Hey guys just wondering how to revitalize my potting soil from last year. Dont really wanna throw it out. Here is the mix I used. The recipe I used is jen largent-farnam. However I didn't use the azomite and gypsate. I used everything else her recipe called for. Thanks
Is this potting soil used? If so and if you want to start seeds with it, I would sterilize it 1st. 10 min in a bag in the microwave or 160 degrees in an oven roasting bag in the oven.
I would then just use it. I grow a lot of herbs & veggies in pots on my back stoop. In the fall, I dump them all out in a heap. Come spring , I add a bit more compost, then just pot everything up again. It has worked fine for me. The only exception to this is if a plant has been diseased, I dispose of the whole shabang at the dump. BTW, sounds like an interesting mix. How did it work for you?
Thanks these pots have sat on in the cold and snow. Since I didnt do it this fall can I dump them out in the spring and add the compost? Would you add anymore fertilizer or anything?
Sure, dump them out, add amendments. The formula you used includes natural fertilizers, not the N-P-K stuff sold in stores. If you have any bone meal, blood meal, etc on hand I would add that. I don't routinely put chemical fertilizers in potting mixes...it can burn seedlings. I prefer to add it later if that plants seem to need a shot. Good luck!!
Cayuga morning thanks for all your help. The fabric pots I have say they are 15 gallon. Certainly don't look that big but that's what they say on the tag. Anyways I have about 7 of them to revitalize. Do you think like 3 bags of compost is enough for the 7? How much blood and bone meal would you use for the 7 pots? I'm assuming to much bone and blood meal is a bad thing? Sorry for all the questions but I'm pretty new at this.
Go with what was said in the second post ! It just boggles my mind why anyone would overthink, overspend, or overmix something to put a vegetable plant in ! They typically grow in dirt and have for some time now! If you want to replicate the fish and bone meal,, throw some cheap dry cat food in with the mix ! Its excellent fertilizer ! Not trying to trivialize,, just saying to use your brain instead of your bank account !
I would try to replicate the original formula Brian if you had good luck with that. To wit: a a one to two ratio of compost to peat moss. I would eye ball what potting mix you have now & add 1/3- 1/2 that much again of compost. Re blood meal & bonemeal, i'd put in what you did last year. But only if you already have it on hand. That stuff can get pretty expensive.
I have a really dumb question. Can you put a seed starting bag in the microwave? I'm assuming that's a big fat negative. Lol what would be a safe bag?
" vegetables require a perfect soil mixture! 30% vermiculate 30% compost 30% worm casting 10% cow compost 1% rock dust 1% lime 1% bone meal lol.... ( dont use that mix ) I wish there some sources out there that said "dont worry about it , They typically grow in dirt" it very confusing trying to figure out what to put in your soil, everyone has their own "perfect mix"
Plain old brown paper bag ! Just watch it and not too high ! Some tupperware types will melt if too high ! Anything pyrex or made for baking will work !
How about an oven roasting bag? (Be careful of the steam when opening it though.) The trick is that compost will stink up your house if your are heating it indoors. That is why I suggest an oven roasting bag.....
vegetables require a perfect soil mixture! Guess my vegetables forgot to read that one ! I garden in two feet of sugar sand over a red clay base and other than the fertilizer during growing season and occasionally horse manure and lime mine get nothing like that ! I usually plant about 50 tomato plants in the small garden ! I grow enough potatoes, onions, broccoli, squash, peppers, cauliflower, cabbage, an assortment of greens as well as lettuces for salads to last until next garden season ! In the big garden which is about half the size of a football field long ! I grow 6 rows of corn and lesser amounts of green beans, various peas, okra, and usually cantaloupes and watermelons ! Both gardens produce more than several families can use,, much is given away when I can find someone willing to pick it which is rare ! I am really glad my vegetables grow anyway without having "perfect soil" ! I would have a lot less money to garden with if they knew that they were being denied perfection ! Just joking a bit here but surely you are not serious ?
