Reusing Compost

[Guest nu jerzey devil]

Hi OT1,

Looking for abit of advice on how to reuse soil.

Do you add anything for PH?

Do you add anything for trace elements?

As I am looking to reuse alot of soil and for future use

Cheerz NJD

I told you exactly what I did and exactly what I added.

I live in a hard water area, so its possible that after the first 3 grows that the carbonates had caused the buffer level of the compost to rise to high, I did not test for ph buffering, even so the grow was pretty good, as was the bud produced.

The thing you need to do is find a compost that works well for you just as it comes out of the bag before you do anything else to it! ie don't try and amend it in any way although I would recommend using a mychorrizal inoculant. Once you find the compost that does what it should, then reuse as I have outlined.

Did you read my advise to you in this reply to you here????

Yeah thanks abit of a newbie here,

So I didnt know where that convo had been moved too, thought it had just been deleted.

Sorry if it seemed as though I wasnt reading it properly. but as you never mentioned lime ect for Ph. I thought I would ask you as I was just wondering if you had used it.

But it is clear to me now what you did.

[I Zimbra]

piranha/tarantula, halo... theres loads

oops from a garden centre, dunno

Thanks for the thought mate but all the hydro companies do is copy whats been proven sucessful out in the 'normal world' to the 'cannabis world',its just knowing what will replace it!

OT..?

Do you think you could have kept reusing the compost if you had'nt had to use tap water?

thats right

[beanz]

What?

Hydro co's or using tap water?

[oldtimer1]

OT..?

Do you think you could have kept reusing the compost if you had'nt had to use tap water?

In the real world it is better to rotate crops, if you keep growing the same crop in the same soil, it gets what is called soil sickness to that crop, other crops will grow well, but that same again will not. I think more cycles may have been possible if rainwater had been used.

Hi OT1,

Looking for abit of advice on how to reuse soil.

Do you add anything for PH?

Do you add anything for trace elements?

As I am looking to reuse alot of soil and for future use

Cheerz NJD

I told you exactly what I did and exactly what I added.

I live in a hard water area, so its possible that after the first 3 grows that the carbonates had caused the buffer level of the compost to rise to high, I did not test for ph buffering, even so the grow was pretty good, as was the bud produced.

The thing you need to do is find a compost that works well for you just as it comes out of the bag before you do anything else to it! ie don't try and amend it in any way although I would recommend using a mychorrizal inoculant. Once you find the compost that does what it should, then reuse as I have outlined.

Did you read my advise to you in this reply to you here????

Yeah thanks abit of a newbie here,

So I didnt know where that convo had been moved too, thought it had just been deleted.

Sorry if it seemed as though I wasnt reading it properly. but as you never mentioned lime ect for Ph. I thought I would ask you as I was just wondering if you had used it.

But it is clear to me now what you did.

All westlands composts are buffered between ph 5.5 and 6 when made. I was not being very scientific when I ran this test, it was more suck it and see, the thing is I have done many grows in both composts and know exactly what my clone lines do when grown in them as they come. It takes a couple of hrs and a very accurate ph meter to test the buffer level of a compost properly. It should never be necessary with new compost, if you are going to amend a compost with additives that may alter its buffer level a lot because they are reactive, it may pay to check once the mix has had a chance to ferment, react and stabilize. Nothing I was using was likely to change the buffer level by much.

[Randalizer]

Guess i'll go out and find myself some Trichoderma Harzianum!

Most coir, coco based compost products have Trich in them as it occurs naturally in coco. The exception is steam pressed coco.

I use coco fiber in me compost as well as coco chunks for mulch. I don't try to buy Trich due to it being in the coco already but the micro herd powders available to me here in the states usually include Trich.

Edited August 16, 2008 by Randalizer

[Guest nu jerzey devil]

Thanks again OT1,

I had it in my mind that I would have to get a laundry list of of nutes ect ect to be able to reuse soil. I just thought there would be alot more to it.

I also thought I would have to get test equipment and so on.

But if it was going to be as much of a hassle as I first thot I would not try and reuse. but you cleared alot of uncertainty up for me. So i will start to try and reuse the Homebase grow bags I know have. Unless I find away to fix the old west +

NJD

Edited August 16, 2008 by nu jerzey devil

[beanz]

OT..?

Do you think you could have kept reusing the compost if you had'nt had to use tap water?

In the real world it is better to rotate crops.if you keep growing the same crop in the same soil, it gets what is called soil sickness to that crop, other crops will grow well, but that same again will not. I think more cycles may have been possible if rainwater had been used.

