Perhaps 2nd request?

[arlinek]

Seems like I asked this before quite a while ago but don't recall getting an answer: Using HEB, now in 2nd or 3rd season coming up. Box was FILLED with millions of fine tomato roots (after one use) and some not-so-fine ones. I hand-worked the soil mix and prob. spent 45 mins. removing some of the thicker clumps of roots from the two prev. tomato plants and then supplemented with extra soil mix, fert., et al, etc. Do I need to do that, which was very time consuming, or just mix some extra soil mix into the existing soil, add the extra stuff and replant the new ones? Anyone seen a difference reusing the root-loaded soil as opposed to starting with all new fresh mix, which gets expensive!!? Thanks so much.

[Sherry_AK]

I re-use my potting mix every year. Pro-Mix is up to $42/bale here this year! I only remove the largest clumps of roots, but I do dump the pots (including my HEB's) into a mixing trough and stir things up a bit when I add in my fresh compost, etc. That breaks up any remaining root mass, but I doubt it's really necessary to do so.

[dice]

Apparently some people do it:

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=7599&page=3

That would be basically treating the roots of old plants
as a component of a container mix. They are kind of woody,
compared to other kinds of green plant material, so they
may raise the nitrogen requirement a little above would
it would be for a container mix that is mostly peat, milled
moss, or coir (coconut fibre), more like a container mix
that had a lot of half-decayed wood or bark in it.

If you had enough to completely fill your containers twice,
you could alternate seasons, one season in the compost
pile, one season in the container, giving the roots in it
time to break down some before reusing that containerful
of mix.

[Luvgardening2]

Hi, I am in the process of cleaning out my Earthboxes and replanting. I posed the question on the EB forum and was told to just take the big clumps out and re-plant. I just can't seem to do that. I dump the whole box onto a tarp, I take the large roots and dump it into the compost bin. Then I leave in the sun for a couple of days and it makes it easier to get the finer roots. Then I wash and re-pack the potting mix in. I have had very good results doing it this way. I got kind of lazy and on a few I just took the big roots out and chucked it and just re-planted. I will let you know how those go.

Nancy

[arlinek]

Thank you all! Hoping there might be some others with replies/experiences, too.

arline

[dice]

Reading about container mixes, I suspect that there is actually
a reason to leave some roots in when reusing container mix,
which is to replace some of the large pore space (air space)
that is lost as organic materials in the original mix decay.
As bacteria and soil fungi break materials like peat, pine
bark, composted wood waste, etc, down into smaller and
smaller particles, the container mix loses air holding
capacity, and the roots need both air and water for peak
performance.

[rnewste]

arlinek,

As you live in a mild climate in San Diego, have you thought about planting a second "cover crop" in the cooler season, to then stir up in the container before tomato planting season rolls around? I am thinking of legumes or some other in-ground crop that would bring some natural "balance" to your potting mix, to counter the effects of the prior tomato plant.

For example, I am growing Snow Peas in the cooler "season" up here in Campbell, to both give me a Winter crop, but to balance the soil a bit. I know Snow Peas are not the ideal "cover crop", but you get the idea....

Ray

[JimmyWu]

That's a good point Ray!

I was thinking the same thing reading this thread. If it works on big plots of land, why not a container? I was planning on trying Italian Mustard in the fall.

-Jimmy

[dice]

Depending on what you grow exactly, it may give beneficial
soil organisms (fungi and bacteria) that grow symbiotically
with roots (the microorganisms supply extra nutrients to the
plant, and the plant supplies sugars, etc to the microorganism)
something to grow on during the off-season, instead of dieing
out and only growing back the next year if there are viable
spores left behind or if they are replenished.

[tache]

I love snow peas and the idea that I could have them at just the time of year when I am wanting a home grown something is realy appealling. I have mixed new soil freshly every year. I suspect I do that and mess around setting up the water walls and taking a long time to keep myself from planting the tomatoes in early March. Thanks for the good idea, Ray.

Tache

[arlinek]

Thanks Ray; other than peas, could you or someone else tell me what else is considered a "cover crop" to grow in the fall/winter season? Would any butter type of lettuces be appropriate? Or, ???

[dice]

Lettuce is not normally used, because farmers are not
generally growing a winter cover crop to harvest it. They
are growing it to replenish organic matter in the soil,
add nitrogen, bring up minerals from down deep in the soil,
provide mulch, provide habitat for beneficial insects, etc.

You could use lettuce, but it roots kind of shallowly and
does not leave much behind when you harvest it. In a
container mix, peas or beans would probably be better
for a cover crop that you can eat (more roots, that happen
to fix nitrogen on them, and a tendency to exude enzymes
that free up phosphorus from insoluble phosphorus compounds).
You want "inoculated" seeds for this (inoculated with the
kind of microbes that grow on the roots of that specific kind
of legume and fix nitrogen in nodules on the roots).

Mustard is a good one for providing lots of nutritious
organic matter in the top growth to mix back into the
soil (container mix) or into compost.

In your climate, you can probably grow almost any cool
season vegetable as a winter crop. Beans and peas just
do more for the soil than most and some happen to be
edible and tasty.

[arlinek]

Thank you! Now I understand what a cover crop is; had no idea it was geared to primarily improve the soil for the following season's reuse & a bonus if the crop is an edible one.