Adding micro nutes to reused soil?

AllenHaze

Well-Known Member
Hey riu. I've got some soil I've reused a few times and am now noticing some micro nute deficiencies like manganese and boron as well as some cal. I've used some nutes that have all of these present with little success. What are some things to look out for when reusing soil? Common problems and what not? Thanks. :peace:
 

Pattahabi

Well-Known Member
Hey riu. I've got some soil I've reused a few times and am now noticing some micro nute deficiencies like manganese and boron as well as some cal. I've used some nutes that have all of these present with little success. What are some things to look out for when reusing soil? Common problems and what not? Thanks. :peace:
Can I ask what is in the soil to start with? What nutes where you using? Are you pHing your soil? Any other details. Generally speaking, you don't have to add a lot of micronutrients into the soil. More times then not, they are there, but not available.

Peace!
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Pattahabi

Well-Known Member
Go to hardware store..get a 5$ bad of soil and mix it all together to help replenish trace elements
Yeah, cause I like to mix a little Popov with my Ciroc. Better idea, lets find out what he's actually working with first.

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AllenHaze

Well-Known Member
Can I ask what is in the soil to start with? What nutes where you using? Are you pHing your soil? Any other details. Generally speaking, you don't have to add a lot of micronutrients into the soil. More times then not, they are there, but not available.

Peace!
P-
50/50 happy frog and Sunshine #4 + kelp meal, rock phosphates, fresh worm castings, diatomaceous earth, glacial rock dust, green sand, eggshell powder, dolomitic lime, k-mag. I water with tea and molasses. I've run the mix twice without an issue but this run I'm noticing some minor issues that may or may not advance.

Go to hardware store..get a 5$ bad of soil and mix it all together to help replenish trace elements
Nice. Good idea.
 

heathaa

Well-Known Member
It's what I would do just be cuz I have limited money...I have best results with burying a fish in my reused soil. It works good for me growing outside. In my vegetables garden I also bury small 8 inch fish a month before tilling so when I till it's decomposed.. all my vvegetables love it.
 

Pattahabi

Well-Known Member
50/50 happy frog and Sunshine #4 + kelp meal, rock phosphates, fresh worm castings, diatomaceous earth, glacial rock dust, green sand, eggshell powder, dolomitic lime, k-mag. I water with tea and molasses. I've run the mix twice without an issue but this run I'm noticing some minor issues that may or may not advance.


Nice. Good idea.
Sounds like whatever castings you put in there is pretty much your only humus. There's also a lot of Mg in that mix imo. Not sure what you have available, but I'd take some of those fresh worm castings and put a good 1/8-1/4" layer on top. Top that with a little kelp, some mulch and water with an act.

Adding crappy soil from the hardware store is never a good idea imo. They often contain biosolids and other crap you don't want in your soil. Your soil is precious, choose your inputs wisely.

Peace!
P-
 

Pattahabi

Well-Known Member
It's what I would do just be cuz I have limited money...I have best results with burying a fish in my reused soil. It works good for me growing outside. In my vegetables garden I also bury small 8 inch fish a month before tilling so when I till it's decomposed.. all my vvegetables love it.
Start a compost pile/worm bin. The hardware soil won't be the slightest bit comparable. Alfalfa, kelp, crab meal, etc is cheap. Look at the feed stores, nursuries, garden centers - stay away from the hydrostores unless you have no other option. If you go to the hydrostore just remember not to look the clerk in the eyes. You will instantly become one of the growing dead - forever pHing and adding CalMg till you drain your wallet or kill your plants. Whatever comes first!

Peace!
P-
 

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
Start a compost pile/worm bin. The hardware soil won't be the slightest bit comparable. Alfalfa, kelp, crab meal, etc is cheap. Look at the feed stores, nursuries, garden centers - stay away from the hydrostores unless you have no other option. If you go to the hydrostore just remember not to look the clerk in the eyes. You will instantly become one of the growing dead - forever pHing and adding CalMg till you drain your wallet or kill your plants. Whatever comes first!

Peace!
P-
other thing I noticed is, he said is that he waters with water and molasses, perhaps he has a nutrient lockout issue with the molasses? I LOVE molasses but when used as a nutrient rather than a sugar for AACTs, it can be a lil potent to use consistently. I'd be wary of molasses it's a helluva secret weapon for cannabis, but like anything used in excess, it can create some issues...
 

Pattahabi

Well-Known Member
other thing I noticed is, he said is that he waters with water and molasses, perhaps he has a nutrient lockout issue with the molasses? I LOVE molasses but when used as a nutrient rather than a sugar for AACTs, it can be a lil potent to use consistently. I'd be wary of molasses it's a helluva secret weapon for cannabis, but like anything used in excess, it can create some issues...
Molasses goes in my act's, and that's it.

P-
 

AllenHaze

Well-Known Member
Are you adding a little more kelp after each run?

That'll fix you up.
I have been, as well as glacial rock dust and green sand. I thought that would have me covered - which it should so maybe there is something else going on? I don't water with molasses every time - more like every three or four times and not generally after the 7th week of flower. I have watered heavily on a few occasions with molasses probably a little over a month ago (4 tbs a gallon was my heaviest feeding. This was never more then twice for a single plant and was always weeks apart.) I'm getting ready to mix up a new batch in the next few days and this is the first time I'll be reusing a mix for a THIRD time. I'm just worried something will show up worse then the little probs I have now. I have a great soil recipe that I've used in the past but it is used with new happy frog + sunshine mix 50/50 with old soil. Any recipes for small 15 lbs batches that will remedy a depleted mix? I know, lbs is bitch but with moisture differentials between soils I'm not really sure how else to measure it. Any tips on that? Sorry for the big run on, I'm am blazing on some Satori and am flying high - there is a lot to see from up here :eyesmoke: ;-)
 

greasemonkeymann

Well-Known Member
I have been, as well as glacial rock dust and green sand. I thought that would have me covered - which it should so maybe there is something else going on? I don't water with molasses every time - more like every three or four times and not generally after the 7th week of flower. I have watered heavily on a few occasions with molasses probably a little over a month ago (4 tbs a gallon was my heaviest feeding. This was never more then twice for a single plant and was always weeks apart.) I'm getting ready to mix up a new batch in the next few days and this is the first time I'll be reusing a mix for a THIRD time. I'm just worried something will show up worse then the little probs I have now. I have a great soil recipe that I've used in the past but it is used with new happy frog + sunshine mix 50/50 with old soil. Any recipes for small 15 lbs batches that will remedy a depleted mix? I know, lbs is bitch but with moisture differentials between soils I'm not really sure how else to measure it. Any tips on that? Sorry for the big run on, I'm am blazing on some Satori and am flying high - there is a lot to see from up here :eyesmoke: ;-)
4 tablespoons a gallon is an asston of molasses, typically you don't want more than one tbsp. per gallon. My hunch is that may be causing a nutrient lock-up.
One amendment I love for re-using soil is crab meal or oyster shells, the ph in soil typically gets acidic as time goes by and those amendments help with that. I also don't like greensand, I used it for years, and after I switched to rock dusts it seemed to out-perform the greensand, but greensand doesn't hurt anything. I don't like the fact that rock-dusts can potentially be radioactive.... That's kinda scary.
 

Pattahabi

Well-Known Member
Be mindful. Minerals break down very slowly, and it is very possible to over mineralize your soils.

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