food in there, bury it and it cools them down as it melts. They love it.
In soil my main trick is to bottom feed. Bugs nest in the top layer, and if you top feed it's a perfect environment for nesting critters. But if you bottom feed the top layer stays dry and bugs don't like it.
Click to expand...
Only thing I have ever had is gnats, and it's seasonal - and probably location too.
 
Mysturis420

Mysturis420

Well-Known Member
Kushash said:

Hi Mysturis420!
Not sure what your problem is but the random brown spots on the leaves resemble a calcium deficiency.
If it is it could be a deficiency or a lock out of calcium.​
Click to expand...
It's just odd that only 2 plants are showing symptoms as they are the same clone and all treated equal for the most part I try not to do anything different I thought maybe I burned them slightly becuase recently my tips burnt and that's not normal for me I must of over fed at some point a couple weeks ago but im going to look into the calcium
 
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