When prop 207 passed in 2020 I setup my first legal recreational grow. Raised bed going on 5 years of age. I’ve been jabbing it with organic compost/amendments between cycles but time to strip it down. Soil Maintenance Time!!
Dirt gets compacted..old roots and grubs might be in there.
The best way to deal with this is a soil screener. I made the unit in the feature image from wood scraps & some 1/2″ hardware cloth. It sets about 2ft off the ground. Shovel your dirt into the screen bin and run it through.
I pulled out a lot of rocks, root material and 1 grub so far.
I would say this an ” every 4 year” ordeal.
It would be advisable to screen any new bag dirt from the box stores. I’ve found broken glass and pallet nails in bags I’ve bought.
The raised bed soil breaks down over time & compacts. This causes smaller plants with lower yields. When the roots are shallow from your last grow that’s a sign that it needs rejuvenation.
Once the soil is out and sifted, also sift a bag of composted chicken manure, mushroom compost, garden soil. Add some vermiculite, perlite and tumbler compost and refill the bed. Turn it over here & there to mix it all well.
