I typically wash the gro bags, but after 3 grows I usually really go at them and throw in the washer, sun dry and call it a day.
Dang, @Lostgirl just stole my thunder…
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Great minds think alike
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Thanks for clarifying.
As for myco, it seems to me that, if the early roots are exposed and develop the desired symbiosis, they should carry the microorganisms with them as they grow. If that idea is correct, having some myco distributed throughout the soil for the roots to encounter shouldn’t make any difference.
At the end of the day it’s a fungi inoculant. Mixed throughout the soil makes thousands of inoculation points. And I don’t see that as a oh so bad thing
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I didn’t mean to suggest that distributing myco throughout the soil is bad. I’m just wondering what good it does if the early roots are inoculated already. Don’t the roots take the microorganisms with them as they grow?
That’s getting a little too technical for me. There’s a lot of growers that only inoculate the whole or the roots itself I do both and the soil. Could it be Overkill? maybe.
I wish I would have saved a picture of how totally white and clean my roots were from my harvest.
The other products that I use other than the inoculants or a fantastic way of introducing the microbial life back into the soil. I swear my voodoo juice, photosynthesis Plus, and vegetable fruit yield enhancer.
And I believe to feed the microbial life bud candy far supersedes what molasses does to feed. Just doing what I’m doing has given me a thriving root zone right out of the gate.
Utilizing enzymes at the end of the grow also cleans up the junk organic matter converting it into uptakeable nutrients for the plant keeps everything perfect.
The only other thing that I continue to use would be yucca. It keeps everything flowing better as well.
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Ok – thanks for all the info. Your grows demonstrate your expertise and I’ve been thinking about how best to re-use good soil. It’s obvious that you’ve developed a good system, based on study and experience, and I’d do well to learn from you.
I know a guy who has been reusing Supernatural Brand’s Pay Dirt for at least 5 years but it’s really expensive and it’s not really soil, but it grows well, nutrients don’t need to have the PH adjusted and there is never an aeration issue. But it drinks heavily, you have to water everyday
@Venturi Didnt count. Many. I mix photo/auto/clones so something always growing. I return all leaves, roots etc to soil for organic matter… Perlite, worm castings and my dry ammendments are all i use typically . The soil originally had a LOT of debris in it which has melted into the soil. I have only a few more rounds before I ammend with new soil.
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Do you wait for them to decompose, or maybe do something to speed the process? (Chop them up, for example.)
What are they?
Such as? I’m unsure what you mean.
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I rip up my pruning and drop it on the top. I let the roots decompose after chop.
I use @Roadsideorganics.ok basic dry nutrient line.
When I mix my bags back into bin to ammend and cook again ill throw all trim from chop in also. Used to give it to Wifes cousin but it serves me better as organic matter.
Original organic potting soil had bark, small branches, and all kinds of organic matter. It has decomposed into silky soil. Lost a lot of its draining ability hence always more perlite. I am going to try the stuff @MeEasy is using now to boost older soil. If you want to see a solid well established organic grow hit his thread. That man sold me on organic 3 or so years ago.
I was soil/synthetic liquid nutes. Ph/runnoff/drench,drought/ppm etc. I am WAY too lazy for that shit anymore and went so basic its scary. I get harvests as big as I want now minimal effort.
I heartily suggest you go see the thread I mentioned. A bunch of us switched to his nutes. Same as I use. He vets this stuff and his approval is truly gold.
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It sounds like the debris helped aerate the soil, but that quality was lost as it decomposed into nutrients. You’ve compensated by adding perlite. Why not replace the debris by adding mulch?
I assume you don’t include material from plants that had a disease or infestation. But what if you missed something? Has including the leftover plant material ever caused an unpleasant surprise?
Thanks for the pointer to @MeEasy. I’ll read up on the organic route. 
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No. I have no soil issues. Mostly eyeball nute issues.
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This is the stuff @Storm was talking about me using. I started using it like a year ago. Before that I was adding a little bit of new soil to my used dirt between grows. This stuff is all the goodies that Fox Farm uses in their soil mixes. My old lady gets these plastic 4 cup measuring cups from the dollar store. I put 2 scoops of this conditioner and one scoop of perlite in each 7 gallon pot of used soil, plus of course some veg nutrients at full dose according to the @Roadsideorganics.ok label
I do normally use all my trimmings like mulch and cover it and my nutrients with a little soil mix at every feeding. I had a little bug issue at the start of this grow and had to keep everything extra clean to make sure I got rid of the little bastards. I’ll go back to using the trimmings next grow
I don’t buy it from Amazon I’m just using this link to show y’all what it is. There’s a place here in town that sells FF stuff pretty cheap. I get this stuff for $18 a bag and Happy Frog soil for $22. The local availability n price is what made me try FF but the quality is why I have been using it for prolly 8 or 10 years now
FoxFarm Happy Frog Soil Conditioner, 1.5cu ft – Contains Soil Microbes and Humic Acids - Increases Root Efficiency and Micronutrient Uptake, Use on All New Plantings Amazon.com : FoxFarm Happy Frog Soil Conditioner, 1.5cu ft – Contains Soil Microbes and Humic Acids - Increases Root Efficiency and Micronutrient Uptake, Use on All New Plantings : Patio, Lawn & Garden
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So you have “spare” soil that you use to compost the plant material that comes from trimming as you’re growing new plants?
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Good thread huh.
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Lot to digest for sure. It will be a minute or two
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Haha. SECOND thread. Looks like getting close to 3rd. Start on his first for the journey man. Worth the reading. Very community driven.
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I will give it a shot. Finding time is my issue. Following too many good reads and haven’t finished some I should
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