Dump the mix in a bigger bucket and check to see if it has started to break down, if it has toss it. Remember the point of gritty mix, and other high aeration mixes, is to provide excellent aeration and to reduce (or eliminate) the perched water level so it is vital that it has not begun to break down.
If it still looks good and chunky, then I would screen it again just in case and use it again. I would add a litle more fert and lime to the mix but not as much as you did initially, your just going to have to guess about this one.
I'll see if I can refer Al to this page.
Bob

That's a really good question Mark, I have been wondering the same thing. I have a lot in various containers. I am starting a community garden bed now and was thinking maybe I could use that as an additive to the bed and start new mix. Bob - do you think it would be okay in a bed if has started breaking down because of the extra drainage action of being in the ground?

The thing is, the ideal container environment is fast draining and has a high CEC (cation exchange capacity) and AEC (anion exchange capacity), this is good for soils too, but has to be done a very different way. If you want to improve your soil, then you need to find out what's wrong and amend it (perlite is a common soil ammendment, but on the wrong type of soil it can be detrImnetal, so tred carefully), however, if you already have good soil, you can through on a small percentage of the mix (I wouldn't go more than two gallons per squar foot, one gal would be better).
For your bed, I would try to get a spot on loam (40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay) with some extra organic material and a little perlite. I like 1 gal of perlite, 2 gal of manure (cow), and 1 gal of anaerobicaly composted material per every 2 or so square feet. Pine bark, coir, a litle peat and what ever else are good ideas, just make sure your soil is balanced and stable. I have had great success adding greensand or azomite to soil as well, it's organic but I use synthetic with it, it's just a good source of the trace elements that we tend to forget about.

Thanks for the information/ideas on the bed Bob. Right now the bed in the community garden is basically pure Florida sand. My experience with Florida gardening over the past 4 years or so has all been in containers. From everything I have learned on here, over the past few years I have been using a kind of rough approximation of the mix - not exact but definitely focused on drainage. So I don't get too off topic in Mark's thread, would you mind taking a look at some of the questions I had about starting the bed from another thread? I would really appreciate the input. Thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Plot thread

Mark, what do you use it for? I use Al's mix in 3.5 and 5 gallon buckets for veggies and I don't screen the fines, only wash the perlite...my veggie use will only be for one or two seasons. If it is for veggies I make new mix every season for the "nightshades" (tomatoes and peppers), but reclaim all the used stuff for the cold season crops and pole beans for an additional season, then into the garbage or front flower beds.

I can't understand why folks aren't clipping their posts that they want to share for future reference, the traffic on GW Florida is so heavy that they purge the archives regularly so it's not possible to search for old Florida posts that are helpful unless you get lucky with a Google search...check out my clippings if you want to see what I'm doing.

Tom

Hi Tom,
I am using it for tomato's at the moment. I guess I will need to make a new batch. I will use the old mix in my raised beds.

Mark

I have a 30 x 60 garden and it is three years old. Last year I added a ton of Diatomatous Earth and during the growing season I mulch the rows with hay to reduce nemitode activity. I obtain soil sample results every year and control my pH and maintain my CEC religously. My problem is blossom end rot on my tomatos. Any ideas?

Hi Tom,

I am using it for tomato's at the moment. I guess I will need to make a new batch. I will use the old mix in my raised beds.

Hi Mark, you're on the right track ;-)

....My problem is blossom end rot on my tomatos. Any ideas?

VT, sounds like you have some idea what you're doing. I'm all containers so I can't help you much with an in-ground growing environment but BER is usually related to too much or too little watering since it alters calcium absorption, inconsistent watering is usually at the root of the problem.

Tom

Inconsistent watering and Ca and Mg take up are the main causes of BER. I now do container only, but have grown tomatoes in and out of the ground many times. A hand full of Epsom around the plants once blossoms start is a good idea, also make sure you incorporate some lime in your mix/bed for the Ca (and extra Mg). And water consistently, if you water every day, stick to it and you'll have a good yeild; if you don't water for two or three days, keep with that (don't start watering every day suddenly) and you will have a reduced yeild but they will be a little more flavorful. Some of the best toms I've had were by accident: I forgot to water a plant for a week once the flowers came, and I watered only once a week for the rest of the season, they (the few I got) were packed with flavor.

I agree with Bob about the flavor, I try not to water until I BARELY see some wilt. If they wilt significantly you'll easily suffer BER, but if you wait as long as possible between watering without suffering significant wilt they'll have the best flavor...watering too frequently just invites additional diseases too. It's a fine line you just have to learn for your climate and climate variables, but the watering must be at consistent intervals.

Tom