New Grower old soil

[eagles2441]

i got a bucket with old soil in it its been sitting there for about 3 month. can i just re water it and start my growing back

 

[JM]

not reccomended... but you can... was it oustside or in?

 

[lykaboss]

you can reconstitute old soil, i reuse my soil all the time, but its not sitting outside for 3 months, i would bake it in the oven before using it thou, just my

 

[eagles2441]

thanks a lot ......its was inside

 

[JM]

inside is better as its less likely to have bugs/molds inn it than if it were outside..

baking wouldnt hurt... but be careful.. if it has any guano in it... that has a horibble stink potential... anothe option for sterilizing is pouring boiling water over it... steep for 15 minutes... then drain (make sure to use enough hot water to bring soil temps to 140 + deg F.)

after that... re-innoculate with some micro fungi / soil beneicials IMO... "root drench" is a good one... made by fox farms under the name "Kangaroots"

I often recycle my soil from my compost bin... but admittedly, I've had to combat a lo of BS as a result... molds / spider mites / thrips etc... so be prepared if you dont sterilize to deal with theses issues...

 

[low_and_slow]

I pull the main stalk/root ball out, then dump the pot and hte rest of the roots right into my "ready use" mix. Since it's a little nutrient depleted, it makes a great base for adding in my super-soil mix.