I'm getting ready to grow again, and I still have half a bag of happy frog soil left from last year's outdoor grow. I put my hand in the bag and felt the soil and it was completely dry. Is it still ok to use, or should I just go and pick up a couple of new bags from the hydro store?
as long as its new soil and hasn't been wet then itll be fine. when you put water on it it starts the biological processes and bacterias which thrive in the soil initially I thought you meant reuseing soil from your old pots. don't do that
Yep, in fact some do it yourself mixes prefer to sit for three, six, or even nine months before use. The happy frog should be just fine for awhile, you may notice a slight deterioration in the nutrients but you can always solve this with topping soil. ColoradoLegaliz
Its dirt. Nothing wrong with it or the dirt you've grown in before so use it all. Dirt doesn't wear out or become toxic after a grow.
I heard that harmful salts build up as the water evaporates from up to down, which is why youre supposed to allow 20% runoff when you water. id just start from fresh
Salts can happen when farmers irrigate with mineral heavy groundwater and over fertilization over years. Not a problem with house plants. Reusing your soil helps to eliminate variables of ph and nute deficiency. You've already adjusted it.
Yes its fine. Don't use the same soil.for same.plants though this will increase chances of disease Also add organic firtalizer (apple cores and such) so reused soil.doesn't become defficient
[quote name='"trifle"'] I heard that harmful salts build up as the water evaporates from up to down, which is why youre supposed to allow 20% runoff when you water. id just start from fresh[/quote] Harmfull salts will not build up unless you have put them in the soil. Happy frog is organic by itself, and doesn't have salts to build up.
You can reuse soils as long as you maintain them and keep them living. IE: don't use ferts from a bottle but instead use a soil that utilizes organics and microbes.
Ok, I think we all need to back up and actually read the title of the post. These answers are killing me! NEW SOIL! Its not old soil that has had plants grown in it. Its not old soil that has been fed over and over and allowed salts to build up. Its not old soil AT ALL. Use the left over soil that is in your Happy Frog bag. It is new soil, you should have no issues. If by chance you notice the plant not getting enough nutrients, the bag probably got wet and leached some nutrient out of it. Just treat with an AACT and you will be fine. ColoradoLegaliz
You actually can use soil from your last grow from your new one, you just have to bake it first and i heard it smells awful. That wasn't relevant to your question but the answer to it is yes you can just water before you plant your seeds.