Storing unused living soil

I have two 55 gallon totes full in the basement. One is fresh mix, cooking for at least 6 weeks, the other is for recycles. Then I blend them together sometimes, or I’ll add bennies and light amendments to the recycled and let it cook. I think my newer mix has cooked a bit long and has gotten somewhat hot so I’ll probably dilute with a few handfuls recycled soil next run

 

Keep lightly moist.

 

If you can expose them to enough light to grow plants, a diverse mix of cover crops will keep the soil alive.

Simply keeping them moist in the dark will cause many beneficial microbes to die or go dormant, as they are active only in association with living plant roots; decomposition will continue, so the soil will stay alive, but may take longer for the soil food-web to fully re-activate.

If I can manage it space-wise I try to let soil sit under a mixed cover crop between every cycle, 4 types of plants at least, better 8-10 if space permits. An annual grass or two, a clover/legume (properly inoculated) or two, and if there's room in the soil/budget/calendar a mint, a composite flower or two, purslane, phaecilia, dill, basically anything you might find in a kitchen herb garden or healthy meadow; these are the types of plants which grow near cannabis in it's natural environments, they feed and work with the same types of microbes and soils.

 

The best and easiest method I have used is to dampen soil, and cover with damp cardboard or damp newspaper.
cheers
os

 

The best and easiest method I have used is to dampen soil, and cover with damp cardboard or damp newspaper.
cheers
os

 

How often do you have to re-wet the cardboard/newspaper. I have a tote with worm castings that I am covering with a sheet of cardboard directly on the surface. I have about 90% coverage due to the rounded corners of the tote. I have been moistening it lightly every week or so.

 

just keep it moist, its not a precision thing. That applies to both uses.
cheers
os