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Left-overs / cleanup!?

So I have yet to start a grow - I’m at the learning / gathering info stage - I haven’t even purchased the equipment yet.

But what happens with the left-overs - the clippings, stems, roots, and especially the dirt!? Just bag it all up and toss it in the garbage!?

I understand that clippings can be used to make edibles (which presents me with a whole new avenue of learning).

It seems like it would be a waste to just dispose of the soil. But, dirt is NOT dirt cheap - and I assume it can be reused somehow (composted?) along with the roots - stems / leaves. Which brings me another avenue of leaning... how to make good useable compost.

What do most people do with the waste / by-products of their grows? Eapecially dirt / coco / or other mediums?

How do you clean / re-use fabric pots? I mean - do you just hose them down and scrub them out with plain water - or use some kind of cleaner to remove potentially unwanted pathogens / micobes / residual chemicals?

Thanks to the fantastic podcasts - I’ve already learned a ton of things from Mr. GrowIt. Really enjoyed so many of them - and I hope to put the information to good use in the not so distant future.

3 comments

Comments (3)

mholliday

Oct 26, 2022

Wow - that’s an awesome response! Thanks!

That also answers another question I’ve been wondering about - ‘which method costs more?’.

It seems that if you have to constantly buy coco / rock wool (or possibly soil), it adds to total cost.

I’m guessing that even hydro is potentially more expensive than soil because of the nutrients needed. Not to mention there‘s no way to re-use the water.

I want to use an organic type of grow, with minimal / necessary / beneficial nutrients. Kind of like less is more.

Cam Z

Oct 26, 2022

Replying to

I have grown in living soil and dwc. I haven't grow in coco but I use it from time to time when I grow certain varieties of mushrooms. Coco is supposed to be a mix between soil and hydro. It gives you benefits of both with very little downside. Rockwool is not great for several reasons. It takes a good deal of energy to make, isn't easily biodegradable, and the fibers it's made from are carcinogenic if inhaled. It's upside is that it's steril, impossible to overwater, easy to flush, and doesn't retain ions.

DWC can require less water, or so they say. But the quality of the water needs to be very good and mostly empty in terms of elements. The water can't be reused but some people don't change the water, they just adjust it. I currently grow with this method because it is the fastest and most simple for me personally. My knowledge is extensive and this is not something I'd typically suggest for a new grower. The amount of information and misinformation surrounding dwc is astronomical.

Living soil is by far the most simple concept to understand as a new grower, it is the most forgiving, can be the cheapest, and is easily the most sustainable. I think you have made a wise decision in your desire to pursue this route. If you are sincerely interested in the most minimalistic approach then check out Mr. Grow It's video with Greenz Goddess where she breaks down some of the basics of Korean Natural Farming and Jadam. It's a good introduction. There are a couple others who talk about it as well but I can't remember them all.

https://youtu.be/to4wfaYXfAA

Cam Z

Oct 25, 2022

The answer to most of your questions is it depends. Some people do just throw it away and others reuse. Many coco growers will get new coco each grow because it needs to be "cleaned" before it can be reused. Coco and peat have a tendency to hold on to salts. The same can be said for peat based soils.

If the fertilizers are 100% organic then there is less of a need to throw this soil away because it actually tends to get better with each subsequent run. That being said, you have to be careful with reusing certain soils. If you had a pest issue then you may need to let your soil sit for some time before it is safe to use again. Additionally, if you use too many fertilizers derived from sea life there can be dangerous levels of certain elements and salt that accumulate within the medium.

It is important to note that fungus, bacteria, and erosion are very good at what they do, which is taking large organic matter and turning it into smaller organic matter. Over time this can lead to soil compaction. This compaction makes it very difficult for plants to grow their roots. This can also lead to oversaturation and poor drainage. This can cause plants to become stunted. To combat this most growers ammend their mix with larger organic matter to maintain the proper aeration in their mix.

Composting your soil is one way to recycle your soil. You could, for instance, chop down your plants and mix them back in your soil and allow them time to break down. You could also create a worm bin to hasten this process. Large stems can be composted whole over a long period or dried and burned to create a new source of avaliable potassium.

Synthetic mediums such as rockwool do not break down fast and must be disposed of.

Reusing fabric pots is quite simple depending on their type. Most can be shaken out and machine washed on low settings to clean and sterilize them if you feel it is necessary. Other types are designed in a way that allows them to biodegrade after use.

There is far more information than would be feasible to list in one reply to a couple of your questions but I feel that I have covered many of the main points and giving you too much to digest at once would be disadvantageous.

Hope this was helpful.