Reuse of container mix?

rudylr · October 24, 2015

I tried my hand at container gardening this year. I had good success early on then got septoria leafspot and the hot humid weather slowed things down. I'm all in for next year though with probably twice as many plants. Can I reuse my container mix for next year? I am going todo one raised bed and could put the mix in there and use fresh mix in the containers. what's the chance of the S leaf spot causing problems next year?

Cole_Robbie · October 24, 2015

I think you'll be fine.

One option for re-using media is to treat it with an enzyme product to dissolve dead root matter. There are products made for hydroponics to do this, but you can buy the same thing 100x cheaper if you just buy a product made for fish ponds. "Pondzyme" is one brand; there are several. A little bit goes a long way.

Ed of Somis · October 24, 2015

Clean up at the season's end is quite important. Diseased plants need to be disposed of. Most of us re-use our potting mix...making sure to re-vitalize nutrients in Spring. You will be fine.

kurt · October 25, 2015

Spores are really microscopic,and hard to remove from environment.

http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.corne...o_Septoria.htm

http://blog.pennlive.com/gardening/2...leaf_spot.html

https://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/fs547/

Ricky Shaw · October 25, 2015

I hadn't even thought about soilless media not being reusable. Matter of fact I'd even attached a percentage to it, and imagined my recovery would be at least 50%. Is my container excursion about to get more expensive?

bower · October 26, 2015

For sure it all depends on the type of problems you might have had during the growing season... For the common fungal foliage diseases it's enough to remove all the plant material and turn the soil... In my containers, worms take care of every little rootlet that gets left behind. I reused the soil in my containers for tomatoes for 4-5 years, adding fresh compost each year, and it was just fine for disease questions.

The real problem I've had is a buildup of pest populations in the greenhouse, and this past year also introduced some more unwanted guests. First time ever with slugs in the canopy, eating my tomatoes and leaving gross trails.

They can only be lurking down the sides of those big containers where I can't reach them. No see um type troubles - thrips, mites also have become chronic and aphids keep popping up as well. So I decided it's time for a purge - complete change of soil, clean the containers, and major sanitation (and some renos) in the greenhouse during the winter.

Tomato soils are being cycled to new garlic beds.

Ed of Somis · October 26, 2015

I think the question begs to be asked...do you know of anyone who moves their in-ground garden every year? That same soil is being re-used over and over. Some of us have raised beds...and we certainly do not re-build and move those yearly. I do know of folks that "rotate" crops...but I never heard of anyone relocating their garden to a different area every year.

ContainerTed · October 26, 2015

Again, I agree with Ed. I have 5 acres available to me if I want it. I can rotate the garden around to the point where I would never use the same ground for at least 10 years. But, that's not where it's at. Add some fresh mix, and some compost to your purchased mix from the previous year. Make an effort to replace nutrients, expecially micro-nutrients. Add a bit of lime the same way we "in-ground" growers do and let it go. Don't fall for the "nay-sayers" who try to get you to the perfect everything. Most of them don't know how to grow enough to feed themselves, not to mention their entire family. Relax, growing tomatoes is fun, if you'll let it be so.

zipcode · October 28, 2015

I'd say something like 3 years is OK. Depends on the mix as well. I used it for 5 years now but things aren't going as well as when it was new. I'll have to change it.

Ricky Shaw · October 28, 2015

If these fabric pots are anything like regular pots a lot of the mix gets dissolved and displaced with healthy root by season's end. What remains is a lot finer material than the original. I'm thinking I'd mix at least half new media for the next round, regardless.

rudylr · October 28, 2015

Im going to add some pine bark fines to my old mix and try the 3 2 1 mix for my extra plants next year.

Ed of Somis · October 29, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricky Shaw

If these fabric pots are anything like regular pots a lot of the mix gets dissolved and displaced with healthy root by season's end. What remains is a lot finer material than the original. I'm thinking I'd mix at least half new media for the next round, regardless.

R...I think you make some good points here. I think I have noticed a "finer" material at the end of 1 or 2 seasons, also. Half-new medium sounds like a pretty good compromise.

Bipetual · November 3, 2015

Ted, what do you add to your mix to add micronutrients? I was looking at azomite or greensand, but I know nothing about it.

Gardeneer · December 20, 2015

Soil less medium is just a medium for the roots to anchor and hold moisture and the nutrients.
The reason to discard or refurbish it is to correct its structure for optimum drainage and moisture
retention. .
What I do is to dump them on a tarp, clean up the roots, add some fresh mix, fertilizer (time release) and reuse it.
If you are using something with organic contents, that will be a different story that I have no experience about that. .

