I have been thinking of doing a Rain Gutter Grow system using 5 gallon buckets. What i need to know is what do i do with all the soil at the end of growing system? Can i seal the 5 gallon bucket and reuse next year? Throw it all out and start with new soil?
Bucket Gardening
- Thread starter Zakarume
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If you had no disease problems, you can add well aged compost and use the soil again. If there were ANY disease problems, either sterilize the soil or start over. I have used the same bags for three years and had no problems (yet).
Oops! Look like I have misunderstood the question again.
TJohn: You're amazingly frugal. Yes, Tjohn is right - just add fertiliser if there is no pest problem. Or you can rotate crops.
TJohn: You're amazingly frugal. Yes, Tjohn is right - just add fertiliser if there is no pest problem. Or you can rotate crops.
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I have several containers with herbs, ranging from 1 gal. size to 3 gal. size. I reuse the soil after adding composted chicken manure. Since I use the containers for herbs, I use very little manure. If I were growing vegetables or flowers, I'd use more.
Don't seal the 5 gal. bucket. There is moisture in that soil that can lead to fungal diseases. I put my "used" soil in a large container, let it set open for the winter, and then add the compost a week or so before using the soil again.
Don't seal the 5 gal. bucket. There is moisture in that soil that can lead to fungal diseases. I put my "used" soil in a large container, let it set open for the winter, and then add the compost a week or so before using the soil again.