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Wed, Sep 28, 11 at 19:52
| A 10 gallon pot was not draining. The potting soil in it turned sour and the plant died. Once the drainage problem was corrected and the soil dried out for a couple of months is it okay to replant in the pot or did the growth of the anaerobic bacteria cause some sort of toxic condition? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by louisianagal z7bMS (My Page) on Wed, Sep 28, 11 at 20:11
| If I had a plant I really wanted to flourish I would compost the old soil and get fresh soil. Some would even clean the pot with a bleach mixture. I never do that and don't seem to have problems. If I was rooting a cutting or something that maybe I had more of and could stand to lose, I would re-use the old soil. So it's not black and white, I don't think. |
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| First you have to relate why the 10 gallon pot wasn't draining. If it was due to the lack of a drain hole or a clogged drain hole, the soil might be suitable to plant in, but if it wasn't draining because the soil was primarily made of materials consisting of small particles, that's an entirely different issue. If you reuse a soil, the physical characteristics of which invite a repeat performance, you shouldn't be surprised if you feel a little deja vuey after watering a time or two. Good drainage and aeration isn't determined by the number or size of drain holes in your containers. It is determined by the soils structure and is directly related to particle size and in some cases the variation in size gradient. Al |
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| Thanks for the replies. The drain hole was clogged. |
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| You should put gravel or screen over the drain holes. I would lay the old soil out to dry out then compost it. |
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