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General discussion regarding the techniques and methods used to successfully grow tomato plants in containers.

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Old May 9, 2014   #1
aimeruni
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Default help with reusing old soil!

I have a ton of soil in containers leftover from last year. I plan to reuse it; I need help with how to go about how to 'revitalize' it (add nutrients and fertility back to it).

I make my soil in 30 gallon batches (one batch=30 gallons) and for each 30 gallon batch I add 2 cups of Osmocote (or other similar slow-release fertilizer).

The Osmocote was added last year at the beginning of the growing season (end of May); I made soil later in the season too (July thru August).

However the variety of Osmocote I have is about 3-4 months with how long it'll provide nutrients/fertilize the plants.

My question is this....

The fertilizer (osmocote) is still in the soil mix from last year; however even with the soil mix I made later in the previous year (July-August) is the Osmocote essentially spent/'dead' even though it's in the soil mix?


I know since it's old soil from last year, I'll have to amend it. The Osmocote in there is most likely spent; however will be fertilizing too much by adding new fertilizer since there is Osmocote already in there (even though it's 'dead')?

Last edited by aimeruni; May 9, 2014 at 04:13 PM.
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Old May 9, 2014   #2
Ed of Somis
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You are thinking the whole situation through correctly. It is a guessing game a bit. Do the compromise dance and add less nutrients for awhile...with the idea some may be left in there. I usually add new potting mix to old mix (only if no disease was present the prior year). You have not incorporated any ground "soil" in your containers have you?
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Old May 9, 2014   #3
Zana
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I tend to add compost, some new soil mix and sometimes some organic fertiliser to the mix that I rework of previous year's container mix. I mix them in a large wheelbarrow (sorry can't tell you how big it is exactly. I have had as many as 160 pots/containers growing during the season when in full swing. I mark my containers with numbers 1 through 5. No. 5 gets all new container mix and compost that year and the old container mix is dumped in the flower garden beds or the compost . No. 1-4 get a remix of new and old. Basically the numbers correspond to the years. By the 5th year I dump it. Been doing this for about 14 years now.

Don't know if that helps.
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