I grow in 5 gallon containers with organic soil. After harvest, what should I do to refresh the old soil before planting again? Or should I use new soil each run? I guess the key issue might be salt build up, but would the flushes before harvest clear that out?
I’m considering dumping the soil out, and mixing in chicken manure, bat guano, and maybe some Ironite or Azomite minerals. What else might be needed?
I can get Ocean Forest for less than $10 a bag.
My personal opinion I would use new soil, re using soil could either be a great benefit or a complete disaster, you wouldnt really know until you reused it
Thanks, yeah, why risk it.
I can top off some outdoor vegetable gardens with the “old” potted soil.
I’ve always used new soil and usualy just throw the old soil in my regular garden. Not to say it can’t be done but I would hate to have issues due to not dishing out $36 for some new sunshine #4
I would compost it for a year or longer along with some added nutrients
I do compost to make garden soil, but I believe potted plants need a balanced composition for best results. I mix my compost with alot of bagged organic soil and amendments for outdoor plants, and I have great heirloom tomatoes. I want to be more careful with my indoor grow tent.
Do salts and other residue build up in potted plants? Will this flush out?
Not sure about the salts but buying new soil for the indoor garden seems like a good plan
I just purchased new soil for my garden
Yes they build up and yes they can be flushed out
Wow that’s cheap for promix. I think my local grow shop said it was like $48 so they stock the sunshine mix#4 instead because it is cheaper. Good price 
@Jmesser80 local farm & garden store having a 4th of July sale. Normally $25 per block
Even at $25 it seems like a heck of a deal.
@Jmesser80 there’s a lot of green houses in the area. They sale 5-6 tractor-trailer loads a season.
Yeah thats a heck of a deal. I pay about 45 bucks for that bag of promix. Even at 25 your getting a good deal. @hillbilly103
All of our local greenhouse only sell cheaper soil lines. I actually work at a place that carries promix seasonally but we only bring in a pallet per year. After Memorial Day we don’t tend to sell much so they don’t want to over stock it. Even with my employee discount I’m looking st like $38 or so for a bale of it.
I never had luck reusing soil I will use it for my house plants and hanging baskets ,But don’t want to take a chance with the girls.Like I said no luck with used soil.My pop owned greenhouses and he would always let it sit for a long time and fumigate it before use…Just my two cents but new is always better if your plants do funny shit you wont really know why…Happy Growing…
I’ve actually found a good use for old used soil
Fill in those ankle breaking holes my dogs dig in the yard.
