Old Potting Soil Rejuvenation: The Best and Easiest Ways to Revive It! Refresh a stale growth medium by following these awesome tips!
Yes, you may use old growth medium again! To Rejuvenate Your Potting Soil, Here are the Best Ways to Do So!
Is Potting Soil Recyclable?
Look at what you’ve grown in the soil before you answer this question. Heavy feeders such as peppers and cabbage drain the nutrients from the soil, while lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, and cabbage are more delicate. You’ll need to replenish the soil you used to cultivate these plants with a lot of organic matter and fertilizer.
Peas, carrots, and herbs, on the other hand, are light feeders and help to preserve the soil’s nutrients. The soil that was previously used to cultivate these plants can be recycled with little effort. There are a few things you need do before you begin:
Best Methods for Rejuvenating Old Potting Soil
Sterilizing
- Remove pests and bacteria from potting soil by heating and sterilizing it. To sterilize potting soil, you can use one of two methods:
- Solarizing: Fill a large black plastic bag or a bucket halfway with soil. Wrap in a plastic bag and store in a sunny location outside for up to six weeks. When the bags or buckets are heated, the hazardous organisms in the soil will be killed.
- Baking: Alternatively, you can microwave the soil for 90 seconds or bake it for 30 minutes at 180 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the soil away from temperatures exceeding 200 degrees, since this will cause poisons to be released.
2. Conduct a Soil PH Test
Even though it isn’t required, you can measure the pH of the soil before and after adding nutrients. Adapt the nutrients and soil pH to the demands and requirements of the plant you intend to grow based on the results.
3. Restoring
- Remove all the roots, twigs, and leaves from the soil. Get rid of weeds, garden waste, and any dead plants.
- Spread and till the dirt. Break any huge blockheads and loosen the soil with a layer of 3-5 inches.
- Allow to dry in direct sunlight for a week, then remove and discard the water.
- With your fingers, flip a tight ball of earth that has been compressed after one or two days. If the ball falls apart, the soil is dry enough to work with.
4. Make it Organically Rich
Decomposed cow manure, lime dust, gypsum, humus, worm castings and vermicompost are all wonderful possibilities. You can also use well-rotted compost.
A study found that:
- This makes the area more stable by making it easier for water to get into the ground, letting air into the soil, and reducing the amount of water that runs off.
- Enhances the ability of the growth medium to retain water.
- Reduces clay soil’s stickiness, making it easier to till.
- Improves seedbed preparation by reducing surface crusting.
5. Use Neem Cake
Neem cakes are created from the leftover cold-pressed Neem tree bars after the oil has been extracted. Its composition is what makes it so beneficial to plants and growing media.
Calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, and zinc are all abundant in this region of the world. It’s a mineral powerhouse.
In order to enrich the soil’s nutrition, simply add 1-2 cups of ground Neem cake per plant.
6. Put in some bone and blood meal
Blood and bone meals are leftovers from the slaughtering that happens in the meat packing units. They are organic and cheap, and they have a lot of NPK and trace elements.
All of these things make them one of the best ways to improve the soil. For the best results, add 1-2 cups of them to the growing medium every 2–4 months.
7. Earthworms
According to this study, earthworms have a big effect on how water moves through the soil, how nutrients are distributed, and how plants grow.
They also encourage the growth of microorganisms, mix and clump the soil, improve its ability to hold water, make channels for roots to grow, and bury and shred plant waste.
8. Mix everything well
Mix and till the soil 4-5 times after adding the fertilizer and organic matter to make sure they are well mixed. Move it to the bucket and give it a little water. Hold on to it for a day or two before giving it to the plants.
9. Apply a Time-Based Fertilizer
If you want to add more nutrients to the soil, you don’t have to do this, especially if you aren’t adding a lot of organic matter. Low-strength fertilizer with a slow release should be used. It would be fine to use a teaspoon per gallon.
You can also mix three parts soil with one part compost. Remember that too much compost can cause the soil to become hard.