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Can you reuse honest-to-goodness potting grunge from empty plantation owner ? The brusk answer is yes , sometimes . However , you ’ll need to follow a few tips to ensure your new plants are happy and healthy .
Watch a quick overview of re-using potting soil here.
If you ’re anything like us , thing be given to get tossed in the shed at the end of the gardening season . When we cleaned our shed last weekend , we found two large grow bags and a half - dozen large pots make full with petroleum - dry out - out soil .
We need potting ground for our planter and someelderberry transplants , so we want to employ this old soil .
It seemed a waste to cast it forth and expend money on new potting land . But we also knew that we could n’t just practice the soil as is . We took fundamental footprint to restore and replenish the old potting soil , and we were good to go .
How should you use old potting soil?
Certain uses are better for old potting land than others . For good example , we would utilise old potting ground in large flower boxes that need a lot of soil to fulfill up and will be implant with substantial transplanted flowers .
We also use old potting soil to promote our compost or summate soil to a new bed we make with the flat solid mulch method . We regularly reprocess the soil in our upgrade kitchen garden .
We would not , however , use old potting soil forseed come out . Those baby seeds are more susceptible to disease and postulate the good possible territory to get pop .
Because insects or diseases could overwinter in your old potting stain , you ’ll also want to ensure you found something different when you re - apply it . You do n’t require to give the disease or louse that wipe out off its previous tenant a new convenient host to give on .
If you have an appropriate use for your grease and are willing to rejuvenate and replenish it through a few steps , you may safely and effectively reuse quondam potting land .
How to safely re-use old potting soil
Once you know where to utilise it , the next stride is restoring and replenishing the food in your quondam potting dirt . Here are the 3 steps we employ to fetch old potting grease back to life for new purposes :
Step 1: “Bake” the Old Soil
The first step if you want to re - utilize old potting soil is to heat the soil . Baking the old soil in the sunlight helps to kill off harmful pathogens .
Technically , you’re able to “ sanitise ” older soil by baking it in your oven for 30 minutes . However , this may not be a feasible choice if you do n’t want your oven to smell like soil or you simply have too much . rather , you may broil outside on warm , gay days .
you’re able to use the trash bag method to “ bake ” small amounts of potting soil emptied from smaller mickle . Empty your previous potting soil into big black plastic garbage cup of tea , pick out any great roots or sticks . Fill them just enough to create a 2 - 3 inch dense “ disc ” of spread - out land at the bottom of the bag . draw off the tops of the travelling bag or twist them and insert them under .
Place the drivel traveling bag with soil in a gay spot for about a hebdomad . You ’ll want about seven days of skillful fond Lord’s Day . If it rain , give the grunge a piffling bit longer to bake . When you reach into the bags to feel the soil , it should find gracious and strong .
If you reuse the soil in a lift layer or huge drum , you may allow that space to “ bake ” in the sun before re - planting . However , you may not want to fuse the dirt up too much because doing so could resurface old pathogens and weeds .
The No - dig gardening method acting is bang-up for raise bed . When you believe the bottom or big pot has gotten a significant number of days of spring sunlight , go forward and move on to the next stair – fill again food .
Step 2: Add Peat Moss to Old Soil
The consistence of old potting soil will believably be reasonably ironical and crumbly when you run it between your finger . Your dried - out former soil will probably not hold wet very well . Peat mossis your solution .
Peat moss is a swooning , drier fixings in soils that help lighten the texture and create a more effective wet correspondence . It occupy moisture until your plants involve it liberate . It also helps hold onto nutrients so they do n’t get washed out when the flora is watered or rained on .
bestow about 1 part peat moss to 3 constituent soil . To mix it in , pour the peat moss on your soil and gently fold it in . Peat moss can be very light and suck around , so fold it in help ensure you do n’t lose too much of it . Keep turning the soil until it is well motley .
- Perlite orVermiculitecould also be added at this degree to create air pockets in the ground and amend its hold on to nutrients .
Step 3: Add Compost to Old Soil
Old potting soil has likely lose many beneficial nutrients , so you must add compost to regenerate them . Compost offers various nutrients , such as nitrogen , P , and potassium . It will also aid equilibrize the pH of your soil and retain moisture . When you add compost , you ’ll notice the improved richness of your soil just by looking at it and touch it !
You ’ll want a mixture of about 20 % compost or one part compost to 4 parts potting ground . I regain that using your manus is the best style to stagger compost throughout the soil . Just dig in there and stir your soil up well !
Now you can use your Potting Soil!
That ’s it ! Now , you have rich , well - balanced potting soil that is great for planter and grows bags or for combine into your garden . It can help stifle your soil with water before pose it into your mountain to ensure an evenly moist plant showtime .
I often fill again old dirt bag with newly kick upstairs potting soil to keep them on deal for various labor .
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to use old potting soil?
On the one helping hand , yes , you may safely employ old potting soil with new plants . However , the solvent is also “ no . ” You should n’t use erstwhile potting soil “ as is ” without direct safety and quality issues .
What are the potential dangers in old potting soil?
Old potting soil can containpathogens or bacteriathat will make young plants to droop and die . It can also lack the respectable nutrients plant need to deliver the goods .
In addition , old potting soil may contain dirt ball egg or larvae from harmful louse that damage old flora . It can also be full of old pot that will pop back into biography next time of year .
When should you NOT use old potting soil?
If you eff for a fact that a plant that lived in that soil kick the bucket a atrocious destruction from a pathogen you never need to see again , we highly urge dumping the soil .
similarly , if you find a lot of insect larvae or burrow grubs , it may be clock time to move on . Throw the unuseable potting land into a compost bin , where it can bake for a class or more , or simply spread it into the woods , where it can rot in the state of nature .
When is it OK to use old potting soil?
If you have pot soil from plants that just finished out a year ago and were done – like herbaceous plant or flowers – you’re able to reuse it safely again .
For model , if you have pots on your pack of cards that you replant each year with yearly flowers or a raise bed for growing vegetables , this soil should be fine to use again . You ’ll just need to take a few steps to ensure success with your re - used potting dirt .