Thats my biggest problem OT,I've only ever gardened in the real world so for me trying to replicate inside what I do outside gets confusing.

[Randalizer]

excellent post whassup! Thank you!

[Wh00pS]

This thread should be pinned, lots of really usefull info.

[Guest]

If i was to use 'Advanced Nutrients' BigBud & Overdrive during my flowering (supplementry to my Biobizz nutes) would this damage my biological activity in the compost and thus make re-using it impossible?

I hope not, as i've already bought the damn stuff (i know, i know, bad move..)and i dont like waste

regards,

Redgrotto

[beanz]

......... lets see if I've got this right!!

Use a base compost?

'Which' compost trials are a good start?.

To get the best results from the start use an innoculant,in the absence of Webby's innoculant,add coir that has had a wetting with sea weed extract?+Rootgrow.(for best results leave for a couple of weeks?)This should also help with water and nuitrient uptake.

Their is no substitute for rockdust and Pinetum is best? Added when mixing the coir to the base compost.

This is sufficient for the 1st grow? apart from a feed of grow and bloom and maybe a foliar drench of nettle,worm or comfrey tea.

Ideally use rain water that has been bubbled for at least 24 hrs and kept at a certain temp?

Now what about adding pre-mix to the base compost at the begining and not doing any of the above?, apart from using bubbled rain water throughout and a tea occasionally?

Would the same protection be offered?

:wink:

[oldtimer1]

Great report ot

Thanks mate, I forgot to add that I chuck the top inch of compost before I sieve.

If i was to use 'Advanced Nutrients' BigBud & Overdrive during my flowering (supplementry to my Biobizz nutes) would this damage my biological activity in the compost and thus make re-using it impossible?

I hope not, as i've already bought the damn stuff (i know, i know, bad move..)and i dont like waste

regards,

Redgrotto

I can’t think why you or anyone would want to use them. The 0:15:40 should tell you something, god only knows what other muck they put in their hellish potions.!

......... lets see if I've got this right!!

Use a base compost?

'Which' compost trials are a good start?.

To get the best results from the start use an innoculant,in the absence of Webby's innoculant,add coir that has had a wetting with sea weed extract?+Rootgrow.(for best results leave for a couple of weeks?)This should also help with water and nuitrient uptake.

Their is no substitute for rockdust and Pinetum is best? Added when mixing the coir to the base compost.

This is sufficient for the 1st grow? apart from a feed of grow and bloom and maybe a foliar drench of nettle,worm or comfrey tea.

Ideally use rain water that has been bubbled for at least 24 hrs and kept at a certain temp?

Now what about adding pre-mix to the base compost at the begining and not doing any of the above?, apart from using bubbled rain water throughout and a tea occasionally?

Would the same protection be offered?

Beanz, use a good performing compost. Read members input and which reports. Any good new compost will already have a full compliment of base fertilisers, adding premix or worm to fresh compost would be to much enough allready, ie twice what is needed. You need the right amount of base fertiliser, more is not better.

You did not read what I have said, first time round with fresh compost! Add rock dust and use, dust roots of plants with an inoculant as you pot them up, so it comes directly into contact with roots immedietly, not premixed in the compost, it can be root grow or webbies essential granules, not essence.

When reuseing the compost add rock dust premix and worm, make damp and leave to ferment.

To answer your what if, its not what I did, you have to do it your self and report back, its not something I would do myself, as I said above to much base fertiliser in compost can burn or even kill your plants.

Hope this helps.

[agito]

so could you use cannazyme as a aid to re-use compost and also re fertilize the compost and promote the micro heard?

[Guest The Sheriff]

As far as i no cannazyme is for the roots , bit of molasses unsulfured would be more apt , poss Ritzo , bio ? believe that sugar based .

[beanz]

Beanz, use a good performing compost. Read members input and which reports. Any good new compost will already have a full compliment of base fertilisers, adding premix or worm to fresh compost would be to much enough allready, ie twice what is needed. You need the right amount of base fertiliser, more is not better.

You did not read what I have said, first time round with fresh compost! Add rock dust and use, dust roots of plants with an inoculant as you pot them up, so it comes directly into contact with roots immedietly, not premixed in the compost, it can be root grow or webbies essential granules, not essence.

When reuseing the compost add rock dust premix and worm, make damp and leave to ferment.

To answer your what if, its not what I did, you have to do it your self and report back, its not something I would do myself, as I said above to much base fertiliser in compost can burn or even kill your plants.

Hope this helps.

It did help a lot actually.

One last question?

Would you use a base compost designed for its use ie. seedlings and cutting in a seedling and cutting compost or would you just stick to the multi purpose from start to finish

?