Gardeneer

MacDuff · February 17, 2016

I dump out about half of the bucket (4 Gal.) - mix it with compost, more perlite, worm castings- Epsom salts and fertilizer. I re-water the remaining mix in the bucket until it is very wet so that I'm sure that it will wick - then add the refurbished mix and water. When I plant i water from the top for a few days just to be on the safe side.

October 24, 2015	#1
rudylr Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: nebraska Posts: 30	Reuse of container mix? I tried my hand at container gardening this year. I had good success early on then got septoria leafspot and the hot humid weather slowed things down. I'm all in for next year though with probably twice as many plants. Can I reuse my container mix for next year? I am going todo one raised bed and could put the mix in there and use fresh mix in the containers. what's the chance of the S leaf spot causing problems next year?

October 25, 2015	#4
kurt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Homestead,Everglades City Fl. Posts: 2,501	Some insight to precautions. Spores are really microscopic,and hard to remove from environment. http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.corne...o_Septoria.htm http://blog.pennlive.com/gardening/2...leaf_spot.html https://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/fs547/ __________________ KURT Last edited by kurt; October 25, 2015 at 09:08 AM.

October 26, 2015	#8
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	Again, I agree with Ed. I have 5 acres available to me if I want it. I can rotate the garden around to the point where I would never use the same ground for at least 10 years. But, that's not where it's at. Add some fresh mix, and some compost to your purchased mix from the previous year. Make an effort to replace nutrients, expecially micro-nutrients. Add a bit of lime the same way we "in-ground" growers do and let it go. Don't fall for the "nay-sayers" who try to get you to the perfect everything. Most of them don't know how to grow enough to feed themselves, not to mention their entire family. Relax, growing tomatoes is fun, if you'll let it be so. __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

October 24, 2015	#2
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I think you'll be fine. One option for re-using media is to treat it with an enzyme product to dissolve dead root matter. There are products made for hydroponics to do this, but you can buy the same thing 100x cheaper if you just buy a product made for fish ponds. "Pondzyme" is one brand; there are several. A little bit goes a long way.

October 24, 2015	#3
Ed of Somis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Somis, Ca Posts: 649	Clean up at the season's end is quite important. Diseased plants need to be disposed of. Most of us re-use our potting mix...making sure to re-vitalize nutrients in Spring. You will be fine.

October 25, 2015	#5
Ricky Shaw Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro Posts: 1,910	I hadn't even thought about soilless media not being reusable. Matter of fact I'd even attached a percentage to it, and imagined my recovery would be at least 50%. Is my container excursion about to get more expensive?

October 26, 2015	#6
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	For sure it all depends on the type of problems you might have had during the growing season... For the common fungal foliage diseases it's enough to remove all the plant material and turn the soil... In my containers, worms take care of every little rootlet that gets left behind. I reused the soil in my containers for tomatoes for 4-5 years, adding fresh compost each year, and it was just fine for disease questions. The real problem I've had is a buildup of pest populations in the greenhouse, and this past year also introduced some more unwanted guests. First time ever with slugs in the canopy, eating my tomatoes and leaving gross trails. They can only be lurking down the sides of those big containers where I can't reach them. No see um type troubles - thrips, mites also have become chronic and aphids keep popping up as well. So I decided it's time for a purge - complete change of soil, clean the containers, and major sanitation (and some renos) in the greenhouse during the winter. Tomato soils are being cycled to new garlic beds.

October 28, 2015	#9
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	I'd say something like 3 years is OK. Depends on the mix as well. I used it for 5 years now but things aren't going as well as when it was new. I'll have to change it.

November 3, 2015	#13
Bipetual Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Illinois, zone 5a Posts: 579	Ted, what do you add to your mix to add micronutrients? I was looking at azomite or greensand, but I know nothing about it.

December 20, 2015	#14
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,922	Soil less medium is just a medium for the roots to anchor and hold moisture and the nutrients. The reason to discard or refurbish it is to correct its structure for optimum drainage and moisture retention. . What I do is to dump them on a tarp, clean up the roots, add some fresh mix, fertilizer (time release) and reuse it. If you are using something with organic contents, that will be a different story that I have no experience about that. . Gardeneer

February 17, 2016	#15
MacDuff Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: MA 5 So. Shore Posts: 17	I dump out about half of the bucket (4 Gal.) - mix it with compost, more perlite, worm castings- Epsom salts and fertilizer. I re-water the remaining mix in the bucket until it is very wet so that I'm sure that it will wick - then add the refurbished mix and water. When I plant i water from the top for a few days just to be on the safe side.