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soil Excess Salt in soil - treatment?

bigbodybussey

bigbodybussey

Hey guys,

So, I grow in containers every year and reuse potting soil with new amendments added each year. I only give the plants fish emulsion and AACT throughout each season, but question residual salts left in the soil after reusing for several years. I thought about buying a salinity meter, but $300 is a bit steep.

Anyone have any experience with this or correcting this? Are there other ways to test soil cheaply? Are there any soil amendments available or is just flooding the soil and allowing the water to drain the best alternative?
 
A mild solution of epsom salts has been known to be even more effective than plain water in removing other salts.  Basically the epsom salts will create a situation in which an  electro-chemical gradient will facilitate the  leaching of other salts into solution to be carried away in the run-off.
 
Also... you say that you have been using "new" amendments.  If you are not using synthetic nutrients (salts) then you should not have any buildup.  Are you amending with 10-10-10 or some other time released synthetic fertilizer... or feeding with mircacle gro or something similar?  If you are adding organic amendments each season and feeding with AACT and fish emulsion then you should actually try to avoid leaching your soil...  If that is the case, your soil should be healthy and ready to go.  The only problem you could potentially encounter is soil pathogens.  However, you can do a root dip at transplanting with things like actinovate, plant success, and/or myco-grow.  These probiotics will help fight against soil borne pathogens by out-colonizing them.  
 
New amendments being compost, bagged garden soil, etc. no fertilizer.

What is the Epsom salt ratio?

I'll have to get all the dirt back into pots when it's time to plant up to Epsom salt/flood them. Right now the potting soil is in about a 500 lb heap on a tarp.
 
Epsom salts are nice for peppers anyway, but you don't necessarily need to flush out "salts" if you only use organic amendments and organic fertilizers.  1-2 tablespoons per gallon is the standard dose.  You can also mix it into the soil at transplant and side dress.
 
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