You may have come home from vacation and found that several of your plants have succumbed to the dreaded summer. Or maybe you haven't left but you haven't been able to prevent your plants from dying. At this time, many are wondering if the land they have left behind would be suitable for use again. But, How to reuse the soil from your dead plants in summer?
If right now you have that doubt and you don't know if it is a correct decision or not, if you can use that land or it is best to throw it away, below we will give you the answer.
Can the soil from dead plants be reused?
One of the common questions we ask ourselves when our plants die is whether that soil they have could be used for other plants. The answer is sometimes not simple, but if we had to give you a quick one, the truth is that it would be yes.
But with nuances.
And is that It will depend on the substrate. You see, if the substrate is the one the plant came with when you bought it, the best thing in these cases is to throw it away directly. It is not worth it because that land is not as good as we may think and it is much better not to use it.
Although it is always recommended to transplant ten or fifteen days after purchasing it, it may be the case that you bought it when it was not the time (nor could it be) to transplant, and you wanted to hold on, even if you had to be more aware of the plant. But you should know that, in general, This is not a reason why your plant died.
If the soil is caked, it may not be a good idea to use it either. And it is that all the nutrients in this may have already been consumed and it won't be useful for other plants because it won't give them anything at all. The same thing happens if you haven't transplanted the plant for a long time; That land is usually no longer the most suitable for other plants. But if not, we could try using it.
Thus, we can find that The best soil to reuse dead plants is that which you yourself have provided.. That one could be used, as long as it went through a small process to make it suitable for any plant (which this one adapts to, of course).
The process to reuse the soil from dead plants
As we told you before, You can reuse the soil that you have put on the dead plants again. But before doing so, it needs to go through a small process to eliminate any fungus, pest or disease that the previous plant may have.
Thus, the steps you should take are the following:
Start by emptying pots of dead plants onto a clean surface. and large enough to work with the earth without it falling. If you have many, it is better to do it in several parts.
With a rake or your hands, move the soil and remove any caked-on lumps. Also remove leaves, stems, branches and large roots from plants. All that is not going to be of any use so it is better to remove it from the earth. On the other hand, small roots will not have any problems.
The goal is for the soil to be looser and you can observe if there is any pest presence. If so, they will have to be eliminated (especially if they are slugs, worms and others that are not suitable for the soil or plants).
Once you have it loose, moisten it a little with water and cover it with plastic. You have to leave it directly in the sun so that it helps the soil get rid of fungi and larvae. In this case, it is advisable to put it in an empty bag of soil, or in a plastic container with a lid.
The objective is for the earth to “sweat” and by doing so, helped by the sun, you will reduce pests and diseases. In fact, Many say that using soil from dead plants can make subsequent plants more resistant to pests and diseases. because the land itself helps them fight against them.
And what happens if at the time you are going to do it there is no sun and you are not expecting it? An equally effective method, but one that not everyone likes, is to use a microwave. Putting covered containers with soil inside and heating them at maximum power for three minutes will also work.
After time, whether in the microwave or in the sun, the earth will be ready to be reused.
Although we give you a little trick.
Tricks and tips with reused soil from dead plants in summer
With the above you would have new land to use (and thus you would not have to buy new bags). But we want to leave you some Tips to really make sure that substrate is the right one for your plants:
When using it, moisten it and mix it with a little universal substrate, worm castings, fertilizer and perlite. You don't need to add a lot, but you do need to add a little of each.
If the soil, after the process, has a brown color and stains your hands, it will indicate that it is going to become very compacted, preventing the roots of the plants from breathing.
To avoid this, take the soil, put it in a bag or similar (something that prevents the liquid from escaping). Heat water and when it boils use it to water the soil. Now Cover it with plastic and leave it in the sun again for ten or fifteen days.
You have to wait for the soil to dry completely. The same if you see that the ground begins to have little flies or other insects.
Although the soil will be ready for the plants you have, if they are very delicate, it is best to use newer soil so that they have all the necessary nutrients and there are no deficiencies.
As you see, Reusing the soil from your dead plants in summer is possible. And it will help you give them a second chance to host a new plant. We hope with better results than the first time. Do you have any more tips for reusing already used soil?